<p>Hello. I will be applying ED to SEAS. The short answers (why Columbia, etc) don't really phase me. However, I'm a bit worried about the actual essay. </p>
<p>I applied to colleges last year as a junior and wrote a solid essay about my desire to pursue advancements in medical technology, etc. Of course, I don't want to utilize a similar theme again (especially since I already applied to Columbia and was waitlisted; my regional admissions officer probably still remembers me).</p>
<p>Hence, I have several other topics I have thought about writing about:
-My love for hip-hop, diversity
-Learning from applying to colleges last year
-Politics, how engineers/scientists bring about change (I volunteered for 500+ hours on a political campaign this summer and despite my science-heavy academic and extracurricular background, have always nurtured a fairly strong interest in politics and philosophy)</p>
<p>If you could give me your input, I would really appreciate it. I would also appreciate if you made note of whether you are a college student, high school senior, etc.</p>
<p>my thoughts on your ideas in order:
1. soooo overdone ....also might leave a bad taste in someone's mouth if you are planning on writing something along the lines of "i like ethnic music despite the fact that i'm white"
2. absolutely not - applying to college isnt a learning experience
3. this is actually a good idea if done well</p>
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I would also appreciate if you made note of whether you are a college student, high school senior, etc.
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<p>nice amendment to your post.... i'm an alum</p>
<ol>
<li>absolutely not - applying to college isnt a learning experience</li>
</ol>
<p>I beg to differ: I think it forces you to be introspective, to seriously think about what you want out of life and how to convey that effectively. I for one came to a few revelations about myself during the process. </p>
<p>that being said, it's not a sufficient topic on it's own. Club it with somehting else. I like idea #3, just like everyone else.</p>