<p>my short answers were like mini-essays.</p>
<p>The problem with the OP's idea is that a lot of Chinese American kids of immigrant parents apply to top colleges, and a lot of them write about the cultural differences between their parents and themselves. Their stories aren't that different. </p>
<p>What is different is when a Chinese American kid of immigrant parents writes about a completely different concern or passion. </p>
<p>As for the suggestion that adcoms get lots of essays about summer experiences and academic experiences, not all of those are a like. The travelogue "people are people" essays are very similar. However, there are many different kinds of summer and academic experiences that students could have and that would be so different from each other as to not be boring.</p>
<p>A student who chooses to do summer research in a subject that they are fascinated with will write a different essay than would a student who spent their summer perfecting their nature photography skills.</p>
<p>And, yes, it is a good idea to try to write short answers in a creative, yet grammatical way. I am sure that adcoms get sick of shortanswers that begin "I want to go to XX College because".</p>