<p>I agree with what ADad said, and I am glad he posted that link too. I was trying to find it for a while now
Anyway, it seems like too many people are trying to tackle a topic that is way too big (like death) or trying to tackle one that is way too small (like if you were a spoon for one day, or something trivial and strange). I think writing about the competition is a good topic because it is substantial but not too large to tackle. In the end, it really doesn’t matter what topic you chose because a great writer can make any topic work. I would just write your essay, with this topic, as naturally as possible. Use your own voice, and try to write it all at once, as if you were trying to tell an interesting story/experience to a friend. I would just keep on writing it, and even go into three or four pages. After you finished your essay then I would go back and delete anything you felt was not absolutely necessary to what you were trying to convey or conflicted with your voice.
I actually learned about writing an essay this way when I was reading about a short story that Hemingway once wrote (“Hills Like White Elephants”) 20 times, and just kept removing unnecessary details and dialog. And you can tell reading it, because that short story is an absolute masterpiece. If you ever want to see someone convey so much in just two pages, then read this short story. If you read the essay that admissions officer from UVA wrote about showing and telling, then this essay is 100% show and no tell. I find that reading a lot of short stories (the kinds that you can find in anthologies or even online) are kind of like great college admissions essays. For instance, if you were thinking about writing an essay on death, then read “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” OR if you are going to write about standing up for what you believe in and making a rash decision then read “A&P”.
BTW, I am pretty sure you can find all three of these online if you have time. Anyway, it is kind of hard to give advice on an essay you didn’t read. I have no idea what kind of writer you are.</p>