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College Essays

Most colleges and universities in the United States require applicants to submit at least one essay as part of their application. But trying to figure out what college essay topics you should choose is a tricky process. There are so many potential things you could write about!

In this guide, we go over the essential qualities that make for a great college essay topic and give you 50+ college essay topics you can use for your own statement . In addition, we provide you with helpful tips for turning your college essay topic into a stellar college essay.

What Qualities Make for a Good College Essay Topic?

Regardless of what you write about in your personal statement for college , there are key features that will always make for a stand-out college essay topic.

#1: It’s Specific

First off, good college essay topics are extremely specific : you should know all the pertinent facts that have to do with the topic and be able to see how the entire essay comes together.

Specificity is essential because it’ll not only make your essay stand out from other statements, but it'll also recreate the experience for admissions officers through its realism, detail, and raw power. You want to tell a story after all, and specificity is the way to do so. Nobody wants to read a vague, bland, or boring story — not even admissions officers!

For example, an OK topic would be your experience volunteering at a cat shelter over the summer. But a better, more specific college essay topic would be how you deeply connected with an elderly cat there named Marty, and how your bond with him made you realize that you want to work with animals in the future.

Remember that specificity in your topic is what will make your essay unique and memorable . It truly is the key to making a strong statement (pun intended)!

#2: It Shows Who You Are

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.

The personal statement is critical because it gives schools more insight into who you are as a person and not just who you are as a student in terms of grades and classes.

By coming up with a real, honest topic, you’ll leave an unforgettable mark on admissions officers.

#3: It’s Meaningful to You

The very best college essay topics are those that hold deep meaning to their writers and have truly influenced them in some significant way.

For instance, maybe you plan to write about the first time you played Skyrim to explain how this video game revealed to you the potentially limitless worlds you could create, thereby furthering your interest in game design.

Even if the topic seems trivial, it’s OK to use it — just as long as you can effectively go into detail about why this experience or idea had such an impact on you .

Don’t give in to the temptation to choose a topic that sounds impressive but doesn’t actually hold any deep meaning for you. Admissions officers will see right through this!

Similarly, don’t try to exaggerate some event or experience from your life if it’s not all that important to you or didn’t have a substantial influence on your sense of self.

#4: It’s Unique

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.

If your essay is trite or boring, it won’t leave much of an impression , and your application will likely get immediately tossed to the side with little chance of seeing admission.

But if your essay topic is very original and different, you’re more likely to earn that coveted second glance at your application.

What does being unique mean exactly, though? Many students assume that they must choose an extremely rare or crazy experience to talk about in their essays —but that's not necessarily what I mean by "unique." Good college essay topics can be unusual and different, yes, but they can also be unique takes on more mundane or common activities and experiences .

For instance, say you want to write an essay about the first time you went snowboarding. Instead of just describing the details of the experience and how you felt during it, you could juxtapose your emotions with a creative and humorous perspective from the snowboard itself. Or you could compare your first attempt at snowboarding with your most recent experience in a snowboarding competition. The possibilities are endless!

#5: It Clearly Answers the Question

Finally, good college essay topics will clearly and fully answer the question(s) in the prompt.

You might fail to directly answer a prompt by misinterpreting what it’s asking you to do, or by answering only part of it (e.g., answering just one out of three questions).

Therefore, make sure you take the time to come up with an essay topic that is in direct response to every question in the prompt .

Take this Coalition Application prompt as an example:

What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What's the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?

For this prompt, you’d need to answer all three questions (though it’s totally fine to focus more on one or two of them) to write a compelling and appropriate essay.

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.

53 College Essay Topics to Get Your Brain Moving

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.

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

Why This College?

Change and personal growth, passions, interests, and goals, overcoming a challenge, diversity and community, solving a problem.

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.

• How a particular major or program will help you achieve your academic or professional goals
• A memorable and positive interaction you had with a professor or student at the school
• Something good that happened to you while visiting the campus or while on a campus tour
• A certain class you want to take or a certain professor you’re excited to work with
• Some piece of on-campus equipment or facility that you’re looking forward to using
• Your plans to start a club at the school, possibly to raise awareness of a major issue
• A study abroad or other unique program that you can’t wait to participate in
• How and where you plan to volunteer in the community around the school
• An incredible teacher you studied under and the positive impact they had on you
• How you went from really liking something, such as a particular movie star or TV show, to not liking it at all (or vice versa)
• How yours or someone else’s (change in) socioeconomic status made you more aware of poverty
• A time someone said something to you that made you realize you were wrong
• How your opinion on a controversial topic, such as gay marriage or DACA, has shifted over time
• A documentary that made you aware of a particular social, economic, or political issue going on in the country or world
• Advice you would give to your younger self about friendship, motivation, school, etc.
• The steps you took in order to kick a bad or self-sabotaging habit
• A juxtaposition of the first and most recent time you did something, such as dance onstage
• A book you read that you credit with sparking your love of literature and/or writing
• A school assignment or project that introduced you to your chosen major
• A glimpse of your everyday routine and how your biggest hobby or interest fits into it
• The career and (positive) impact you envision yourself having as a college graduate
• A teacher or mentor who encouraged you to pursue a specific interest you had
• How moving around a lot helped you develop a love of international exchange or learning languages
• A special skill or talent you’ve had since you were young and that relates to your chosen major in some way, such as designing buildings with LEGO bricks
• Where you see yourself in 10 or 20 years
• Your biggest accomplishment so far relating to your passion (e.g., winning a gold medal for your invention at a national science competition)
• A time you lost a game or competition that was really important to you
• How you dealt with the loss or death of someone close to you
• A time you did poorly in a class that you expected to do well in
• How moving to a new school impacted your self-esteem and social life
• A chronic illness you battled or are still battling
• Your healing process after having your heart broken for the first time
• A time you caved under peer pressure and the steps you took so that it won't happen again
• How you almost gave up on learning a foreign language but stuck with it
• Why you decided to become a vegetarian or vegan, and how you navigate living with a meat-eating family
• What you did to overcome a particular anxiety or phobia you had (e.g., stage fright)
• A history of a failed experiment you did over and over, and how you finally found a way to make it work successfully
• Someone within your community whom you aspire to emulate
• A family tradition you used to be embarrassed about but are now proud of
• Your experience with learning English upon moving to the United States
• A close friend in the LGBTQ+ community who supported you when you came out
• A time you were discriminated against, how you reacted, and what you would do differently if faced with the same situation again
• How you navigate your identity as a multiracial, multiethnic, and/or multilingual person
• A project or volunteer effort you led to help or improve your community
• A particular celebrity or role model who inspired you to come out as LGBTQ+
• Your biggest challenge (and how you plan to tackle it) as a female in a male-dominated field
• How you used to discriminate against your own community, and what made you change your mind and eventually take pride in who you are and/or where you come from
• A program you implemented at your school in response to a known problem, such as a lack of recycling cans in the cafeteria
• A time you stepped in to mediate an argument or fight between two people
• An app or other tool you developed to make people’s lives easier in some way
• A time you proposed a solution that worked to an ongoing problem at school, an internship, or a part-time job
• The steps you took to identify and fix an error in coding for a website or program
• An important social or political issue that you would fix if you had the means

How to Build a College Essay in 6 Easy Steps

Once you’ve decided on a college essay topic you want to use, it’s time to buckle down and start fleshing out your essay. These six steps will help you transform a simple college essay topic into a full-fledged personal statement.

