Hi everyone. I wrote a common app essay and I would really appriciate it if someone took a look at it. Please do not go over any grammar, punctuation rules. I really need feedback on FLOW, CONTENT, TOPIC, AND IDEA of the essay. I just need to know if the topic is good, if the essay grabs attention, and if this essay would work, meaning is this the type of college essay that college admissions officers are looking for. Someone please read it and just tell me if I can get into a good school with this essay.  
  
Thank you so much in advance!!!  
  
## **The Big Profit**

  
  
Near the edge of my desk sits a small red empty pouch. It is the first thing that greets me in the morning and when I come home from school. It is free from any physical belongings of mine but within the small pouch sits my "profit" from the NJ Flea Market Fair.  
  
I always wanted to earn money by myself without the support of my parents. One day when a flier came in the mail, I knew it was meant for me. The flier read- NJ Flea Market Fair: Sell your items and earn money. No admission needed!  
  
I immediately started to go through items I had for years. I untangled jewelry, washed clothing, and scrubbed old appliances, packing the items in boxes.  
  
The day of the fair I woke up early to set up my stand. Sweat dripped down from the side of my forehead. "Maybe I should pass," I thought. But I had tagged prices and polished items; I could not give up now.  
  
At around 9:00 AM, customers started to pour down the streets of the flea market. I felt my heart thumping with a hint of anticipation as the customers walked past my stand. Before I could sit down in a chair and relax, my first customer approached!  
  
She was a middle-aged lady who bought more items than I expected. As she told me the items she wanted, I packed them neatly in plastic bags I had saved from Wal-Mart. So, as customers came and went by on that hot summer day, I stood behind my stand, recounting the money in my red pouch after every purchase. My pouch was filled with money.  
  
As the fair approached to an end, a dark haired lady, who was the supervisor of the fair, came towards me. "She's going to look at my items," I thought but I suddenly froze at her words: "Can you please pay for the stand fee?"  
  
There was a stand fee? My mouth moved to say something but I couldn't find the right words. I didn't know what to think. My efforts from the morning under the humid weather flashed in front of my eyes. I suddenly felt empty inside, as I handed the supervisor the pricey stand fee.  
  
For a couple of minutes, I stood there blankly, my eyes unfocused. I watched other people slowly gather their items, making their way home. Then from far away, I saw the small boy walking with his mom with my old collection of marbles. I could still see the excitement in his eyes. I then remembered the lady who had found the comfort from my red sweater, the teenage girl who adored my old pair of heels and the conversation I had with the grandpa who was sent with two picture frames for his grand-daughter. Ironically, as I looked at my empty pouch, I felt like it was more full than before. Though I had endured the hot summer day and had given up days to sort through my items, I couldn't help but break into a smile.  
  
So, the empty small pouch sits on my desk to remind me of my big profit and to look at situations from a different angle. It sits there to remind me that the conversations, smiles, and efforts from that day will forever last with me, unlike the money in my pouch. I keep it physically empty to fill it with my own happiness. I am happy that I was not aware of the stand fee that day. Otherwise, how else would I have made such a big profit?