I’ve decided to do the prompt #1 for the Common App essay, but I’m afraid that the topic would be too odd or not taken serious enough if that makes sense. I want to talk about being a fan of a band in my essay, and some national projects I’ve done with others fans and so on. I wanted to relate this back to leadership and dedicating myself to something greater and sort of unknown. My only fear is that I won’t be taken too seriously or that the topic itself isn’t too serious. Am I correct with my thinking or just overreacting?
What kind of schools are you applying to? Think through how this would make admissions want you on campus. It might work.
@intparent I’m applying to somewhat selective schools and I like my topic because it is definitely unique, but it’s a topic that most people don’t see as something fantastic and respected.
Which band? I’m just curious
@ski_racer One Direction. I was also going to talk about the stereotyping too, but obviously with a band like that, most people don’t think of it as a serious topic
I think your risk is coming off as immature. I also think it is sometimes hard to use something like that because (1) the app reader might have no exposure to what the band’s sound is – and it is hard to convey in an essay, and (2) if they know them, they may have a negative impression of the band, and that doesn’t help your admissions chances. If you were my kid, I’d tell them to find something else.
@intparent That is what I was afraid of. My other option was talking about being half asian and having those two perspectives, or talking about an experience I had with ageism which would work more with prompt #4. For selective schools like University of Michigan, do you think either of these would work?
Mmm… none of those ideas have much pop. Can you come up with some more ideas? Forget the prompts – what story do you want to tell admissions?
@intparent I guess that is my problem. I’m not super positive as to what I want them to know. I keep thinking back to the specific band essay, because I helped start a “fan project” which was done at a stadium of 60,000 people and I was gonna reference how if I didn’t enter that “fandom” I would’ve never gained the leadership skills to facilitate something like that and I wanted to somehow reference the state-wide, large population that it reached. I won’t really talk about that particular band, but more of what being a fan of them brought to my personality (to reference your earlier comment about the band’s sound).
You could do that – the essay is supposed to be more about you than about the band itself anyway.