How "personal" for supplemental essay?

[kb1988]

Hi all,

 

I was wondering about what your opinions would be on how personal topics for supplemental essays should be. I have a supplemental app that is asking for a stressful experience essay in which we are to "describe a stressful or difficult personal experience and the resolution of the experience". 

 

My boyfriend is currently deployed overseas, and has been for the past 8 months. For me, this is the most stressful experience I have gone through in my young life. It has taught me many things. However, I realize this is a very personal experience, and perhaps the school is looking for me to go in a more professional or educational direction with it. For example, a difficult job I've had, or maybe a challenging class.

 

Any thoughts? Anyone who has been accepted or is part of an admissions committee have an opinion? Thanks for any help in advance!

 

[jgaboria]

I'm not on an admissions committee but if it says difficult personal experience, I think you could speak about the deployment. I would just try to relate it back to healthcare and how the experience influenced or shaped your deicision to pursue a career as a PA.

The question seems to be related to the admissions committee wanting to get to know you better as an individual and how you handle yourself in a difficult situation.

 

If the question was just asking for a difficult experience, I would use a healthcare-related experience ie. being part of a medical code or an experience you witnessed in the healthcare field.

 

Hope that helps in some way!

[UGoLong]

Try writing it up and see how you feel about the results. There are no wrong answers here.

[IdahoPA]

I was deployed as a young woman, and am currently at home while my husband is being a soldier elsewhere.  Yes, being apart is difficult for a variety of reasons; I get it.  

 

But if I were asked to write about something hard in my life, I wouldn't talk about my husband being gone.  I'm going to be blunt, but please know I intend this in the least mean way possible.  There are two parts of this premise that bother me.  First, it seems a bit... attention grabby.  I'm sure that's not what you're doing, but that's how I see it.  Military story?  Check!  People like military stories!  But he's the one gone, not you.  How are you the star of that story?  What are you really going to write about?  "I bravely carried on my day without him"?  Unless you are pretty dependent, I imagine you actually are getting through the day-to-day just fine.  Second, I think it shows your young age.  He's your boyfriend, which is a bit different than a husband you have 3 kids with.  I'm not trying to imply your love is any less real or strong, but that, depending on how you write it, it could come across as kind of weak.  

 

Again, just my opinion.  If this is what you feel is the most difficult thing you've faced, go for it.  Either way, good luck!  

[Topsy]

I was deployed as a young woman, and am currently at home while my husband is being a soldier elsewhere.  Yes, being apart is difficult for a variety of reasons; I get it.  

 

But if I were asked to write about something hard in my life, I wouldn't talk about my husband being gone.  I'm going to be blunt, but please know I intend this in the least mean way possible.  There are two parts of this premise that bother me.  First, it seems a bit... attention grabby.  I'm sure that's not what you're doing, but that's how I see it.  Military story?  Check!  People like military stories!  But he's the one gone, not you.  How are you the star of that story?  What are you really going to write about?  "I bravely carried on my day without him"?  Unless you are pretty dependent, I imagine you actually are getting through the day-to-day just fine.  Second, I think it shows your young age.  He's your boyfriend, which is a bit different than a husband you have 3 kids with.  I'm not trying to imply your love is any less real or strong, but that, depending on how you write it, it could come across as kind of weak.  

 

Again, just my opinion.  If this is what you feel is the most difficult thing you've faced, go for it.  Either way, good luck!  

 

Absolutely 100% agree with this!

[kb1988]

Thank you all for your imput! Especially l.a. lewis, it is great to have inside perspective. I by no means mean to suggest that I am the star of my boyfriend's deployment. What he is going through is not at all comparable to my experience. Likewise, it hadn't even occurred to me whether people like military stories or not. But I am trying to show a school who I am, so that only leaves room for my perspective. The essay asked for a difficult personal experience for me and it has been something I've struggled with. Perhaps that makes me weak, or shows that I am young, but it's the truth. I have learned a lot of lessons through the experience that I have found very useful, which is why I was considering writing about the topic.

 

Again, thank you for the advice, and thank you for your service!