The curse of living in a developed society is that our dreams only stretch to the limits of our world. We are essentially doomed to write cliches. So much of the entertainment we consume has repetitive content no matter if it is within books, movies, shows, or games. It’s in our nature to exhaust any resource we come across. And so we search for every angle that we have yet to explore in previously discovered subjects.
This is especially applicable to college essays. We forget in our struggle to present ourselves as best as we can that there are thousands of those who look identical to us on paper. But those who want to stand out from the crowd choose the exceptionally unique route. Some of these do hit the mark, and admissions officers are fascinated by the intricacy of the writer’s mind. But others, in attempting to be too unique, become part of the thousands who overly explore an irrelevant topic.
To be standard is to be cliche and to attempt to be unique is also cliche. It seems both ways are dead ends. But what matters is the execution of such a paper rather than its premise. A truly unique idea is desirable, but it is most definitely not practical. And so the lion’s share of our work rests on the sensibility and academic merit we prove to our audience.
Yet there remain a plethora of topics that contribute little to college success when utilized for an essay. These include topics like music and volunteering. As similarly themed essays are more common than flies, they are often treated as such. Though there are certainly excellent works among these, They are overshadowed by their sheer quantity.
There’s a tendency for writers to appear as glamorous and flowery as possible on paper. But in a mere 650-word essay, there is no time to beat around the bush. Extravagance is a hindrance. It’s the ultimate short writing piece that shows your worth to those who can determine your future.
Regardless of the topic however, any well-thought out essay with an effective presentation is bound to attract some attention.
Ray Kim, Student Intern (Chattahoochee High School)