Step 1: Write Down All the Details

Once you’ve chosen a general topic to write about, get out a piece of paper and get to work on creating a list of all the key details you could include in your essay . These could be things such as the following:

• Emotions you felt at the time
• Names, places, and/or numbers
• Dialogue, or what you or someone else said
• A specific anecdote, example, or experience
• Descriptions of how things looked, felt, or seemed

If you can only come up with a few details, then it’s probably best to revisit the list of college essay topics above and choose a different one that you can write more extensively on.

Good college essay topics are typically those that:

• You remember well (so nothing that happened when you were really young)
• You're excited to write about
• You're not embarrassed or uncomfortable to share with others
• You believe will make you positively stand out from other applicants

Step 2: Figure Out Your Focus and Approach

Once you have all your major details laid out, start to figure out how you could arrange them in a way that makes sense and will be most effective.

It’s important here to really narrow your focus: you don’t need to (and shouldn’t!) discuss every single aspect of your trip to visit family in Indonesia when you were 16. Rather, zero in on a particular anecdote or experience and explain why and how it impacted you.

Alternatively, you could write about multiple experiences while weaving them together with a clear, meaningful theme or concept , such as how your math teacher helped you overcome your struggle with geometry over the course of an entire school year. In this case, you could mention a few specific times she tutored you and most strongly supported you in your studies.

There’s no one right way to approach your college essay, so play around to see what approaches might work well for the topic you’ve chosen.

If you’re really unsure about how to approach your essay, think about what part of your topic was or is most meaningful and memorable to you, and go from there.

Step 3: Structure Your Narrative

• Beginning: Don’t just spout off a ton of background information here—you want to hook your reader, so try to start in the middle of the action , such as with a meaningful conversation you had or a strong emotion you felt. It could also be a single anecdote if you plan to center your essay around a specific theme or idea.
• Middle: Here’s where you start to flesh out what you’ve established in the opening. Provide more details about the experience (if a single anecdote) or delve into the various times your theme or idea became most important to you. Use imagery and sensory details to put the reader in your shoes.
• End: It’s time to bring it all together. Finish describing the anecdote or theme your essay centers around and explain how it relates to you now , what you’ve learned or gained from it, and how it has influenced your goals.

Step 4: Write a Rough Draft

By now you should have all your major details and an outline for your essay written down; these two things will make it easy for you to convert your notes into a rough draft.

At this stage of the writing process, don’t worry too much about vocabulary or grammar and just focus on getting out all your ideas so that they form the general shape of an essay . It’s OK if you’re a little over the essay's word limit — as you edit, you’ll most likely make some cuts to irrelevant and ineffective parts anyway.

If at any point you get stuck and have no idea what to write, revisit steps 1-3 to see whether there are any important details or ideas you might be omitting or not elaborating on enough to get your overall point across to admissions officers.

Step 5: Edit, Revise, and Proofread

• Sections that are too wordy and don’t say anything important
• Irrelevant details that don’t enhance your essay or the point you're trying to make
• Parts that seem to drag or that feel incredibly boring or redundant
• Areas that are vague and unclear and would benefit from more detail
• Phrases or sections that are awkwardly placed and should be moved around
• Areas that feel unconvincing, inauthentic, or exaggerated

Start paying closer attention to your word choice/vocabulary and grammar at this time, too. It’s perfectly normal to edit and revise your college essay several times before asking for feedback, so keep working with it until you feel it’s pretty close to its final iteration.

This step will likely take the longest amount of time — at least several weeks, if not months — so really put effort into fixing up your essay. Once you’re satisfied, do a final proofread to ensure that it’s technically correct.

Step 6: Get Feedback and Tweak as Needed

After you’ve overhauled your rough draft and made it into a near-final draft, give your essay to somebody you trust , such as a teacher or parent, and have them look it over for technical errors and offer you feedback on its content and overall structure.

Use this feedback to make any last-minute changes or edits. If necessary, repeat steps 5 and 6. You want to be extra sure that your essay is perfect before you submit it to colleges!

Recap: From College Essay Topics to Great College Essays

Many different kinds of college application essay topics can get you into a great college. But this doesn’t make it any easier to choose the best topic for you .

In general, the best college essay topics have the following qualities :

• They’re specific
• They show who you are
• They’re meaningful to you
• They’re unique
• They clearly answer the question

If you ever need help coming up with an idea of what to write for your essay, just refer to the list of 53 examples of college essay topics above to get your brain juices flowing.

Once you’ve got an essay topic picked out, follow these six steps for turning your topic into an unforgettable personal statement :

• Write down all the details
• Figure out your focus and approach
• Structure your narrative
• Write a rough draft
• Edit, revise, and proofread
• Get feedback and tweak as needed

And with that, I wish you the best of luck on your college essays!

What’s Next?

Writing a college essay is no simple task. Get expert college essay tips with our guides on how to come up with great college essay ideas and how to write a college essay, step by step .

You can also check out this huge list of college essay prompts  to get a feel for what types of questions you'll be expected to answer on your applications.

Want to see examples of college essays that absolutely rocked? You're in luck because we've got a collection of 100+ real college essay examples right here on our blog!

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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College Essay Topics for 2022

Overwhelmed by the many college essay topics you can write about? Don’t be. We’ll show you potential topics you can choose for your college essay.

As discussed in the post about   How to Choose an Essay Topic , don’t start with the Common App, Coalition App, or other college application essay prompts. Instead, begin writing your essay and go back and choose the prompt it answers best later.

Key Takeaways

• The college essay starts with a compelling essay topic.
• It's not easy to come up with a college essay topic that is interesting, original, and supports the overall theme of your college application.
• Start here for ideas on the best college essay topics of 2022

Table of Contents

What is the college essay.

The college essay is the piece of writing in your college application where you tell admission officers:

• Who you are
• What value you’d bring to the campus community
• Why they should accept you. 

The college essay brings color to your file and can give “aha” moments to highlight or bring clarity about why you’re a good candidate for the college. Your college essay is so important that a great essay can push you over the edge if it’s between you and another candidate. A bad college essay will likely lead to a decision to decline your application. College essay topics set the tone of the entire essay.

2020 is the first year that most colleges considered files without test scores. They placed more emphasis on the college essay. Things will be the same in 2020. The University of California and many other colleges have announced that 2021-2022 will also be test-optional.

While we never know the exact impact of the college essay on admissions, before COVID-19,  75% of admissions officers responded that they found the college essay to be a factor in their decisions . This shows that the college essay is important. The essay you write is guided by the college essay topics you choose.  With so many things happening in your life, how do you choose which to write about? 

This post digs into the most compelling topics of the 2022 college application season. The examples presented here will get you started on writing an essay that is unique to you and makes the case for your admissions.

Something you're afraid of

Fear is a great topic to explore in your college essay. It’s one of the most primal of all human emotions. Fear keeps us from making decisions that can hurt us. But more often than not, fear also holds us back from doing things that will help us grow. With a key objective in your essay to show growth, writing your essay about something that keeps you up at night is sure to be a winner. 

Some examples can include the fear of loneliness, fear of failure, or the fear of success . I had a former student write an essay about his fear of heights and how he overcame that fear and worked his way up to riding the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios. Here’s an excerpt from the student’s essay:

"I am scared of many things (needles, sharks, blood), but no fear has conquered me more than height fright. I spent a decade visiting Disney World with my mom, dad, and younger brother and never set foot on a thrill ride. I especially feared The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a Hollywood Studios headliner, engineered to drop at accelerated speeds while being struck by lightning bolts or what epitomized my waking nightmare. In August 2011, when my dad suggested we ride Terror, I profusely refused. His stone-cold face glared at me down when he said, "Logan, this ride isn't even scary!" But I, arms crossed and standing my ground, wouldn't waver. Of course, I got my way, and he stayed back with me. Although relieved for the time being, upon returning to New York, I felt bad that I had burdened my family with my fear, which persisted for five more years. Then, last year, I rode Terror and haven't looked back since. Here's how I did it." Student Writer

Something you're grateful for

This topic perfectly aligns with the Common Apps new 2021-2022 essay prompt that says: 

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

The motivation for this question update is that so much has happened in the last two years. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the world will never be the same. We have lost so many lives. Also, there is social unrest, economic decline, and lots of uncertainty. Some people liken what’s happening to the early 20th century, ironically in the same 20s decade. If you’re alive, breathing, and have had good fortunes this year, this may be an excellent topic for you to dig into further.

