How to Brainstorm for College EssaysAnswered
I am having writer's block in trying to come up with an essay topic and need some brainstorming tips. What are some ways to come up with a good essay topic?
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2 answers
Don't stress about it, it happens to everyone! Ask yourself the following questions to get some options. What is your proudest accomplishment so far? What about it makes you feel proud? When have you been the most nervous, and why were you nervous? What was the outcome of the situation? What’s the most recent topic you researched on your own just for fun or self-improvement? What have you learned from the community you grew up in? What do you value about that community? When have you most recently changed your mind about something important? Once you have answered them and have some options REMEMBER: the “best” essay is the one that showcases your strong writing skills, demonstrates the personal qualities (thoughtfulness, curiosity, dedication, passion, and so on) that you want colleges to see in you, and allows colleges to get to know you better on a different level from the rest of your application. The value of your essay is much more in how you write about your experiences than what experiences you write about.
The topic has to
- Be unique to you
- Interesting
- Reveal your character
- Appropriate
- Makes sense
Hey, @isaac! I'm in the same boat as you as I'm currently brainstorming for essay ideas. The best way to come up with genuine, well-rounded essays is to draw inspiration from your daily life. What are you doing now that you immensely enjoy? It can be an extra-curricular, hobby, or task you were forced to do (you can talk about how the task taught you something). Another great way is to revise any hardships you went through in your life. Thay can be personal such as a mental illness, disease, or family problem, or they can be from your environment like a war you witnessed or a social/political problem. when I say this, I don't mean to write a sob-story about life and death. These essays are often overstated and disliked by admissions officers. They love it when you take a simple activity in your life and DRIVE the essay towards something about your personality. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
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Also if using CommonApp you can make your own prompt my working idea is favorite quote and how it applies to you
Mine is about doing what you want to do and not be passive so I’ll talk about overcoming a challenge and how I did something the challenge prohibited me and that how it applies to post college life