What is the most important thing - Question about topic?

What is important to you? And why?

(250 words)

I would like to ask your comment on the topic that I am going to choose. There are couple of values that I really want to talk about. I wrote about "perseverance" but then I think it is too cliche. I'm also thinking of "compassion" as the most important value in my life, both compassion for myself and compassion for others. But I'm not sure if it would be too broad or too cliche. If I narrowed it down to "compassion for myself" in the context of a student life, would it answer the prompt?

Thank you in advance for your suggestion.

You cannot second guess the reviewer. You never know which response will work for your essay. There are no right or wrong answers, no perfect response, no properly framed discussion. You just have to be honest and discuss in all honesty. Do not try to portray an image. Just be yourself. Pick the topic you are most comfortable discussing in the statement and develop your response from there. It is your honesty in responding, as it comes across the page, that the reviewer will respond to. Not the topic you chose. He wants to get to know you and what you consider important. The topic could be mundane and impress him, or it could be of high interest and value, but not of interest because of its repetitiveness as a response topic. Think outside the box. That should help you create a more interesting response, but still based on honesty and your desire to make your personality known to the reviewer.

Thank you Holt for your critical comment. They all reflect the values that crucial to me, but I guess I am a bit confusing now while trying to present the most important one in a narrative way.