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2 months ago
Admissions Advice

Struggling with essay topic.

So I've been working on my CommonApp essay and I've been planning to talk about how one of biggest interests in life is playing guitar or in general just breaking down songs by listening to them closely in order to learn more about music. However, I'm scared of writing about this due to me being in All-State for two instruments is on my activities list might make it sound repetitive. What should I do?

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1 answer

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2 months ago

Hi!

Here is some advice for you. You are not alone in this; I have struggled myself in choosing the perfect topic for my essay.

From what you have shared, music sounds like a core part of YOU. As long as you are not re-listing all the activities already on your application, I think writing an essay with a music-related topic is perfectly fine. I am doing something similar myself. My passion is horticulture and floral design, so I have a lot of related activities on my application as is. However, I am taking a different approach to my essay and using a floral design concept to portray my personality and character. If you are passionate about something, it makes sense to write your essay about it. I actually enjoy writing this essay because it is so ME in a creative way. I am having fun writing it, which is a sign that this essay is unique to my voice and personality.

So absolutely write about your passion, but take it to the next level. Find a way to portray who you are through the essay. This essay is where the admission officers meet you. What do you want them to know about your character?

Here is a video I found incredibly helpful: youtube.com/watch?v=lAtFF47Ce4k

Please lmk if you have any questions! We got this :)

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