<p>I want to write about an experience with my religion that changed my viewpoint. I am in no way preaching about my religion, just giving an experience that had to do with religion but does not actually delve into any religion, if you know what I mean. Like, I'm not giving away my idea here, but say "I experienced this disheartening experience in church blah blah blah but in the end it didn't matter because I learned that I can choose what to make of said experience."</p>
<p>It really depends. Your topic sounds OK, but it’s hard to say without more details.</p>
<p>If you’re talking about you and your experiences and not mentioning any specific religious beliefs, it should be okay.</p>
<p>I say don’t include this on common application essay. Just my opinion though.</p>
<p>My opinion is that it’s okay, unless you’re applying to a religious school and want to express your belief in a religion different from the affiliation. That might not go over so well.
There are plenty of ways to write about religion without being offensive.</p>
<p>^Well, the question isn’t necessarily about being offensive. Religious beliefs shouldn’t be in essays at all, even if they’re stated respectfully. But yeah, in the OP’s case, it sounds okay to include religion.</p>
<p>I don’t think including religion is a bad idea. I’ve got a quite authoritative book called something like The Truth About Getting In, in which one of the best “model” essays is entitled “I’m a Christian” (and, as the title suggests, the whole essay is about religion).</p>
<p>The point is, as you would do with any other topic, you must write it in a proper way. To some extent, the topic matters less than the way you write it.</p>
<p>Colleges are bastions of tolerance – and that applies to religious tolerance. At almost any college, you will find various religious groups including: Baptist, Buddhist, Christian Science, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Episcopal, Hindu, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, Muslim, Non-denominational Christian, Orthodox Christian, Presbyterian, Quaker, and Roman Catholic. If you can write an essay that doesn’t insult any religious group and that embraces all creeds, then it’s a great topic. The second your essay touches on intolerance, or if you exclaim that one religion is “the true religion” I would imagine most Admissions Directors would put your application into the reject pile, as they don’t want divisiveness on their campus.</p>
<p>FWIW: My daughter wrote her college essay about growing up without religion and without beleving in god. Her essay was an exploration of the purpose of life without all the mumbo-jumbo (my words, not hers). She’s now a senior at Harvard. So, religion is a fine topic for an essay, if it’s done with care and tolerance.</p>
<p>It’s a risk/reward thing – You can go with religion, and if it helps you write a great, moving essay then go for it. The flipside is that it can turn some readers off, hurting your chances at getting in.</p>