Someone who has inspired you

For this essay topic, you’d write about a real person in your life . Avoid choosing a celebrity, popular politician or pubic figure, out of the risk of being too clich é . The person you choose should have a direct or indirect influence on the person you have become. 

This could be someone like your mom or dad, a grandparent, aunt or uncle, cousin, friend, teacher, coach, or anyone else who you can speak vividly and candidly about lessons they have taught you. This person can be living or may have passed on. The essay you write will illustrate what insights and learnings you can apply to your life because of the influence they have had on you.

Here’s an excerpt from a sample student who wrote about her late father: 

"In his final days, I recall my father reclining on a plush black couch. His expressionless face was attached to a gas mask and oxygen tank. It still brings me to tears that the father I loved - the man who walked ten blocks every Sunday to Parisi's Bakery to buy his little girl strawberry-filled bread cookies - was losing his battle with lung cancer. Even as his health started to deteriorate, my father proved himself to be a hero. Like a devout Muslim, he read his favorite Koran passages and prayed five times daily until the eleventh hour. Oblivious to his weakening condition, I sat by his side, asking questions about everything like spelling a word, the question to a Jeopardy answer, and what a fact means. Hoarse and out of breath, my father always gave me an answer. He was aware that this moment might be the last time we would have together. But I believed that he would pull through cancer and be around forever. After all, real heroes never die, right? While difficult to be fully expressed in words, my father strived to be a good parent to my brothers and me. He made sure we got to school on time, taught us how to save for the future, and encouraged us to value our Muslim beliefs. Still, more importantly, he made us earn his approval. On those rare occasions, when I could get him to share a proud smile for something that I achieved, I felt like my world was complete. For example, my father walked with my brothers and me to Rainey Park on Saturdays, where he challenged us to a relay race. Of course, he always won. But during each race, he yelled at me to run faster, pull through the pain gushing through my legs, and pump harder and harder. After following his advice, on one particular Saturday afternoon, I beat him! And when I waited for his expression, his grave eyes finally gave me the approval I yearned for. On the way home, he stopped at the store to buy me red Baby Bottle Pop candy. It was the perfect day!" Student Writer

Something you're fighting for

2020 is arguably the year of the most protests in your lifetime (and my lifetime!). Mashable featured a great article about the 15 protests of 2020 that you’ll tell your children about. Why wait? Your college essay is a great place to start, especially if you’ve been part of any of the protests. Nothing explains who you are and what you stand for than sharing causes that you care about. 

Something you're sacrificing for

One of the most incredible moves you can make in your life is sacrificing something in your life for the greater good. For example, maybe you’re an aspiring teen entrepreneur and next founder or creator. You’re building a business, like a few of my students. 

One has a jewelry company and sells her products on Etsy. Another is buying and selling cryptocurrency on an exchange. Running a business comes with sacrifices, such as missing out on having fun with friends. Or perhaps your grades. Many of my entrepreneurial students have less than stellar grades or limited extracurricular involvement because they’ve spent more time building their businesses. 

This essay would serve a dual purpose of explaining why their grades aren’t perfect (addressing something that admissions officers would want to know) and showing their passion for something worth sacrificing the time and energy they’d spend elsewhere that wasn’t as significant.

Something or someone you value

A classic topic, you can use it as your general essay. Some schools, like Stanford University, use this topic as a supplemental essay. At its core, motivation, and passion lead to action. In this essay, you can show admissions officers what type of person you are, how you show up in the world, and your plans for the future – for yourself, the campus community, and society. 

To be sure, this is a BIG essay to write. If you select this topic, be sure to focus on one thing (as opposed to ten) that is meaningful and most important to you. Avoid repeating anything you have said in another part of your application. A great example of this essay is a student who wrote about a memory box where she keeps her most precious treasures. She speaks about each treasure, a book from her mom and a pair of gold hoop earrings, and the significance they’ve had in her life. Here’s an excerpt:

Here’s a college essay excerpt from a student who wrote about a box for her most precious treasures: 

I am a collector. It started with a box. But my head is ingrained with the idea that every object worth saving has a story worth remembering. Peeking out from the edge of the box was Our Moon Has Blood Clots, a book my mom had given me two years ago to read. It vividly details Kashmir's purge of the Kashmiri Pandit community, a part of our history my mom felt was important to understand. But I avoided it. For me, it was too uncomfortable to face a past ridden with war, violence, rape, and exile. I didn't want to relive my parents escaping their homes with only a few documents, living in tents, and everything they worked for and knew was gone and forced to restart their lives from ground zero. Instead of reading it, I buried it, deep, in my memory box. Although I was born 13 years later, I read in a PBS article that trauma is an inherited trait. And like so many victims of trauma, be it first-hand or through DNA, we hold on to things but put memories away. I am without a piece of myself. One day, I'll face the truth and accept how the mass exodus has shaped me. But today, I find solace in understanding that my parents' struggle gave rise to more opportunities I could hope for given their arrival as American refugees. By taking advantage of everything at my disposal, I am grateful for my education and relationships, all assets no one can ever take away." Student Writer

Something you're passionate about

This essay topic is a great way to show your curiosity and hunger for knowledge or mastering a skill . You wouldn’t want to write this essay about anything already in your college application, like why you enjoy biology or why you joined your school’s video club. Instead, you’d write about something that shows your interest in something that would not fit anywhere else. You enjoy something so unique that your application would not be complete unless they knew this about you.

Interests you can write about like:

• Podcasting and video blogging
• Bitcoin and cryptocurrency
• Real estate investing
• Running your own business or nonprofit
• Spoken word poetry
• Knitting, scrapbooking, or other creative arts
• Social media and being an influencer

These are a few examples, and you likely have your own examples of interests you’re passionate about that you do on your own and outside of school. Speaking about your hobbies and interests can give insight into what else you’ve been up to during your high school years. Often for students, these interests may lead to career options or influence how you’ll engage in the campus community, both of which admissions officers are very interested in learning about you.

Your cultural roots and background

If you’re a newcomer to the United States or a first-generation American with parents who migrated to our country, this may be a good topic for you to explore. You have a unique voice and perspective that college admissions officers highly value. You can speak about so many things — experiences, culture, food — what meaning these things have had in your life, how you’re balancing with ideals in American culture.

