<p>Mal- Quite honestly, yes I would be biased against essays that are overly preachy. Everybody carries with them some type of prejudice. But how about essays that are more personally reflective and less judgmental? This is the part of jameschen’s statement that I disagree with. Clearly, one should exercise caution when writing about religion, but the topic itself does not make for a poor essay. </p>
<p>And also- just because a certain EC may be “laundry list” doesn’t mean that it can’t make for an interesting essay. It is not required that people write only on esoteric topics. Some of the best essays are about very common things considered from an unusual point of view.</p>