NYTimes article on college admissions essay

The New York times had an interesting article today on college admissions essays, their value, and approaches that students use:

 

http://www.nytimes.c...-the-crowd.html

 

Interesting stuff, including four actual submitted essays.

[regentrude]

Thanks!

[Belacqua]

Very interesting.

 

I've often wondered whether application essay topics tend to go in cycles. Are there trendy topics that last a few years until something else comes along? And do articles like this one influence the trends? Will adcoms see an uptick in essays about money and class issues?

 

Conventional essay wisdom tells the kids not to write about their epiphanies reached while visiting poor regions. That subject is always on the Don't list, along with How I Triumphed Over Adversity and Won the Big Game and Why I Love Grandma. Yet this article suggests that some kids have written powerful, successful essays on that very topic.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Interesting!