You can speak about it directly, such as telling the reader about your journey as a newcomer or first-generation American student. Or you can talk about it indirectly, as one of my students from last year did. The student wrote about his joy in making empanadas. He shares his grandmother’s recipe and what it’s like making them with her and ties it to his cultural ties to Equador and being of Italian heritage. Here’s an excerpt from his essay:

Here’s a college essay excerpt from a student who wrote about his joy of cooking empanadas for his family: 

"I have become more comfortable with the recipe, and I am confident that I can make any empanada I want. I like making empanadas for several reasons. First, I can be very creative with them, changing the ingredients every time I make them. Over the years, I have made empanadas with all kinds of varieties of beef, chicken, cheese, and vegetables. But if I wanted to, I could fill it with tomato sauce and cheese to make a pizza empanada or American cheese and beef to make a cheeseburger empanada. From start to finish, no matter what you put inside, it takes half an hour, and you have yourself a meal. Also, around the time that I made my first empanadas, it was not often that I would find a restaurant that sold them. I had to make them myself. However, as time has passed, I have seen more restaurants and food trucks that strictly serve empanadas open in my neighborhood, where there are few from my Ecuadorian culture living here. And like so many other things, empanadas have arrived in mainstream American culture, making their mark on the world, something so unique, diverse, and delicious. But most importantly, empanadas represent a significant part of Ecuadorian culture, to which I've always felt connected through my grandma's stories. Growing up, I remember vivid stories about her life in Ecuador. She eventually moved to the United States at 18-years-old and was immersed in American culture as a young woman and immigrant. Learning to cook empanadas and staying true to her recipe has strengthened my relationship with my grandma. While I have never traveled to Quito, Ecuador's capital city, where she was born, the empanadas link me to my cultural roots." Student Writer

Once you decide on a topic, then you can proceed to write your college essay. Start here with this post about Writing a College Essay. Also, you can check out an upcoming College Essay Workshop .

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Writing a College Essay

Writing a college essay is not like writing an English class essay. The college essay is a personal statement that you will write for college admissions.

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60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications

Ideas to inspire every college applicant.

Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.

Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts

2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.

Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).

• 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.
• 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?

• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

• 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?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.

• Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

• What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
• Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
• Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
• What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

• Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.

• Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
• Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
• Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

• Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
• What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
• Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
• Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
• Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
• Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
• When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
• Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
• Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

• Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.

These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.

• What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
• Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
• What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
• How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?

• Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
• What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
• If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
• What gives meaning to your life?
• If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
• If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?

• Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
• What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
• Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.

Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.

• What does it mean to you to be educated?
• What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
• Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
• Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?

• What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
• If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
• Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
• Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
• What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.

• Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.

• You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

• Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
• If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
• If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
• Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
• If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
• If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
• My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
• If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
• What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
• Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?

• Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
• If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
• What website is the internet missing?

How do you help your students prepare their college application essays? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships.

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By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., popular college application essay topics (and how to answer them).

Get help writing your college application essays. Find this year's Common App writing prompts and popular essay questions used by individual colleges.

The college essay is your opportunity to show admissions officers who you are apart from your grades and test scores (and to distinguish yourself from the rest of a very talented applicant pool).

2023–24 Common App Essays

Nearly 700 colleges accept the The Common Application , which makes it easy to apply to multiple schools with just one form. If you are using the Common App to apply for college admissions, you will have 250–650 words to respond to ONE of the following prompts:

• 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.
• 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?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• 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?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

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Tackling the Common App Essay Prompts

Prompt #1: share your story..

Answer this prompt by reflecting on a hobby, facet of your personality, or experience that is genuinely meaningful and unique to you. Admissions officers want to feel connected to you and an honest, personal statement about who you are draws them in. Your love of superheroes, baking chops, or family history are all fair game if you can tie it back to who you are or what you believe in. Avoid a rehash of the accomplishments on your high school résumé and choose something that the admissions committee will not discover when reading the rest of your application.

Prompt #2: Learning from obstacles.

You're trying to show colleges your best self, so it might seem counterintuitive to willingly acknowledge a time you struggled. But overcoming challenges demonstrates courage, grit, and perseverance! That’s why the last piece of this prompt is essential. The obstacle you write about can be large or small, but you must show the admissions committee how your perspective changed as a result.

Prompt #3: Challenging a belief.

Your answer to this question could focus on a time you stood up to others or an experience when your own preconceived view was challenged. Choose this prompt if you have a relevant—and specific!—experience to recount (and reflect on). A vague essay about a hot button issue doesn’t tell the admissions committee anything useful about YOU.

Prompt #4: Reflecting on gratitude.

Colleges are looking for students with unique experiences that can enhance their future campus community, and this is your chance to share that by recognizing what someone else has done for you. Even though this prompt requires you to reflect on the action of another person, make sure that the focus remains on how the act of kindness impacted you and the way you live your life. This essay should make you and the reader smile.

Prompt #5: Personal growth.

Just like Prompt #2, the accomplishment or event you write about can be anything from a major milestone to a smaller "aha" moment. Describe the event or accomplishment that shaped you but take care to also show what you learned or how you changed. Colleges are looking for a sense of maturity and introspection—pinpoint the transformation and demonstrate your personal growth. 

Prompt #6: What captivates you?

This prompt is an invitation to write about something you care about. (So avoid the pitfall of writing about what you think will impress the admission office versus what truly matters to you). Colleges are looking for curious students, who are thoughtful about the world around them. The "what or who do you turn to when you want to learn more” bit isn't an afterthought—it's a key piece of the prompt. Make sure you explain how you pursue your interest, as well.

Read More: QUIZ: Test Your College Knowledge!

Prompt #7: Topic of your choice.

This question might be for you if you have a dynamo personal essay from English class to share or were really inspired by a question from another college’s application. You can even write your own question! Whatever topic you land on, the essentials of a standout college essay still stand: 1.) Show the admissions committee who you are beyond grades and test scores and 2.) Dig into your topic by asking yourself how and why. There isn’t a prompt to guide you, so you must ask yourself the questions that will get at the heart of the story you want to tell.

More College Essay Topics

Individual schools sometimes require supplemental essays. Here are a few popular application essay topics and some tips for how to approach them:

Describe a person you admire.

Avoid the urge to pen an ode to a beloved figure like Gandhi or Abraham Lincoln. The admissions committee doesn't need to be convinced they are influential people. Focus on yourself: Choose someone who has actually caused you to change your behavior or your worldview, and write about how this person influenced you .

Why do you want to attend this school?

Be honest and specific when you respond to this question. Avoid generalities like "to get a good liberal arts education” or “to develop career skills," and use details that show your interests: "I'm an aspiring doctor and your science department has a terrific reputation." Colleges are more likely to admit students who can articulate specific reasons why the school is a good fit for them beyond its reputation or ranking on any list. Use the college's website and literature to do your research about programs, professors, and other opportunities that appeal to you.

Read More: 5 Ways College Application Essays and High School Essays Are Different

What is a book you love?

Your answer should not be a book report. Don't just summarize the plot; detail why you enjoyed this particular text and what it meant to you. What does your favorite book reveal about you? How do you identify with it, and how has it become personal to you?

Again, be honest in answering this question—don't choose a classic from your literature class or a piece of philosophy just because you think it will make you seem smarter. Writing fluently and passionately about a book close to you is always better than writing shakily or generally about a book that doesn't inspire you.

What is an extracurricular activity that has been meaningful to you?

Avoid slipping into clichés or generalities. Take this opportunity to really examine an experience that taught you something you didn't previously know about yourself, got you out of your comfort zone, or forced you to grow. Sometimes it's better to write about something that was hard for you because you learned something than it is to write about something that was easy for you because you think it sounds admirable. As with all essay questions, the most important thing is to tell a great story: how you discovered this activity, what drew you to it, and what it's shown you about yourself.

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8 College Essay Topics

Exploring college essay topics.

Good college essay topics are as varied and widespread as the universities that require them. So, students will encounter many college application essay formats throughout the admissions process. These include the standard college admission essay, supplemental essay, personal statement, and personal challenge essay, to name a few. 

Whether it’s the “why Northwestern” essay or the Columbia essay prompts, good college essay topics help schools learn more about you and your life experiences. So, you should work to find compelling college essay ideas that reflect your identity. This will help you craft strong responses to any college essay topics you encounter.

Generating college essay ideas

Many students want to know how to write better essays. Students also might wonder how to start a college essay—after all, finding the right “hook” for your college essays can make a major difference. In this guide, we’ll walk you through every aspect of the essay process. 

