Writing about ethnicity in common app essay?

College Essays
1

<p>I was wondering if writing about my mixed-race identity would be too cliche for the common app essay. (Prompt 1- Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.)</p>

<p>I drafted an essay about a (somewhat humorous) incident between my dad and me. My racial identity plays a major role in the incident, and even though the "moral" of the essay is that I grew more accepting of my heritage, I think the essay itself is anything but cliche. </p>

<p>I'm half-Caucasian, half-white, so I'm worried that adcoms read these "mixed-identity" essays often. Should I stick to the topic or find another one? </p>

2

<p>Sorry if this sounds ignorant, but what do you mean by “Caucasian” and “white”? I realise that they’re not exactly the same, but in the Common App and any other survey I’ve seen, they’re used interchangeably. </p>

3

<p>Oops, that was a typo. I meant to say, half-white and half-Asian.</p>

4

<p>@meganwilkey519‌ Ahh, that makes sense now :slight_smile: Anyway - generally, yes, this topic is overdone, but I think if you’re able to present a potentially cliche topic in a unique way, as it sounds like you’ve done, it could work out. As long as there’s SOMETHING in there that makes you different than the other people writing essays with similar “theses”. I hope this helps, and good luck :)</p>