<p>After thinking for weeks about my topic, I decided I want to write about skiing. I live in Vermont, and downhill skiing has always been my biggest passion. I think that it relates to my free, open mind, and the ability to "follow a multitude of trails" presented to me in life. Is this too cliche?</p>
<p>Actually i don’t think it’s cliche at all. The topic itself is unique, you just have to make sure you use an original voice and really make those admissions people feel something. Ya dig?</p>
<p>yeah, thanks for your feedback. it’s something i’m really passionate about, so hopefully it will be easy to make it strong and interesting.</p>
<p>There are no bad topics, just bad executions. You can write about anything, but must accomplish getting adcom to feel they know you and know why they want you on their campus. This is very good advice I got from a top college counselor.</p>
<p>It all depends on how you want to present yourself in your app. If your resume is very, say math/science oriented, you’re better off talking about your passion. If you don’t really know what you want to do, then this is a great topic.</p>
<p>i’m going into psychology, but i don’t think my resume is really oriented toward a particular subject.</p>
<p>I think it’s only cliche if you make it.
Has the potential to be interesting, good luck!</p>
<p>Any topic can be cliche and any topic can be amazing. “Skiing” is kind of a broad topic. I, for example, am a ski racer so I might write about the contrast between being so competitive in a traditionally relaxed environment and how that has taught me how to deal with stress in school and balance my life. Kind of a lame example but I think you get what I mean. What part of skiing would you focus on? How would your essay reflect your character? What elements of your personality would be revealed in the essay that would make you attractive as a student at the school to which you’re applying?</p>
<p>Well, i don’t race, I just do it for fun. I guess I would talk about the freedom that skiing has taught me, and the stress that it relieves for me. I would talk about the different difficulties of the trails, maybe relate that to different paths we can take in life? ahhh i don’t know, help?</p>
<p>Trails or different types of skiers is a decent essay idea. But, here’s the problem I have with it: most likely, you favor one trail type (terrain, backcountry, wooded, mogul, downhill, whatever). All the other trail types you explain that you don’t take (and therefore really can’t present as a metaphor for your life) only represent other people. So you’d be wasting space not talking about yourself. So maybe focus on the one or two trail types you do most, and hopefully those relate somewhat to your life. It certainly has potential. But done poorly and it could be pretty cliche and lame, imo. Give it a try. The worst essay is that which is never written.</p>
<p>but I don’t prefer one trail, honestly. haha. I’m just really stuck. I know i’m passionate about skiing. But I can’t narrow it down</p>
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<p>That’s never good. You really can’t start anywhere? My recommendation: take a few days or weeks off from forcing yourself to think of ideas. Let inspiration come to you. I’ve learned that the best essays are flashes of inspiration and I can write a succesful one of these in like 40 minutes. The worst of my essays are those when I labor over each paragraph. So take a break, see if inspiration strikes (not just for skiing but for other potential topics as well). Don’t try to force it. You have plenty of time now. No need to panic yet.</p>
<p>i think it could be cool, comparing happiness to powder and moguls and bad times to rocks, ice, and crashing into trees and having your skies fly off, and then getting back on your feet and persevering. make it fun, funny, and entertaining. throw in some anecdotes about near death experiences with avalanches and crashing into lost 4 year olds in pink helmets who are in your way</p>
<p>yeah, i don’t know if it will really set me apart though. now i’m thinking about relating my personality through beatles songs haha</p>