<p>One of the topic choices is to discuss an achievement that marked my transition from child to adult within my culture.</p>
<p>My idea for this doesn't necessarily fill the "transition from child to adult" so I don't know if I should use it or not</p>
<p>I want to write about speaking Spanish. My father is from Argentina and I have a lot of family that speaks Spanish and I've always wanted to learn it since I was a little kid. I always felt left out because I didn't know what he was saying and I always asked him to teach me and he never did. So I taught myself Spanish and asked for extra help in school to learn it. And the accomplishment aspect is that on my last trip to visit my family, I was able to hold full conversations on my own and become fully accepted by my heritage. </p>
<p>From a writing standpoint, that last common app topic is a real doozy. I wouldn’t recommend using it as a platform for any essay whatsoever. The idea of ‘transitioning from a child to adult’ is way too ripe for melodrama. It’s dry and cliched to the max.</p>
<p>Your particular subject can work. It’s a little bit flat the way you’ve described it. Were you not exposed to Spanish growing up? You’ll have to work to persuade the reader that the language barrier was a real-life barrier between you and your father and get some drama into the mix. Your conclusion is excellent.</p>
<p>I love the first topic, but I think you can use it for prompt #1, as it is a central part of your identity - your heritage, your extended family. You felt part of that identity missing because you couldn’t communicate with your family members. Show us how that felt - describe family gatherings where they were talking a mile a minute in Spanish and you felt left out. Describe what motivated to teach yourself Spanish, and how you did it (a notable accomplishment!) And the sense of triumph and inclusion you felt when you were finally able to converse with your relatives in their language. It’s a fabulous topic.</p>