I knew exactly what I wanted to write about by the time I needed to work on my common app. It was the moment that changed my life and my outlook on life. Personally, it was a good way for me to really reflect on how the event changed me as a person. Not going to lie, the story first sounded really morbid. That's where you really need to figure out where that fine line is: what's showing personal growth and what's just too personal/TMI.

Talking about a difficult time and how you came out of it is great, but don't focus too much on the downside of it. You need to be able to show the hope, the passion, the compassion that you have. Or at least try to!