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Essay topics—how to write your college essay
You’re applying for college and you’re not sure what to write. Don’t worry; we have a list of college essay topics here to help you.
But first, let’s talk about how to write your college essay.
What you should write about in your college essay
When it comes to college application, your first thought is probably, “What should I write my college essay about?” This is great because it’ll help narrow down the topics to choose from, and may make the writing so much easier.
So, the answer?
Simple—you should write about YOU.
Your essay must be able to help the admission officers to get a sense of who you are. With your college essay, they’ll be able to listen to your voice and understand your perspective, ideals, beliefs, and standards.
It’s a way for them to get to know you in a dynamic way. Do that by writing an essay that highlights your positive traits, especially those that your chosen college looks for.
What you should not write in your college essay
So now you have an idea of what to write, but how about what NOT to write about in a college essay? What topics should you avoid?
There are plenty of topics you’d best not write about if you want to stand out from the admission officers. Such topics include romantic heartbreak, your parents' divorce, death, and other cliche topics.
These are over-used topics. If you want to use them, our advice is to write them from a different perspective or angle.
Besides cliché topics, you should also avoid writing about:
- Controversial topics like religion, politics, and sensitive social issues
- Inappropriate topics like alcohol, substance abuse, and illegal activities
- Stories with a negative tone where you sound self-pitying or overly critical
- Overly generic topics that can apply to just about anyone
These college essay topics likely won’t get you a spot in your dream school.
Our autors will help you.
Hire expertHow to write an effective college essay
College essays are only typically 500 words. They’re short but can make the difference between you getting accepted to your dream uni or not.
Expect you will spend days researching, writing, and editing your essay to ensure it gets the attention of the admission officers.
With that said, here are some tips on how to write a college essay:
- Make sure to read the instructions carefully
- Start your essay with a great introduction
- Write in your natural voice
- Avoid clichés. They won’t impress the admission officers
- Include examples and specific details
- Have a central idea or theme
- Add personality or subtle humor
- More importantly, have someone proofread your work.
Choosing the right essay topic
What makes great college essay ideas? For one, they should focus on you and your experience. It also has to be specific and highly original—can’t be something everyone else has written before.
Keep these in mind when choosing an essay topic, along with the over-used topics we’ve mentioned before. Now, if you’re still having difficulty in choosing what to write, why don’t you pick from the 21 topic ideas below?
21 essay topic ideas to choose from to write my college essay
Here are some of the best examples of essay topics you can try for your college application:
1. A moment that changed your life
One of the best topics to write for a college essay is about that moment that changed your life. It is a broad topic where you can write about moving to a new place, transitioning from a child to a teen, or a conversation that shifted your perspective.
Focus on how that event or moment changed you and connect it to your future aspirations, like how it inspired you to take your college major.
2. Something that inspires you
What is something that inspires you to this day? Something that holds a great meaning for you, like a little ritual you do with your sister, a powerful interaction with a stranger, or maybe even just a lucky trinket.
You can write a college essay that talks about what makes it inspiring to you then connect it to broader themes like your goals in life, such as how it led you to your college course perhaps.
3. Childhood memories
Your childhood memories could be a perfect topic for a college essay. For instance, you may have a very specific memory from your childhood that fundamentally shaped who you are today.
Try to recall it and describe what’s special about that moment, how that connects to who you are, and how you’ve evolved since then. Don’t forget to connect it to your present and future goals, like how it prepared you for the challenges ahead if you’re accepted into your dream school.
4. A mission or an overseas trip
A mission or an overseas trip is typically not the best college essay topic. But you can write it as a hook instead of the entire essay.
One great example of this is about a student who’s on a trip overseas, during which he uses his language and running skills to save someone’s life. Writing something similar for your essay can make your college application stand out.
5. Recent failure
Talking about a recent failure is also a bit cliché but you can turn it around depending on how you write it.
One way to write is from the angle of someone who has failed a few times but learned to appreciate the process of working towards their goals just as much as achieving them. As something that not everyone experiences in life, it offers a unique perspective.
6. Your part-time job
If you have a part-time job like working in your family’s restaurant or your own business, like the lawn mowing gigs, it could be a unique topic. Not many applicants write about work, which can help you stand out.
It seems an ordinary topic but they are authentic normal teenage stories, which are sometimes the best pick if you want someone to get to know you.
7. Your personal values and beliefs
How has your belief system on your personal identity, relationships, or worldview evolved? Detailing this can be an excellent opportunity to showcase your self-awareness and growth.
You can write an introspective college essay on this starting by writing on your original belief to how it changed over time, describing what caused the change and how it connects to your present and future.
