I’ve been sitting at my computer for about two hours today. And three hours yesterday. And another hour the day before. Actually, at least an hour a day for the past three months. But funnily enough, there are no words on the page. None! Isn’t that crazy? I mean it shouldn’t be that hard, you just have to tell admissions officers every element and complexity of your personality through a niche metaphor that no one has ever done before while also telling a story from your own life that is only personal to you in 650 words or less. Easy peasy!
First, you have to come up with an idea. Sounds simple, right? Well, it’s not. You will quickly learn that nothing you have ever experienced is original. Your sports injury that left you bedridden is a cliché. So is your parents’ divorce. Actually, your whole life is a cliché. Everything is a cliché. By now, I have faced the fact that no idea will ever be satisfying. It’s impossible to be content with your own writing because the anxiety of your entire future relying on these 650 words overpowers any feeling of pride you may have in the words that you’re writing. That’s just the way it is. I don’t make the rules, I just follow them.
The conclusion is even better because it’s supposed to be a self-reflection. Nothing like writing an entire essay that you hate to make you feel like you can explain your personal growth in a beautiful, eloquent manner. Every example essay on the internet makes it seem like you should be wise and insightful despite the fact that you are 17 and still need your mom to call and make your doctor’s appointments and you cried because McDonalds was out of Diet Coke. And my personal favorite part about the ending is that no matter how many times you try, you will never get it right, so good luck seniors!
