Is this a good common app essay topic?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

<p>Among the five common app essay topics, I decide to choose the forth one, which is
“Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?”</p>

<p>Here’s my outline.</p>

<p>I came from China where I spent my first 10 grades. When I moved to America in my junior year, the high school in America changed my life.</p>

<p>I found the education system in America so different from the Chinese one. Here I learn critical thinking; here I do research on my subjects; here I make projects with classmates… In America I learned how to study for myself instead of studying for exams.</p>

<p>What really changed my life is the music education in America. Before I went to America I’ve never thought that I would be a music major in college. My musical potential has been developed here. I’ve been composing music throughout my year which I couldn’t do if I stayed in my Chinese high school. I feel American schools respect and encourage students with all talents equally. I learned English very quickly and now perfectly fit in the American education. I built up my American Dream here.</p>

<p>So generally I want to emphasize that the place or environment of America makes me rediscover myself’s talent and dream, and I feel strongly content with it.</p>

<p>Is that a good topic to write about? Is that experience attractive?
I’m gonna apply to both some universities and conservatories. I have very good GPA and I also love science very much. I don’t want to give up my chance of having a music career, and I don’t want to give up my chance of being a scientist.
I know conservatories don’t use common app, so should I focus on my music talent development in the common app essay?</p>

2

<p>Well that prompt suggests writing about a particular place, so writing about America is really taking that suggestion to a meta level. But I think it works. And you have some good explanations why. </p>

<p>The common app lets you talk about whatever you want, so it is up to you what to focus on. Sometimes if they can see a clear pattern of activities from the EC list, you can use the CA essay to talk about something they don’t know about, or a surprising aspect of your EC’s that isn’t obvious from just the list of activities.</p>

3

<p>I think that is a perfect way to answer that question Victor. It’s different, and you just gave us a list of the reasons why the USA is where you are most content. Now, wrap that idea into a nice essay, and remember to “show, don’t tell”, and I think you will have a real winner.</p>