two questions

[ADad]

<ol>
<li><p>No. Yes.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are allowed "topic of choice" then you can choose the topic. No one will hold your choice against you.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>For useful advice from UVa about writing college essays, see </p>

<p><a href="http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>