Coming back from down 28-7 with 5:49 minutes left in the 4th quarter where he went Bradyesque in a 6A state playoff game last December. Story wasn't really about the game (that would be straight to the bin), but the flashback/forward interwoven in harmony that brought out his character and characters of those around him. Like the series Lost prior to Season 4.

I have read a lot about what interests and is a successful essay from an AO point of view, and it’s always they learn something about the kid’s character/ personality.
And there is no hot topic in that, it can be from anything.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People like to gate keep, OP. Even after their kid already got in. The smugness is real. They won’t help you

Or, we know things. I've worked with students who got into Ivies. The answers to the questions that OP is asking would not have been useful to them.

+1,000,000

I've worked as an essay coach. The answers to the questions that OP is asking will not be useful to them or anyone else. There are no "hot topics." No such thing.

m
Except maybe they are just curious and want to know what kinds of things are written about. Lots of vague non replies here

Sure. Just curious. Mmmm hmmm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People like to gate keep, OP. Even after their kid already got in. The smugness is real. They won’t help you

Or, we know things. I've worked with students who got into Ivies. The answers to the questions that OP is asking would not have been useful to them.

+1,000,000

I've worked as an essay coach. The answers to the questions that OP is asking will not be useful to them or anyone else. There are no "hot topics." No such thing.

m
Except maybe they are just curious and want to know what kinds of things are written about. Lots of vague non replies here

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People like to gate keep, OP. Even after their kid already got in. The smugness is real. They won’t help you

Or, we know things. I've worked with students who got into Ivies. The answers to the questions that OP is asking would not have been useful to them.

+1,000,000

I've worked as an essay coach. The answers to the questions that OP is asking will not be useful to them or anyone else. There are no "hot topics." No such thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not the essay topic that got them in. It's the execution, and all of the years of preparation before it.

Yes definitely it’s only 1 part of entire application, but wondering what students writing about -just topic wise. There are usually topic trends over the years and wondering what trends are this year. Example, for several years climate was a hot topic and then became more on sustainability. What are topics right now for students? More politics, less politics? Hope? Fear?

Grandma's cooking. Duh.

A friend’s child was accepted with an essay about a project she completed through meeting and interviewing women in their 80s who spoke of their lived-experiences in Anacostia and their struggles for basic recognition in D.C., throughout the civil rights period.

I don’t know if it was their best essay, but the school asked that you write a thank you note to someone impactful on you.

They said that 90% of the essays thanked a teacher, coach or relative but my kid got involved in a hobby with lots of older mentors that would help out so my kid thanked one in particular.

I just think any essay that didn’t thank someone from the three groups above was given extra props.

I wrote about tearing my ACL.

Even though every AO on the planet says there is no easy magic trick to help with admission to an Ivy, please post your kids essay topic so I can cargo cult it like it’s a magic key to access.

Fixing a muffler on their parent's car. Seriously.

Currently attends a top 20 university. But not Ivy - the Ivies may be extra special and will want the world peace angle.

Something about developing academic and personal ownership through time spent traveling with a friend for 6 weeks through Asia when they were 17 years old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People like to gate keep, OP. Even after their kid already got in. The smugness is real. They won’t help you

It’s not a smugness. The information is of no help. If I told you my kid wrote about cooking with insects or grandma or while blind or for an ill parent or the basics up thru finishing Julia Childs’ book, etc. how is that helpful in anyway.

Not all posters hope replies give a how to manual for college admission. I’d love to read someone truly submitted about cooking with insects!

If it’s curiosity, that’s even odder. Go read JHU’s released essays. My guess is OP IS looking for how tos as OP mentioned “themes” of the past.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not the essay topic that got them in. It's the execution, and all of the years of preparation before it.

Yes definitely it’s only 1 part of entire application, but wondering what students writing about -just topic wise. There are usually topic trends over the years and wondering what trends are this year. Example, for several years climate was a hot topic and then became more on sustainability. What are topics right now for students? More politics, less politics? Hope? Fear?

This seems like you’ve spent a lot of time on this. I can say my kid got into an ivy, is unhooked, and I would never answer this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People like to gate keep, OP. Even after their kid already got in. The smugness is real. They won’t help you

It’s not a smugness. The information is of no help. If I told you my kid wrote about cooking with insects or grandma or while blind or for an ill parent or the basics up thru finishing Julia Childs’ book, etc. how is that helpful in anyway.

Not all posters hope replies give a how to manual for college admission. I’d love to read someone truly submitted about cooking with insects!