21 College Essay Topics & Ideas That Worked
When writing about why you want to attend a particular college, it's crucial to be specific. This isn't just about praising the school's reputation. Dive deeper by researching programs, professors, campus culture, and any unique opportunities that align with your academic and personal interests. Show admissions officers that you’ve done your homework and that you’re genuinely enthusiastic about what their college has to offer. For example, mention specific courses, extracurricular activities, or research projects that excite you. Explain how these align with your goals and how you see yourself contributing to the campus community.
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:
As part of your materials, you'll likely be asked to submit a college essay. These tend to be between , and are a unique opportunity to showcase your personality. Admissions panels are typically looking for students who will positively represent the school as a whole. In the end, your goal is to show them that you and the college are a good match.Â
Top 40 College Essay Ideas and Topics | Empowerly
When drafting your college essay, you may be expected to answer a prompt or come up with a topic on your own. In this article, we've rounded up several ideas to get you thinkingâand writing.
As we wind down and get closer to decision day, I had a question for the sub: what's the most memorable college essay topic you've seen or read? This can be something your friend wrote, something you saw online, etc. It could be a funny topic or just a really well-written piece. Don't mention the Harvard letter S girl though lol.
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.
If you're given the creative freedom to write about whatever you want, consider a college essay topic that allows you to be honest and original. We've compiled the following ideas to help you brainstorm:
Craziest/Funniest/Best college essay topic? : r/ApplyingToCollege
One note is that if you feel that any of the above topics is truly, deeply ingrained in who you are, you don't have to omit them entirely (particularly for #4). However, many people tend to choose a big topic (like the ones above) and write about it too broadly because there's a lot to explain about big events. You can still have such events underlying your essay as a whole, but write very specifically. Your essay should be something ONLY you could have written about. There's this quote by Richard Price that I think is applicable here: “The bigger the issue, the smaller you write. Remember that. You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying on the road. You pick the smallest manageable part of the big thing, and you work off the resonance.” Big, impactful events are, by nature, impactful to a lot of people and often very common; that's why you don't want to write about moving to a new state. You could, however, write about how a quirky tradition at your new school introduced you to the nuance of balancing homesickness with excitement about the future or something reflective like that. The "big event" shouldn't be centered, but it can be part of your essay's context.
Whats the most memorable college essay topic youve seen or read
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.
College Essay Topics to Avoid or Rethink
When risky topics do work: it’s all about how the writer handles it, and what the essay is about UNDERNEATH the story you are telling.
19 College Essay Topics and Prompts
Most are acceptable for if you can use them to or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are: