is this a great common app topic?

theunforgiven
Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:38:37 +0000

No, it’s not a great topic to write on. By that I mean, the topic itself would not add ANYTHING to your application. It’s hard to imagine adcoms relaxing after reading 100 essays in the first 3 hours and chitchatting to each other saying things like “Hey, remember the one about that kid coming here form Africa? That was fun.” …“Yeah, good read…that.”

What you can do is make this your own. By this I mean, if they read 100 essays about the same exact topic (and it is likely that many people would write about similar if not same topics, given that there are 25000 applicants…imagine the odds), they should remember yours because of the personality you put in the essay, the life of the essay, the voice, and the little details.

If you do it right, this topic, which is ok to be honest, might get you in where you want to go.

PS I’m not an expert, so don’t take my word for it. But do consider what I said if you find it rational.