<p>I'm VERY concerned about my topic for an essay I'm probably using for National Merit semis and also the Common App. In response to the prompt, "write about an influential person," my essay talks about Ash Ketchum, and essentially, the impact Pokemon had on my development. </p>
<p>I understand it's a risk, and my two main concerns are having it come off as a joke, and alienating my audience. I hope that the conclusions I draw prevent it from coming off as a joke and my academic record (4.58 GPA, 36 ACT, 2360 SAT) backs up that I do take school seriously. The second concern I hoped to address by explaining the terms I discussed, in terms of the game... </p>
<p>So, my question is, do you think this is a worthy risk to take or a potential train wreck in the making??? (I'll PM the essay to anyone who wants a better look at it.)</p>
<p>This is perfectly fine. It seems you will take the essay seriously, which is all colleges ask of you. I read a particularly good college app essay a while ago where a girl wrote about Pokemon, and really tied it nicely to her personality.</p>
<p>I would say that Pokemon may be a too-risky topic. While it is a legitimate topic if I were reading it, it is all about the perception of the admissions officers. I fear talking about the anime would spur questions about your maturity, along the lines of “aren’t you too old for this”. Caution must be exercised, else your essay sends a subliminal message that you are socially detached from the world. I wouldn’t imagine that this be the case, but I think the risk of this happening is enough to reconsider the structure of your essay. </p>
<p>I disagree that the admissions officers will fail to make the connection of Pokemon attributes to real life. I simply fear that they would judge you on the apparent simplicity of Pokemon. One of the things I would do to solidify the essay (if you continue on with this topic) is to openly consider other possible role models but explain how Ash Ketchum had far-reaching social impact as well as extolling his virtues that have led to Ash’s continued popularity.</p>
<p>Out of curiosity, what major are you pursuing?</p>
<p>@Tandem, would you be willing to read my essay and tell me if I come off as being socially detached and such?
I’m between International Relations and Biophysics as my top two right now… yeah, I know, kind of all over the place. :P</p>
<p>I actually wrote my “influential person” essay about Ash Ketchum last year too. It seems that this topic may not be as incredibly rare as you might think, but it goes to show that Pokemon was truly a hallmark of our generation. The show influenced lives, including mine, on a great scale so I’m sure you had little trouble finding examples from the show to buttress your essay. Just make sure that you’ve included a strong example of how Ash actually changed your life. Otherwise, your topic will come off as a brazen attempt to be original as opposed to a valid life-changing one.</p>
<p>I’ve heard multiple times from college admin reps that any topic can work as long as the essay is well written and provides insight into the applicant. The admin folks then say while any topic can work some are tough to pull off … such as … how losing my grandparent made me a better person … or how I helped win the big game and how that helped me become a leader … type topics often do not work well. I do not work in admissions but writing about a Pokemon character sounds like a tough one to pull off … but if your essay really gets into who you are then it may be a great one for you.</p>
<p>For my autobiographical essay I used a topic similar to this one. Speaking to numerous college admin reps, I learned that having a unique but well written essay makes you stand out more against the thousands of other applicants. I think this is a great idea and if you want to PM your essay to me, I could probably give you a better opinion.</p>