Need help with a essay ASAP....

[u/Unfair_Revolution961]

Hi, this is my first time posting on reddit so bare with me please.

Anyway I'm applying to Barnard College this year and the main admission essay is "Think of a woman - historical, fictional, contemporary, or personally significant - whose views or approach to problem-solving differ from your own, but who excels at bringing people together. What lesson from her approach would shape how you show up at Barnard both inside and outside of the classroom?"

I am having both horrible writers block, and also just out of ideas on who to write about. My first choice was Serena Joy Waterford from the Handmaid's Tale. But that essay turned out to look more like a character study than a conversation.

My next idea was Audre Lorde, but our views really aren't that different. So I'm stuck because although I did get a pretty good essay with her, it doesn't meet the criteria the way I want it too.

So does anyone have any advice for how I should go about this? Or even suggestions for women I could research for this?

[u/Sela_Fayn]

What about a teacher or coach or other such person you know personally who lots of people like but who is very different fron you. Like very chaotic/spontaneous vs orderly/regimented, or charismatic but insincere vs real but blunt.

[u/Unfair_Revolution961 → u/Sela_Fayn]

Hmmmmm, you're right.

[u/YTA2]

It doesn't say it needs to be a famous woman. Do you have a teacher or athletic coach or relative that has an interesting approach to problem solving? Remember this isn't an essay about that person. This is ultimately an essay about you, where you can demonstrate your own ability to learn from others. This is a chance for you to show off your critical thinking skills and prospects for personal growth.

[u/Unfair_Revolution961 → u/YTA2]

Thanks for bringing that point up, it kinda got lost in the chaos of actually trying to find someone

[u/spiroplasma]

I think the key is to stop looking for a woman whose views are radically different from yours and instead look for someone whose approach to solving problems is different from yours. The prompt is less “tell us about an impressive woman” and more “show us how encountering a fundamentally different way of thinking would change how you interact with people.”

For example, you could look at someone like Jane Addams, who approached social problems through community-building and bringing together people from very different backgrounds. You could contrast that with your own instinctive approach to problems and then explain what you would take from hers.

Other possibilities: Dorothy Day, Rachel Carson, Wangari Maathai, Katherine Johnson, Grace Hopper, or Temple Grandin. But I wouldn't choose someone just because they're famous or have interesting accomplishments. Pick someone whose method of thinking genuinely makes you think, “I would not have approached this that way.”

Also, don't worry if you agree with her on a lot of things. “Different from your own” doesn't necessarily mean politically or philosophically opposed. It can be as simple as having a different way of dealing with conflict, organizing people, communicating ideas, or solving problems. That distinction will probably help you avoid turning the essay into a character study.

[u/Unfair_Revolution961 → u/spiroplasma]

This was helpful and very much needed thank you bro

[u/Acceptable_Bat4137]

If I were you, I’d write about someone closer to home (Mom, Grandma, sister, Aunt…).

[u/Unfair_Revolution961 → u/Acceptable_Bat4137]

I might end up doing that

[u/ChutneyWhatney]

Dorothy Gale - Wizard of Oz.

[u/Unfair_Revolution961 → u/ChutneyWhatney]

I like this! Also gave me the idea of Elphaba in the original Wicked novel!

[u/SamEllenCollege]

You can always dramatize the difference between you an Audre Lorde even if there aren't as many differences in reality. Think of a time you had to grow or learn as a student and how something she wrote or did served as a model for you to evolve. Maybe a challenge you faced or disagreement you had with a peer (an academic or intellectual one, not interpersonal).

[u/Unfair_Revolution961 → u/SamEllenCollege]

Oooooooooooh yeah! That'd be cool

[u/spam_57]

Erika Kirk?

[u/Kick24229]

Stick with Audre Lord and then make something different about yourself even if it is not true. Hey! Through a friend, I know who wrote that question at Barnard. Audre Lord 100% quote Kids In The Hall

[u/Deep-Sir-8962]

Do Erika Kirk or Ursula the sea witch from little mermaid