<p>Hi guys just wanna get some opinions on the topic of my essays. The first prompt is to discuss the world I come from and how it shaped my dreams. I am thinking of referring to both my parents as my worlds and how my mother's love of knowledge and my fathers discipline and work ethics made me choose engineering. The second prompt is to discuss an achievement I am proud of. Well, I want to write about how I faced a somewhat stingy environment in the hospital when I was collecting donations for heart patients and how I learned from mistakes and subsequently strategized to achieve success.
However, I worry that these essays might be too cliche? Sometimes its hard to know whats cliche or not. I am always told to write about something personal even though I might find it very normal, but it might just interest the admissions tutor. What if the converse happens? What if I wrote something I feel is very special and memorable to me but to some admission tutor might be cliche? Everyone has their own unique environments and experience. How do you define that something is cliche without introducing prejudice from your own experience? </p>
<p>Your ideas seem good; worry less about sounding cliche, because some of the best essays have very cliche topics. </p>
<p>Be sure to get very technical on your engineering essay towards the end, the adcoms will like that. </p>
<p>Your hospital essay can raise red flags if you come off as criticizing people who are “stingy”. Make sure to be positive and use words like “thrifty” instead. </p>