It's not easy repeating your name several times over when someone asks you for it.

Prompt: Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Its not easy repeating your name several times over when someone asks you for it. Throughout the course of my life, meeting new people would mean having them formulate easier, more pronounceable alternatives to "Srikanth", and a lot of my life was spent enduring just that

At 15 I started working for my dad's company in my spare time, to pick up skills I knew I would never learn otherwise. I learnt to program time relays, wire distribution panels, and talk to people from other parts of the world I had never heard of before. I began to gain confidence, and started to take this line of work seriously. As days went by, the focus at the company began to turn to energy management and sustainability, and I started to develop an aptitude for it. At school I always loved Economics, and excelled at Physics and Business, so the interest came as no surprise to me. I would meet many people with vast amounts of knowledge on the subject, and tried my best to pick up the jist of it all. Even a small step ahead of the curve was still a step nonetheless. Until then, I always used to take things for granted, not knowing in the slightest, what goes on outside the four walls of the school, or how the world functions the way it does. School life and education are indispensable to a person's character, but there are things people can't ever learn about without actually being involved. 6% of jobs each year turn obsolete, with the job market as competitive as ever. My time spent working at my dad's company led me to realize that landing a job for myself wasn't going to be an easy task. Every day I would see people submitting CVs with strong qualifications and experience, but almost all were turned down. I didn't want that to be me, so I started to strike balances between my schoolwork, and part time work at the company, not doing it for the pay, but for the experience, and skill. Not many kids think about how or when they're going to land their first job after passing out of university. They just think of what they would like to do. Not many kids, have the opportunity to experience a firsthand look at the job market they way I have. They just take it for granted, thinking that landing a well-paid job wouldn't be as hard as it is. Not many kids have met people from different parts of the world, talking to you about things you've never heard about, or didn't know existed. They just meet people who are at, or of, the same caliber.

Then again, not many people are named "Srikanth".

I guess my name symbolizes a trait. Being different.

I enjoy all the examples you gave to show your experience makes you a better choice than any other applicant but you must also talking about a specific experience too like a day at your father's job so admission officers can get a better idea of your life.

thanks :)

I have a different take on your central ID essay. Have you given any thought to writing the essay about being different based upon the foundation of your unique name? The difficulty in pronouncing your name can be the basis of your central identity. How you identify as being different in a special way. Then relate your experiences about those times in your life when a person who could not pronounce your name ended up admiring you, not because of your name, but because of what you were able to accomplish differently than the others? That would be a unique take on this type of essay and play in directly with what you said ;


I really see that as the hook that is sure to catch the attention of the reader and make them want to learn more about the person with a name that is very difficult to pronounce.

i have three other essays I'm working on, and i considered this as complete. should i really go back and talk some more about what you mentioned? or is it decent enough to be submitted this way?

In my opinion, yes, you should rework the central ID essay. However, if you feel that you prefer to use this version then don't let me change your mind. I accept that my opinion of your paper may be different from yours. I was merely offering a suggestion as to how you can make a more interesting and stand out essay that would be informative and unique in a way. If you don't have the time or the inclination to try my way then you don't have to. No harm, no foul :-)