Different college essay topics require different types of responses. For instance, a “why major” essay should not read the same way as an extracurricular activities essay. Reading college essay examples can also help when considering how to approach different college essay topics. 

This article will look at some of the common categories for college essay topics. We’ll also provide some college essay tips and discuss what makes a great college essay stand out from the rest. Most importantly, we’ll discuss how to write better essays so you feel prepared to start the process.

College Admission Essays

Before we discuss different college essay topics, let’s delve into a bit more context. Specifically, let’s discuss what a college admission essay is and why most top schools require them. 

A college admission essay is a written response, usually between 150 and 650 words, to a specific question or prompt on a college application. Some essays, like the Common Application essay, are standardized. Students have up to 650 words to respond to one of seven college essay topics that every Common Application school receives. 

Other college application essays are considered supplemental essays. These supplemental essays are unique to each individual college or university, though these college essay topics do tend to fall into some common categories. Some school essay requirements, like the NYU supplemental essays, also vary based on the program you apply to.

Understanding the college essay format

Whether it’s a personal statement or supplemental essay, the college application essay format is meant to help admissions officers get to know students better. The college essay format also allows applicants to share information about themselves that may not be clear from the rest of their application. In addition, these college essay examples allow admissions officers to evaluate each student’s character, writing ability, and overall fit for their school.

Good college essay topics help admissions officers to get to know students. So, the best college admission essays provide personal details not found elsewhere in a student’s application. What makes a great college essay is that it could only have been written by the person who submits it. That means you should highlight specific details about your life and experiences. Remember that your college essays are your only chance to provide admissions officers with some insight as to who you are, so don’t hold back!

What are the most common college essay topics?

Most college essay examples fall into one of the following general categories. Although language in individual prompts may vary, the college application essay format will often look like one of the following:

8 Most Common College Essay Topics

1. personal statement.

The personal statement category includes college essay topics about your life and experiences. A personal statement will often pertain to a challenging moment in your life or a time in which you grew or learned a lesson. For most students, the personal statement is akin to the Common App essay. 

2. “Why School” Essay

The why school essay is one of the most common examples of supplemental essays. These college essay topics ask students to describe why they believe a particular college is a good fit for them.

3. “Why Major” Essay

The why major essay asks students to describe why they are interested in the major that they listed on their application. This college application essay format is more common at large universities, where students may be applying to a specific school or program within the school.

4. Personal Challenge Essay

These college essay topics ask students to reflect on a specific obstacle they have overcome in their lives. The requirements are similar to those of the personal statement, where the subject is the writer’s personal life.

5. Cultural Diversity Essay

The cultural diversity essay asks students to reflect on their heritage and how their unique background has influenced their life. Colleges often seek to recruit a diverse student body, and these college essays allow students to share how they would fit into that environment.

6. Extracurricular Activities Essay

These essays ask students to describe an activity they have done during their high school years and how it has prepared them to succeed in college. These are often short essays, meaning that their word counts tend to be 150 or fewer.

7. Unique College Essay

Some good college essay topics do not fit into one of the categories above. Instead, these essays ask students to think outside the box by responding to an unorthodox prompt. These college essay ideas are often some of the most difficult to write about.

Personal Statement

Our first category within our college essay topics is the personal statement. You’ll likely submit a personal statement to every school where you apply. 

As the name suggests, you should be the subject of your personal statement. Likewise, the essay should showcase the parts of yourself that you want to feature. The prompts for essays in this category vary widely. However, the most common example of a personal statement that you will encounter is the Common Application essay.

Although the Common Application essay prompts do change from year to year, they all pertain to your life and experiences. Plus, nearly all of the top schools in the country that use the Common Application require you to answer one of its essay prompts. Listed below are the essay prompts for the 2023-2024 Common Application :

Common App Essay Prompts

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. reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. how has this gratitude affected or motivated you, 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 you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design., how to write a college essay about yourself.

The most important step in how to write better essays is to focus on yourself. At times, it can feel uncomfortable to focus the entire essay on your accomplishments. However, remember that this essay should help your reader get to know you better. So, before you start writing, think about what aspects of your character you want to showcase. In fact, when generating college essay ideas, it can help to write down a short list of qualities that you want to highlight.

The next step in how to start a college essay about yourself is to select the right prompt. Your prompt should connect to you and your experiences. If you don’t resonate with any of the Common App’s good college essay topics, remember that you can create your own. Just make sure that the topic relates to you personally.

When you actually start writing, think about using the prompt to tell a story . Try to share parts of yourself that have not been featured in other areas of your application. So, your essay should focus on a narrative rather than a list of facts or examples. For example, if you choose prompt #4, you should not simply write several paragraphs about what gratitude means to you. Instead, focus on a compelling story about a time when you learned about the importance of gratitude. Finally, make sure that you are the central figure in whatever story you tell.

The Why School Essay

Next on our list of good college essay topics is the why school essay. Each of these prompts is specific to a particular school. So, a “why Yale essay” will look very different from a “why Duke essay” even though the prompt is structured similarly for both schools.

Simply put, a why school essay asks you to explain the reasons why you want to attend that particular school and what you hope to achieve there.

Many schools feature a why school essay. So, let’s highlight two examples of what these college essay topics look like. 

Why school essay examples

The “why Yale essay” prompt allows students a maximum word count of 125. It asks, “What is it about Yale that has led you to apply?”. In a similar college application essay format, the “why Duke Essay” prompt asks, “What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.” This essay has a 250-word count limit.

Using a why school essay prompt serves a few purposes for an admissions office. It allows your application readers to see how much research you have done about their campus and facilities. Additionally, it helps them understand what you might bring to their campus as a prospective student. In the end, it’s all about seeing whether you would be a good fit for the school and whether the school would be a good fit for you. 

Structuring a Why School Essay

When writing a why school essay, it is still important to keep yourself as the central focus. Using specific examples, write about what makes the school a good fit for you. So, don’t just start with the most well-known or popular features of a school. A school may have just built a brand new science building, but it is likely not worth writing about unless you plan to major in a scientific discipline. So, before writing, think about the criteria on your personal college list. Then, identify two or three areas in which the school you’re writing about meets them. Remember that these are often short essays, so don’t try to fit in too many college essay ideas at once.

Then, get specific and do some research! If you have visited the school, consider identifying some of the features you enjoyed seeing on your visit. Additionally, if there is a specific professor, lab, program, club, team, or opportunity that interests you, mention those details here. The more specific research you show, the better your case for attending a school will be. However, it is not enough to simply list names and facts in your essay. Instead, describe how these opportunities will help you achieve your goals. Then, highlight why you want to be a part of this particular school’s community.

Nearly every top school in the country, including the Columbia supplemental essays and the why Northwestern essay, uses these college essay topics. Because each prompt is specific to each school, you should avoid using the same generic college essay ideas in each response. Good college essay topics show individuality as well as evidence of reflection and research. 

For more information about how to write a good why school essay, check out our CollegeAdvisor.com resources here . 

The Why Major Essay

The why major essay relates to the why school essay because they both ask about your reasons for being interested in a college. The difference is that a why school essay focuses on the school as a whole, whereas a why major essay asks specifically about your field of study within the school. Many universities include these supplemental essay prompts if students are applying to a particularly popular program at the school. Other schools use these short essay topics to learn more about students’ academic interests and goals.

The UPenn supplemental essay, the Rice supplemental essay, and the Cornell supplemental essays all feature questions that ask about students’ majors. The UPenn supplemental essay prompt has a 150-200 word limit. Here is UPenn’s why major prompt:  “Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, describe how you intend to explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania.”

