katie1194

Would you really read it? That would be amazing! Thank you so much! It's just nerve-wracking for me to talk about myself but to not sound like I think I'm the best thing since sliced bread. Here's the essay:

"My family is funny. Rarely does a conversation occur in the Akin house in which a joke is not made. Even most of our serious arguments end in a sardonic joke. The language of love in my family ranges from ironic mockery to the ever-so-humble decree, “We are the funniest family.” I don’t mean to be overconfident – we’re no Cosby clan – but consistently we’re characterized as “The Funny Family” by friends and family alike. Sometimes our moniker slips into “The Sarcastic Weirdoes,” but as long as we’re getting laughs, none of us is bothered. Our jokes are so prevalent, they often disconcert my more literal cousin, who once famously said “Man, I forgot how sarcastic you guys are.” Nothing feels like home as much as a dinner punctuated by nearly more laughter than actual conversation. The levity of my family, more than anything, has shaped me into the person I am today. When we moved 480 miles from “home,” the only thing that remained constant was the laughter in my house. I never had time to be afraid of my new life because I was too busy laughing at something silly my dad said or something embarrassing my brother did. Once I grew up, failure never seemed quite so scary to me because I could always laugh it off. My embarrassments, insecurities, and personal problems have never been catastrophic because I knew I would have my loving family to support, love, and laugh at me."

When you read an essay written by a student, all about that student, are you ever bothered by it seeming egotistical? I always feel weird writing so much about myself, like I am coming off as self-important.

Thank you so much! You guys in Admissions, and specifically you, Dan, have made this whole process so much easier and less terrifying than I ever thought it would be. (:

If I am waiting for a certain honor to be potentially awarded to me, and the decision comes in after January 3rd, and I end up being awarded, how would I go about adding that to my application?

It's National Merit Finalist, which isn't sent until around February. So I could just email and that would be "official" enough?