<p>I have two essay topics I'm considering-</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Pursuing passion for music through community service</p></li>
<li><p>Struggle with identity and difficulty finding a culture growing up</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I get that colleges want to see passion, and I feel like essay 1 would add to that, but I also want them to get a sense of who I am and my personality, and I feel like essay 2 would communicate that better. Which one do you think they'd want to see more?</p>
<p>Do you have a prompt you have to address?</p>
<p>It isn’t a matter of what they want to see more. They don’t have a preference as to topic. It is a matter of what you can write best to show yourself, but not just your personality, also the quality of traits. Writing about EC is good but they will see your involvement in your EC list.</p>
<p>If this applies to you, maybe you could write about how you found your identity through music? I believe you could organize and combine your two ideas.</p>
<p>Like BrownParent, I’m interested in what the prompt is.</p>
<p>I disagree with BrownParent regarding all topics being equal. There are obvious preferences, and there are strong preferences, among all admissions officers. You can read more about that here - [Hang</a> with the College Admissions Officer - The App Style](<a href=“http://theappstyle.com/hang-with-the-college-admissions-officer/]Hang”>The App Style - A College Application Guide) . </p>
<p>There are also topics that are easier to write about, and more personal by nature. Follow your instincts. They’re leading you in the right direction. If 2 doesn’t pan out the way you hoped, give 1 a try. Then make a 3 and 4 and try those out too. </p>
<p>Lastly, don’t worry too much about essay ‘themes’ at this point. Focus on whatever makes a good story first. Build a coherent plot. Then tie in significance.</p>
<p>I feel like the colleges will see passion in your application, and that the essay is the part where you describe yourself and your personality. In your application it will have records of a lot of music and community service, but your essay will describe who you are beyond your passion.
Just my opinion.</p>
<p>If I were you, I’d write both essays - after you do both, you’ll realize that one is stronger and sounds more like “you”. Choosing between two essays is a bit better than choosing between two topics simply because you already know the caliber of your essays.</p>