<p>Over the summer, I worked on three essay ideas I had in mind, each of them pertaining to one of my passions. I've gone over all three drafts and my favorite one is about how I like hanging out at my local bookstore and reading the first chapter of books that interest me. I incorporated into it my passion for literature and my dream of one day being a writer. It got very personal for me; I actually started crying while I was writing it because I'd never really thought so deeply about what I wanted to do with my life. My dad also teared up when he read it. Essentially, I think the essay reveals the most about what I love and what I want to be in life. And that's really the key to the Common App essay, right?</p>
<p>But I've got a little issue with using this one. On my application I tout myself as a writer. 3 of the 7 EC's I've listed on the Common App are writing- or journalism-related. I wrote the short answer response about my experience as an intern at my local newspaper this past summer. I'm also thinking of sending a supplement to the schools with some of my pieces that were published in national literary magazines (even if no one reads them, at least I have proof of my level of talent). To put it simply, my Common App has "I have an enormous passion for literature and I want to be a writer" all over it. Would it then be overkill to have my essay be about the same thing, even if it is done in a creative yet truly genuine way?</p>
<p>My other options are an essay about a class I took freshman year that I feel opened my eyes to the world around me (kind of lame and cliche) and one about being a volunteer dispatcher at my local rescue squad (again, fairly cliche and also doesn't really say much about me).</p>