'strange and uncommon story' - Should I write about my unique situations for the common app essay?

I have, what I consider to be, a strange and unique story. Some unthinkable things have happened in my life and I don't know if I should share them in my college admissions essay. I plan on doing the first common app prompt. So I'll share some of my crazy life experience. I grew up in a trailer park, poor economic background, father was a weekend drug addict and I remember him climbing on top of my bed due to the hallucinations from the hardcore drugs. Some weekends he would disappear for a few days and my mother would take me out in the car late at night to find him. At about ten, my parents divorce, fathers visitations grow increasingly fewer, moms boyfriend is mean and abusive. My father lives homeless for a while and finds a girlfriend. At the same time my mom has identical triplet girls with the mean boyfriend. Dad has three children of his own. Then he headlines in the newspaper for being to jail 14 times and running for sheriff. He drops dirty for cocaine usage. Then a few months later is caught transporting over a million dollars in cocaine. Now in prison for 11 years. His kids were in foster care and now because of him The Michigan Supreme Court is changing their law about one parent. Then mom tries to date someone new, and the ex boyfriend, cuts and stabs the guy and mom keeps him around because he is unstable so she tries to defuse. He faces several charges. There's more but that's what comes to mind right now. Is this too much... Should I write about it in the common app prompt 1

While this makes for a very interesting topic for the common app 1, I believe that your narration concentrates too much on the story of your parents rather than how their actions affected you during your growing years. So, my suggestion is this: use your parents story as the foundation for your essay but tell it in such a way that you become the focal point or subject of the story. You can use the following as guide questions:

1. How did the drug abuse and drug induced actions of your father affect your relationship with him?
2. How did the entrance of the abusive boyfriend affect you directly? Any trauma or hatred towards your mom because of what happened?
3. How did you feel about the emergence of your step siblings? How did other children affect your relationship with your parents?
4. How did the craziness of your life help you to develop focus and a goal in life?
5. Would you say that the craziness in your life taught you life lessons that you normally would not have learned?

Like I said, once the essay becomes all about you, the craziness that you are telling us about will make more sense :-) I hope my suggestions help you develop your essay :-)

absolutely! you have a great idea of what you want to tell the admission officers. just develop your points and remember how all those experience of yours can allow the admission officers to know more about yourself.