<p>are they worth it? i wrote a risky essay for the common app and im having serious second thoughts.. i know the quality of the writing is a big factor and ive spent a lot of time working on it. im not talking about relationships risky its pretty risky..</p>
<p>It's difficult to answer such a question in general terms; it really depends how likely it is to offend/upset/repel the reader and how much potential the topic has compared to your other ideas.</p>
<p>Some admissions officers will say that they like reading "risky" essays. I think it would be more accurate to say that they like reading interesting essays, and risky essays tend to be interesting. If you have an idea for another topic that would be about as interesting but not so risky, and you think you can develop the other idea in time, I would do that. If not, you'll have to think hard about whether the better essay justifies the risk. It might help to bounce the idea off of some people and see how they react. (Feel free to PM it to me if you want my opinion.)</p>