Another common application question--what topic is this essay?

Parents Forum
1

<p>Son wrote a personal essay about a class that inspired him. He started out thinking it would answer the question about "a person who has had a significant influence on you" by discussing the teacher. But the essay turned out to be not exclusively or even primarily about the teacher but as much about the other students in the class bonding together and how much son ended up liking the subject material. So I am not sure the essay actually answers the question about "a person." Looking carefully at the personal essay topics, the essay does not address any of the other specific topics. That leaves the topic of your choice topic. Is it a bad idea to choose that topic? For some reason I am afraid that an admissions office will look at the "of your choice" topic as perhaps someone who is trying to take the easy way out. </p>

<p>Any advice? Influential person or topic of your choice?</p>

2

<p>I would just go with topic of your choice. You wouldn't want them questioning if your essay fits the prompt. I'm pretty sure that they don't look down upon picking your own topic. I think the ones they give are just to guide your essay if you need it.</p>

3

<p>I'd pick topic of choice, too. Son did that for numerous schools. His AP Eng teacher reviewed college essays last month--he said the biggest problem he saw was that kids did not answer the prompt. It seems worthwhile to avoid that issue. And, I would think they wouldn't offer 'topic of your choice' if they did not seek responses to it. Good luck.</p>

4

<p>I think my daughter and her friends all did "topic of choice" and then in the applications where they had to answer a prompt, just added some sentences to squeeze the topic of choice in. Of course, she hasn't heard from any schools yet.</p>