<p>I have a pretty interesting story to tell in that I spent most of my school day in special education classes up until the third grade, and now I am in the top percentile of my class. Is this too cliche of a topic?</p>
<p>What specifically did you overcome? Is it something with which you still deal with? How has it changed your perceptions and viewpoints? How does is affect your daily attitudes, or the way you handle new challenges? </p>
<p>If you frame it well and relate it in a way that the adcom gets to know you better in a positive way, I think it’s a fine topic.</p>
<p>Every topic is a good one. It just depends on how you write the essay. Don’t try to fit in too much into your essay. If possible, try to focus on one incident or moment and related that to the difficulties you overcame.</p>
<p>I agree with hectorbo. Though I will add that it is harder to write a good essay about a common topic than it is to write a good essay about a really original topic.</p>
<p>Your topic isn’t neccessarily original, but it is quite impressive…I say, go for it!</p>
<p>Writing about perseverance is a good subject. The experience you cite is nearly a decade ago. You need to make the case on why that experience has helped you grow into the person you are today. That’s your goal in the essay.</p>