The fall semester is an exciting time. You have new classes to explore, teachers to meet and opportunities to pursue. But with that excitement comes the overwhelming list of college application tasks, which you must figure out how to prioritize alongside the rest of your high school commitments.
One major application task is the essay — including multiple essays for different applications. But before jumping into the writing process, brainstorming the right topics is a crucial first step.
An act as simple as picking an essay topic might seem like something you can get out of the way quickly, but in fact, you should give careful consideration to these topics before diving into a detailed essay about them. After all, this is one of the most in-depth opportunities to show admissions officers who you are.
Two college students shared their tips on what helped them with their essay topics and h ow current applicants can identify essay topics that are best for them.
— Look at common themes in the prompts: Before you begin brainstorming, know what essay questions you’re facing. Are you using The Common App or schools’ individual applications?
Look at each option, and review the essay prompts carefully. Some may be more specific than others, but see if you can pick up on any recurring themes.
“As I was working on applications, I found certain themes that would continually crop up in various essay questions,” says Nathan Kiehn, a senior at North Central College in Illinois. “I found a lot of applications asked about who I was, what I was interested in .”
[Read these Common App tips and tactics from college students.]
Whichever theme you ultimately focus on, it’s important that you have a complete understanding of the question being asked and that you are addressing every part of it. Paige Schoonover, a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, took this approach before settling on her essay topic.
“For the Common Application question, I began by reading all of the potential prompts, and then I chose the prompt that I felt like I could best portray myself to a college by writing about,” sa ys Schoonover. “The prompt that I chose was, ‘Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.'”
— Identify important themes from your own experiences: Once you have a strong grasp on what colleges are looking for in these essays, start focusing on themes in your life. A few significant experiences have probably already come to mind as you’ve moved through other parts of the application process.
“I had a mental reservoir of ideas, thoughts and topics I could turn to a variety of times,” says Kiehn.
Now it’s time to narrow those down. What aspects of your personality — or activities you’re passionate about — have you thought about the most?
Schoonover felt she was able to capture her key themes in one specific story , about the marathon she ran for St. Jude Children’s Hospital her junior year .
“The story behind this particular event in my life was a personal one, and I felt like both the reason for running the marathon and the actual act of running it gave college admissions committees an accurate view of who I am and what is important to me.”
[Understand how to stand out as a college applicant.]
Focusing on a particular skill or hobby you love can also showcas e a holistic image of your personality to admissions officers — Kiehn discuss ed his passion for writing.
“A lot of times, I would share anecdotes about writing, why I like to write, what I write about, how I want to be a better writer, and other ideas pertaining to writing itself and myself as a writer,” he sa ys . “I found that the topic of writing gave me a lot of room to maneuver. I discovered a theme and would try to insert it wherever I could.”
— Make sure your ideas give a full picture of who you are: You’ve nailed down the prompts and your talking points. Now make sure your topic can successfully portray a genuine view of who you are — arguably the most important aspect of your application.
“Even opening your essay with a brief anecdote gives a great, deep, personal glimpse into who you are as an individual. It hooks the reader, pulls them in, keeps them reading,” Kiehn says .
“Having a plan of how you’re going to write and having ideas on what you’re going to write about saves you a lot of time and keeps you from just staring at a blank piece of paper, hands hovering over the keyboard as you struggle to come up with an idea.”
To balanc e the plan and its execution with regular schoolwork and other commitments , Kiehn suggested making a schedule and specifically setting aside time to brainstorm these topics and write the essays.
Schoonover says to avoid choosing topics solely based on what you believe the admissions officers want to hear . “Colleges really do want to learn about you and get a better view of who you are, so make sure that you are really portraying the true version of yourself through this essay,” she says .
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Tips for Brainstorming College Application Essay Topics originally appeared on usnews.com
