My Own History – Reflection Paper

Here are questions and tips you may want to consider as you go to write this essay:
1. Find a historical moment that influenced you in some way. Maybe it’s a specific period of time, like the Renaissance (we see you, art history buffs), but keep in mind that it’s generally harder to write a strong essay about something that broad. So maybe it’s a specific event, like the first female American astronaut in space. Or you could make it more personal, exploring your family’s own history, like how coming from a long line of musicians shaped your love of the ukulele or clarinet. How you define history is wide open here. The key is to choose something that brings it home to you.
2. What role(s) does history play in your present? You can touch on a couple of those ways or explore one with greater depth. Does history shape how you interact with others? Does it give you context to appreciate your world in new ways? A cautionary note: It may be wise to avoid polarizing topics, to avoid the risk of offending your reader. But if you do go there, consider asking a few trusted friends/mentors for feedback on how your response made them feel about you.
3. If you choose a historical moment or event, don’t assume your reader knows as much about the topic as you do, so share enough to provide context. Just don’t get carried away talking about the historical moment and not about yourself. The better approach: As you’re explaining the history, make it personal to you. If it’s about the women’s suffrage movement, for example, maybe you’d share how Susan B. Anthony’s bold stance on labor rights and equal pay inspired you and paved the way for the kind of advocacy work you’re doing today.
4. What do you hope your reader learns about you? What are the values you hope your essay conveys? If you don’t know, do this Values Exercise, asking yourself that same question, then read your essay over again. Are those values coming through? If not, tweak it to make sure it does. Still not sure? Ask a trusted friend/mentor whether they’re picking up on the values you identified.
5. Bonus points: Consider taking the essay a bit farther than the prompt asks by considering how you’d use your understanding of this history to help others. Don’t repeat something you’ve already shared on your application, but if you’re on a mission to help others, and if that mission is rooted in some historical context, here’s a chance to share another dimension of who you are and what you value.
6. Finally, if your response incorporates a quote (as the prompt did), be sure you triple check the authenticity and give credit where credit is due.