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A special time comes along with the fall of your senior year. Most of your written papers and other projects are completed and students are getting ready for some major work that will determine their future in college. Colleges end up rejecting many of those students because of the application essay topic they pick due to quite simple reasons, including irrelevant or overly easy topics that cannot impress the people who read dozens of these essays every day. Common knowledge says that a college application essay should provide the admission committee with personal information in such a way that they’ll learn more about you. Most of all, remember, that the essay should be an articulate and convincing reflection of you, so the topic selection process must be approached in this way.
Here are the most important tips on how to choose a college essay topic that can impress the admissions committee.
Talk about yourself in the context of a group
You are a part of your family, community, and ultimately, culture. These groups are constantly impacted by external factors, and so are you. Talking about yourself in the context of a group (for example, how you experienced the transition from childhood to adulthood) is an excellent way to write an essay. It shows that you know your roots and respect your family and culture. The admissions committee might not be as aware of your culture and community as you, and who better to tell your personal story in this context? Below are some possible topics.
- The day I realized I was a part of my culture
- What shaped my understanding of African American culture
- Becoming an adult in my community
Describe an accomplishment
You are a great student with lots of accomplishments under your belt. Perhaps you have one that really stands out? It might be a perfect way to show your talents and some special abilities. Don’t brag too much though; you don’t want the committee to think you’re boasting. Remember, show your talent or how hard you worked to get that project done. Here are some possible topics.
- My greatest achievement
- Why I work hard
- How I achieved my goals
Write about a person that has had an influence on you
Do not spend the entire paper describing that person. Instead, emphasize how you changed because of them. This does not have to be a famous person, like an actor or a politician. Even your high school coach and a member of your family works if they had a significant impact on you. Just make sure that you find that impact significant enough that it should be described in your essay. Have a look at these possible topics and see if they apply to you.
- One person inspired my lifelong love of basketball
- Why I want to be like my father
- How my friend changed the I way I treat others
Describe a failure as your essay topic
Yes, sometimes writing about your failure can say a lot about yourself. It shows self-reflection and what you learned from that experience. Here’s an easy example: you got a C instead of an A on a project. However, you have figured out what you could do better and the teacher graded your next project with an A+. This example shows that you knew how to recover and continue to go forward even after you experienced a failure. Also, make sure that you are not describing a disappointment, but a failure. A failure is much more serious and has more consequences. Some possible topics are included below.
- How my biggest failure affected me
- Why I was excited after failing
- How a failure turned out to be a life-changing experience
Over to you!
The college application essay is incredibly important, and, fortunately, we have complete control of how it can be written. Remember that it should be focused on you, your qualities, ambitions, talents, and traits that helped you and other people in the past. Whether you describe your biggest accomplishment or failure, keep in mind that admission officers read lots of essays during that time of the year, and yours should be the one they put aside of the stack with others.
Yes, it is all about competition, but now you have greatly expanded your knowledge on how this work should be written. Do not hesitate to use these tips and examples of topics to create your ultimate essay that will blow the admissions committee away.
