Hello everyone! I’m currently working on applying to several colleges my #1 being UW Madison. I have about a 3.8 GPA and a 27 ACT (I will be retaking in September) and took 2 AP classes (and passed the AP exams) and 3 next year. I also have a part time job at a coffee shop as a barista and am in jazz, marching, and concert band. I am working on the first essay (Consider something in your life you think goes unnoticed and write about why t’s important to you.) So far the only ideas I have would be the adrenaline before a music performance. I figured most applicants would take the route of a characteristic about themselves that people don’t notice (Ex. Integrity, or dedicate) So I wanted to go a different route and talk about something that usually goes unnoticed but I personally noticed or have reflected on now that effected me and how it did. Any ideas or tips would be helpful! I really want to get in!
Update:
I think I’m going to write about my favorite teacher and how he helps and cares so much about all of his students and no one every notices all of the effort he puts in
btw “passing” the AP exams merely means getting only a 3- many students do much better than that. What you write for your essays reflects who you are, no right/wrong topic. Be sure the grammar and flow represent good writing- perhaps let a teacher look at it for such. Please do not post it on CC.
I like your first idea better than the second one. How do you know this about the teacher? Will you need to waste time explaining? Do not overthink and try too hard. Be yourself, UW wants you, not the person you think has a better chance because of an essay.
My best advice is to choose your topic, be sure it answers the questions asked, write the essay and then set it aside for days/a week or longer. Read it and revise as you see fit. Correct the final version for grammatical mistakes and do not obsess about it.
Okay will do. I’m just having trouble with the first idea i had now. It was more of just an idea i threw out there. Not entirely sure how to center an essay around it 
Thanks for your input!
In my opinion, any college essay needs to show off some aspect of your strengths, personality, or important values. Talking about how you like your teacher is admirable - but what does that reveal about you, your personality, your strengths, or your values? Unless you can genuinely talk about how his conduct has influenced or changed you in some tangible way, I wouldn’t write about your teacher. You could also potentially come off as dissing your classmates for not noticing what a great teacher he is.
Your original idea is a lot more personal and it’s inherently a topic where you are the proactive one. A suggestion in regards to the music one: you could focus on how much hard work goes into preparing for a performance - as a musician myself, a lot of people don’t realize how much practice time goes into music! Or perhaps the coordination and teamwork that goes into playing with an ensemble. There’s a lot of things to write about music, especially since performance is meant to seem easy, polished, and effortless to an audience.
As you said, it doesn’t have to be about integrity or dedication. When I applied, I wrote about how friendships had changed my experiences and outlook in a high school sport. Obviously it wasn’t a mind blowing revelation or an exceedingly unique value, but it was an unnoticed thing that genuinely affected me in a meaningful way.
I think it would be better to write about yourself rather than someone else.