I’ve been playing piano for twelve years and wrote about how the simple act of playing makes me feel gratified. I think it’s pretty well written at this point and all my college counselors liked it. However, I’m worried that the topic is too mainstream and won’t be able to differentiate me. Thoughts?
My advice - think about this essay while you are playing the piano, and you will convince yourself that you’ve chosen the right topic. I am guessing that you have already played since you have written your first draft, and you already know it is the right topic for you. You are probably just having high school senior anxiety…
Just because a lot of other kids (but probably fewer than you think) happen to choose a topic related to music doesn’t mean that yours won’t stand out. What does stand out is that it is well written, and it tells a story about something important to you - which is exactly the entire purpose of the essay.
Best of luck to you!
What will differentiate you is not the topic, but what you write about it. Make it personal and meaningful.
It’s not the topic. It’s about you that will differentiate from others. My son wrote about music, too, and it was okay as long as his own “voice” came through.