<p>So I suppose everyone has a general sense of What is Not Ok to write for college essays - the time you got arrested for smoking pot, the time you hooked up with your ex, etc. However, I'm in a bit of muddle. I'd really like to write an essay on my gay rights work because that is important to me, but I feel as if I have to appeal in a safe way to whoever is reading it. </p>
<p>How should one broach these topics in essays? For example, if I were to send an essay on gay rights to BYU... IT WOULD NOT GO OVER WELL. My g.c. made a comment of something like, "This is a good topic to send to Wesleyan." (Notoriously liberal) However, how about HYPSM? What is "ok" for an essay topic? I know it's important to be yourself and show your passion, but at the same time, I don't want ot jeopardize my future.</p>
<p>Brown and Columbia would probably like it, but really, if this work is meaningful to you and the college rejects you on the basis of it, it's their loss....you wouldn't want to go to a place where you'd have to hide what you like...</p>
<p>Well i wrote about an imaginary friend (they wanted to know about a person i could hang around with and learn from) and I named him fuzzy. He wore a purple cowboy hat because he's odd.. and we had conversations about aliens that took over our brains. I can say that didn't go over too well especially @ UTs. Oh well. I enjoyed writing it and my friend liked it (<-she got in and her essay was just mediocre, she said) So you might want to go normal for some places... </p>
<p>and here's one that i wrote for NYU (<rejected so might not want to learn from this..)</p>
<p>Please tell us about something you did last Sunday afternoon</p>
<p>Stuck in Barnes and Noble in a sunny Sunday afternoon, I looked over my list of college prompts I had brought. After sighing in concern, I found one that caught my eye.
Please tell us about something you did last Sunday afternoon.
After pulling my hair in woe for not doing anything of interest on Sundays, I started jotting down all my latest deeds.
Yes! The time I kidnapped Oompa Loompas to see if they were aliens! Thats it! I stood up in joy, and realized that had happened on last Saturday, not Sunday. Sitting back down, I thought of the time I became the ruler of the world for one Sunday. Telling myself that it was only a dream, I realized that as I was writing down my ideas, a finished essay was already in front of me.
Huh, that wasnt bad. I thought as I started on my second essay, to pull my hair in agony once more.</p>
<p>I had hard time because of their 150 word limit or something...</p>
<p>Go with the gay rights topic. This is the year of "Brokeback Mountain"... you aren't going to shock anyone. Probably not even raise an eyebrow at this point. Any college that would react negatively is one that you wouldn't want to attend anyway. Just don't apply to a bible college or a military academy with that & you should be fine.</p>
<p>Write about what you want; if you feel your essay could show something unique about you that the admissions comittee would not know otherwise, then definately do it. Controversial is better than boring; in the admissions process you would much rather stand out than blend in.</p>
<p>I took a chance when I wrote one of my essays for Chicago on one of the topics of the previous year (the mustard jar question) - except that I reworded the question. I also made it quite funny, in my opinion, and even mocking of certain people in my family about whom I was writing.</p>
<p>I definitely had a controversial essay topic and still got in ED I to my first choice college... I think they want something different and creative and if that means taking a risk - just do it. </p>
<p>My personal statement was about the comparison of my search for a perfect fit college to the search for a perfect fit bra (since I used to work in a lingerie boutique). And Colby College must have liked it becuase I got in.</p>
<p>
[quote]
How do you think a school like Georgetown would take it?
[/quote]
I don't think it would hurt, as long as you don't give the impression that you want come to Georgetown and start organizing a Gay Pride parade on their Parents Weekend or a Cross-Dressers Ball. Georgetown already knows that they have gays in their midst; see:</p>
<p>Don't make your homosexuality an issue. Talk about how much it means to you, but try not to take a position on it. If the prompt asks for something about you or something you're passionate about, talk about how you feel about the gay community or whatever and make reference to same-sex marriage, but don't force it upon the adcoms.</p>
<p>Write about it because colleges are not permitted to discriminate against applicants in any way or form. If they do reject you because of this then take a lawsuit against them....</p>
<p>Heh...you see, that doesn't work. They could have just as "easily" rejected him due to lack of "merit" as they could have because of his sexual orientation.</p>