The Rice supplemental essay prompt is similar. It gives students a maximum of 150 words to respond to the following statement: “Please explain why you wish to study in the academic areas you selected.”

The Cornell supplemental essays across their eight undergraduate colleges ask similar questions. This prompt comes from Arts and Sciences, their most popular program: “Students in Arts and Sciences embrace the opportunity to delve into multifaceted academic interests, embodying in 21st century terms Ezra Cornell’s ‘any person…any study’ founding vision. Tell us about the areas of study you are excited to explore, and specifically why you wish to pursue them in our College.” 

Choosing a major for your college essay

You might have many college essay ideas when it comes to writing a why major essay. Still, the best college admission essays in this category are focused and detailed. Therefore, before you start writing, it is important to reflect on your academic interests. Think about how you first became interested in your intended major. What past experiences have you had in this field? What do you hope to accomplish with the degree you wish to pursue? These guiding questions will help give your essay direction and clarity, even before a single word hits the page.

Your interest in your chosen major should stem from a passion for the subject. Some students make the mistake of focusing on their future earnings or talking about how parents or relatives expect them to pick a certain major. Remember that you are the one who will be attending the school and taking hundreds of hours of coursework in this subject. So, make sure you have a good reason for choosing it.

Undecided majors

If you are not sure what major you want to pursue, that’s okay. You can still give a thoughtful answer to this prompt. This is a great time to describe your intellectual curiosity or your passion for multiple disparate subjects. You can also discuss your favorite school subjects or the aspects of learning that you most enjoy, such as a particular science experiment or a time period in history that fascinates you. There are many different college essay ideas that you can pursue even with an undecided major.

Remember that with the exception of a few specialized programs, you will not be forced to stay with the major that you list on your college application. Many schools do not even require students to officially declare their major until their sophomore year. For guidance on selecting a major that is right for you, check out this link . And for more general college essay tips and college essay ideas, see this guide from Harvard University .

Personal Challenge Essay

Our next subject in this series of college essay topics is the personal challenge essay. The personal challenge essay asks students to recount a story in which they overcame some hardship or obstacle and learned a lesson about themselves in the process. These good college essay topics are excellent times to display character traits such as perseverance, dedication, grit, and leadership.

Fordham University’s supplemental essay prompt states: “At Fordham, we expect students to care for and engage with their communities. Please share a specific instance in which you challenged yourself or stepped out of your comfort zone in order to be an advocate for your community.” 

In a slightly different approach, the Emory University supplemental essays provide several options for students to discuss their personal growth. They include prompts like, “Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.” and, “When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?”

Crafting a memorable college essay

A good personal challenge essay can take a variety of forms. Overall, there are many good college essay ideas students can draw from within this theme. This article from U.S. News illustrates some of the more common themes that students employ when approaching these college essay topics. The most important part of any personal challenge essay is authenticity. Nobody’s story is inherently better or worse than anyone else’s. You do not need to write about heavy tragedy in order to develop a good personal challenge essay.

Start by coming up with a list of college essay ideas. These should be stories from your life that present you in a different light, one not seen in other areas of your application. Then, pick a specific story from your list of college essay ideas that presents you in a positive manner and shows off the traits you want your readers to see. The best college admission essays tell one specific and compelling story rather than list several college essay ideas in one response. 

Another important facet of these college essay topics is the demonstration of growth. The important part of your essay is not the severity of the challenge itself, but how you reacted to it and grew from the experience. Make sure you avoid vague sentiments or platitudes like, “I became a better person,” or “This experience caused me to see the world in a new way.” Instead, focus on what you specifically gained from going through this challenging time. In addition, think about what skills or characteristics you showed in overcoming the challenge. Then, use the essay to highlight them.

Cultural Diversity Essay

The cultural diversity essay is a popular topic for a college admission essay. So, understanding how to write college essays of this type is vital. But, before we dive into just how to respond, let’s learn just what a cultural diversity essay is. 

Simply put, these types of college essay topics ask students to elaborate on their relationship with cultural diversity. Namely, they look for how it has shaped the student’s own identity. Like all good college essay topics, the cultural diversity essay invites students to share an important part of themselves with admissions.

What makes a great college essay on cultural diversity? Well, essays will vary greatly depending on each individual. Students could talk about their background, culture, beliefs, skills, experience, or perspectives. Culture can mean many things, meaning that college essay ideas for this prompt are nearly endless.

Exact college essay topics aren’t as important as showing how the matter at hand has shaped you. Additionally, tactfully executed college essay ideas will show how your unique story and experiences will improve that school’s college campus. Specifically, touching on how you’ll bring your perspective, experiences, and culture to campus is always a good strategy. 

To better understand this topic, let’s look at some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts.

Cultural Diversity Essay Prompts

Like many other schools, Amherst College requires applicants to respond to additional Amherst supplemental essays. The Amherst supplemental essays are certainly looking for a cultural diversity essay: 

Amherst Cultural Diversity Essay Prompts

Respond to  one  of the following quotations in an essay of not more than 300 words. it is not necessary to research, read, or refer to the texts from which these quotations are taken; we are looking for original, personal responses to these short excerpts. remember that your essay should be personal in nature and not simply an argumentative essay., “rigorous reasoning is crucial in mathematics, and insight plays an important secondary role these days. in the natural sciences, i would say that the order of these two virtues is reversed. rigor is, of course, very important. but the most important value is insight—insight into the workings of the world. it may be because there is another guarantor of correctness in the sciences, namely, the empirical evidence from observation and experiments.”  kannan jagannathan, professor of physics, amherst college, “translation is the art of bridging cultures. it’s about interpreting the essence of a text, transporting its rhythms and becoming intimate with its meaning… translation, however, doesn’t only occur across languages: mentally putting any idea into words is an act of translation; so is composing a symphony, doing business in the global market, understanding the roots of terrorism. no citizen, especially today, can exist in isolation—that is, untranslated.”  ilán stavans, professor of latin american and latino culture, amherst college, robert croll ’16 and cedric duquene ’15, adapted from the print version of “interpreting terras irradient,” amherst magazine, spring 2015.  , “creating an environment that allows students to build lasting friendships, including those that cut across seemingly entrenched societal and political boundaries…requires candor about the inevitable tensions, as well as about the wonderful opportunities, that diversity and inclusiveness create.” carolyn “biddy” martin, 19th president of amherst college, from letter to amherst college alumni and families, december 28, 2015. , “difficulty need not foreshadow despair or defeat. rather, achievement can be all the more satisfying because of obstacles surmounted.”  attributed to william hastie, amherst college class of 1925, the first african-american to serve as a judge for the united states court of appeals, understanding the amherst essay prompts.

Amherst’s option doesn’t explicitly ask for your experiences. Rather, they want to see how you respond and relate to different perspectives.

Let’s look at another example. In addition to the Common App personal statement, students applying to Harvard are allowed to submit an additional “optional” essay. When responding to any school’s essays, especially an Ivy League , do some digging to see if admissions offers any tips. Check out Harvard’s blog on how to write a great essay. Here is Harvard’s prompt that is very obviously a cultural diversity essay topic:

Harvard Cultural Diversity Essay Prompt

Harvard has long recognized the importance of student body diversity of all kinds. we welcome you to write about distinctive aspects of your background, personal development or the intellectual interests you might bring to your harvard classmates..

Finally, let’s look at the University of Michigan’s prompt: 

University of Michigan Cultural Diversity Essay Prompt

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (required for all applicants; minimum 100 words/maximum 300 words).

Specifically, this UMich essay prompt talks about community, which makes up a part of your background and culture. Since “community” encompasses many different aspects, students have lots of room to play with their responses. 

