Essay On The Topic Of Life

[Alacoque Whitchurch]

Andso on and so forth, my musings spilled into the next day, then the next week, without much progress in deciding on a topic to write about for my Common App essay, the one ubiquitous piece of writing all colleges and admissions officers will read and get to know me through.

I may be three years removed from the college application process now, but I remember more than enough to empathize: college application season can be ROUGH. In addition to juggling homework, extracurriculars, and an ever-declining social life, you now have the added responsibility of writing a multitude of essays in which you try to encapsulate your entire character in 650 words or less.

It was a lot of pressure. During the spring semester of my junior year, I had started thinking about what I could write about, but not all that seriously. It did help that my English teacher gave us a few writing assignments that were specifically tailored so that we could use them as a potential college application essay, but other than that, I figured my main focus should be getting top grades and finishing up my standardized testing (namely, the SAT subject tests; fun stuff).

When August rolls along, things suddenly seem so much more real; preseason starts, band camp picks up, and all that combined means school is right around the corner. And as an incoming senior that year, I knew along with school also came college applications. I could no longer think about writing my essays in terms of vague conjectures; they were now months away from being due, and I had no choice but to get to work.

While both ideas excited me, I was also cautious in proceeding with either topic, because I had a feeling both could easily become clich, and that was the last thing I wanted. I worked on both side by side, but never really felt satisfied with either.

A few weeks into the writing, it suddenly occurred to me that I had written a short, autobiographical piece for an art exhibition I participated in the previous year. Revisiting the passage I wrote was like an awakening; it renewed my fervor for art, and not just creating it, but exploring why I enjoyed creating it and what the hobby meant to me.

Once I was struck by inspiration, it seemed like all the other pieces started falling into place: I remembered a quote that my art teacher spoke once that resonated with me, memories of my first chalk drawings began to resurface, and more tidbits that I could use to flesh out my essay.

I believe that the way we approach our essay writing says something about us: Personally, I recycled something I had already written and expanded it to better answer one of the questions posed by the Common App. To me, this showed that I was capable of taking old ideas, renewing and reinventing them, and then shaping them so that they would best fit whatever goal I had in mind.

Our friends at the time thought she was a little crazy to throw out a fully drafted essay in favor of a new topic, but we quickly realized that there was method to her madness. Upon reading the essay, we could all see her quirkiness and humor shine through, and we knew that this essay would represent her far better than the essay she had before.

Narrative, argument, informational. We may teach these genres as though writing can be contained in just one of these forms in part because that is how the Common Core State Standards segregate writing.

When I draw on the standards to inform my practice, we (as a class) decide if we will write first and decide on where we can send the publication later or decide on the publication first and then consider our audience as we write.

When it comes to topics, I really want students to write what they know and write into that knowledge to discover something about themselves and their topics, but that is what writing does anyway. I write to figure things out and rarely know where I am going until I get to the end.

While I purport to have a writing workshop where students select their topics, I do guide them in trying new forms and purposes to stretch their writing experiences. For argument, then, I wrote a personal argument and supported students in the process of finding the arguments stirring in their own lives and use the writing process to work through the tensions and seek understanding.

I thought I would use images of my class notebook to walk through the process of writing a personal argument. I am a writer in our workshop, so I write alongside students, often inviting them into my inner thoughts as I write. When I need a new topic or have a blog to write, I follow a typical writing process:brainstorm, planning, rhetorical design (sometimes before the brainstorm), drafting the lead, drafting, working through the closing and how I want to leave the reader, and revision, editing, publishing, celebrating. What I will illuminate here is how I do inquiry into my life through the drafting phase (please, excuse the red pen as by December all my extra pens and pencils have been borrowed; I distinctly remember finding this red pen on the floor).

On the other hand, some may argue that parents raise their children to be independent and there may even be some who argue that not all parents are good and thus do not deserve respect from their children. In fact, there are experts who would argue that children should actually distance themselves from an abusive parent to protect themselves. If a parent is hurting the child emotionally, physically, or even financially, psychologist might suggest to a child to break up with that parent. When the child is young, DCFS, the Department of Children and Family Services, would remove the child, but what about an adult child? Who protects him or her? Now, I know that DCFS exists to protect children who cannot protect themselves, but the question still remains, how can an adult child protect themselves when they feel abused (emotionally, physically, or financially) by a parent? Is it ever okay to break up with your parent, and in my case, my dad?

Some may say that if I lie in my letter then the confirmation would have not been real since one of the reasons I got it was on a lie, and that it would be a major sin towards the church. But, in actuality my confirmation would be legitimate because when you get confirmed, the Priest sprinkles holy water on you which means that you are now blessed and cleared of any recent sins that you may have committed. Almost like being baptized again, where you are now holy and forgiven; like being born again.

On a different point of view, some parents may not want to do it, but they may be struggling with things involving money. In that case, it is understandable to want to work extra and improving their job more. They might need the extra money to make a better life for their children.

It is the best way to get rid of your anger or any argument. In my career argument is the mandatory thing. I am an online book ghostwriter and I have to argue with clients to teach them that their opinion is good but not best. so am gonna use this thing next time.

Submit poems, short stories, and nonfiction essays for the new anthology series: Just YA. Make great young adult literature free and accessible to teens and their teachers. Learn more here. Due May 1st.

In the online Common Application Writing Supplement for those applying for Fall 2025 entry, please respond to both the Cornell University essay question and the essay prompt that corresponds to the undergraduate college or school to which you are applying.

Remember that this essay is about you and your lived experience. Define community in the way that is most meaningful to you. Some examples of community you might choose from are: family, school, shared interest, virtual, local, global, cultural. (350 word limit)

Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected and specifically, why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell CALS? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals influenced your choice. (500-word limit)

Instructions: The optional short-answer questions invite you to share additional information about your background, interests, and experiences as they relate to aspects of the Cornell CALS mission.

Optional: At Cornell CALS, we aim to leave the world better than we found it, so we seek out those who are passionate about serving the public good. Please elaborate on an experience where you were able to have a meaningful impact on people, a community, and/or an environment of importance to you. (100-word limit)

Optional: Given Cornell CALS' agricultural history and commitment to educating the next generation of agriculturalists, please share if you have a background or interest in agriculture, regardless of your intended major. An "agricultural entity" for the purpose of this question is defined as cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock (e.g., farm, ranch, greenhouse, vineyard, etc.).

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA), or urban and regional studies (URS)? B. Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (650 word limit)

At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences. (650 word limit)

Why are you drawn to studying public policy? Drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the Brooks School will help you achieve your life goals. (650 word limit)

3a8082e126