8. Overcoming procrastination
Write about how you’ve been struggling with procrastination and discovered a way to overcome it. Some examples include learning to schedule and organize, as well as other strategies that help you stay productive.
Make sure it doesn't turn into college essay tips to overcome a problem. College admissions officers can sometimes dismiss common app essay prompts that are just about personal statement or personal growth.
9. Hypothetical situations
One of the best college essay ideas you can write about involves what-ifs. It’s a great way to show the admissions officers your creativity and critical thinking. Not only that, you can write about plenty of things, such as if you could meet any person, if you can change one thing in history, or if you could time travel.
10. A quirky family tradition
This is a great topic for catching the admission officers' attention, particularly with an intriguing description of your family’s unusual tradition. Don’t just describe the tradition; talk about why it’s important to you, like how it teaches you perhaps creativity and a sense of community.
Make sure that your essay focuses on you, reflecting on how it’s shaped you as a person and influenced your future goals.
Need help with college essay?
Order now11. Your identity
A time in life for your admissions essay is often the time when you explore your identity, interest, or talent. Feel free to write about the ways you achieved personal growth and the changes you're going through, and add a few examples of how attending college has changed your student's life.
12. Your dream
Choosing to write about your dream in your college essay gives the admissions officers a chance to know more about your passions and aspirations. But be sure that you’re specific in what your dream is, not vague, like simply wanting to make a difference.
Say exactly what career you’re aiming for or what specific aspiration, like improving the education system. Reflect on why it matters to you, how it came to be, how you plan to achieve it, and how it all connects to your dream college.
13. Challenging an idea or belief
Was there ever a time you stood up against a widely accepted idea, norm, or belief like a family expectation, someone’s way of thinking, social issues like environmental change, or even your own biases? These are great topics you can reflect on in your college essay.
Think about the significant impact this experience has on you and what’s been the outcome since confronting that idea.
14. Being perfectionist
Say you tend to avoid trying new things because of your perfectionism. How did you realize this? How did you figure out you’re always holding yourself back? If this is your essay topic, one way to write it is to reflect on how you started trying new things outside of your comfort zone.
15. Love for childhood craft
Reflect on a childhood craft or game that you were fascinated by when you were a child. For instance, you loved doing nonograms, and that made you love problem-solving.
In your college essay, you can talk about what made you love doing them, why they’re so important to you, and how they inspired your college major.
16. A book you absolutely love
Do you have a book you love? This could be a perfect topic for your college essay. However, do make sure not to write it like a book report.
Be careful not to end up summarizing the plot. Do your best to explain why you enjoyed the book and what it means to you. Did it reveal something about you? Whatever it is, be sure to write honestly, fluently, and passionately.
17. Why that particular school
“Why do you want to attend this school?” is a common prompt but still a great way for the admissions officers to get to know you.
The key is to avoid generalities and instead be specific in showing your interest. Don’t say the school has a “great reputation.” Try, “I aspire to be an artist, and your art department provides the opportunities to make that come true.” Do your best to articulate the reasons the school appeals to you.
18. The person you admire
Do you have a person you admire? Not beloved, famous figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Mother Teresa. Avoid penning an essay about them, as that is already too common. As our number one piece of advice for writing college essays, it has to focus on you.
So, choose someone close to you who has deeply affected you and changed your worldview and behavior. Write about how that happened and what kind of person you are now because of them.
19. Best advice
For this topic, the prompt is about the best advice you’ve received. In your essay, highlight how this piece of advice changed your perspective and how you see the world.
Reflect on the moments or challenges you were facing when you received this advice. Talk about how it reshaped you in different ways.
20. Cultural tradition
Is there a cultural tradition that’s important to you? Writing about it in your college essay could be a great way to discuss the values that are important to you, such as family and community, identity and belonging, as well as diversity and inclusion.
When you write this essay, reflect on why this tradition is meaningful to you and how it ties you to your identity and heritage.
21. Feeling empowered
You want to write about a special moment where you feel empowered. In writing it, ask yourself what led to this feeling. What was the fear, challenge, or limitation you were facing at that moment?
Why was it so important to you? Reflect on how it changed your sense of self or perspective. What did you learn from that moment about your values and strengths? And lastly, how does it still influence today?
Conclusion
Remember that when you pick an essay idea, it has to resonate with the aspirations, experiences, and things about yourself that you want to stand out.
Whether it's a common app essay, general college essay tips or a personal statement, the essay topics you choose should reflect your personal growth and identity.
Also, keep in mind the writing tips we’ve mentioned before. They will help you effectively make a strong impression on your unique traits that will hopefully lead to a successful college application.
