Thought starters for common college essay prompts

Start with a personal experience

Take an experience that shaped you and build your essay around it. And if you can’t think of a specific moment, you can even draw from daily experiences. Whether it’s learning how to ride a bike for the first time or publishing a piece of writing, your experience should show who you are as a person. By showcasing your authentic self in your essay topic, you have a personal investment in the essay, which can help make it more engaging. And moreover, it can help admission officers see if you are a good fit at your prospective college or university.

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Reflect on your values

Admission officers want you to share a core part of yourself in your essay. So, if you don’t want to write about a personal experience, try reflecting on your values. What prompts you to action? Are you motivated to act when you see injustice in the world? Do you prioritize taking care of your family? Dig deep and illustrate how your values impact your life.

Review your achievements and challenges

Our achievements and challenges shape, define, and create the reality that we live in. Write about them for your college application. When you think of your accomplishments, consider all aspects of your life—academic, extra-curricular, or even job-related accomplishments. If you are writing about challenges, reflect on how they’ve impacted your life and what you’ve learned from them. An essay discussing a hardship in your life is a great way to showcase personal growth.

Think about influential people in your life

If you are struggling with writer’s block reflecting on yourself, consider other people in your life. Who has impacted in you in your life? Where did you meet them? Are they a family member, friend, teacher, or someone you know of indirectly? Is this person living, dead, or even a historical figure? What events or experiences have you shared with them, that have shaped you? Ask and answer questions about your relationship with them to ideate essay topics.

Tell a story

After brainstorming potential topics, which of them can you use to craft a narrative? Creating a story with your essay topic can captivate your audience. What topics stand out the most for you? Are any of them stories you routinely share with your family and friends? Stories have a coherent structure—one a reader can follow—and an engaging plot. As you are writing, exclude any unessential details so the narrative is concise. Additionally, consider literary elements to make your story more interesting. For example, you can include motifs or symbols to represent certain ideas in your essay. If your family felt the most joy around meals, reflect on different meals you had with your family throughout your essay.

Create an unconventional structure

Admission officers read a mountain of essays every year, so it can be hard to stick out. When outlining your essay, think how you can creatively craft your essay to be memorable. Outside of conventional literary devices, think of other ways you can structure your essay to make it impactful. When thinking of unconventional structures, don’t think too far out of the box that your essay is incoherent and difficult to follow. You can have a teacher, classmate, or family member proofread your essay to ensure it makes sense. For more editing assistance, try using Microsoft Editor.

A creative, compelling essay can be an impactful factor in the college admissions process. To elevate your essay writing for your application, check out more writing tips.