So, obviously, you can’t really give me a definitive answer on this, but I guess I just need a little peace of mind from others.
I wrote my “What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?” about how ever since I was a kid, math has typically come by pretty easy for me. I never really had to study for test or pay close attention in classes, and I would pick up new material easily. I then wrote that I decided to challenge myself this year by taking AP Calc BC without taking AB first (something I understand a lot of very intelligent students do, but at my school this is pretty unheard of. My class has less than 5 people in it). I thought that I’d find the class relatively easy, as I had in the past, but I soon found out that I was very wrong. Being really challenged by a math class incited an deep interest in the subject. I found myself spending extra time after class with the teacher because not only did I want to know the material just enough to answer test questions but I wanted to fully understand it and how everything worked. And yadda yadda yadda etc etc etc.
But here comes my problem… Just recently my junior year english teacher allowed me to read his rec for me. The rec was really amazing, but there was a line in there where he says that at the beginning of the year I seemed like “the typical gifted student who relied on raw talent” but throughout the year he saw an evolution in me and I started to put a lot of noticeable time and effort into my papers and analyses and yadda yadda yadda etc etc etc
I think, individually, the essay and the rec are both great. But I guess my question is, do you think it’ll be a red-flag if an admissions officer reads the two together? I don’t want to give off a vibe that I’m a “gifted student” who doesn’t put much effort into what I do and relies on basic talent. Because I don’t do that, and my stats are pretty similar to the typical UVa applicant so I’m really not a rare “gifted student” either.
Sorry for the ramble, I just want a little bit of peace of mind from some peers 
I really hope I don’t seem lazy or whatever based off my essay and rec combined.