What is one of your quirks?

Word limit is about 250 words (max 300). I am at 298. This essay is supposed to be more informal.

Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are.

my newfound diet

Bacon. Delicious, crispy, sizzling goodness. Those are just a few ways one may describe the mouth-watering food. I, however, have not eaten bacon in over 10 years, and not for my health or religion.

It all started when I was six when my family went on a trip to a local farm. It was there when we passed the most adorable creature my six-year-old eyes had ever laid eyes on: a little piglet. As I was playing with the little pig and asking to take it home, my dad jokingly said, "You know you're eating that little pig whenever you eat bacon, sausage, and sometimes hot dogs, right?" Right then and there, I proclaimed to my family I would no longer eat pigs.

This was easier said than done. I learned that my family ate pork a lot more than I thought. However, I learned to adapt. While my entire extended family feasted on a honey-baked ham during the holidays, I piled my plate with all the side dishes. Though it was difficult at first, I kept with it. A week without eating pigs turned into a month which turned into a year, and eleven years later, I still have not eaten a single bite of pig.

Although I was passionate about my newfound diet around my family, when eating with friends, truthfully, at first I was embarrassed. However, it has become an integral part of who I am. My love for pigs sparked a love for wanting to help the environment and animal rights. Without making that bold statement eleven years ago, I wouldn't have developed my love for the earth. Though it hasn't been easy, I will continue to keep pork out of my diet and hold onto my belief that, pigs are friends, not food!

Jess , what you describe is not a quirk but an advocacy. A quirk is peculiar trait such as , in the case of food, loving a particular food to the point of being obsessed by it. For example, you are a person who eats something people would otherwise strange such as pickles and orange juice twice a week. Or, only being able to wear spandex even though you aren't allergic to other materials. A quirk is something that makes you a unique person. It is something that you do which other people may think strange in a certain manner. Deciding not to eat pork because you learned a lesson at the farm does not qualify this as a quirk. Being a vegetarian or vegan is a lifestyle choice based upon an advocacy. It is not something strange because people understand the personal and social factors behind that decision. Maybe you have something else that you can use a quirk based upon my examples above? It has to be something that tells the reviewer something about you that is a fun fact that helps me to understand the kind of fun loving person you can be outside of the classroom. Your response in this section could very well help introduce something unique about yourself that you may not have had a chance to present in the other common app essays. Don't waste it on such a common topic as "I don't eat pork". That is extremely common and no longer considered a quirk by society.