Ok, so it is summer now, and I will have some free time, hopefully at work, to write some college essays so I won’t go crazy in the fall. I am really lost as to what to write in a college essay. I’m on school newspaper, and I’ve been told I’m a great writer, but the college essay seems different in a lot of ways. So here are my questions. Obviously the admissions officers read a ton of essays, and I’d expect most of them to include: I’m so passionate about this school activity, I love my schoolwork, I love your college please let me in, I’ve had a horrible life, it is my life goal to get into ____, etc. So I know you need to write something different that stands out if you want to boost your chances. To be quite honest, I’m not overly interested in any school activities. The activities I enjoy most I think would be looked down upon by admissions officers. My favorite activities are making money and bodyboarding. I can’t see talking about how I want to earn a huge salary in the future, or talking about surfing one of the biggest swells as something an admissions officer would particularly care about, although I could make those essays more interesting than a half phony one about how much I love mathematics. Is it acceptable/good to write about something that has absolutely nothing to do with going to that college? I mean in some ways I can say bodyboarding in 35 degree water takes perserverence, determination, and other characteristics that could be turned into being passionate about anything I do in life. I’m not sure though, would you recommend writing that kind of essay?
What about essays on something I have strong opinions on (cause I’m very opinionated), about the war in Iraq (very much in favor of it, and I’m sure a lot of admissions officers would disagree), afirmative action, or the whole application process (which I think I could shed some light on)? I don’t want to tick off the admissions officers, or write about something they see as not pertinant to college (but maybe it shows I’m a good writer). Another thing that is interesting I could write about is someone in my family who has a mental condition. I don’t want it to sound like I want any pity or anything, but I think I could write a quality essay, but again, I don’t know how an admissions officer would view it.
Sorry for this long post, but what do people recommend? Write about what I know and what I can make sound interesting, even if it is slightly controversial, or unrelated to college (like bodyboarding), or go with the more conventional essay about what I accomplished in school or what not?