Questionable Essay Topic?

Started by HSUpremed
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HSUpremed

HSUpremed

New Member
5+ Year Member
Hey everyone, I just had a quick question about an essay topic for a secondary application essay. The essay question is, " Describe any circumstances indicative of some hardship, such as, but not limited to, financial difficulties, personal or family illness, a medical condition, a death in the immediate family or educational disadvantage." I have been grateful not to have many extreme hardships during my undergrad. The biggest one I can think of is when my now older sister came out to my family as been transgender (which I fully supported her) and began the transition from male to female. I'm not trying to start any discussion about the transgender topic, I just want to know if it would be appropriate for me to talk about it since it did cause a lot in my family (deeply Christian-rooted), along with myself and my academics due to having to miss several days for various reasons. Thanks and just let me know!
 
If you do pursue this topic, just make sure you are saying the family issues/missed class is the hardship, and that supporting your older sister isn't something you consider a hardship (I know that's not what you're saying, but it's easy to accidentally frame it that way).
 
it's a liiiiitle weak. people do write about divorces, though, and a major change in family makeup like that could fit... what kind of impact are we talking about? If you don't go all "MY SISTER TRANSITIONED" then it's unspecified family issue? Also, anything on your app is fair game.
 
AttemptingScholar said:
If you do pursue this topic, just make sure you are saying the family issues/missed class is the hardship, and that supporting your older sister isn't something you consider a hardship (I know that's not what you're saying, but it's easy to accidentally frame it that way).
Click to expand...
Ok, I didnt even think of that but I'll make sure if I end up using this then I'll make sure its clear that isnt my hardship
 
My parents were divorce prior to this but it brought up a lot more things. My dad tried to get sole custody of my lil sister, I ended up having to go to court to testify against it, I was required to go to one-on-one counseling for a bit but was discharged after 6 or 7 sessions, I went to group counselling with my older sister for a bit until she said I didn't need to go anymore. The main thing it affected was just my relationship with my dad's side since I picked to support her
 
if you skew it, family issues which extended through undergrad and periodically affected your academics (Assuming that's true) and that it's reinforced the need for good support/comm/etc, i think i'd be okay with it.
 
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