Is this a good college essay topic? Or disasterous? Will it backfire?

<p>So i was thinking about writing about cheating in high school.</p>

<p>Ive been noticing that almost everyone has a much higher gpa than me and it is because they cheat. They share papers, old tests, test answers, etc. and because of that there is a HUGE grade inflation at my school </p>

<p>Even during a test people will literally stare at other people's papers and people will share their papers with other people.
And usually I dont take notice but it wasnt until this year that i realize that people dont do work anymore, they just share work and stuff.
and to me that feels unfair because I actually do all of my OWN work and even if I wanted to cheat (where at times I wish i could) I was too afraid to look at another person's test or borrow a paper etc..</p>

<p>so in my college essay i was thinking about talking about how rampant cheating is nowadays (no one does their own work and many times teachers turn a blind eye) and talk about how my work has always been honest and have kept my integrity and value and how I dont believe in cheating because it would disappoint me, my teachers, and my parents. and at the end of the day id rather do honest work and get the grade that i deserve rather than cheat and get an A </p>

<p>All of that is honest but will colleges thing I'm sucking up or lying? Because I know almost everyone cheats and to hear a student write that sounds like they are lying?</p>

<p>Also i dont know if i should mention the whole teachers turning a blind eye on cheating (its true) because it might backfire and make my school look bad even though i go to a really good public school </p>

<p>Btw i have a 3.3 gpa and a 4.1 weighted (in the IB program)
I dont want this to sound like an excuse for my crappy gpa but its the honest truth about my values and what i believe in.</p>

<p>I would avoid this topic if I were you…it’s a little too risky and does not paint you in a good light.</p>

<p>how does it not paint me in a good light?
im talking about my values and my personal integrity</p>

<p>It comes off as ‘my grades are not as good as they could be because my peers cheat’. Colleges want to hear about you in the college essay, not about your peers cheating you out of grades. </p>

<p>Personally, I believe that colleges assume that applicants are academically honest. If you want to show colleges that you value integrity, complaining about cheating isn’t the way to do it. A topic such as cheating should be left to the administrative staff at your school, not a college essay.</p>

<p>So how do i talk about my value of integrity without talking about cheating…?</p>

<p>Terrible choice for an essay. You sound pompous, arrogant, and whiney. The college essay should be about you not your peers. If you have no other way to demonstrate your integrity perhaps you should reevaluate what you talk about.</p>

<p>I guess it could work, but saying anything remotely like “other peoples’ cheating dropped my class rank” is an AWFUL idea.</p>

<p>Choose another topic to show your integrity.</p>

<p>I would agree with @APTester-avoid it</p>

<p>You’re missing the purpose of the essay. Talk about yourself directly because that’s what they want to hear.</p>

<p>Sometimes its hard to find a current issue that relates to you personally and this one does, its controversial and risk- thats why its good- what matters is that you are passionate about the subject. If cheating really ****es you off then write about it. Your GPA is a good example however there is more to focus on in your essay so it doesn’t sound like an excuse for a low GPA. Be conscience, take a risk, and good luck!</p>

<p>I don’t know . It just doesn’t seem to be a good one .</p>

<p>I would assume that colleges assume hopeful applicants that apply would feel that academic dishonesty is frowned upon by the applicant. It’s a given that these colleges don’t go around and assume that their applicants are academically dishonest. Why waste a whole personal statement on a topic which a college would assume is a given amongst all applicants? </p>

<p>Of course there are cheaters, there are cheaters everywhere you go. Colleges know it, everyone knows it. But they can’t weed them out, so they assume that everyone is academically honest. You’re going to put a whole essay to say “everyone cheats in the school except me because I value integrity.” You’ve basically spent your personal statement stating something that everyone is ‘assumed’ to frown upon, cheating. It’s a waste, don’t do it. </p>

<p>Once again, colleges assume that applicants frown upon cheating. Why take a risk coming off as whiny for something that colleges assume are in every applicant, academic honesty?</p>