Common App Essay Topics..

<p>I don't like any of them.. and I'd like to make my own. Now how would I do that? Should I just make up a title or what?</p>

<p>Also, I don't know which topic I will do. I really don't know which one is least used/stereotypical. I was thinking..
- An essay devoted to the tremendous experience I received from shadowing a great surgeon in the OR.
- An essay dealing with my love for music and the violin
- An essay dealing with relocation: I've lived in 2 countries and have lived in 6 different cities in the US.</p>

<p>One last question. On the UNC-Chapel Hill essay list, it states that I can do an essay from another application.. May I use the one that I (will) make up?</p>

<p>1) All of those essays sound a little trite. The first is going to be about the surgeon, not you. The second is just a little blah. Unless the violin is your life or you really struggled to learn how to play, it won't reveal a lot about your person. And the third is more an essay about how your family has the money/oppurtunity to travel rather than anything else.</p>

<p>You can, however, take those topics and tweak them: did something really dramatic happen while you were with the surgeon, did you get to do something cool? Use the experience as a springboard to write about your interest in medicine or how you react under pressure or you fear of blood (or anything else that applies). The same sort of things go for the other topics.</p>

<p>Don't just write about an experience write about what you learned or what it reveals about YOU.</p>

<p>2) Yes, they say you can reuse an essay so you CAN use your CommonApp essay.</p>

<p>Thanks ses, and especially about the tweaking part. As for he shadowing topic, I was thinking more of a story - of the amazing relaxed atmosphere under pressure, and how I have always and will envision myself as the surgeon. In addition, I was thinking of something like.. I'd start the essay as if I was the surgeon - all in 1st person, but explain that this is not a dream, rather, a look into the future.
However, I am still unclear about the titles - or is there no need for one?</p>

<p>As for the UNC essay question, it states that I must restate the question.. Should I just put something like "topic of choice" or the title of the essay?</p>

<p>Anyone else have an opinion?</p>