Influential People Essay

Although it can be anyone, those are the three people that have influenced me to do better in my life more than anyone else has.

My mother, my brother, and a few other people in my life have also made a good difference.

Be sure to read Max's essay on an influential person.

Max writes about a rather unremarkable junior high kid he encountered while teaching summer camp.

It's not unusual for a college admissions essay to talk about a person who played an important role in your development.

Whether this is a parent, a friend, a coach, or a teacher, such essays can be powerful if they avoid common pitfalls.The essay succeeds in part because the choice of subject matter is unusual and obscure.Among a million application essays, Max's will be the only one to focus on this young boy. Instead, he's an ordinary kid who inadvertently makes Max challenge his preconceptions.Even though I had plenty of other people be good influence to me, if I had to choose, I will still choose my father, my 5th grade teacher, and my best friend Junior again and again.My father immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was only 16 years old all by himself.He started working immediately, and worked very hard.As soon as he turned 22 he bought his own house in the San Fernando Valley.In most cases, you should avoid writing an essay about the lead singer in your favorite band or the movie star who you idolize.Such essays can be okay if handled well, but often the writer ends up sounding like a pop culture junkie rather than a thoughtful independent thinker.The majority of essays written about influential people focus on role models: "my Mom/Dad/brother/friend/teacher/neighbor/coach taught me to be a better person through his or her great example..." Such essays are often excellent, but they are also a bit predictable.Keep in mind that a person can have a significant influence without having an entirely "positive" influence.