Essay Prompts & Essay Examples

Question:
Briefly describe your family’s economic background. Include information about your financial challenges. 2,500 character limit.

Student Response Example:
My mom was injured three years ago and is now on disability. She can’t work and we have less money for everything we need. She borrows from my older sister to help pay the bills. I’m always stressed and worried about money. I see her struggling and embarrassed when she borrows from family for rent. We don’t get what we are owed from my dad, he doesn’t pay child support. It is impossible to ask for money like I used to for school needs. I ask teachers for paper and pencils. I couldn’t join cheer because it cost too much money. I have to tell my friends I can’t go out because I’m grounded when it’s due to lack of money. Sometimes our money for groceries is low so we have to eat fast food. I can’t get a job because I have to help out around the house because of her injury. I feel like I should be able to help with money more, but my focus is on school and taking care of us at home. It is important to me to be financially secure with a degree. 

Question:
Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

Student Response Example:
I have always known the limitations, sacrifice, and worry that comes with being low income. Growing up I knew when to ask for certain items and when to keep my own necessities and desires to myself. I would constantly hear the discussions about money that my parents had and the worried look on their faces. My father was the only one that ever worked for my family and I could see how tired he was and how disappointed he was in himself for not giving us much. With the situation of my mother's illness and the workload of school, there was a lot that I had to handle.My father stopped working for the first year that my mother got sick so we were on a strict budget; only affording basic necessities. Within that year my family was financially supported by my father’s savings even though it was not much.

For a year I recycled cans and bottles in my neighborhood to pay for my own school supplies and expenses. I came up with a fundraiser that was a gathering with friends where we sold food and drinks as well as raffle tickets for items. In the first fundraiser I raised 500 dollars, so I decided to have 3 more fundraisers and in the total of all the fundraisers, we raised 2,000 dollars that I gave to my dad for bills and rent. I needed a computer to complete assignments and research so I started to fundraise by selling candy and chips at school and in my neighborhood. I raised enough money to get a computer and some for my dad to help out with the rent. It was definitely a lot to handle, however throughout my experiences I have developed the skill of problem-solving to get money for my family and myself as well as balancing my school workload.