As a high school senior with a 4.0 GPA and only moderate trauma, I’ve reached the unfortunate conclusion that my personal life simply isn’t performing well enough for college admissions.
Admissions officers want resilience. Grit. All I have is consistent effort, supportive adults and a strong sense of self. Pathetic.
I mean, yes, my parents are divorced, but not recently. I just feel like, if they really loved me, they would have waited to divorce until junior year — ideally right before I took the ACT for maximum narrative tension.
However, there was recently a death in my family…the goldfish my brother took home from the elementary school fair. I considered writing about it: the fragility of life and the inevitability of loss, but I was worried it would be cliché. Also, I wasn’t particularly close with it.
Then there was the trauma of leaving everyone behind when moving houses. We left behind our old neighborhood, my childhood memories and our family home…by relocating two blocks away.
I briefly explored manufacturing hardships. I joined tons of extracurriculars to experience burnout, but unfortunately, I just became “well-rounded.” I started a small business just to experience financial hardship and setback, but it accidentally turned profitable, which was devastating. I even tried heartbreak, but the relationship ended with mutual respect. We communicated, found closure and agreed to stay friends. It was a disaster for my narrative.
I think I have to accept that I am a happy, well-adjusted teen with loving parents. I hate my life.
I have nothing to overcome — except, maybe, the fact that I have nothing to overcome.