How to pick the BEST topics for your college application essays



very year, an admissions officer reads hundreds, even thousands of application essays. After reading a plethora of essays about dreams, visions, academics and athletics, the content inevitably begins to sound redundant and painfully ordinary. If you want to stand out against the thousands of applicants with similar test scores and GPAs, writing a college essay that is memorable and proficient is the best way to do so. Usually an application will offer a very broad topic with which you can do almost anything, or they will allow you to write about whatever topic you would like. In this case, choosing your topic plays a pivotal part in the success of your essay.

Wrong the Wrongs So You Can Write the Right

Before you start writing your essay, here are a few topics you should avoid:

Don’t be repetitive.
If you have already included information in another area of the application, you do not need to relay this information again. Your admissions officer already knows you were president of the Beta Club, fed giraffes in a volunteer retreat and graduated tenth in your class. Your essay should not reiterate these accomplishments. If it does, your essay will sound redundant, uninteresting and leave little room for new information.
Don’t be negative.
Even if you have overcome some problems in your life such as drugs, alcohol, crime, abuse, or depression, your college essay may not be the best place to reveal your life’s roadblocks. If not handled well, it can result in an uncomfortable, emotional essay that may leave the admission officer questioning whether or not you are ready for college.
Don’t be one-sided.
Think about topics that are taboo at the dinner table: politics and religion. Though you can write a great article about subjects in these areas, many times they can come off as closed-minded and offensive to anyone who may hold a different belief, and you risk being perceived as arrogant. If you choose to write about a touchy or controversial subject, be mindful and careful when handling the essay.
Don’t overestimate or underestimate your writing skills.
Some people shy away from certain topics because they feel they will not be able to execute it. Other students feel that they can write a brilliant essay on a brilliant topic,and end up overstretching themselves. When brainstorming college essay topics, be honest with yourself about your writing style, your strengths and weaknesses, and the topics at which your writing capabilities can excel.
Don’t forget to research your school.
You will most likely be applying to more than one school, and if you are going to be writing separate essays on a similar topic for each application, do not forget to do some research on each school. This way, you can ensure that each essay is unique, and ties in the strengths of that particular university. Remember to proof-read; you do not want to make the mistake of writing a university’s name and then forgetting to change the name when applying for a different school, or applying for a college that you say has “small class sizes,” and then try to use the same essay for a college that has large class sizes. The school will know whether or not you took the time to understand the atmosphere, programs and faculty at the school before applying, and colleges love to see that students have a specific interest in their school. If you research the school first and include your research in a personal way, you will have a better chance of being accepted.

Potential College Essay Topics

Creativity, originality, and memorability are the most important aspects to keep in mind when choosing college essay topics. Before writing your college essay, you should take the time to plan, brainstorm and discover ways you can make your essay fresh and personal.

Stories
Stories can be a spectacular way of letting your personality, beliefs and challenges show through while also keeping the admissions officer interested and engaged. To successfully write a college essay as a story, you need to be a strong writer with developed skills in storytelling. The essay should not simply be a story, but rather an outlook on life, a perspective of the future, something deeper hidden within the story that will help you stand out and get your point across in a delicate and appealing way

 

Evaluations
For these topics, your essay should detail very specifically an experience, obstacle, achievement, or other life event that have changed you or your life in some way. You can incorporate elements from the storytelling genre of essay writing, including anecdotes, to inject more personality into your essay. If you have had any significant moment in your life that you feel you can effectively detail in your college essay, or if you have grown or matured in a way that you feel would be useful for the admissions officers to know, this topic may be the best for you
Influences
This topic can be very broad, but also enlightening for admissions officers. What influences you to reach your goals, aspire to become more, or take a stand for something you believe in? It could be a cause, a person or an organization. Whatever it may be, these essays can be extremely personal, showing your compassion, vulnerability, and concerns. Keep in mind that although the focus on the essay is a cause, person or organization, the essay should still be about you and what you can offer to the school to which you are applying. Don’t get wrapped up in everything that the person, cause or organization has done, but instead write about how that affected you and what you have done to follow in those footsteps
Diversity
As an international student, you are already bringing diversity to the school. Highlighting your diversity farther can give the admissions officers an idea of what unique gifts you can bring to the school. Before you being writing an essay on this topic, make sure that you understand what diversity means to you. Diversity delves beyond that of race, and the more diverse a community is, the more it can come together and grow in unity, embracing the different strengths and weaknesses as gifts

Writing a college essay can be a daunting task at first, but understanding how different topics of college essays work may benefit you in the future. Know your writing style and what you are trying to communicate to the admissions officers. Your college essay is your first impression to the school to which you are applying. You want your first impression to be one of intelligence, endurance and motivation. Though there are plenty topics of college essays that many admissions officers tell students to avoid, as well as topics admissions officers will encourage students to write, it is a very personal and specific decision. If your college does not give you a certain topic for your admissions essay, get to know yourself and get to know your school. If you pair this knowledge with good writing skills, spell and grammar checks, peer reviews, and editing, you are sure to make a good impression with the school. Don’t lie and don’t exaggerate; just be yourself. The admissions officers will see that and admire your authenticity.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Candylicious Dubai

Image
  Candylicious at  The Dubai Mall  is one of the largest sweet shops in the world. This is where you’ll find the biggest piles of chocolates, sweets, and lollipops in multiple colours, sizes and shapes. Every corner of this expertly-arranged shop is filled with more mouthwatering sweets than you could ever imagine. Come and feel mesmerised by the lollipop tree dangling with your favourites and the Candylicious Airplane taking off above your heads. This hip and fashion-forward candy store spans a whopping area of nearly 1,000sqm, so it’s safe to say you’ll find just about anything you crave here. There’s also an extensive range of sweet and chocolate brands from around the world. For the die-hard fans, there are even novelty branded gifts including T-shirts, mugs and soft toys. The sweet superstore is located directly opposite  Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo , so why not grab some popcorn while you spot some sharks?
Read more

Can Too Much Control Cause Mood Problem

Image
  What is a mood disorder? A mood disorder is a mental health problem that primarily affects a person’s emotional state. It is a disorder in which a person experiences long periods of extreme happiness, extreme sadness, or both. It is normal for someone’s mood to change, depending on the situation. However, to be diagnosed with a mood disorder, symptoms must be present for several weeks or longer. Mood disorders can cause changes in your behavior and can affect your ability to deal with routine activities, such as work or school. Two of the most common mood disorders are depression and bipolar disorder. This article will review these disorders and some of their many subtypes. Depression  (major or clinical depression).  Depression is a common mental disorder. Grief or sadness is a typical response to a traumatic life event or crisis, such as the death of a spouse or family member, loss of a job, or a major illness. However, when the depression continues to be present even...
Read more

How to heal HPV naturally in Women

Image
  In addition to treating patients, Trimble researches vaccines to treat human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with more than 6 million Americans infected each year. You’ve probably seen television ads for the  HPV  vaccine. If you have kids, your pediatrician has probably recommended the vaccine to guard against some cancers that are linked to HPV. It can sound pretty scary: a common infection that causes cancer. So should women worry about HPV? According to Trimble, the answer is no.   Women Don’t Need to Feel Ashamed About HPV “Anyone who’s ever had sex may have been exposed to HPV,” says Trimble, adding that she wishes she knew how to get rid of the unnecessary stigma associated with the disease. “Raising awareness can give you choices, and knowing you have choices is empowering.” Certain Types of HPV Are Linked with Cervical Disease While more than 100 types of HPV exist, only about a dozen of them are associate...
Read more