I’ve read that writing about sports for your common app essay is generally frowned upon unless you have a unique angle. For me, gymnastics is something that I’m passionate about and I want to write about it, but I’m afraid it will be boring for admissions officers to read another sports essay. Can you tell me if my circumstances sound like they would make a good essay? My essay would be for the second common app prompt (describe a failure). I have known ever since I joined competitive gymnastics that I could never be really successful because I started too late (I’ve been on teams with mostly girls 3-5 years younger than me throughout high school) and I’m too tall (5’10"). However, last year I made it into the practice group with the highest levels at my gym (7,8 and 9) as a level 7. I worked my butt off but I still wasn’t able to get all my skills before competition season and I had to drop down a level. I feel like this failure had a huge impact on me and I could write a good essay about what I learned from it, but is the story too unoriginal?
I’m not an essay expert but perhaps you could focus on the plight of being a too-tall gymnast. Otherwise you are right that trying hard but failing is kind of a cliche.
I actually like it. It does not strike me as the typical sports failure, at all. You were willing to hang out with kids much younger than you which reveals SO much maturity on your part and your height is a very interesting twist, pun intended. You have to have some pretty funny anecdotes about this experience. I think if you have a really strong first sentence, you can grab the reader before they fall asleep thinking it is going to be yet another lackluster sports essay.