<p>If your D feels the subject from her heart, it could be a good essay. That also is the case with many subjects, including subjects that seem to be about ordinary things. </p>
<p>One major factor that differentiates a remarkable essay from one that is a snoozer is how honest the student is. By this, I don't mean whether the student is telling their deepest secrets, but whether they're letting their true personality shine instead of saying what they think will impress the adcoms. Other factors are how well written the essay is (and "well written" means the essay clearly must seem to be written by a teen, not by a parent) and how insightful the student is about themselves and about life in general.</p>
<p>Thus, your D's essay could be wonderful or it could be hohum depending on whether the topic truly is meaningful to her and whether she has noncliche insights about it and takes the time to write and rewrite it until the essay sparkles.</p>
<p>It is not clear from your post how much the topic resonates with your D. It may be that you feel the topic, but she does not. </p>
<p>I remember meeting former Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire, who is a petite, attractive blond, and asking her how someone who looked so much like a cheerleader was able to obtain such a powerful positon and gain so much respect in it. </p>
<p>I can't remember how she answered the question, but it seemed clear to me that she hadn't really related to the question. While I saw her as a cute blond, she saw herself as a competent, intelligent, hard working woman with a serious agenda, and apparently that caused her to ignore the barriers that her looks and sexism raised. </p>
<p>I am sure that she must have run into the problems that your D has. Whitmire, though, would probably not have been able to write an essay about the topic because the barriers weren't important to her.</p>
<p>Thus, it will be important for you to help your D figure out a topic that resonates with her. Having a unique topic isn't as important as saying something heartfelt that shows facets of one's character that would appeal to adcoms. </p>
<p>This is different than portraying a false front in order to try to appeal to adcoms. I'm not suggesting that's what your D would be doing. I added that sentence because there probably are lurkers who are thinking about how they can write essays that look good even though those essays don't illuminate their real characters.</p>