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Which of these topics should I write about?

Amberlanya HerwanaAmberlanya Herwana 97 replies32 threads Junior Member
in College Essays
Hey I just wanted to know if any of the below ideas could potentially be stand out essays. If any come across as cliche, please give me feedback!

1) As a child, I kept this gem collection and would always be on the look out for tiny artifacts wherever I went. I thought maybe I could build on this...and transition from the plastic gems I valued so much to my realization of what true gems I've collected throughout my life and how I collected them. These "true gems" would basically be whatever personality traits I have that I am proud of.

2) I have dealt with being an introvert my whole life, and have had to wear the mask of extroversion to get anywhere. I thought I could elaborate on this, and talk about how I've learned to make my introversion a strength instead of a weakness.

3) I take evening walks with my mom all the time, and they have always been some of my fondest memories. We talk about stupid things and life advice all the same. I thought I could talk about how this shaped me.

4) I found a lost baby robin on a trip once, and took it under my care. It taught me responsibility and gave me great joy.....you get the idea. This one is probably not a great idea.

Anyways, I would greatly appreciate any thoughts!
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Replies to: Which of these topics should I write about?

  • happy1happy1 23994 replies2407 threads Super Moderator
    edited July 2019
    As I mentioned in your previous post why don't you take some time and either outline or write drafts of your different ideas and see where each one takes you and if one stands out.
    edited July 2019
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  • momofsenior1momofsenior1 10131 replies118 threads Senior Member
    Any of these topics could work if you emphasize your strengths and unique attributes. I agree with happy1 - write out drafts and see which one works best.
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  • Amberlanya HerwanaAmberlanya Herwana 97 replies32 threads Junior Member
    I have been brainstorming...I just wanted to make sure that these do not sound lame or cliche and do have real potential before I begin to write on them.
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  • EmpireappleEmpireapple 2235 replies28 threads Senior Member
    I like your topic ideas. Even as you briefly explain them I feel as if I get a sense of who you are as a person. If you are doing that here, I'm sure you will do it well in your essay.

    #3 is probably my favorite followed by #4 & #1 but any of your topics could work. Good luck!
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  • mathmommathmom 33186 replies161 threads Senior Member
    If you do number 2, I suggest you talk about one example of where you made the conscious decision to act like an extrovert. Show don't tell.
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  • KnowsstuffKnowsstuff 7286 replies34 threads Senior Member
    OK.. I am going to be bold here. The introvert /extrovert has been done over and over. So has the sick dog /bird /cat /horse etc.
    Walking with Mom is nice but would be interesting where that can go but again has been done.

    I personally really like #1 about the gems. Love the idea of the gems now representing your personality traits. I think you can really explore that and make it personal, unique and interesting. My 3 must haves for a great essay.
    My son did something on coins he collected but went to auction houses to bid on them since he was 9. I won't tell you where it went but he related back to his major engineering and had the 3 qualities above. Everyone that read it was like wow.
    His friend on the chess team wrote about how each move represented something about her. It was brilliantly done and she's at MIT. (evidently had the GPA /stats also).
    I can see that with the gem story.
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  • tchit87tchit87 153 replies21 threads Junior Member
    #2 is very difficult to make work. I mean, I am also an introvert, had a speech deficiency, people called me "Taco" because of my name, from grades k-7 I went to school with less than 10 Indians in a 500 student school (or so it felt), but putting on a face of extroversion is something everybody does (probably you and I more so) and there's opportunity to tell something more about you. The sick bird one..... Knowsstuff said it was overused but how many people had that experience? Nevertheless, it was probably a very isolated event that wouldn't show too much of you unless it became very important. For me, that essay topic would work because my two "peaks" are animals and finance. I recently found a kitten in front of my house and took her in, and it really works with my application, but I would never write it in isolation... it needs another story to show the effect of that kitten whether that be a relationship change with my parents or her convincing me to volunteer with cats more (I usually do just dogs.... there are very little to help cats with lol). The gem story was similar to my first essay draft where I talked about at my Boy Scout summer camp the chocolate milk was the best thing about camp, everyone would race for it during meals, and it was small but important. I said I was also looking for the chocolate milk in my life and I found that in animals. However, I wasted a ton of space talking about that chocolate milk story that did not tell anything about me. I still could possibly make it work, but you'll never know until you write it. Overall, two important aspects of an essay is that it includes someone else (adcoms love reading about people) and shows a certain characteristic of you just by showing a story, trying not to explain anything anywhere. I bet #3 could work the best for you if that thing with your mom led to a realization about her, influenced another activity (write about another story), or anything really. But something small could turn into something important that way.
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  • TheSATTeacherTheSATTeacher 236 replies0 threads Junior Member
    1) Sounds a bit cheesy.
    2) Can't imagine this being a great essay.
    3) Could be really good. A lot depends on how you handle it.
    4) Could be interesting. Definitely different (but not too different). Could reveal the most about you.

    Regardless of what you choose, the most important thing is how you handle your topic.
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