Right track-PS idea Forum

[glucose101]

Does this sound too general/flighty? (gay Mexican-American here)

I wanted to write about how I grew up in a very dangerous neighborhood in elementary school, and how there were no access to other forms of identity other than conservative Mexican-American ones. Similarly, when we moved during my middle school years to a newer area, I was put against conservative cowboy standards (hick) where being gay isn't tolerated. But how I ended up at a liberal arts college, and ultimately, I wrote my thesis on identity in literature--how I had access to these ideas, and allowed me to develop my true identity.

I would center my essay on how my whole life has been centered on this pursuit of knowledge that I wouldn't have if I wasn't resourceful and hardworking.

Again, in its nascent stage, but is this the type of essay that should be written? Input would be great. Thanks!!!

[canes]

Sounds like a better diversity statement. Still a good topic IMO. Good luck

[rinkrat19]

There's--almost--no such thing as a bad PS topic, only a badly-written one. The reverse is also true: pretty much any topic can be good, provided it's done well.

Some topics are much harder than others to pull off and should only be attempted by truly outstanding writers. Your topic idea sounds pretty safe to me. That is, however, no guarantee of a good essay! Even the best/safest topic can suck out loud if the writing is bad.

tl;dr
Quality of writing trumps topic. Do the thing properly and that topic is just fine.

[AreJay711]

One thing that I think is important in a PS is to not go over the top in writing style. Tell your story, but tell it in a simple or even understated way. The events will speak for themselves and I think adcomms appreciate self awareness more than super cool things.