<p>I HIGHLY recommend you not write about either.........they are both over the line and BELIEVE me they will cost you............think of something equally unique but more conventinoal and less hair raising, suicide scares admissions people, my mom was on the admissions board for like 9 years and that is always still a "taboo" subject.</p>
<p>ahh i see.. ! ok. what about the latter? or it really depends?</p>
<p>thank you all for the input! it's really helping me in making my decisions =) Ahhh lol and writing your essay really isn't an easy topic obviously</p>
<p>let's set up a tally for anyone else out there wondering ......</p>
<p>LOL i caaaan't. no consensus has been reached..</p>
<p>if one more person can provide convincing evidence like kellyconn did that says suicide is a taboo topic then, i will not write about it.</p>
<p>then what about my awesomely strange love circumstances? <-- however I have a feeling it's too vague a description, however =) it seems it gets people curious. will the adcoms get curious too?!?</p>
<p>I'm sure no adcom cares about your teenage romance story. Does that theme sound trite? Yes; thus it won't set you apart in any positive way. Come on, you aren't writing to a bunch of bleeding heart kids. Adcoms are salty old pirates sifting through a trove of treasure just for the sake of throwing out pieces with obvious tarnishes.
Think of who your audience will be and then ask yourself what your "love story" is going to bring to HARVARD.</p>
<p>By the way, does Harvard have any good weight-lifting facilities that can be accessed by non-athlete students? If so, are they busy?
I'm splitting hairs...</p>
<p>='( SOMEONE GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD TOPIC PLEASE!</p>
<p>so far i've written two: one, a kind of essay talking about Why i like this specific volunteer thing, and what i feel on the actual topic of teaching.</p>
<p>another is discussing (a humorous though sentimental piece) about societal pressures.</p>
<p>^ WHY DOES EVERYTHING SOUND SO CLICHE?? but if it's Not cliche then it's taboo?!? wth!?</p>
<p>what did YOU write about magicmonkey (you got in right?)</p>
<p>Don't be so afraid of cliche. I know you want to be original, but you don't want to weird them out. The essay is about your life, so think about things that have made you who you are today. The adcoms don't want to see your personal qualities through a description of the aforementioned - they want to be shown what makes you different, special, and a great person to have around. If you can write about a cliche topic in a heartfelt and well-written manner, it may cease to be cliche and instead become uniquely you.</p>
<p>"1. there was a period in my life where, (i won't go into self-pity and who had it worst game) but i was suicidal and go on from there into how it affected me"</p>
<p>This is potentially very dangerous to your case because Harvard or any other school you apply to will worry that you'll have another episode under the high pressure of their school, a legitimate concern considering the rising rates of college suicides. If anything, you want to keep this hidden, not make it the focal point of your essay.</p>
<p>"2. my ongoing and passionately deep (xP) love relationship of very abnormal circumstances (don't ask.. details are not necessary)"</p>
<p>This makes for great reading as a romance novel, but college admissions officers tend to find it creepy. If you do write about it, make sure it's very platonic. Also, make sure it doesn't devolve into you raving about your girlfriend. The colleges want to know about YOU, not some girl you're nuts about. Besides, it seems like you'd have much better topics to write about than this, given your comments on the affirmative action debate.</p>
<p>It is not the topic; it is what you do with the topic. </p>
<p>Any topic can make for a great essay; any topic can make for a poor essay.</p>
<p>In writing a college essay, "be yourself" is better advice than "be unique".</p>
<p>For excellent advice on writing college essays, see the link from UVa:</p>
<p>No, I haven't applied yet. I am not entirely sure whether to apply EA to Harvard or Wharton, but my essay will be centered around either my progression in running or my vegetarianism. </p>
