Hey, I was having trouble coming up with an idea for the Common app essay but I finally found a possible response to the third prompt. That’s the one about challenging a belief or idea. Anyway, it’s about religion and how I’m agnostic and it would be about how this was the first time I stood up for something I believed in (most of my friends were really religious and my belief isolated me from them). I think I could write a pretty good essay about it but it might be too risky. Opinions?
I wouldn’t write anything in the essay that should offend anyone of a certain religion.
I guess if you wrote it from the perspective that your lack of religion has not been tolerated by your friends at a time when everyone is preaching religious tolerance. I would not discuss the fact that your are challenging their religious beliefs, just that by being agnostic, they are attributing to you a core challenge in lifestyle. I’m still a bit concerned though that you could pull this off without offending someone, but if you could, it could make for an interesting read. Wait for other opinions…
Lol, isn’t the definition of agnostic that u don’t know what u believe in?
@GMTplus7 What I meant was that it was the first time I expressed my opinions on something I cared about personally. Being agnostic and growing up in a religious community has allowed me to be more open minded and to form opinions after hearing every side of a story.
Personally, I think this could be a great topic, depending on the school. A school with a high proportion of religious students, in the south, etc. might be a risk. But, if its a really competitive school and/or one that values free thinkers, it would be an amazing way to demonstrate that you can think for yourself and are willing to take risks (even in your choice of essays ; ). “Being agnostic and growing up in a religious community has allowed me to be more open minded and to form opinions after hearing every side of a story.” This is really well put and a powerful skill.
Sorry, I’m still struggling w the merits of this essay topic about being agnostic. It takes no courage to sit on the fence.
Especially in high school when kids want to blend in and not feel different from their peers(I’m not talking about academic performance), the fact that he has been isolated for his lack of religious beliefs and remains steadfast in his position shows courage. In my neighborhood, this attitude would have no bearing on his social status. But if he can paint a tale of persecution because he lives in a very devout community, I think it could be interesting.
People with very strong beliefs may clash with someone who does not share their strong beliefs. In those instances it does take courage to stand by your opinions instead of simply agreeing with the majority to avoid backlash. If approached tactfully and respectfully, it could make an interesting essay topic.
Thanks for all the responses! I was thinking that I could also tie this essay into my interest of engineering. Particularly through finding out why things work and discovering new things. I don’t know if I should do that though.
That last thought sounds a bit contrived…
U seem to be confusing agnosticism w atheism.
@GMTplus7 I see your point about the fence sitting but the I think that there still could be some risk to it. This country is still predominately religious and agnostics are often mistakenly paired with atheists. The other main point of the essay, besides being isolated, is that I have been both religious and an atheist but I have now chosen to agnostic because of my experiences with both. I have realized that both parties have positives and negatives and this has influenced how I make informed decisions and how I view different events in the world.
GMT, I do understand the difference and the point of the essay is the isolation.