Secondary Essays And What Not To Say

Hi folks,
I am currently in the process of finishing my secondary applications for several allopathic medical school, and although I have completed most of my essays, I have two types of essay questions which I am hesitant to turn in as of this moment:
1. What is your greatest non-academic achievement?
So far, in my essays, I have written about my involvement in my university's Gamelan Orchestra. This is great, and all, but I cannot really see how this will strengthen my case for admissions, set aside diversity and teamwork. I have been thinking about writing on a youth group that I was really passionate about in highschool. My only problem with this latter focus is that I have never held a 'formal' leadership position (that is, a title), and besides a few programs I was never quite involved in actually planning anything. I was just a participant.

2. What are you passionate about and why?
I have only had one essay asking about this so far (U. Mich), and for that I wrote about my interest in old film and newsreels, etc., and about how I value learning from the past. Again, for me, I just worry that medical school admissions do not really want to hear about my collecting old media.


I feel that my essays are well crafted, and that it would be a shame to throw them away just so that I can write about something more pertinent. My question is, should I discard and rewrite these essays?

Thanks again,
Horsey.

 

Hah, this is really great guys. Thanks for your responses!