<p>I’m working on coming up with a topic for an analytical essay on an influential leader (for CMC) and am thinking about writing about Jesus Christ and how he influenced and shaped modern day culture and thought. Is this too risky of a topic? I’ve heard that you should try not to touch on religion and other controversial topics in your college essays, but am hoping that if I can approach this one from an unbiased standpoint that it might be ok. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Similar threads to yours have appeared before…You have to be very careful with religious topics because you never know who is reading your application. Also, I don’t know what CMC is. </p>
<p>My mama always said that you don’t discuss religion or politics in polite company. It is particularly difficult for a young person to handle that type of topic without sounding a bit radical.</p>
<p>just do it</p>
<p>actually, i think this sounds pretty interesting, as long as u do stay completely unbiased, which means you’d probably need a lot of feedback form a bunch of different people. i would suggesting approaching it like a history paper, since he is, technically, a historical figure. i think it’s unique, though. gl (:</p>
<p>what does this topic have to do with you? </p>
<p>As it stands, this sounds like an academic paper.</p>
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong here.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. The prompt reads:</p>
<p>“In addition to the Personal Statement you are asked to write for the Common Application, you are also required to write an analytical essay responding to the following prompt.There is no minimum or maximum length requirement, but the Admission Committee expects a thoughtful and analytical response to the following:
RequiredAnalytical Essay Topic
Leadership is a constant theme and emphasis at CMC. In fact, one of the ways we describe CMC students is “Leaders in the Making.” Identify and discuss a person, fictional or nonfictional, who has helped shape culture and thought. You may select someone from any field: literature, the arts, science, politics, history, athletics, business, education, etc.”</p>
<p>So from what I understand, this isn’t supposed to be focused on me (like my common app essays), but rather about an influential figure. Obviously, I’ll still have to work on making my voice show through, but it won’t be an essay where I’ll be writing about myself or my extracurriculars.</p>
<p>And CMC is Claremont Mckenna College by the way.</p>
<p>It is always hard to predict how individuals will react to a topic with religious bias but it seems that it matters less who your character is and more how you write about them. I think that writing about Jesus has potential for turning into a religious paper. But I don’t think that it is controversial in anyway to consider Jesus an influential leader. IMO this should not be a history paper but more like an editorial on leadership style and qualities. I’m not sure if I am going to say this properly but I’m giving it a shot anyway. If what you write follows a model that would work for a mortal you are probably okay because in the end I think they are looking for qualities that you will eventually emulate or avoid. (So quite literally if you can ask yourself WWJD and you could do it then you are probably on track). I would also expect that you will not be and have not been the only student to write about Jesus in their leader essay.</p>
<p>I have another question about this.</p>
<p>I was wondering if the leader has to be well known around the world, because I was just thinking about writing my essay on the leadership advisor at our high school. He definately made a huge change in the way our school views leadership, like… HUGE!</p>