<p>Also, sorry for double posting, but I personally would highly discourage writing about the Declaration of Indepdence or anything Jefferson-related, unless you know how to make it stand our really really well. I was reading an article from the undergrad admissions office, and they were talkign about how one year they asked for the most important piece of literature ever written or something or other and tons of people wrote about The Declaration or other Jefferson-related things because of UVA's obvious history with Jefferson. Basically the officer was fed up with people trying to "suck up" or not writing about their true passions but things they thought would impress the university.</p>
<p>I've been combing the site but I can't find the article.. I know it was referenced on these boards somewhere, it gave very sound advice.. I will look more later.</p>
<p>also spelling error on my last post: Tuskegee*</p>
<p>it kills me if i hear someone say they applied to UVA and talked about jefferson or anything "jeffersonian"- i want to shake them and say YOU'RE RUINING YOURSELF! haha. not literally or anything. even if you are obsessed with jefferson (maybe thats why you want to go to UVA) you probably shouldn't write about him or stuff to do with him. My dad suggested to me writing something about Hamilton. I thought that might go over pretty well (ha...ha..ha...) ANYWAY, i wrote mine about Frankenstein (the book) and how it was almost prophetical to modern day science and stuff and how we were on the brink of a "New Age of Exploration" and this book suggested implications if we got carried away and HOW THIS MADE ME THINK, stuff like that, i don't remember it all that well. i remember worrying that they might think i hate science when i actually like it a lot so i was trying to make a point with it. it lingered on the edge of being slightly controversial and i liked that. it was what i was trying to say so i went with it. moral: say something that is you, because then it will (probably) be unique. WOW this was long!</p>
<p>if i had to do it again i think i would still do the book i did but if someone told me NO you cannot do that book, i think i would do The Metamorphosis. that might be pretty cool to do. kind of relavent to where we all are right now.</p>
<p>fjchowdhury: I'm familiar with the horrible events of Tuskegee, I thought by "trial" you were referring to a legal case against the drs. or state or all of the above for the disgusting episode. As you explain it, I think it was a great interpretation of "a work of science"; creative and powerful--two wonderful qualities for an essay, and probably not one admissions had read about 300 times already.</p>
<p>As for Illnevergetin, I think Frankenstein is also an excellent choice. </p>
<p>Cosmopolitan: thank you for your encouraging remarks, I can see where you could have easily made that mistake. I just hope the admissions officers see it the same way!</p>
<p>I wrote about Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and how it "challenged" my views on warfare in general, while also relating it to Iraq a little. I thought I did a decent job</p>
<p>** Hint: avoid Catcher in the Rye, as it doesn't indicate a particularly wide breadth of literary curiosity.**</p>
<p>Something about this tickles me inside since so many people at my school LOVE Catcher in the Rye and would probably write an essay about this book. I personally never cared much for the book.</p>
<p>i really like catcher in the rye but i think it is the classic "teen" book or whatever. i can definetly see how it would over-written about, especially by our age group. because it is "classic" but at the same time really easy to read. and its banned in some places, an extra draw i guess. and it has a really eloquent (sp?), well-spoken main character. ;)</p>
<p>I wrote about Robert Frost's poem "The Mending Wall." I think the most important thing is that you are able to analyze whatever you choose and in your analysis bring it back to yourself and an integral part of your character or personality or something that has changed who you are. For example, within my poem, I wrote about breaking down societal barriers.</p>
<p>I wrote about "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants," haha...not because the content was suprising or challenging, but because it was the first book I read in Spanish. That was the challenging part (I was in Spain and it was the only book around that matched my comprehension level). I guess the plus-side is that I doubt anyone else wrote about that book. :)</p>
<p>I wrote about a chopin etude I played, and then sent in a recording of me playing it as a supplement. Made it kind of valid ehhh? If you play an instrument, i suggest you write about something you've played.</p>
<p>i wrote about this song i like (work of music), it was suprising to me because of the artist. He was the first somali rapper i've heard of, and his music was really influential, especially the song i examined, plus i have a personal connection.it was truly a work of art.
btw his name is K'naan if ya wanna hear his music.</p>