<li><p>Humorous piece on how I can’t sing but have always wanted to more than anything</p></li>
<li><p>About the huge scar on my stomach from past operations. Not about the medical part of it but about how the scar has become such a part of who I am.</p></li>
<li><p>Anecdote from when I was little and my dad let me win in tennis and how I realized that I didn’t want everything handed to me in life so I’ve had a job for the last 5 years</p></li>
<li><p>Serious essay about the cross that I wear around my neck. Not necessarily religious, but about how hard it was for me to take it off for lacrosse games last year because I had never taken it off once since 2nd grade</p></li>
<li><p>About my forever dream to be a doctor until we dissected frogs in 6th grade and i passed out and have been a vegetarian ever since</p></li>
<li><p>About how I don’t have a mirror in my room and how this allows me to not think of myself in terms of how I look but instead of how I see characteristics of myself in people and things around me</p></li>
<li><p>My obsession with horoscope readings. Don’t really know where I would take this, but perhaps make it funny?</p></li>
<li><p>Reflection about my tennis career. Perhaps a little sarcastic. Mostly just about how I worked so hard training every day for hours and playing tournaments every weekend only to decide that tennis doesn’t define who I am and I don’t want to try to go pro or even play college tennis. I really like this topic but I’m afraid it would look like I’m not dedicated and they might be mad that I’ve essentially dropped out of the recruiting process (esp if I’ve already talked to that school’s coach)</p></li>
<li><p>My job at subway and how much I loved the simplicity of it and all of that even with my minimum wage salary</p></li>
<li><p>Typical summer activity essay about the tennis training facility I go to for a couple of weeks every summer. This at least explains why I have virtually no other summer activities listed</p></li>
</ol>
<h1>3 would be my pick for the common app 500 worder</h1>
<p>It is not the topic, it is what you do with the topic.</p>
<p>Virtually any topic can make for a great essay or for a poor essay.</p>
<p>The best topic for you is the one that allows you to write the most persuasive, personal, honest, specific, revealing essay. </p>
<p>Many of your topics sound intriguing to me--but I would have no way of knowing which will in fact allow you to write the essay I just described. </p>
<p>Therefore, my advice is to look inside to determine what will work best for you, rather than giving serious consideration to the opinions of people who don't know you and can't know what will work best for you, as opposed to anyone else.</p>
<p>Possibly this link will help you as well:</p>
<p>Thanks guys!</p>
<p>ADad- that link was very helpful!</p>
<p>Assuming that each topic is developed equally well,</p>
<h1>6 sounds most interesting to me, but make sure it's sincere.</h1>
<p>oh good 3 and 6 were two of my favorites too!
anyone else?</p>
<p>bump10char</p>
<p>3 and 6 are really good but it depends on how well you write them</p>
<p>i would not however go with 7</p>
<p>I would cross 1 and 5 off the list. To me, they just don't seem right. They don't focus on who you are and what you can do, but rather focus on what you aren't and can't do. Do you get what I mean?</p>
<p>I think 4 and 6 sound like the strongest and most personal. I'd go with one of those. 3 could work if it's well-written and not too generic. And I actually do like 7 - it shows a different and unique aspect of your personality. I think it could actually really stand out in a good way (if you write it well).</p>
<p>The others that I haven't mentioned are so-so, but I really would do 4 or 6. Maybe 7.</p>
<p>world changer- that does make sense about 1 and 5 and is a really good point</p>
<p>and yeah i am worried that 3 could get generic sounding and i'm starting to drift away from 7 a little just because it'll probs be difficult to pull off</p>
<h1>6 sounds like a perfect topic to me - unique, interesting, and potentially very fruitful. It also focuses on a positive personal trait of yours, whereas like world changer pointed out some of your other ideas focus on slightly negative or at best neutral characteristics. Of course, an essay that focuses on your weaknesses can potentially be a great essay if it is well executed and given the right audience, but an essay about throwing up or trying to sing doesn't sound as insightful.</h1>
<p>thanks.
anyone else?</p>
<p>ps- sorry to be so annoying with bumping this but i really want to get started right away and im leaving tomorrow for a month</p>
<p>Wow. I am in love with #6. That sounds uber-original to me.</p>
<p>no 3 seems nice and i think the college ppl will like ur effort</p>
<p>bumppp
pleaseee</p>
<p>3 and 6 are really great i wish i could think of stuff like this</p>
<p>I like 1,3, and 6 personally. 1 could actually be a very meaningful essay if written in the right way; if you do choose this option, make sure to reflect upon who you are as a person, and don’t put yourself down too much.
I like 3 a lot too, because it brings up character development but could be written in an unique, interesting way. 6 would be definitely good if you could make it have a substantial point.
Comments about the rest:
2) “a part of who i am” a bit too cliche
4) anything with a religious slant is probably a good thing to avoid in writing essays, unless you want adcoms to picture you as a religious person (which is certainly not a bad thing, but a thing to think about, nonetheless)
5) don’t write about past dreams, write about present and future dreams
8, 9, 10) all overused topics (although could be made into something great)</p>
<p>those are my opinions, hope this helps</p>