<p>For the common app essay "Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you," I was going to go into a discussion of politics. I want to talk about the application of Federalism in the modern era. I feel I do have sufficient evidence to back it up, citing court cases, 14th Amendment application, and modern issues as well. Would it be bad to state my personal political views? Should I avoid the topic of politics in general? Thanks</p>
<p>I think it would be tough to make the topic you mention really interesting, especially in a short essay. Also, the problem with writing about politics is that everybody has views, including the people who will read your application. If you are applying to a school with a generally point of view that agrees with yours, it might be OK.</p>
<p>Look at it this way, if the school you apply to shares similar views, you’ll be “okay”. What if they don’t? I personally wouldn’t want to put myself in a position where there was potential for me to be denied acceptance because someone didn’t agree with me. I just think it’s too controversial. Luckily, applications are rarely viewed by a single person. You might be okay.</p>
<p>Just because admissions officers aren’t supposed to make decisions based on your political alliances, it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. I’m sure most officers would be able to look at your essay for its analytical value, not for belief in certain policies. I’m not sure you can for all, however.</p>
<p>Well I’m applying to UMich, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Cornell, and Northwestern through the common app, so those are the schools that would be receiving that essay. So the general perception is no, do not write on being liberal?</p>
<p>I do not think that your politics – liberal or conservative – is of consequence in how your essay would be viewed by admissions.</p>
<p>But my sense is that “politics” is not in the spirit of the essay question. Politics is not a “concern”. That you have “evidence”, and that you wish to use it to “prove” something or to “advcate” suggests that you misunderstand the purpose of the essay.</p>
<p>I also wanted to take this kind of topic… I wanted to write about political situation in my country because it is interesting and confusing for international people to understand the situation of people in my country, which is as it is now only because of politicians here.</p>
<p>Bay</p>
<p>
My thoughts exactly.</p>
<p>You are not making an argument in your college essay like you would in an academic essay. You should say something about yourself. Perhaps there’s some event that sprung your interest in politics, or something you saw that made you feel that federalism would be good, etc.</p>
<p>I would personally not write about politics (I have considered it). Admissions officers are meant to remain dispassionate, but biases work in subtle ways…</p>
<p>I also agree that federalism - or any academic topic - is not the point. The question is to allow the reviewers to learn more about you, how you view and react to an issue you see as being a concern- and, hopefully, your personal engagement in this matter. And more. Not your ability to take an intellectual stand. Save that for the classroom.</p>
<p>IME, the adcoms’ response isn’t about their politics; it’s about whether they think the kid got the point of the question and revealed assets like perspective, maturity, involvement, etc.</p>
<p>Let me put it this way: if the choice was to write about federalism or the plight of lobsters, write about the lobsters.</p>
<p>I was reading a book about college essays recently and the dean of admissions at a conservative school said she sees lots of essays about being conservative because kids think she’s conservative, but she’s actually pretty liberal. She said don’t assume the person reading it is affiliated with the school’s general political standpoint. If you want to write about politics because they’re important to you, she said it’s okay as long as you are not too preachy about it.</p>
<p>I feel like your political views shouldn’t be an issue in admissions as long as you aren’t vilifying the other side. I think the main danger here is in talking about your views instead of yourself. I’m also a proud liberal and I’d love to write about politics because that’s what I write about the most easily and with the most passion (luckily one of my schools is allowing me to do this with an extra essay), but in my essay I tried to make sure it was more about me than my cause. I wrote about going to a protest and the effect it had on me, and that’s somewhat political but ok as I see it because I didn’t talk specifically about why the protesters were right, just why I sympathized with them and stuff like that. So I would advise, if you’re going to talk about something political, just make sure that the primary focus is on yourself.</p>
<p>Ok, yeah my thoughts exactly for the most part, just didn’t want to hear it. Thanks</p>
<p>I think that the essay is meant to both give the admissions officers a sense of who you are, and to demonstrate your writing ability. If the essay comes off as too impersonal, they might suspect that you had simply “lifted” it from another source. If you feel passionately about a subject, you should certainly write about it, and how it will affect your college plans - especially if you are interested in a major or a career that involves this passion.</p>