dumb question about why essays Forum

[hihelpme]

should I title these or just use the essay prompt as a header? Thanks. Also, in regard to Duke and UVA, would it be appropriate to discuss the last year's civil rights events, or would that be too controversial?

[Laewgbi]

I titled my Duke essay Optional Essay I in the header.

[Hennessy]

last year's civil rights events

what does this refer to
there were a lot of these

[pancakes3]

don't talk about cville.

[hihelpme]

last year's civil rights events

what does this refer to
there were a lot of these

alt right conflict in Charlottesville
robert lee statue in durham

[Hennessy]

don't talk about cville.

*unless you are a URM

[Rigo]

I'd stay clear of that topic. I can't really imagine a way to talk about it that isn't either hallow or offputting.

[Rigo]

don't talk about cville.

*unless you are a URM

idk i still don't see how this would be a good idea

[blackmamba8]

Just don't talk about Cville in regards to the alt-right stuff, right? Because I talked about it being a similar town as the one my undergrad was in.

[Rigo]

Just don't talk about Cville in regards to the alt-right stuff, right? Because I talked about it being a similar town as the one my undergrad was in.

Yeah of course that's fine.

[181plz]

How about writing my opinions about the war on terror? This would be in regard to duke’s Guantanamo defense clinic

[pancakes3]

in terms of what makes an essay good, the essay topic takes a back seat to the actual writing. i think you're picking some really difficult subjects to write about but if you're a good writer, and you've got really good things to say, then yes - the essay will turn out fine.

however, given that there are easier (more generic) topics out there, that a bland "why" essay doesn't hurt your application any, and the fact that a bad "why" essay could potentially hurt your application, i don't know why you would want to do this.

[cavalier1138]

How about writing my opinions about the war on terror? This would be in regard to duke’s Guantanamo defense clinic

Unless you have a specific background that would lend itself to a clinic, it's probably not a good idea to structure your "Why [School]" essay around a single clinic.

These statements aren't going to make or break an application, and they aren't really a space to get "creative". Just keep it simple, and move on to the more important parts of the app.

[181plz]

in terms of what makes an essay good, the essay topic takes a back seat to the actual writing. i think you're picking some really difficult subjects to write about but if you're a good writer, and you've got really good things to say, then yes - the essay will turn out fine.

however, given that there are easier (more generic) topics out there, that a bland "why" essay doesn't hurt your application any, and the fact that a bad "why" essay could potentially hurt your application, i don't know why you would want to do this.

I guess I’m having trouble figuring out what a bland essay entails.

[sparkytrainer]

How about writing my opinions about the war on terror? This would be in regard to duke’s Guantanamo defense clinic

Im a 3L at Duke and I didn't even know we had a Guantanamo clinic. You should probably pass talking about it, given that no one is in it.