UNC Essay Topic

So as the deadline approaches, I’m having doubts about my essay. I was originally going with prompt 1: Teen activist and 2014 Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai said, “I raise up my voice-not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard”. For whom have you raised your voice? I wrote about a special needs student I interviewed for my school newspaper. But I’m having doubts about this essay and honestly, I’m not too happy with it.

So I’ve decided to change my topic. I’m torn between prompt 2 and 3: a moment I would re-do in my life and what my TEDtalk would be on. So this is my brainstorm:

A MOMENT I COULD REDO:

-Not running for student body president
believe in yourself
screw the haters and all those that doubted me
the best revenge is living well
you never know until you try
why fear failure?

MY TEDTALK:

-An open letter to my high school sweetheart
It’s okay to take a risk; there is beauty in the unknown
Sometimes people will teach you how to love yourself
There is beauty in learning to move on; not forgetting. There is beauty in being able to look back on the past and say ‘wow, what a nice memory’

-An open letter to the father that I never knew how to love
Thank you for forcing me to grow up and stop blaming my circumstances
Sometimes, it’s really not your fault
I still forgive you and will try to understand your actions
Love is a process; it is not a one-time emotion; it is a struggle and a battle that takes effort
Sometimes you have to be your biggest hero

I’ve received missed opinions: some like the running for president prompt because it is relatable to academics and some like the tedtalk prompts because they are a lot more personal. i would greatly appreciate opinions. thank you!

I like the TedTalk ones better. But that’s just my opinion. I like topics that aren’t so school related.

I would recommend writing one of each and then choosing the one that sounds better and that you feel gives a better overall picture of who you are. That being said, there are plenty of other parts of your application that will speak about your academics, so I wouldn’t worry too much about making your supplement about that as well.