Can you use "I" in a college admissions essay?

Help with idea for college admissions essay?

• I have pretty much everything set when it comes to my college applications, but the one thing delaying me in sending things out is my college essay. I really enjoy writing, but for some reason figuring out what to do/what to write about for my essay has been an immense struggle. Nothing seems to come out right, and I've been forced to write and rewrite many times. I'm thinking my biggest problem is the fact that I'm having trouble settling on a topic, as well as what I want the essay to convey as far as who I am as a person. The pressure is also really hard to deal with (if it's good enough, interesting enough, etc) and is likely why it's been so hard for me to just relax and let the words flow. My first serious essay attempt was a pretty big misfire. I tried writing about how living as a young adult with a disability has provided we with the tools to overcome obstacles & put problems into perspective, but it just didn't feel right. It didn't have the heart it needed. And I didn't want anyone thinking I was trying to score a pity vote. At this point I'm thinking that the best course of action would be to focus on some aspect of (my) life that I'm really passionate about. As silly as it sounds, the first topic that came to my mind was books (or reading in general). I've always been a bookworm. I legitimately love learning new things. I love words and stories and the way that a good book can enthrall you so thoroughly that you can forget where you are for a few hours and see into a new world you never imagined possible (and later come out of it with some life lessons or a new perspective on things). I love connecting with other readers and sharing that passion for knowledge in a way that's both fun and intellectually stimulating. This is really who I am at my core, I think. My problem is, I don't know exactly how to transform that passion into a story that is interesting and readable, as well as revealing. I don't know what to communicate about myself.

• Answer:

  You could talk about communication. How technology is changing the expectations that we have of each other, instant messaging (pros and cons), how people display their lives on the internet, then regret it later, the importance of community consultation in making informed, responsible decisions. You could write about the public good. There's a topic. Write about the public good, or how responsible decisions ought to be made in the public interest. Write about your area of study and tie the two together. Talk about the evolution of thought for your area of study - phases of prevailing opinion that changed over time - describing the basic views held in certain time periods, and how and why those views have changed, leading to where we are today, and what the future holds in terms of embracing new ideas. Talk about the work place, and what constitutes a good and health work place culture. How people need to be valued, there needs to be creativity, professional opinion must be independent. make it real. make it something that people identify with.