essay topic--too risque?

<p>one of the possible essay questions for the college im applying to is to talk about a decision i made that wasnt popular, but that i felt was right.</p>

<p>i wanted to write about this new years party i went to last year. it was a pretty typical high school house party, with alcohol and all. the thing is, there were lots of intoxicated ppl there, and there was this one girl i knew there who was pretty tipsy and there was a situation where i could have easily taken advantage of her, and a friend of mine suggested i should have, but i decided against it.</p>

<p>i think this would be an awesome essay topic because it would allow me to use creative writing skills to describe the scene of a wild new years eve house party. it would also show that im a social person and know how to have fun, which complements my academic record. on top of that, it would show that i have sensitivity and integrity that i possess becasue i didnt take advantage of an intoxicated girl.</p>

<p>BUT. in this essay, should i mention that i was drinking too, or should i just ignore that completely. AND, is this topic as a whole too lewd for an college essay? personally i dont think it is, i think its realistic and raw, but maybe an adcom would think otherwise.</p>

<p>thanks</p>

<p>personally i think its a bad essay topic
its gonna make the reader feel REALLY uncomfortable, especially when you talk about the possibility of taking advantage of the girl</p>

<p>wow. I'm all for risk-taking, but if you do this, don't mention that you were drinking...that can't be good at all :p</p>

<p>I personally wouldn't take the chance. See, I have the personal opinion that most adults know that teenagers do stuff like go to wild parties and get drunk (well, I never have, but then again I hate parties and prefer staying at home with a blanket and a stupid movie so I'm pretty weird) but they don't want to acknowledge that fact. So I would move away from that type of an essay. But that's just me and I love eating peanut butter by itself, so....</p>

<p>Unless you want rejections, don't submit the essay. Colleges aren't looking to admit people who admit to breaking and skirting the law. An applicant who already was going to wild parties as a h.s. junior (?) sounds like somone who'll be doing even worse as a college student when they'll lack the supervision that their parents may have provided.</p>

<p>It is not considered praiseworthy to not have sex with an intoxicated partner. It is considered common decency. That you apparently think that adcoms would be impressed by your actions indicates that you, your friends and peers have very low standards. </p>

<p>Meanwhile, college adcoms are not looking for applicants who know how to "have fun" by underaged drinking. They also are not looking for applicants whose friends think that date rape is something to encourage. Adcoms want applicants who know how to study, who do productive extracurriculars, and who have good values and leadership skills. Those are the types of things that college essays highlight that help applicants get accepted to college.</p>

<p>One last thing: Most teens do NOT go to wild parties. Research indicates that close to 30% of high school teens binge drink. A lot of those students more than likely are NOT college bound. While many students do drink in college, colleges are not going out of their way to accept students who already are doing something that is illegal and dangerous. Colleges already have enough problems handling the alcohol-related difficulties of the students whom they accepted without the adcoms knowing the students already were drinking and going to wild parties.</p>

<p>i agree with Juzam...its just too much.</p>

<p>I think that most would like to think that you wouldn't even have to CONSIDER whether or not to take advantage of a girl. If they're liberal, they'll think that you were deciding whether or not to rape her. If they're conservative, they'll wonder why you were even within a five mile radius of beer. Aren't you underage? You can not specify whether you were drinking, but I think they'd figure it out.</p>

<p>You can show that you're a sensative person who has fun by describing a great hike you took with some friends. You can show your integrity by describing a time someone offered you the answers to an MC test and you refused them.</p>

<p>Yep. I'd shelve this topic. If you wouldn't show it to your parents/girlfriend/teacher, don't show it to an admissions committee.</p>

<p>lol all right, deal. i wont use this topic. thanks for the input.</p>

<p>hmm...well essays are all about showing your true character to adcoms...and if I were an adcom all I'd get out of an essay like this would be...I was drinking and breaking the law (assuming you are of normal high school age) and didn't knock up a girl...</p>

<p>edit: oops didnt catch your post above mine...so you werent drinking...but anyway...I would still say that if you have something better...or just as good...dont use this topic</p>

<p>"its pretty naive and even immature for an adcom to think that high schoolers dont drink--especially since so much underage drinking goes on right on their own campus. "</p>

<p>Immature? I think not. Certainly adcoms know that some high schoolers drink. Those aren't, however, the students that adcoms are hoping to admit to their campuses. Even colleges with huge reputations as party schools are not trying to add to their reputations. The administrators aren't proud of being party schools. They are embarassed. That's why such colleges often have wonderful scholarships for students with high grades, scores, etc.</p>

<p>um, as if high grades and test scores has anything to do with how much a person parties, drinks, or even uses illegal drugs? please.</p>

<p>You don't seem very open to what everyone is saying- we're only trying to help. Step back and really listen to what people are saying, this is just risky, it could mean an instant rejection</p>

<p>I don't think that adcoms are blind to the fact that highschoolers drink- but I think they'd be wary to admit someone for whom drinking was such a big part of life that it made it into college essays.</p>

<p>lol chill celebrian, im totally listening to what everoyne is saying and i really value everyone's input. ive already decided against it. you guys are totally right, its a very bad idea. how am i putting up a fight at all? i just didnt like northstarmom's comment that suggested that ppl who party and drink dont get good grades/test scores, thats all.</p>

<p>although northstarmoms comment may not be true for some specific people...of the majority it is very true...and since adcoms cant tell if your the majority or an exception...they have to assume you are one of the majority...</p>

<p>makes sense.</p>

<p>well, back to the drawing board. lol. thanks all</p>

<p>Here's some research done by Va. Tech that describes a correlation between underperformance academically and drinking:</p>

<p>"This study involved re-analysis of data from the 1998 CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey to discover the relationship between alcohol use and academic problems. It was conducted for the benefit of academic advisors at Virginia Tech.</p>

<p>Abstract:</p>

<p>1998 CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey results were re-analyzed for the relationship between alcohol use and academic problems at Virginia Tech. These were the principal findings:</p>

<p>Inreased alcohol use, especially average number of drinks per week, is related to decreased class attendance, poor test performance, and grades."</p>

<p>You can find plenty of other similar research by Googling "grades" "drinking" "correlation" "research". While there are exceptions to every rule, there also are plenty of applicants to most colleges so if adcoms think they see red flags waving, they can choose someone else.</p>

<p>hahahaha. theres nothing noble about not taking advantage of a drunk girl...
don't. write. this. essay.
on the party side, i think its silly that people think that you're not a good student if you go out to parties on the weekends. I might be a party girl, but I can also guarantee that I'll kick every kids butt in my grade on the SAT and be the Student Body President. It's possible to do both. I like the way things work out for me, and I think you're perfectly normal for doing the same. There's no need for anyone on this board to look down their noses on someone who doesn't play boggle on their fridays nights...</p>