“You’ve been brainstorming ideas for your college essays and above all other contenders, you find yourself coming back to the same topic, one you know well and love dearly: Harry Potter. You may even say to yourself, “Harry Potter is more than a childhood series; it’s a robust piece of literature, full of morals and stories within stories.” Or you may argue that the Potter series is extraordinary because it speaks to a specific generation and at the same time, is undeniably universal in its appeal. And while you may be right, do yourself a favor: write your personal statement about yourself and leave Harry Potter out of it.” …
Absolutely sound advice that is bound to break a lot of teenage hearts.
Yeah this just broke my heart. I wrote several supplementals about Harry Potter. The key is that they weren’t about Harry Potter. I was asked about a fictional character I was like and I said Hermione, and wrote why, and I thought my response was quite thoughtful. Same with a different prompt. I had been under the impression that almost any topic is good bc it’s not the topic, it’s how you spin it to shed light on yourself and come up with something personally meaningful…
My D20’s HS counselor said the same thing - no Harry Potter essays. I guess they are just played out.