How to Pick a College Essay Topic

By Robin, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor

Superman pajamas, summer road trips in an RV, driving a carriage, a Cuban grandfather. All seemingly disparate topics, yet these subjects happen to be from some of the most memorable college essays I read as an admissions counselor. Selecting a topic for your college application essay can be one of the most daunting tasks, and finding the right topic takes creativity and soul-searching.

If you Google “college essay,” millions of results appear. With so many resources out there, it can be hard to know where to begin. The college essay is not like the analytical writing you’re used to doing in high school. You are free from the five-paragraph format (yes!), and you aren’t required to use textual evidence to support your claims. With this freedom, however, comes the challenge of identifying a topic that best captures you and your personality. As a former admissions counselor and high school English teacher, I’d like to share the following insights with rising seniors and younger students as they embark on their essay writing journey for the college admissions season.

What Makes a Good College Essay Topic

In a typical college admissions cycle, students have a personal essay and several supplemental essays to write. The Common App essay prompts and college-specific essay questions typically allow a lot of flexibility and creativity in how you respond. Almost any aspect of your life is fair game if it addresses the prompt and makes for a compelling essay. While that’s exciting, it can also be overwhelming.   

So, what do colleges want in essays? Admissions officers are looking for your unique perspective. They want to know how you think about the world, what motivates and inspires you, and the impact you hope to make. A good college essay topic has personal significance to you and showcases your personality, experiences, and values. In other words, a good essay topic tells a compelling and engaging story about you.   

How to Brainstorm Essay Topic Ideas

With any piece of writing, it’s hard to know where to begin. Nothing can seem more unnerving than staring at a blank computer screen with the cursor blinking and awaiting your ideas to miraculously pour forth into the keyboard. Brainstorming is an essential part of the writing process. You simply need to start with what you already know a lot about — you!

The admissions staff wants to get to know you beyond what is already present in your application materials. This means that a seemingly mundane topic to you, like a weekly family dinner, might actually provide insight into what you value. The most memorable essays I read were the ones in which the student revealed a facet of their personality that either wasn’t present or was merely hinted at in other elements of the application. 

For many admissions officers, reading the essay is the highlight of the application review process — I know it was for me because that was how I became acquainted with the student, who emerged as more than just an applicant.

Take a Look Around You

I often give students the “room” assignment to help them begin the brainstorming process. I tell students to start with their immediate surroundings in their room and/or a room in their home. What is on the walls? What is under the bed? The sofa? What is in the closet? What is in the refrigerator? What are common sites that come up in your Google search history? What song is in the heaviest rotation on your phone? Answers to these simple questions can often help you identify potential topics for your college essay.

Avoid Controversial Topics

While college essay prompts are often open to interpretation, it’s still important to be mindful of your audience and how they might respond to your essay. Steer clear of writing about controversial topics.

It’s often safer and more effective to highlight personal growth, values, and experiences that reflect who you are in a positive light. The goal is to present yourself as a thoughtful, mature candidate, rather than potentially provoking a strong reaction on a sensitive issue.

Be Honest and Authentic

Admissions officers want to understand the real person behind the application. Presenting an idealized version of yourself or exaggerating experiences come across as insincere — admissions officers can tell — and weakens your overall application. 

Instead, focus on sharing genuine experiences, thoughts, and feelings that reflect who you truly are. Authenticity resonates with readers and makes your essay more memorable. Being honest also allows you to showcase your unique voice and personality, which can help you stand out.

Think Outside of the Box

Instead of choosing a typical or expected topic, you can explore unconventional angles or present your experiences in a unique way. This might involve focusing on a small, quirky detail of your life that reveals a larger truth about you or using an unusual narrative structure or metaphor to convey your story. 

By approaching the essay with an open mind and a willingness to take risks, you can create a more engaging and distinctive piece that captures the attention of admissions officers.

How You Tell Your Story Matters

It’s not what you write about but rather how you write about it. The way in which you tell your story is how you reveal your personality. Don’t assume that your experience is unique. Colleges receive tens of thousands of applications — chances are, there are other applicants who may have experienced something similar. It’s hard to come up with an original topic when it comes to college essays. This means that how you go about telling your story is incredibly important.

Write About What You Want to Write About 

One of the most common mistakes I saw students make with their college essay was in their topic choice. The topic would seem forced, causing the student’s voice to come across as stilted and unnatural. It seemed as if the student was trying to impress me by writing about what they thought I wanted to read. 

The topic you choose to write about needs to be important to you and pertain to your story, so write about what you want to write about, not what you think the admissions counselor wants to read.

Don’t Rush It

Selecting a topic for your personal statement is the most critical part of the college application essay process. Take your time to brainstorm and bounce ideas off your parents, teachers, and college counselor before settling on a topic. Once you have your topic you can start drafting your personal statement. 

Popular Topics for College Essays

Here are some college essay topic ideas that students often explore — these topics are broad enough to allow for personalization: 

• A meaningful challenge you’ve faced and how you overcame it.
• A person who has had a significant impact on your life.
• An extracurricular activity or hobby that has shaped your character.
• A cultural or family tradition that is important to you.
• A time when you stepped out of your comfort zone.
• A significant failure and what you learned from it.
• An academic subject that excites you and why.
• A time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea.
• A unique aspect of your identity that defines who you are.
• An unexpected event that changed your perspective.
• A time when you demonstrated leadership skills.
• A place where you feel perfectly content and why.
• An experience that ignited your passion for a particular field or career.
• A moment of personal growth that happened during a difficult situation.
• A story about a small act of kindness that had a big impact on you or others.
• An ethical dilemma you faced and how you resolved it.
• A piece of literature, art, or music that profoundly affected you.
• A travel experience that broadened your horizons.
• A project or initiative you started and what you learned from it.
• A time when you had to navigate a cultural or linguistic difference.
• An invention, concept, or idea you’d love to bring to life.
• A childhood memory that has stuck with you and why.
• A personal goal you set and worked hard to achieve.
• An aspect of your background that has influenced your worldview.
• A time when you had to make a difficult decision and its impact on you.

Now, How to Go About Writing Your College Essay

Now that you’ve generated some good college essay topics, it’s time to start writing! That said, this process is a bit different from the papers you write at school. So, how to write a college application essay? To start with, don’t expect perfection right away. This is an important essay, so it takes time — and multiple drafts — to do it right.

Start your first paragraph with a hook — something to draw the reader in. From there, the rest of your essay should flesh out the idea or theme you presented in the first paragraph. Regardless of the idea or theme you choose to write about, ensure that the essay responds to the prompt. 

These resources can help you write strong college essays:

How Should I Tackle College Application Essay Prompts?

Catch Their Eye: How to Write Compelling College Application Essays

10 College Application Essay Dos and Don’ts 

Need College Admission Essay Help?

Writing a college admission essay can be a bit of a challenge, but it can also be a journey of self-discovery. Working with an expert can help you flesh out your ideas, turning them into a compelling and polished essay that highlights your best qualities and sets you apart from other applicants.

At IvyWise, all our counselors have direct admissions experience and have read thousands of applications, so they know what admissions committees are looking for. Need some help on applications? Contact us today and join the high school seniors who make the most of our college counseling services.

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