For many prospective students, applying to college is an exciting time filled with the promise of new possibilities. High school seniors look forward to touring college campuses, exploring academic programs and potential careers, and living independently for the first time.
However, with the excitement often comes the pressure of application deadlines and selecting the perfect essay topic. Finding a way to stand out from your peers is imperative, so experts provide these seven tips:
— Reflect deeply
— Read strong essay examples
— Tell your story
— Highlight your passions
— Target your audience
— Write what you know
— Avoid cliches
— Don’t rule anything out
Reflect Deeply
Journaling is one way to reflect on your experiences and can aid in brainstorming a thoughtful topic. Consider your strengths, weaknesses and formative experiences, as well as your goals and personal motivations.
“Think about things in your life that make you excited,” Shane Creepingbear, dean of admissions at Antioch College in Ohio, wrote in an email. “These can be specific events, or experiences that unfold over time, a trip, a world event that touched your life, or a book or a piece of art that you found inspiring.”
[Read: How to Write a College Essay.]
Read Strong Essay Examples
Don’t be afraid to see what’s out there. Go online and search for examples and other sources of inspiration. Let these essays guide you as you reflect and brainstorm ideas.
When you’re ready to choose a prompt, select one that speaks to you. If none of the topics resonate, many institutions provide an option to create your own — use this, experts say.
Tell Your Story
We all have an important person in our life — a beloved grandmother, a caring father or a loyal friend. But when it comes to the college essay, the focus must remain on you, experts say.
“We all love… (the) parents or guardians that we have in our lives, but we get to the end of the essay and we don’t really know the student,” says Patrick Correia-Harker, director of undergraduate admissions recruitment at Marquette University in Wisconsin.
Rather than highlighting the important figure in your life, focus on how your relationship with that person shaped your experiences, he says.
Students should make sure “at the end of the essay, the admissions review committee … knows more about them and less about their grandpa or their grandma or their brother or their coach or a sibling,” Correia-Harker says. “I think students can get caught up in talking a lot about others and not talking about themselves.”
Highlight Your Passions
Admissions counselors can tell when a student is truly passionate about what they are writing about, making for a more memorable essay. Genuine enthusiasm is contagious, so consider what excites you.
“As a reader, the most compelling essay topics to read are about the things that the students genuinely have a passion about,” which could be an academic subject, extracurricular activity or live action role-playing on the weekends, Creepingbear says. “Embracing topics that truly speak to you will pay out when it gets reviewed.”
[READ: 7 Tips to Impress College Admissions Officers]
Target Your Audience
Know who you are writing to, as colleges have their own set of values and mission statements. Review each school’s website and consider how your values align, then weave those connections into your essay.
By showcasing the qualities that a school appreciates, your essay may be more likely to earn a second glance.
Also consider the tone and style that best fits the school you’re applying to. While some institutions may appreciate a reflective and traditional approach, others may want more creativity. Regardless, stay true to your authentic voice, experts say.
Write What You Know
Once you’ve spent quality time reflecting on your strengths, interests and dreams, stick to them in your college essay.
“Don’t use a topic that you are not knowledgeable about or something that might be outside of your lane,” Creepingbear says.
Avoid Cliches
Dictionary definitions, famous quotes and song lyrics may seem like a fun way to hook your reader, but be wary of cliches.
“Students write essays where they are sharing very commonly known dictionary definitions or really commonly used phrases or quotes, or sports metaphors that can be redundant and overdone,” Correia-Harker says.
He suggests focusing on yourself as an individual to avoid being generic, and taking time to consider what you’ve learned from an experience or how it has affected you. This approach prevents essays from “being generic, because it is so personal to who they are.”
Consider opening with a personal anecdote, a thought-provoking question or specific sensory image to draw the reader in. Thinking outside the box will set you apart from the crowd, experts say.
[Read: 6 Common Reasons Why College Applications Get Rejected.]
Don’t Rule Anything Out
Your college essay is your chance to show off who you are beyond test scores and grades. Topic possibilities are endless, so don’t rule any out.
“One of the most memorable essays in my 14 years of application review was about a student constructing and enjoying the perfect hot ham and cheese sandwich,” Creepingbear says. “You could tell the student was drawing from their real passion for these sandwiches — it was poetry, and I learned so much about this student without them describing themselves or their experiences directly.”
While many students choose to focus their essays on an outstanding accomplishment or a trying time in their life, the ability to craft a compelling story around the seemingly ordinary may have a bigger impact.
There’s a broad belief among students that personal hardship or trauma stories “will be the most compelling to application readers or committees,” Creepingbear says. “I’m not suggesting that they shouldn’t do that if that is what they’d like to write about. I’m only suggesting that they do not have to do that to be seen as a strong writer and share about themselves and their growth.”
Example College Essay Ideas
— A world event that touched your life
— An academic subject you feel truly passionate about
— A book or piece of art that you find inspiring
— A lesson from a mentor
— A time you experienced personal growth
— An obstacle and how you overcame it
— An experience in your life that changed your perspective
— A failure or setback that you overcame
— A personal strength and how it has shaped you
— An interest or talent that excites you
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College Application Essay Ideas: Tips on Picking a Great Topic originally appeared on usnews.com
