<p>i actually posted that on a chance thread on the Yale ( i think you might have seen that ha).
the OP was asking about writing about her experiences visitng a small village and teaching kids. she asked whether this was cliche. most GCs, AOs and teachers will tell you no. it’s a great topic that had an impact on her life. but the way to “un-cliche” it is the HOW part. not by cramming all your SAT words, but by some different perspective, aspect, or moment of the topic that is personal. the prose of the essay - the flow, the sentences, the climax, the time fram (or whatever it may be) can set apart two essays on the same topic.</p>