<p>So I wrote an essay about how I like to help people and demonstrated it by talking about my community service involvement. I know, probably done a million times. But I've been told that I'm a decent writer, so could I get away with it?</p>
<p>Being different stands out from the other millions in the crowd. If you believe yours is decent then you have nothing to worry about.</p>
<p>Admissions officers can read more than 1200 essays in a season, so yours needs to stand out. Think about it – if an admissions officer has just read 25 essays that day about students helping people and community service – and you know they have – and then reads yours, how does that distinguish you from the mass of other candidates? </p>
<p>Still, I think you can write about topic well, just be sure to tell a story only you can tell, and to write in your authentic voice about something deeply meaningful to YOU. So as long as you do that, you should be OK. </p>
<p>I just remember years ago when I was writing my application essays, I did a bunch of research on what to avoid in essays, and one thing that came up over and over again was to avoid the cliched essay. For what it’s worth. : )</p>
<p>Good luck to you!</p>
<p>It really depends on your essay. There’s some fantastic essays that are written about a supposedly cliche topic, but they’re written in a really unique, insightful way that makes them stand out. If yours doesn’t fall into that category, and it starts to generalize or the writing itself becomes cliche and it seems like anyone could have written it, then you should consider either a rewrite or a different topic. Make sure your personal voice is coming through. Maybe have trusted friends, teachers, or your parents look at it to see whether it grabs their attention and portrays your unique personality. You can also have someone on CC read it, but you have to be careful with that, because there’s some people on here who will steal your essay. Good luck!</p>
<p>As long as you are telling a story, you’re OK. And by telling a story, I don’t mean telling about how great you are and how much time you spend on this. I mean a story SHOWING what you are doing, letting the reader discover things about you from that story.</p>
<p>For example, here is an essay about a girl who want to (maybe) eventually go to medical school. See how this says so much about her by SHOWING, not telling the reader explicitly. Deep down in this essay is the concept of a transition - a change in her (from a kennel-cleaner to a person who now wants to help people by going into the medical field). It is that CHANGE (strengthening) in her that is the heart of the story. Also notice the little “stinger” at the end to make the reader smile. She is so admitted!</p>
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<p>–Robert Cronk, author of Concise Advice: Jump-Starting Your College Admissions Essays</p>
<p>Of course you can get away with it! As long as the essay charms and has a sense of profoundness to it rather than the stale taste of fluff then you’re good to go. The one thing many overlook about essay writing is what you make of your subject. Sure the subject may make it easier or harder for some but the more important thing about writing is how you craft your words. That way, you can pretty much get away with anything. Just make sure to add in lessons learned.</p>
<p>Those people read like billion essays every day. You have to make sure yours stands out. And, if you write a cliche… Oh, well… i guess you could try. However, it’s always better to write something original.</p>