Which of these 5 topics is the best?

College Essays
1

<p>1) A story about how an elderly woman wanted to die at a hospital and how I cheered her up.</p>

<p>2) A discussion on my cultural background (parents/grandparents from india, i was born in britain, live in US). I am brown skinned so I am treated like an indian by everyone. I was raised by my parents in a British fashion but in the American environment.</p>

<p>3) How I developed a passion for music</p>

<p>4) What I learned from helping underprivileged children during a summer.</p>

<p>5) How I wrote an unconventional essay for a class that went against the norm and the teacher's standards. I received a failing grade but it was in my opinion the best essay I had ever written.</p>

<p>Need help deciding which topic to use. Or even come up with a new one if they all are bad. :(</p>

2

<p>I think you can do something great with all of them, but it looks like #1 has the most potential right now. Just remember to weave this episode into something larger and more connected with you and your personality, philosophy, mindset, etc</p>

3

<p>Number 1 is probably the best one that you can choose, but 2 is a close second. You just have to connect whatever it is to you and all in all that is what gets you into college, if they can tell that you are passionate for something while reading your essay.</p>

4

<p>Absolutely unequivocally #5. Though the story behind #1 may be true, it would take a lot of skill to portray her cheering up as your doing. Some might even see it as you trying to convince a woman in pain to keep holding on for no reason. #2 Absolutely not, writing about your race and having people judge you is at least top 5 most tired and overused essay topics- plus its really just not that interesting, #3 could be promising if you made it really personal to you, but thousands of people write about their passions for music, so unless you invented your own instrument it is not likely that it will be unique, #4 totally cliche, another top 5 most overused topics that usually dont have much feeling or substance behind them, and finally #5 is perfect because it is definitely unique to you, shows your personality very well, featuring both pride in your work and adherence to your own values, its a bit edgy since you failed and are still happy. With as much force as i can convey over CC, please do the 5th one. Uniqueness is the most important factor as adcoms are reading thousands of essays about the struggles of being a minority, volunteer work, travelling abroad, divorce, death, drugs, and appraisals of their school that come right out of brochures. Show them who you are with something genuine, a topic that “does not trickle, but flows” in your words.</p>

5

<p>the passion for music could work as well but… it could easily become one of those generic ones, if you don’t have a true passion for music and if you don’t have an anecdote to go along with it… but at the moment #1 (just remember, don’t talk too much about the lady)… 5 is a bit risky, but it’ll reveal some good stuff to your character.</p>

6

<p>Thanks guys!</p>

<p>I have written 1 and 5 as really rough drafts.</p>

<p>My mom really wants me to do 2 and 4 but I guess she doesn’t know that those are really cliche and overused?</p>

7

<p>5! 5! 5! 5! 5!

    • my second choice
  2. woah that sounds really cool too - 3rd choice
  3. how DID u develop a passion? u dont have to tell me, just answer it yourself. is it interesting? or is it gonna be another cliche boring, my mom bought me my first (insert intrument) when i was 4, and since then… yawn
  4. defines cliche, but i’m not you so if u know for sure that what u learned isnt the same thing as what every other applicants with those essays learned, then by all means go ahead
  5. just the perfect amount of risk i think, to stand out and show that your different and the fact that u still loved it despite its failing grade already sets u apart from like every other applicant i personally know whose applying to selective colleges</p>