All too often students think that they don't have anything unique or that makes them stand out from all of the other applicants, but I promise you that is WRONG! Each of you is different from all of your other classmates. You have your own activities that you enjoy, ways to relieve stress, things that make you smile or laugh and ways of thinking that are completely your own. Those differences may seem small or insignificant to you, but it is what makes you YOU and therefore it is precisely what the colleges want to learn about you in your essay.
I know that it can be hard to come up with topics that would make a good college essay, but if you spend some quality time brainstorming different possible ideas you will begin to recognize that the possibilities are endless and all around you. I created an essay brainstorming handout that you can use to help come up with topics.
On the brainstorming handout you will see that there are 4 different sections to try to come up with answers about yourself.
The first section invites you to write out the 5 characteristics that make you who you are. Be sure to select different characteristics (so not caring, kind and nice - those would all be 1 characteristic not 3). Then, after you have listed those characteristics, bullet point examples of stories/ times when you have demonstrated them. It is possible that some of your stories of when you show a characteristic may cross over into several of the characteristics. (So, for example, if I had listed caring and adventurous as 2 of my characteristics, I could say that the time I carried a friend on my back while I climbed a mountain would be under both characteristics.) *No, I didn't really do this, it is just an example.
The second section is a chance for you to highlight some of your classic "so you" stories. What are things you have done that are quintessentially you? If you are stumbling on this section, don't hesitate to ask your parents, siblings, or friends to help you think of the things that you have done that they thought to themselves, "yep, that is so ___ (you)."
After you have done that, your next list would be times when you have changed. These don't have to be BIG changes. Think about specific moments in time when you went into something and then were different after it. This might be a new perspective, mood, value, outlook, or priority.
Check out this article which highlights the value of change. At the end of the article it says, "Ultimately, it's not what you have been through that defines who you are; it's how you got through it that has made you the person you are today, and the person you are capable of being tomorrow." Doesn't that sound exactly like what the colleges are trying to figure out?! :-)
Check out this article which highlights the value of change. At the end of the article it says, "Ultimately, it's not what you have been through that defines who you are; it's how you got through it that has made you the person you are today, and the person you are capable of being tomorrow." Doesn't that sound exactly like what the colleges are trying to figure out?! :-)
And then the final section of the handout provides you a place to write down other random thoughts - thoughts about who you are, what you believe, things that are important to you - anything at all as long as it is connected to you.
Remember, it is worth putting time, energy and effort into picking a good and meaningful topic that is powerful for you because the passion you have for your topic will naturally convey itself in your writing. Additionally, many topics that come to mind immediately for you will also come to mind right away for hundreds of other students applying to college. You want to explore a new angle and show how you are different from everyone else. Try to think about what excites and interests you when picking your essay topic. Be careful though, this is not “true confessions” time.
Once you have identified your brainstormed sheet of ideas - you will be able use this information to think about what you want the college to learn about you that will not be apparent in the rest of your application. At this point, it is now time to start looking at the college essay prompts. Sometimes the colleges will ask you for a personal statement which means that you just get to write anything at all about yourself to be your introduction to the admissions committee. At other times the college application will give you one or more essay questions that you can choose from. If you are given multiple questions, it is often helpful to work backwards and focus first on what you want to convey and consider the stories and examples that can illustrate your point and then consider which of your anecdotal stories fits best with the questions.
When colleges review your application they can read things like your grade point average and test scores, but they still want to know more about YOU – the person behind those grades, scores, and activities. You should be the star of your college essay! This is your chance to communicate to the colleges who you are and how your mind works. It is important to remember that your essay will be one of hundreds or more-likely thousands that the admissions committee members will read. (Can you imagine reading all of those?!?) Try to interest them in what you have to say and be sure that it is written well so that it will stand out. Think of this as your opportunity to personally introduce yourself to the admissions and scholarship officers reading your application. Be open, honest and real.
I mentioned this at senior college night and I genuinely believe it is true – think of your essay as a blind date. You are trying to make a positive impression on someone you don’t really know by showcasing who you are and all of the great things about you. You want them to walk away knowing that you are special and thinking, "Wow, I really want to meet this kid." The best news of all though is that you don’t have to suffer from the nerves of making a silly mistake on this “blind date” – you can perfect your essay so that you can make sure you are putting forth a positive message with a good tone that also shows your ability to think and write clearly and logically.
I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. And, as you start coming up with topics and begin drafting your essays, I look forward to hearing the fun, unique, "so you" stories that you decide to share with the admissions committees. If you are struggling to figure out how your brainstorm handout can translate into the essay responses, please don't hesitate to come see me and we can look at it together. Obviously, the topic is only the first step - but it is a major first step so tomorrow I will talk more about the college essay.
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