I like #6 and #8. I don’t think a partial epiphany is bad. A more nuanced view of the world can work well. But a pat “I’ve figured this out now!” epiphany isn’t very realistic.
The way I think of #8 is that there are many aspects of personality a student can choose to display in the essay. Picking that aspect, then trying to fit the essay to it can backfire. Start with stories and see what they show.