What to Write in A College Essay?

College essays are one of the most critical parts of your application, this could enhance your chances of getting accepted if you’re lacking in everything else. Certain colleges have their requirements, but for the most part, you’re following the prompts of Common App…

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one it has already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your design.

These prompts are very vague, so it gives you a lot of creative freedom to write about anything you desire. The essay doesn’t need personalization, but it may be easier. In your essay, you should relate, share a story, and discuss something life-changing. You have 250-600 words, it should be closer to 600 than 250. It’s hard to write about something unrelated to you because it doesn’t tell the admissions office what you’re like. You could write a slightly fictional story, just make sure it has a relative theme to you and that it is memorable.

Colleges want to know about you, don’t just write about your grades or achievements. Don’t discuss unimportant challenges like a minor injury in the gym, if you don’t have any major obstacles, I would avoid writing about it. You should also avoid any critical issues like a criminal record that could hurt your character. Remember, you’re trying to prove you would be a great student, so you should include solutions to your obstacles. Multiple people should read your essay because the last thing you would want is a grammar mistake that could hurt you.