5 College Application Essay Topics That Always Work

5 College Application Essay Topics That Always Work People with dreams need help making their dreams come true. Your goal and your past experience dictate what you need from the school. And you might fool your parents, or even a peer reviewer or two. First of all, you’ll need a “hook” to open your essay. This hook should entice the reader by hinting at the essay’s theme in a way that makes the reader want to read more. Your school may ask you “why us” but may not ask specifically about your goals. Use one or two sentences to tell them about your goals for college. Because if you don’t, how are you going to show that you are a good fit on campus? from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.Ed. Prior to coming to Tech, Rick was on the admissions staff at Georgia State, The McCallie School and Wake Forest University. Rick Clark is the Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Tech. In this role, he directs the Institute’s recruitment and enrollment efforts, manages the review and selection of all undergraduate applications, and leads the admission team. Under his leadership, the Institute has dramatically increased brand awareness, improved overall academic class profile, and exceeded goals for geographic, gender and ethnic diversity. The essay is the place to make a great first impression on the reader. They’ll be looking at that before the test scores. You don’t want to address your weaknesses, unless it’s a challenge you’ve overcome that reveals something powerful about your character. The diversity of Washington’s schools and its communities is profoundly interesting â€" but use it as a backdrop to write about you. How to create a college application list that doesn't suck. For some essay projects, evaluating the audience is important, but for others, it’s best to follow the general writing strategies you see in mainstream writing, periodicals, and professional literature. You want to use any details that will help the reader identify the topic and the scope of the essay. You want to use focused writing with a consistent tone and diction throughout the essay. This part of an essay is the first presentation of your ideas. There are a number of elements you want to include in your introduction to encourage the reader to continue reading. But be as specific as you can when it comes to your needs. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, you want to master leadership in college. What aspect of leadership are you looking to develop? By better defining your growth areas, you can focus more precisely on what the school has to offer you. The same thing applies to every discipline you wish to develop â€" precise thinking and precise language will set you apart. Every early draft of a why school essay shares the same pernicious flaw â€" blanket statements made without evidence or context . Watch the following bland comment transform into a great point â€" through action. Richardson says that the appeal of an essay on an atypical topic such as origami showed that the writer was willing to take risks. In some cases though, the school may emphasize the supplemental essay as a top priority. The hook can be funny, witty, or a simple hypothesis. Whatever style you choose, be sure it coincides with the overall theme of your essay. Gray Matters David Nathan, Nick Accrocco, for the Houston Chronicle There are many good colleges. That’s the case at St. John’s College, which has campuses in Maryland and New Mexico, says Benjamin Baum, vice president of enrollment for the St. John’s system. “It’s more about the voice than anything else,” Inzer says, noting an essay that is too clinical can mute a student’s personality. But you won’t fool the experts, who have to read literally THOUSANDS of these things. They know their own programs, and if you think you can generalize your way around campus â€" sorry, no.