Is my "American Dream Scholarship Essay" ready to be submitted?

That your title? Do we have to click on any link to read the essay??!!!!

@_Whitetigress I think there is a lot missing. I however understand where you are coming from, but that is not really going to work.
I am thinking that this is about your “American Dream” and not the stereotypical house with a yard and a white picket fence. This is not the 50’s and 60’s. What is your dream?

Sure, go ahead if you want to waste your time and make the round file ahead of anyone else.

If that’s the sum total of your essay, then you’re admitting “I have no curiosity,” so who would want to reward that attitude with a scholarship?

If you want to express some dissatisfaction with what you perceive as a common misperception of “the American Dream”, or if you want to describe your counter-dream, or if you want to describe your own search to find out “what IS the American Dream, anyway?” then you might be onto something and you might actually write a winning essay (and more important still, you might learn something about yourself AND the American Dream in the process).

As you have shown nothing more than a snarky throw-away “essay”, I would at least congratulate you on not wasting anyone’s time in reading it.

@CWOTUS Of course, snarky grown up poor with one mother working two jobs lived in an apartment all my life within a good sized gang induced area couldn’t even print out homework assignments because we couldn’t afford ink I got robbed by my moms boyfriend who drowned me in debt but I’ve pulled myself out the ruts and got away from that life and now I’m left to wonder why the American Dream is going to be for little ol’ me.

(Yes I’m a snarker from time to time but some people feel this way) (but I’m trying to maintain positivity) (this is not a mockery of you) (just some informal insight to the OP)

@_Whitetigress sweetie you couldn’t be more correct to feel hard done by snd yes, you’ve had araw deal. However, how has tha American Dream been totally responsible? Write the essay showing with examples how some have been let down and betrayed by that dream!

@ZEPHYRA @shego You’re absolutely correct, I’m not down on the dream by any means. I’m still grateful for this country.

And yes @CWOTUS I did need to hear the skeptical side of things and this was a fed up OP.

because truth be told, I’m not really sure what the dream is. For myself, I have a good idea. I want to finish school, I want to contribute to society in a positive way. I want to help others when I can. I want my son and wife to live happily and health others.

But that’s just me.

What about all the poor people out there grinding it out and just have accepted being stuck? you know? Have I come to the point in my life where I should only be worrying about my immediate family? Growing up I never understood how others could blow off bums, not donate to charities. But I’m starting to understand. Question, have you guys ever come to a cross roads with your goals vs the rest of society?

Thanks guys. GA all.

The short answer, @_Whitetigress, is that the American Dream is about “not accepting” being stuck in any way: not stuck educationally, status-wise, career- or income-wise or stuck in one’s outlook for one’s own children and family. These days, for example, gays are not accepting their status as second-class citizens by virtue of their sexuality. Good on ‘em!

Yes, people anywhere can be hard done by. And if they understand and accept the premise of the American Dream (as millions have, and perhaps millions more do not), then they “do not accept” that they, their families and others like them will have to remain where they are in perpetuity.

It’s not a guarantee of success, by any means. That’s why it is “a dream”. It’s not always the American Reality, unfortunately.

Go ahead and submit whatever you want. I’d say it’s a good way to get selected out at first glance.

The prompt might be lame, but students can expect to face a lot of lame prompts in the course of their academic careers. How you handle them shows a lot about you. Part of the art of studenthood is to use the questions posed as an avenue to saying what you want to say and/or showing what you know. What you’re showing with your one-liner is not going to make a scholarship committee say “Here’s a student who’ll bring something valuable to our educational community. Let’s give him/her a lot of money.”

No matter how much time has passed, the term “American Dream” is still as vague as it was. We can say that this is a goal that remains unattainable for 99% of people, but at the same time, this is the hope that moves you forward no matter what. I would write about it.