A very risk topic

College Essays
1

<p>edit:ugh didnt realize i wrote "A very risk topic" sorry should have been a very risky topic...</p>

<p>So as i sat down to think about what to write about for my college essay, I got a nice cold red bull from the fridge (terrible for me, i know)</p>

<p>I thought about taking a huge risk and writing about, well, red bull...</p>

<p>I would like to explore whether knowing that what i am holding in my hand is billions of dollars of marketing and advertising and not a delicious beverage matters. I understand that I only like the taste because of the marketing and advertising and that if someone handed me my first red bull in a glass i would think it to be the most foul-tasting concoction I had ever consumed. But do the ends justify the means? Is it acceptable that I like the taste because I have been taught to by the television and the can? If I like the taste, I like the taste, does it matter why?</p>

<p>If anyone has seen the movie "Memento," in the climax, the main character sets himself up to kill a man even though he knows in the present that he is not the man he is looking for but, due to his memory condition, will be satisfied in the future because he will be none the wiser. </p>

<p>I think this question of "do the ends justify the means" is a really interesting topic but am starting to think that its terrible for the common app and maybe only good for a school essay. </p>

<p>If I write this, do you guys see any way of inserting myself into the essay? I could use the red bull story as a hook and then explore how "do the ends justify the means" affects myself and my beliefs. (e.g. would I cheat to get into a top school?, would I abandon my friends for a better class rank? (I would say that the end does not justify the means if the end is artificial and maintain that for me, the best result comes from the best efforts.))</p>

<p>Any tips? is this a terrible risk/essay idea? It was kind of just a whim at first but I think I could possibly shape it to myself.</p>

2

<p>ps the memento thing is really random and off topic, i just thought it might help you guys understand what i mean. </p>

<p>please dont laugh at this question, it was just a spur of the moment idea.</p>

3

<p>I don’t think it’s a bad topic. A possible downfall is that it may seem like you care more about red bull and movies than you do about the people in your school and community. So try to work some friends/family in to it. And I’d be careful about making an analogy between yourself(with the red bull) and a character who murders people.</p>

4

<p>yeah the movies not going in it if i write it</p>

<p>i think i could use marketing and red bull as a hook, getting the adcom to be like umm how does this relate? but in an interested way and then writing about myself.</p>

5

<p>also, this topic is a little more complex than most. good, clear writing will be essential in order to make sure that the reader understands what you’re talking about. they have 1000’s of apps to read, so if you lose them, they’re probably not re-reading</p>

6

<p>^Agreed. This topic seems like a lot to tackle. You seem like a decent writer, and your brain works in really weird ways, so you could probably pull it off. Pulled off, this thing has potential. So write it and see where it gets you. If you realize that this is such a crappy idea, then you wasted an hour of your life. If not, you have a sweet college essay topic. </p>

<p>I recommend to drink red bull while writing, and write this entire thing at 4 AM. I’m serious here.</p>

7

<p>I’m not sure about this one. Yeah the topic is risky. But keep in mind, your college essay’s supposed to reveal YOU. Not sure if your topic works here…</p>

8

<p>I think it would be amazing if you could pull it off, which I honestly believe you will be able to, since you have already demonstrated the ability to think of such a complex topic and relate it to one of my <em>favorite</em> movies</p>