<p>Do I have to relate the essay to me? ie. Can I just choose a topic and discuss a social or political issue? or would that not be as great of an essay as one that discusses myself personally?</p>
<p>No, you do not have to relate the essay to yourself.</p>
<p>A good essay will say a lot about how you think and how you weave ideas together. Thus, the topic need not be about you. It should be about something you like and want to write about. If the admissions office was looking for personal essays, they would craft essays designed to elicit only personal reactions. But they don’t.</p>