supplemental essay topic - which one is strongest?

[Elvidi]

Hi all,

So for one of the schools I'm applying to (Tufts Fletcher), there is an additional essay required on top of the SoP:

"To help the Committee on Admissions get to know you better, please share an anecdote, or details about an experience or personal interest, that you have not elaborated upon elsewhere in your application."

I know it's a bad idea to go "gimmicky" on these, so I've thrown out quite a few of those ideas. Here are the three I'm currently thinking of: 

1. Description of my leadership for 2 years in a campus advocacy organization (my concern being that everyone else applying to this program will also have stellar leadership experience and they won't be very interested in my work with a tiny group no matter how much I've busted my butt)

2. More broad description of my background, outlining the interests and experiences that led me, a born-and-raised South Dakota girl, to pursue a career in diplomacy, and how my Midwest identity still plays a role in everything I do (this would allow me to incorporate more of my accomplishments, such as international, professional and leadership experience)

3. anecdote about coming to the realization that I'm an introvert, and how this contributes to my strengths and skills (this is the more gimmicky option, but again will allow me to elaborate on some of my accomplishments)

In case it wasn't clear from the above options, I'm applying straight out of undergrad so I don't have a lot of nonacademic experiences to share outside of internships, extracurriculars, and things that happened before I could be considered an adult. So that's where I'm stuck.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[J_Phil]

Hey there, thanks for the note on my post. If you want to see my essay for this prompt, it is "The Other End of the Barrel". 

I suggest writing something that ties you into international relations personally. The SoP is the essay in which you get to highlight your background and experiences which will make you successful. The anecdote, in my opinion, should describe why your personal experience drives you to our field. If you can, avoid anecdotes or stories that are irrelevant to international relations. I hope this helps, feel free to ask me anything further

[fuzzylogician]

Of the topics you pitch, I would choose topic #1. I think it's the best way to talk about who you are by elaborating on actions you took and initiative you had, as opposed to things that happened to you (how your childhood steered you in a certain direction for a future career, how you deal with being introverted). On the other hand, I don't think it matters much, I think the content matters more than the topic. It could be that this would not be an original topic, I don't know a lot about your field. So, take this with a grain of salt. 

[Promit B]

I'd have chosen point number 2.