Controversial Essay Topic?

Hi guys,

I am having a couple of problems w/ writing one of my supplements (it’s very open) and was wondering if anyone could give some feedback on these two choices, and which one you might pick?

  1. I do drag king makeup and wanted to do an essay about that with an underlying theme of adaptability and comfortableness in myself.
  2. I grew up in New York, moved to Cambodia, and then moved back to New York 8 years later and basically wanted to write about how that affected my view on my religion.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!!

Are either of these very likely to give the reader a good reason to say yes to your application?

I might pick the first. But, I’m not you. Pick which one that you think you could write a compelling essay on. Maybe write both, and then pick between them if you have time.

Are you insinuating that they wouldn’t? Or are you genuinely asking my opinion?

I’m asking.

Pretty much any topic on the planet could go either way. The actual topic seldom matters, it’s what you choose to do with it that decides its value.

I think that too many kids use the essay to showcase their writing ability, or their quirkiness, or their political leanings, or any one of a thousand other things. They confuse this essay with True Confessions.

I would rough out both essays-- don’t sweat the word count or even the intro. But rough out what you want to say. Then go back and ask: Does this give them a reason to say yes to my application? Would a stranger read this and then say “THIS is someone we want on our campus!”

With topic #1, you’ll want to make sure that you appeal to a wide variety of readers-- from a 65 year old almost retiree to a 23 year old brand new adcom. It’s absolutely possible to do, but something you’ll want to keep in mind.

Does that help at all?