Help with my topic essay!!!

College Essays
1

<p>Alright, so for thep ast two weeks I've been working on and off on this essay. The topic is "discuss an international issue and it's importance to you" from the Common App.</p>

<p>I'm writing about the Taiwan's not getting the recogniztion it deserves in the international community. However, two friends recently just told me they think this is a bad topic, that many Taiwanese will write about this. Also, that this topic is too boring and controversial. </p>

<p>My format goes like this
1st paragraph = write a short experience about how i got interested in this taiwan thing
2nd = discuss and talk about how taiwan is getting mistreated and how we hae been fighting and not backing down despite having no support from the international community
3rd = relate it to myself, write about an experience on how i came to america without knowing any english and overcoming the language barrier(i think i'll change this experience though, it's overused)
4th = talk about facing difficulties and dilemmas in general and say that's representative of how i will deal with problems </p>

<p>so should i continue with this topic or not?</p>

2

<p>College essays generally should be revealing about the writer. They generally are not imo for the expression of views on politics or other issues of the day. </p>

<p>The goal imo is to be personal, detailed, honest, and revealing about yourself.</p>

<p>The idea of discussing your personal experience in the United States could be successful imo. I would not recommend discussing the topic of Taiwan's political situation (or, say, Iraq, or other issues that are general rather than personal in nature). I also would not recommend aiming for talking about "difficulties and dilemmas in general". Rather, my advice is to remain personal, specific and revealing about yourself. </p>

<p>For good advice from the University of Virginia on college essays, particularly about the difference between "showing" and "telling", see:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>