How do you write a college essay on diversity?

Before understanding how to write the college diversity essay, students should consider why they’re popular college essay topics for admissions . Simply put, universities want to have a diverse student body. This enhances campus life by creating constant cross-cultural understanding. Additionally, each student’s unique background, experiences, and perspective shape the school’s community greatly. That’s why these prompts are found everywhere, from Amherst to NYU supplemental essays.

So, how to tackle the cultural diversity essay? First, students need to speak from their own experiences. You should be at the forefront of your essay—not someone else. This essay is all about showing what diversity means to you and how it impacts your own identity. What background or experience do you have that is unique and meaningful to you?

College essay ideas will vary greatly among students. And that’s the point! There’s no cookie-cutter college application essay format to follow. What you talk about within your background and experiences can be any number of things. Ultimately, writing passionately and cohesively, clearly conveying how diversity has shaped you, and how you’ll bring that perspective to campus are key. You should authentically and comprehensively answer the prompt in order to write an essay that stands out . 

Check out our cultural diversity essay guide for more in-depth college essay tips!

Extracurricular Activities Essay

Another favorite among college essay topics is the extracurricular activities essay. Needless to say, this supplemental essay allows students to expand on one of their extracurricular activities . Since the Common App activities section is limited, this is a great chance to provide more context for your experiences.

In general, when writing an extracurricular activities essay, you shouldn’t simply list achievements from your college resume . Feel free to get creative by sharing an anecdote or expanding on what the activity means to you. Has it shaped your identity or your future goals? How have you grown from partaking in this activity? Expand on the deeper meaning to you in order to write the best extracurricular activities essay. 

Now, let’s check out some extracurricular activities essay prompts. 

Sample Extracurricular Activities Essay Prompts

Interestingly, Vanderbilt offers students two college essay topics for students to choose to respond to in 250 words. The first is a diversity essay. The following is their extracurricular activities prompt: 

Vanderbilt Extracurricular Activities Essay Prompt

Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you..

Check out our guide with ample Vanderbilt essay examples before writing this school’s essays.

The Princeton supplemental essays also include a similar extracurricular activity prompt. However, for these types of Princeton supplemental essays, students only have 150 words with which to respond:

Princeton Extracurricular Activity Prompt

Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. .

Finally, let’s see the Stanford extracurricular activities essay prompt. You’ll notice it follows the same general trend as the others.

Stanford Extracurricular Activity Essay Prompt

The stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning..

Before working on your own college essay ideas, check out some Stanford essay examples to see what’s worked in the past. 

Unique College Essay Topics

During the college application process, you’re likely to come across many similar college essay topics and prompts. However, some universities keep things interesting with good college essay topics that are sure to keep applicants on their toes. These college essay topics ask students unexpected questions and even err on the side of quirky. They’re quite different from the personal statement . 

Basically, these non-traditional college essay topics are a wonderful opportunity to let your creative side shine with one-of-a-kind responses. But, keep in mind that although these aren’t traditional college essay topics, every college admission essay has the same goal. You should share more about yourself with admissions, and show them just why you’d be a great addition to their university. 

Let’s read some prompts that fall into this category.

Unique College Essay Prompts

UChicago is one school known for their unique college essay topics. Certainly, they have one supplemental essay prompt that’s required and similar to more traditional college essay topics. At the same time, their options for the second of the short essays don’t disappoint. 

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

UChicago Unique College Essay Prompts

Essay option 1, exponents and square roots, pencils and erasers, beta decay and electron capture. name two things that undo each other and explain why both are necessary. – inspired by emmett cho, class of 2027, essay option 2, “where have all the flowers gone” – pete seeger. pick a question from a song title or lyric and give it your best answer. – inspired by ryan murphy, ab’21, essay option 3, “vlog,” “labradoodle,” and “fauxmage.” language is filled with portmanteaus. create a new portmanteau and explain why those two things are a “patch” (perfect match). – inspired by garrett chalfin, class of 2027, essay option 4, a jellyfish is not a fish. cat burglars don’t burgle cats. rhode island is not an island. write an essay about some other misnomer, and either come up with and defend a new name for it or explain why its inaccurate name should be kept. – inspired by sonia chang, class of 2025, and mirabella blair, class of 2027, essay option 5, despite their origins in the gupta empire of india or ancient egypt, games like chess or bowling remain widely enjoyed today. what modern game do you believe will withstand the test of time, and why – inspired by adam heiba, class of 2027, essay option 6, there are unwritten rules that everyone follows or has heard at least once in their life. but of course, some rules should be broken or updated. what is an unwritten rule that you wish didn’t exist (our custom is to have five new prompts each year, but this year we decided to break with tradition. enjoy) – inspired by maryam abdella, class of 2026, essay option 7, and, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option in the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). be original, creative, thought provoking. draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the university of chicago; take a little risk, and have fun, dartmouth college essay prompts.

Another elite university with some good college essay topics is Dartmouth . While the two required essays are standard college essay topics, the third essay has a variety of unique prompts to choose from. Let’s take a look at their prompts, which have a 200-250 word limit.

Dartmouth Unique College Essay Prompts

A. labor leader and civil rights activist dolores huerta recommended a life of purpose. “we must use our lives to make the world a better place to live, not just to acquire things,” she said. “that is what we are put on the earth for.” in what ways do you hope to make—or are you making—an impact, b. what excites you, c. in the boy who harnessed the wind, william kamkwamba ’14 reflects on constructing a windmill from recycled materials to power electrical appliances in his family’s malawian house: “if you want to make it, all you have to do is try.” what drives you to create and what do you hope to make or have you made, d. dr. seuss, aka theodor geisel of dartmouth’s class of 1925, wrote, “think and wonder. wonder and think.” what do you wonder and think about, e. “not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” wrote james baldwin. how does this quote apply to your life experiences, how do you write a unique college essay.

At this point, you may have many college essay ideas for these topics. However, keep in mind that these types of supplemental essays should still be answered personally and authentically—just like your personal statement. Especially with creative and unique prompts, it may be tempting to go in a totally different direction when writing. Nevertheless, don’t forget that good college essay topics aim to learn more about the applicant, even if they are unconventional. 

Additionally, the goal of these unique college essay topics is to see that you don’t back down from a challenge. Universities want curious learners who are willing to step out of their comfort zone. So, even if these aren’t your favorite types of college essay topics, persevere in writing something new. They’re an opportunity to indirectly show admissions how you think. Ideally, you’ll want to show your intellectual curiosity and values. However, this can be done indirectly.

More tips on unique college essay topics

Check out these UChicago essay examples in order to see how students successfully responded to these unique college essay topics. If you’re wondering how to start a college essay, reading successful college essay ideas is a good way to begin. Use them as inspiration to spur your own college essay ideas. 

From NYU supplemental essays to personal challenge essays or even a “why major” essay, remember the goal. Tell admissions more about you and what you’ll bring to campus. Additionally, your successful essays will make it clear that you’re a good fit for the school—even if not explicitly stated.

Short Essay Topics

While supplemental essays usually don’t have high word counts, there are certain college essay topics that are considered short essays. Short essays, when it comes to college essay topics, are those that are less than 100 words. They are much shorter than personal statement examples . Those of you who aren’t fans of writing might rejoice at the news. However, it can often be more difficult to write a meaningful short essay. 

Let’s take a look at some short essay topics from different universities. To start, here are the Columbia supplemental essays. These Columbia supplemental essays are considered short essay prompts. 

