<p>Hi Everyone!</p>
<p>I recently started the application to James Madison University and a personal statement is required. As a prospective music education major, I was going to write about why I decided on my major. However, after reading a blog post straight from admissions, I became hesitant on doing this. The post said that they would prefer to not read the super popular essays like the following-</p>
<p>"-The I Love My Grandmother Essay This can also apply to any family member mother, uncle, or even younger sibling. If you think about it, it is not unusual to love your family. Do not just tell us about their whole life story and why you respect them. This would make us want to admit your grandmother, but not necessarily you. Bring the focus back to yourself.</p>
<p>-The I Met This Unfortunate Person Essay This usually is told from a student that has done volunteer work or a mission trip. Similar to the I Love My Grandmother essay, the student typically gives us a lot of information about this persons life and how that person helped them realize how fortunate they are.</p>
<p>-The I Broke My Arm, So I Want to Be a Doctor Essay This can be applied to anyone that goes through an experience which has made them want to pursue a particular major. While it may be a good idea to let a school know why you are interested in a particular field, this type of essay does get used a lot. I have heard from schools with medical programs that this is the most popular topic for an essay.</p>
<p>-The Travel Channel Essay This typically tells us about a students trip to Europe with their family or school group. Students will tell us all of the sites that they saw and how amazing the experience it is. Often times it tells us more about your parents ideas for a good vacation rather than what you learned from it.</p>
<p>-The Torn ACL Essay Weve read this essay many times and I think there is an epidemic of high schoolers with weak knees. The essay starts off telling us how they were playing a sport, they got injured, and then had to root for their team from the sidelines. They continue to tell us how it taught them the importance of teamwork and how to be humble.</p>
<p>-The Band Camp Essay This can apply to anyone that writes heavily about extracurricular activities. Students tell us a lot of what they were involved in, but keep in mind this was typically already reviewed in your application. Weve seen that you were in Key Club for four years or that you made the National Honor Society. Dont duplicate efforts here, but let us know what you have gained from the experience and why that defines you as a person."</p>
<p>I want my statement to stand out, but I don't know how to go about finding the right topic. Please help! Thanks so much!</p>