<p>i'm seventeen years old, and i'm asian american. in middle school i fell in love with the whole hip hop culture, and although i didn't dress, talk, or act in the "hip-hop" manner, i was deeply interested in rap. i started writing lyrics and soon enough i found myself in a recording studio and making songs left and right. no, i wasn't a "wannabe thug" who rapped about guns, money, and girls. it was conscious rap; a form of lyricism that transcended beyond the materialistic facade that our society hides behind. the principles of love, life, and optimism encompassed the concepts in my songs. i did a little bit of singing as well.</p>
<p>the funny thing is that i was good, too. most of my songs were done for the sake of writing, so i wasn't serious about my music. but one of my songs was included in an album produced by the Music 4 A Life organization in an effort to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.</p>
<p>so my questions are:</p>
<p>1) should i mention the fact that i rap on my applications? keep in mind that i'm applying to many top tier schools (Georgetown, Michigan, Tufts, Vanderbilt, etc) and i don't want the often-conservative adcoms to ostracize me because of the pre-conceived biases associated with hip-hop.</p>
<p>2) my friend suggested that i make a song specifically for a school. he said i should rap and sing about why i would like to go to the school. would this be advisable?</p>
<p>Yes, MENTION IT! Anything that sets you apart from the rest of the pack is a good thing to put on your application. That said, making a rap specifically for the school might be overkill.</p>
<p>Totally mention it. What a great essay, and what a cool talent. It takes so much poetry and skill to write a good lyrics, and then to top it off you've got the musical talent to know what flows and to sound good? That's awesome. And will definitely make you stand out from the millions of high-achieving Asians. Raising money for Katrina better not be something they ostracize you for...just mention you use your rap for good ;).</p>
<p>As far as writing a rap about the school...well...it could be awesome if you are as good as you say you are, and add color and humor to your resume...or it could suck royally if you're /not/ good. I suggest having a lot of people read and listen, including adults. If you can pull it off, though, it would be an amazing positive addition.</p>
<p>awesome. thanks for the advice. i think i'm not going to send in a rap of the school. that'd be too over the top. i'll make sure to write an essay on it though. i'm sure my rap hobby would provide a nice contrast with my background in classical music.</p>
<p>Don't just mention the fact you rap; also mention the fact that you used your skills to help raise money for Katrina victims. That is probably a bigger deal than you realize. If it means a lot to you, you could explain in your essay how you use rap for positive things, beyond cash money *****es hos and bling bling.</p>
<p>Do not, at any cost, do option #2. That will make you seem desperate/corny/annoying. I mean, it may amuse them, but it may also make them think this is part of some ploy to get into the college you want.</p>
<p>yes, please mention it... the fact that ur song appeared in a cd for hurricane katrina is a strong point and proves how good u r rapping..... i recommend u to submit a cd to the college to prove how good u r, eventhou u r not interested in rap, but this helps in diversity!!!</p>