<p>If I choose running: probably an anecdote of my sophomore season of cross-country (within the context of 3 years of XC and track and field); the second mile of one of my races I mega stress-fractured my foot (it had started a couple weeks earlier when I went out running at 2 a.m. after finishing my homework). Nonetheless, I struggled through the pain and continued running for two more miles to finish third overall and first for my team. After I had been sidelined for a month without any training, I entered with my team in the state meet and, with a still fractured foot, pushed myself to a seventh place finish. After that recounting I'll discuss something profound relating to what that episode taught me. (I'm not posting the generic details because I want my essay to be original when the adcom sees it, sorry)</p>
<p>If I choose my vegetarianism, then I'll go through my ethical revelations for why I became a vegetarian (in the seventh grade); the positive impact that it has had on strengthening my objectivity and compassion for all creatures great and small (a la James Herriot); the resulting social relationships and awareness; my quest to share with others the importance, not strictly of vegetarianism but of not being afraid to stand for what you believe in etc., etc.</p>
<p>I think those are decent topics. To those of you at Harvard: are there many vegetarians and vegetarian restaurants around there?</p>
<p>thank you everyone for your comments! i'm very deeply touched by every one of your posts on the content and support that it shows! =) i don't think i can express my gratitude enough.. lol, it would be awesome to be around you guys if fate allows it (not that i believe strictly in fate).</p>
<p>it has made me rethink about everything that i've written about, and i think you're all right, it's not the topic, it's the person.</p>
<p>divanny - thanx for the sum-up!</p>
<p>adad - this article is really great! and answering a lot of unthought of questions</p>
<p>canaday madman - haha, you're a good person and i hope you get into harv =)</p>
<p>magicmonkey - nice details =) got a taste of other applicants!</p>
<p>i have come to the decision that i will go with my original two topics: one on a societal problem i see and am deeply disturbed by today. and the second about my undying and emotional attitude toward my students at my organization.</p>
<p>thank you again everyone!! and =) BTW - I'M A GIRL!!</p>
<p>........ do i really sound like a guy...... ? ='(</p>
<p>No yubi, you don't sound like a guy. You read like one! :)</p>
<p>Sorry, couldn't resist. Actually, you don't even read like a guy most of the time. I sort of kicked myself when I read that you were female, I guess I just assumed you were male since I haven't met many girls who brag about their relationships, nor would consider using it as a college essay topic. I know, I know, what a male chauvinist pig I am.</p>
<p>haha, maybe =p no comment! Yay!! I was getting really really worried. really really? i thought guys wouldn't be sentimental/confident enough to even consider their relationships as a college essay topic... =p ok you can call me a sexist and feminist now. lol jk jk!</p>
<p>adcoms don't like the three D's: Death, Divorce, Depression. so avoid anything depressing or about suicide etc unless you are a REALLY great writer . . . and i mean really great. the safe bet is to not address those topics. (oh and i guess Drugs can be thrown in with the D's too).</p>
<p>lol thank you. i have another question.. would it be bad to send three essays in? i know the adcoms have a lot to read but..</p>
<p>Yes. </p>
<p>It would be quite bad.</p>
<p>they allow you to submit one extra essay, the "supplemental" one, and that is it; just follow their directions and don't send more than two. you don't even need that many though; i was fine with one.</p>
<p>Um, sorry for my bluntness. I thought you were just a very girlish guy.</p>
<p>you're a girl? post pics to prove it</p>
<p>should i really... ? e.e how do you post pics on CC? <em>feels shy</em> .. but everyone will know how i look.. what about the adcoms?! well i have nothing to hide.. ok, how do you post pics on CC? which i don't think you can? i don't have like a website or anything to do it with. btw - what is the probability that harvard adcoms are reading the things posted here? i've posted more than enough information for adcoms to be able to identify me when i apply.</p>
<p>oh! i'm getting my facebook soon for my summer camp (NJSP)</p>
<p>and thanx for all the replies! =)</p>
<p>i still can't believe people thought i was guy?!? i don't get it. why Wouldn't i be a girl? i think i'm totally girly =O i paint my nails and do my hair. i wear miniskirts and stuff!! and my phenotypes and estrogeny looks prove it!</p>
<p>i was only kidding, you don't have to post a pic. we believe you</p>