5 Tricks For Choosing Your College Essay Topic

5 Tricks For Choosing Your College Essay Topic So, I wrote about my love for history and my love for listening to stories. A lot of people say that you have to write down your entire life story in however many words you’re given, but you can highlight one really essential aspect of your identity. Telling a story about that is much more compelling than trying to fit everything in. She successfully presents herself as a good match for a competitive liberal arts college. Sophie presents herself as someone who is continually learning, rethinking her convictions and embracing her uncertainty. The goal is to stand out and not appear to be like all the other applicants. Always think about what information you want colleges to know and use when evaluating your application. Don’t share anything that doesn’t make you sound good, unless you absolutely have to and you can turn it around to show the positive. Sophie grapples with tough issues and shows herself to be eager to learn. It's important to note that Sophie does have strong convictions, but she is open-minded enough to challenge them. The essay shows Sophie to be an engaged, thoughtful and questioning community member. She takes on challenges, sticks with her convictions, yet she does so with pleasing open-mindedness and humility. Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively. The best essays convey emotions just as clearly as this image. I would assign people, aptly named Fixer-Uppers, to fix everything that needed fixing. Leverage your native culture, traditions, and experiences. If you’re an international applicant, Native American, or otherwise non-traditional student, don’t try to “Americanize” or “mainstream” your application. I wrote about living in Milan when I was younger and how it opened my eyes to other perspectives and taught me not to be so quick to judge other people. I didn’t edit my essay a lot because I wanted it to sound authentic and like my voice. I didn’t want to go through and replace all the words with fancier words. For my essay, I wrote about being an athlete and finding your way after athletics by applying yourself in school. In eighth grade, I broke my femur, and I wrote about overcoming that. In short, she demonstrates the qualities that are a great match for a small liberal arts college. Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education. How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Then in my senior year of high school I tore my UCLs in both hands playing football. brought me back to the process of rehabbing through injury. My essay was about finding your identity afterward. I’m more of a math and numbers guy, and I probably went through three or four ideas before I found this one. For help with your college essay or college guidance, visit or call . You can write conversationally, but the grammar and spelling still need to be correct. And don’t solely rely on your computer’s spell-checker. That old man down the street with chipping paint on his house would have a fresh coat in no time. The boy who accidentally tossed his Frisbee onto the roof of the school would get it back. Stephen's first example is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future.