College Essay Topics You Might Want to Avoid Writing About


1) Open up a google doc and write down literally everything you can think of about yourself. Formative memories, tiny memories that you don't know why you remember, places you've been with family and friends, your favorite things, aspects of your identity, people you care about, hobbies, experiences, etc. If it pops into your head, write it down. Even if it seems trivial, it's way better to write a bad idea down than have it bounce around in your head. You can also look through old notebooks and items in your house that are important/memorable to you. Write down any notes/feelings you think of as you're writing stuff down, and any applicable tangents your brain goes on. When you're done with all that, you'll have this massive document of ideas + memories specific to you that you can potentially write about (mine was like 12 pages lol). Later on when you're looking at the prompts you can look back through the document and highlight anything that jumps out at you (again, even if it seems trivial! Especially if it seems trivial! Some of the strongest essays I've read have been meaningful reflections of trivial events). You can also go through each bullet point and try to connect the moment/memory/thing to anything meaningful you want to talk about (deeper topics like finding joy in trivial moments, how leaps of faith are super nerve-wracking but also rewarding, etc.) If you find yourself getting into the flow of doing this step, that bullet point may be something you want to write about! If you're having a hard time coming up with a meaningful connection, just move on.
In addition to being specific, good college essay topics reveal to admissions officers who you are: your passions and interests, what is important to you, your best (or possibly even worst) qualities, what drives you, and so on. As a final note, the list at the top is probably not comprehensive. I encourage you to look up videos/articles by people who review college essays for a living, either actual admissions counselors or people who offer college essay review services. They have seen WAY more essays than I have, and can tell you what people write about much better than I can. It's also just pretty fun to watch YouTube videos and count it as part of your college application process. Here are some links if you want to explore this more: College essay topics that are unique are also typically the most memorable, and if there’s anything you want to be during the college application process, it’s that! Admissions officers have to sift through thousands of applications, and the essay is one of the only parts that allows them to really get a sense of who you are and what you value in life. Really common one I've heard of include: Sports injuries, death of a grandparent (while it's still sad, it's a commonly used essay topic), and mission trips. If you really want to stand out, I'd use something completely original. I know a girl who did one about this pen pal she's had for over ten years and how their relationship has grown without ever seeing each other's faces. If you think about it, there's a ton of things that's happened in your life that are unique to YOU, you just have to figure out how to express it in an essay correctly.

Take a look at Khan Academy’s site and what college admissions officers say about the essay and the type of essays that stand out to them.

If you are still not sure, then start by answering the prompt and brainstorming 2 to 3 stories in your life that you can use to share more about yourself. Ready to get writing now that you’ve seen this list of the top college essay ideas and topics? Each one of these ideas could turn into a strong story to complete your overall application. Hopefully a few of these subjects resonate with you and inspire an ! By diversifying your approach to each essay prompt and making your responses as personal and specific as possible, you can create a compelling narrative that stands out to admissions officers.

Good luck with your college essay brainstorming!

This is why we recommend reading and rereading the essay prompt; you should know exactly what it’s asking you to do, well before you start brainstorming possible college application essay topics.

Here are the for the second of their college essay topics:

In this section, we give you a list of 53 examples of college essay topics. Use these as jumping-off points to help you get started on your college essay and to ensure that you’re on track to coming up with a relevant and effective topic.

your ideas to the college essay topics that stand ou

All college application essay topics below are categorized by essay prompt type. We’ve identified six general types of college essay prompts:

Check free and essay topics for college students to find more ideas.

Note that these prompt types could overlap with one another, so you’re not necessarily limited to just one college essay topic in a single personal statement.

This section contains five examples of good college essays.

The real topic is him. And through the essay, you get a clear sense of who he is and what he values through the moments, details, and insights he shares.

Ideas for Writing Your College Admissions Essay.

College essays need to inspire the admissions teams and get them excited about the idea of you joining their community. They are your opportunity to show why you’d be a good fit. Â