<p>I am going into my senior year, and have been thinking about what to write for my commonapp essay. Please be honest, and tell me if it's a bad idea, as I have plenty of time to change it...</p>
<p>For the prompt, "Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?"</p>
<p>I want to talk about how I just feel "right" in math class. I love math, and just feel best in a mathematical environment. I may put in a story about when I was really young, my dad was teaching me to multiply. </p>
<p>Does this sound like it would be bad? If it was done well, could it work?</p>
<p>It could definitely be interesting. You need to explain why you just feel “right” in math class, though. If the essay isn’t about you, then it’s not a good essay.</p>
<p>No I’m sorry it’s not a good idea. You probably have great grades and test scores to demonstrate that you love math, so you are wasting a valuable opportunity to tell the adcoms something about yourself that they can’t determine from reading your application and looking at your test scores. </p>
<p>Find something else to share. </p>
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<p>Yes this is a good comment by @Discpulus! </p>
<p>However I would add that it would be a GREAT essay if YOU are the only person that could write it. Does that make sense? Make it so unique and personal that YOU, and you alone - the very best you - shines through. </p>
<p>First of all, kudos to getting a jump start on Common App essays. I’ve been doing the same thing and will continue to do so as the summer progresses.</p>
<p>If you play your cards right, writing about math class could turn into a great essay. The anecdote about your dad teaching you to multiply could be a good way to set the stage and show how math became your passion. Remember, as said by the above posters, the essay is about you. You can definitely arrange this subject so it showcases you. </p>
<p>Also, no subject is bad, but the writing can be bad. If you do it right, it’s a good essay. If you do it wrong, it’s a bad essay. </p>
<p>Usually, you want to stay away from talking about academics in your essay. The adcoms get a pretty good idea of who your are academically - you should use the space to talk about what makes you unique, and share more personal stories.</p>
<p>This isn’t to say that you cannot mention academics - you could totally pull it off if you talk about something else but connect it to your love of math class. For example, I wrote last year’s essay about being a germaphobe and trying to clean the inside of a vacuum, and kind of connected it to my [then] love of physics. Something like this, I think, can work well, but try to focus on who you are outside of class rather than in.</p>
<p>Even though it may be a huge part of your life, math may not be the thing that they want to read. As people have said above it can be obvious you have a passion from math based on other factors of your application. It would make more of an impact to choose something that is ridiculously unique, something that you could not include in any marked box on the app, but plays a huge role in your life. </p>
<p>To be honest, when I first saw your topic, I thought it would be an interesting essay to read. It’s not something that strikes me as cliche (I think cliche would be more like ‘my bedroom’ or ‘the library’), but it may be something that is seen as trying too hard. </p>
<p>I think it could be a good idea to talk about your love for math, but pick a more unorthodox place than a math class. Maybe a grocery store or the mall because you like all the numbers related to shopping or maybe the kitchen because you love baking and then briefly include your love for math with all the measurements involved in that. I’m just spit balling. Try brainstorming times where you use math outside your math class and then try to connect an interest to that other than math, so you can talk about your both your academic passion and interests. </p>