You’re not the best athlete in the region. You haven’t started your own charity. Frankly, you’ve never had to overcome any significant life obstacles. So, what do you write about that doesn’t sound like millions of teens could have written the same exact 500 word essay? Alas, there’s hope, but first, put the pen and paper, err, keyboard away. It’s time for some introspection.

In helping students identify what to write about, I ask them to answer the following question, “What have you done that you are truly proud of”? Your answer isn’t limited to something school related. Really do some soul searching.Before you answer, here are a few ground rules:

· Your answer can’t be vague, so an answer like “I’m proud of my grades” won’t really help you, but talking about the fact that your GPA, or a grade in a class is much more than meets the eye because of what might have happened behind the scenes that your transcript doesn’t reflect.

· Be very, very specific. You’re 17 or 18 years old, essay writing service reddit no one is really expecting you to have climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro or have won a Nobel Prize. Sometimes, however, a small anecdote about your life can reveal a lot about you. One student told me all he did extracurricularly was babysit. After some prying, I found out that he babysat for his baby cousin so the baby’s young, unmarried mother could continue with her college education. That’s pretty powerful.