I’m considering writing my Common App essay on theatre and how I’ve participated in it through high school to get out of my comfort zone. I truly love it and have dedicated many, many hours to it in high school. However, I do not excel in theatre and I’m not the type of person who aims for leads or gets them. Most people are surprised when they hear that I’m involved in drama because it seems to go against my personality. It has just helped me become less shy, have thicker skin, and take more risks. I’m worried that I should be wary of the topic, as I’m not a theatre prodigy and am not pursuing it in college. I have much more skill and experience in piano and violin, yet I can’t find much to write about regarding those besides that I’ve stuck with them for a long time and gained ability.
In addition, I’m considering starting my essay with a quote from the monologue I used at my first play audition, and then describing how nervous I was while saying those words. Would that be a bad idea?
Any advice helps. Thank you!
What’s your passion? It sounds like it’s theatre…but whatever it is, let your passion shine brightly in your essay. This is the place where you help the admissions committee see beyond your GPA and test scores, providing them a glimpse into what makes you tick. Don’t try to guess what they want to hear…be honest, be sincere, and write from the heart.
Good luck!
Any topic that tells admissions officers something about your that won’t be seen elsewhere in the application can be a good essay. Why don’t you outline or draft it and see how it goes.
Roll in the attributes they want to see. OP hasn’t told what schools or tier, so we can’t know how much it matters. But for the most competitive, it’s not just write something/anything. They want to learn something relevant.
And theater might be fine. But not just how you love it, spend x hours and a recitation of details.
Right-- it can’t be a time log. It needs to let the reader know more about you-- who you are when you’re on stage, how that person has grown from the 9th grader who decided to try theater on for size.