<p>I think a cool essay topic would be about how you became a pokemon master haha.</p>
<p>When I did my essays, my parents, GC, and friends all gave me feedback. I think I subconsciously wrote some of them to avoid certain things that I would have written if I had had zero intervention. I suggest you write something that shows exactly who you are, and don’t let anybody modify it. Just write your heart out and the essay will come.</p>
<p>Do not joke about being a Pokemon master.</p>
<p>[GB</a> Pokemon Hall Of Fame: Ambivalent](<a href=“http://gbhof.blogspot.com/2009/08/ambivalent_20.html]GB”>GB Pokemon Hall Of Fame: Ambivalent)</p>
<p>Refer to that link.</p>
<p>As amazing as becoming a Pokemon master would be, I haven’t played in years. (Fine…months). 
Still, I need a really good essay to explain my GPA (3.5 on a 4.0 scale, ugh). So, I thought I would write about how it actually helped me…change, I guess. Helped me deal with setbacks? Deal with different kinds of people? I’m rambling, and I have no idea what I’m saying-a lethal combination!
Is the moving to a foreign country angle too hackneyed?</p>
<p>I strongly recommend the book ON WRITING THE COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY by Harry Bauld.</p>
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<p>If your GPA is due to some unforseen circumstances, you could have your counselor elaborate on that in his/her recommendation.</p>
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That is awesome :D</p>
<p>@LiveLaughLove5
My personal theory of essays is “Why I am interesting” goes in the CommonApp, and the supplement is, if you’ve had any life difficulties, “This is why where I ended up is extra-impressive, because I had to deal with x, y, or z.” Health problems in my case, high school transfer in yours. I think that you want admissions officers liking the you you present in your applications. “Despite all these hardships, I am still pretty cool!” is less effective at getting across “I am pretty cool!” than plain old “I am pretty cool!” because everyone focuses on the “despite” part. So save that for until they’ve gotten to know your passion for musical theater, or helping the homeless, or whatever topic you feel like. I have no proof of general effectiveness, but it worked for me.</p>
<p>I know very little about college essays (as a rising junior.) Should the topic be recent to reveal who you are at the time, or can it be something like a cliche trip to India Essay when I was ten.</p>
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<p>The fact you suggest the trip is cliche in the first place is grounds for not writing about it in the Common Application. You’re going to want to stand out as much as possible amongst all the other applicants. And you should definitely write about experiences you’ve had in high school, as that time frame is the basis for college applications in the first place.</p>
<p>My essay was about my thoughts as I took a shower. It had a nice stream of consciousness aspect to it. In retrospect, a more conservative reader might have been shocked seeing as I went into detail without actually using the word “shower”.</p>
<p>FWIW, I got into Caltech and Princeton with that essay (not that the essay was the sole deciding factor, I’m sure the other parts of the application were very important).</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure, in some way or another, my essay will trickle down and somehow be relatable to me being black (e.g, my afro, my ostracism from some of my family, my desire to go further, etc, etc, and all the rest of that sentimental bull). lol. </p>
<p>Not to toot my own horn, but I’m sure I’ll find a way to make completely mundane events interesting. </p>
<p>I’m not sure how original it is, but I would say that writing about your ethnicity (in a different way from the normal i’m-proud-of-my-heritage crap) is a good way to go (assuming you’re not white. lol. Or who knows? Maybe writing about ethnicity from the point of view of a caucasian can be considered uber creative.)</p>
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<p>I would beg to differ. Assuming a number of candidates all have good stats, the essay becomes the penultimate tiebreaker. The essay shows original thought, a glimpse of the personality and perhaps how bad they want to get into the college. I would argue that the essay matters more than the EC’s, unless you have shown a level of accomplishment.</p>
<p>But how do you find typical essay questions for applying for 2011 when the applications for 2010 are still out?</p>
<p>well i don’t see the point in ur asking for the original college essay topic.
even if there was a very original one the moment you post it on this website you’re making it useless. if you know what i mean.</p>
<p>In all honesty, the chances of at least one person submitting an essay topic that is very similar to yours is incredibly high. Now whether your reader has read dozens of them prior to yours is up to chance but don’t think that you have to go our of your way to be original.</p>
<p>A college admissions counselor told me that the best essay they read last year was from a girl who rode the public bus system to high school each day…what she saw, who she met, what she learned. I agree with ADad…it’s not the topic, but what you do with it!</p>
<p>I tried to write a very personal essay about my favorite teacher being arrested, but it was a mess. I got distracted about halfway through and ended up writing a new essay about what I eat for breakfast, and how much I hate mornings (a lot). It may not be as personal or as original as my teacher being arrested, but it sure as hell was a lot more fun to write, and really a stronger essay I think.</p>
<p>I know nothing about college essays (rising junior as well), and I think, at this point, it’ll be the only thing that will put me in an Ivy League university. </p>
<p>Anyway, I want to stand out in a college essay by incorporating my experience of hunting for squirrels in the woods. Is it original enough? How can I do that without making my essay seem ridiculous?
I am pondering on a few themes that will tie the connection between my hunting experience and…something. I don’t know. </p>
<p>By the way, I come from the deep south in the US, and I want to go to a university in the north. What are my chances? I’m Asian. :|</p>
<p>Its ok if an essay isnt that original; as long as you make it unique so that it can reflect your character then it should be good. Of course, nobody wants to read about the big game all the time but even those “cliche” topics can be put into a new spin if you try hard enough</p>
<p>Dont give up. And of course, dont use internet paper mills to write the essay. or plagiarize it for that matter. Be careful of posting you essay online too. Some people might try to steal it; paper mills often “visit” online essay sites to steal people’s essay so that they can sell it.</p>
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<p>I lol’d hard</p>
<p>Stuff like this is like the writing question in my recent Lit exam. “Describe a day from your childhood”. Who remembers a whole day?! I completely blanked.</p>