Essay based on the question "How should we celebrate our individual differences?"

I have been the type of person who doesn't conform to the stereotypical idea of "normal". In my childhood, I didn't go out to interact with other children who resided around our neighborhood, nor did I have friends in our community. I didn't have interests that my peers fancied at that time, such as Mobile Legends (ML) or popular TV series like FPJ's Ang Probinsyano and Encantadia. I preferred more niche hobbies, specifically playing video games including Minecraft, Roblox, or other random mobile games I could download on my old iPad. I was into hyper-specific YouTubers namely Game Theory, Wengie, Kubz Scouts, DanTDM, The Odd1sOut, Jaiden Animations, Emirichu, Let Me Explain Studios, and other underappreciated creators. I partook in the so-called "Cringe Culture". This persisted on to my high school years. I was deemed one of the "weird kids", they say.

I am very fortunate that I found fellow lurkers under a rock during my school odyssey. Most people that have accompanied me had similar pastimes to me. Several friends, though I do have a few, played Genshin Impact and other gacha video games. Some also indulged in the geekier side of YouTube, including the identical channels I enjoy. Most of them are also eager digital artists, although I perform better in traditional art than digital. And they are also in the fandoms as I am. It's funny that I didn't discover companionship through online spaces and have had long distance friends but found them in real life, unlike most geeks.

Conversely, folks who did not have the experiences tend to mock weird kids. Case in point, I had a faction during Grade 9, and we were a known circle in our section. Often I hear the boys who are not in our crowd actively sneering at us and using our appointed title "Gambling Squad" as a joke for their secondary group. It was not quite close to bullying, but it was enough to let me feel squeamish about being a person who does not obey the social norms set in our puny batch and classroom. Another incident, which happened to my friend, involved her being bullied by well-known students in her section during Grade 9, particularly involving some now holding high positions in the Supreme Secondary Learner Government (SSLG). They often bullied her for being an outcast and liking niche fandoms. Those occurrences made her very desolate and almost drove her to take her own life, but gratefully for her, she endeavored through hardships and is now an elated and assertive HumSS student and an aspiring teacher.

However, not all weird kids had these fairy-tale ending stories where they overcame the constant taunting and ridiculing of peers and became an astonishing human being who cordially preaches anti-bullying campaigns. Not all outcasted geeks had similar experiences to mine. I luckily was not picked on by the prominent juniors because I was fairly known as one of the smart students. Numerous bullied victims often lead to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and, in the worst case, suicide. I firmly believe that everybody should not approach someone differently just because they favor certain topics that are not as well-known by other people or seen as "cringe" or "weird".

This can be practiced by imprinting it in your noggin that everyone deserves fair treatment. Think of the golden rule of Confucius, "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others." When one person you meet is talking about things you are not familiar with, making fun of them will not make the situation better. Do as I said, respect their hobbies and opinions. Don't leave them out from group projects or activities just because they are quiet or shy. And sometimes, engaging in conversation with them allows you to unlock new perspectives. You might even meet the most genuine and incredible individuals you know. Each one of us deserves to be respected, acknowledged, and celebrated and can live happily ever after with each other. We are just mere humans on this small planet. We all share the same world, our differences should not justify unfair treatment.

There are some areas of this essay where you come across as snobbish and full of bravado. I strongly urge you to turn down the attitude in your writing or risk turning off the admissions committee reviewer. You are writing this essay in response to an entrance application prompt right? Words such as "noggin" do not have any place in respectable academic writing. Bragging about how you were exempted from bullying because you were "one of the smart kids" does not come across with the same humility that you probably thought it would. Don't brag about privilege unless it is in a manner that is useful to those who "different" as well. For example, how your being smarl helped save a "different" classmate or student from bullying.

The essay focuses too much on your perceived difference based mostly on interest and social status. That isn't exactly the individual difference that this prompt had in mind. The discussion could have been better had it been based on cultural, religious, social. Or moral differences as it involves the society that you belong to. That could be seen in either an academic or social context.

Your actual response to the prompt was presented only in the last paragraph. That is the incorrect way to respond to this prompt. The expectation is to present the response in 2 or 3 paragraphs that embody both the difference and how to address or celebrate that individual difference. For example, socially, you could come across a vegetarian with special dietary considerations whom you invited to a party. Coming from a family of carnivores, how would you address the meal difference?

Consider such situations when you revise the essay. Tone it down and focus more on the logical solutions to the problem indicated. This essay, though highly personal and insightful, does not really meet the discussion requirements / information as required by the prompt and review committee members.

I think your personal experiences fit the question well specially the parts about being seen as the "weird kid" and later finding people who shared your interests. I also liked that you did not only focus on your own experience. The story about your friend shows how badly this sort of treatment can affect someone.

The first part does have a lot of names and examples though. You might want to cut some of them down so the essay gets to your main point sooner. I also think the ending works, but "we are just mere humans on this small planet" feels a little disconnected from the rest. The strongest idea is that differences are not a reason to treat people badly, so I would keep the ending focused on that.