Does the “Create your own prompt” option on the common app affect your application in any way? I have seen a prompt elsewhere I feel would give admissions counselors a better view of me. The prompt is “American Indian writer Sherman Alexie wrote, ‘life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of a community’” How do you understand this struggle in your own life?". I would write about being openly gay to my classmates at a private high school and how my behavior is affected by the fact that I can be seen as a walking paradox. Would choosing to respond to a prompt different than the “standard” ones hurt my application in any way? Is my choice of essay stupid?
Colleges love to see students who pick their own prompt. But… your topic is not very unusual these days.