Columbia Short Essay Prompts

1. list the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (75 words or fewer), 2. in columbia’s admissions process, we value who you are as a unique individual, distinct from your goals and achievements. in the last words of this writing supplement, we would like you to reflect on a source of happiness. help us get to know you further by describing the first thing that comes to mind when you consider what simply brings you joy. (35 words or fewer).

The sheer number (10!) of short essays that USC requires may intimidate many. However, these USC supplemental essays are super short with a 25–100 word limit. Check out our guide with examples of USC supplemental essays. Here are the USC short answer essay prompts:

USC Short Essay Topics

Describe yourself in three words., what is your favorite snack, best movie of all time: , if your life had a theme song, what would it be, dream trip: , what tv show will you binge watch next, which well-known person or fictional character would be your ideal roommate, favorite book:, if you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be.

Stanford has a 100–250 word limit on their short essays. Let’s take a look at the prompts: 

Stanford Short Essay Topics

Virtually all of stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better., tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why..

You may have noticed that many of these short college essay topics were “lists” while others were simply short essays. Now, let’s think about how to respond to them. 

Approaching short essays

While it may seem like these college essay topics are very different from others, the approach is the same. Your responses should highlight what makes you the person you are. The only trick is to do it in a much shorter word count than other college essay topics. 

So, make the most of every word! This part may seem tedious, but you must choose your words carefully to craft the most impactful short essay response. With lots of polish, these types of short essay topics can add dimension to the rest of your application. What you decide to write about should tell the admissions team more about you, your interests, and your values. 

Choosing the best college essay topics

Of course, each college will have different essay prompts. For example, the NYU supplemental essays are very different from the  UChicago essays or the Columbia supplemental essays. Even so, good college essay topics are the ones that you can write the most passionately about. However, your college essay ideas must ultimately share more about you and why you belong on that university’s campus. 

When it comes to choosing good college essay topics, carefully read all the prompts. Is there one that jumps out to you? If so, that’s the best choice for you! If you’re considering various prompts, do a short brainstorming exercise for each prompt. Whichever prompt evokes the most meaningful experience that is an authentic representation of you should be your topic. 

Here is more advice from a student at Harvard on writing your best college essays as well:

What makes a great college essay? Most importantly, across college essay topics, your essays need to be personal, specific, and honest. Excepting short essay topics that ask for a list, normally your essays shouldn’t simply list accomplishments or experiences. Follow the classic writing adage when planning and writing out your best college essay ideas: show don’t tell. Consider anecdotes that highlight who you are. Use those stories as a foundation to craft your essays.

What should you not write in a college essay?

When it comes to good college essay topics, the sky is certainly the limit. And, since essays are so personal, good college essay topics will usually be quite varied. However, there are certain college essay ideas that you should stay away from.

Here are 5 college essay topics to stay away from: 

1. generic topics.

For example, admissions experts note that writing about sports injuries usually doesn’t go over well. Additionally, some sort of “big game” essay usually doesn’t land in quite the way students might imagine either. There is usually too much time spent on the game rather than on a student’s personal growth. But most often, sports-related obstacles tend to center around clichés (never giving up, the happiness of winning, the sadness of losing, team camaraderie, etc.). Predictable essays won’t make the biggest impact on admissions.  

2. Dramatic life events

For some students, this will work. However, don’t try to create some grandiose event in order to write a jaw-dropping essay. In fact, some of the best college essay ideas come from everyday experiences that shape the writer. That is to say, essays should highlight not simply what happened to you, but your responses to those experiences. With that said, if you can convey personal growth and positive change through a difficult life event, go for it.

3. Highly personal topics

This relates to the previous point. Indeed, most good college essay topics are pretty personal. However, there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed. For example, overly personal stories about mental health should generally be avoided, especially unprocessed trauma. While admissions can’t discriminate against you based on these topics, it’s usually a hard topic from which to craft a successful essay. Of course, we’re sure it’s been done. But, your best bet is to choose one of the many other good college essay topics that you’re sure to have.

4. Anything related to alcohol, drugs, or illegal behavior

This may seem blatantly obvious but certainly don’t talk about wild parties with illegal activities (and certainly don’t partake!). You should refrain from talking about your personal experiences with these themes in your college essays. However, if you are close with someone affected by these, that could be a plausible essay topic—but write carefully. Again, it’s probably safest just to take these topics out of the running.

5. High school gossip

This topic is going to make it hard for you to shine. Avoid any type of topics that relate to high school gossip. College admissions officers won’t be impressed, and it will be hard to come off as anything other than immature and superficial. Remember that your college essay will show what you are going to bring to campus. Certainly, admissions officers don’t want to bring this type of culture to their campuses. 

How to write your best college admission essays

Writing college essays is a huge part of the college application process. Of course, most admissions teams use a holistic review process, considering everything from GPA to extracurriculars to essays. Even so, essays are truly of utmost importance, as they are your personal account of your personality and life story. However, rather than stress about college essay ideas, look at it as an opportunity to share more about yourself. 

Here are 5 college essay tips for writing your best college admission essays: 

1. carefully choose your prompt.

You’ll be hard-pressed to write passionately about a topic that doesn’t genuinely excite you. So, carefully consider the prompts you’re given before drafting your essay. Choose the one that most calls to you. 

2. Tell your story

Good college essay topics will tell a story that would tell a total stranger more about you, your values, passions, and experiences. Get creative when it comes to telling a story in your essays. Hook the reader from the start and impress with your writing abilities. 

3. Answer the prompt

Anecdotes are great for writing personal, unique, and meaningful college essays. However, they absolutely need to be pertinent to the prompt at hand. Make sure that you comprehensively respond to the prompt. 

4. Start early

A lot of the stress that comes with college essays has to do with rapidly approaching deadlines. Be sure to give yourself ample time to complete your essays. You’ll need time to brainstorm, draft, revise, and edit. That’s in addition to completing the rest of the application! Ideally, start the summer before your senior year. 

5. Pay attention to grammar and mechanics

Being creative and telling a meaningful story is important when it comes to college essays. However, don’t forget that your grammar should be impeccable. Be sure to thoroughly revise and edit your essays. And, have someone else take a look at them too! An extra pair of eyes can help greatly when it comes to fine-tuning and perfecting your essay in its last stages. 

College Essay Topics Takeaways

In this guide, we’ve looked at many different college essay topics such as the personal statement, unique essays, short essays, and more. We also discussed how to structure the best college application essay format for different prompts. 

In order to craft the best college essay ideas and the best college admission essays, you should read many college essay examples. Studying college essay examples can help you when considering how to start a college essay. Remember you shouldn’t try to copy the stories from these college essay examples. Rather, use them as inspiration to tell your own story.

Are you sharing the impact of your gap year , explaining how you chose your major , or writing a why this college essay ? Whatever you’re talking about, reading successful essays will help you learn how to write better essays. And if you can write better than other applicants, then you’re sure to impress admissions.

At the end of the day, remember that there is no definitive college application essay format. Of course, there are certain things that most successful essays do. However, don’t get stuck on nailing one specific college application essay format. Rather, focus on self-reflection and personal growth when choosing your topics and which anecdotes to include. And, if you need some help along the way, CollegeAdvisor Admissions Experts are here to guide you in writing your best college essays!

This article was written by Sarah Kaminski and advisor, Alex Baggott-Rowe . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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September 13, 2023

The Most Popular College Essay Prompts for 2023-2024

With the 2023-2024 college admissions cycle in full swing and now that all of America’s highly selective universities have released their supplemental essay prompts , let’s analyze the most popular types of essay questions asked of applicants to the Class of 2028. So here goes!

Most Common Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2023-2024

While there are many supplemental essay prompts across the highly selective universities for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, we at Ivy Coach have distinguished four prompts as the ones that pop up the most. These four types of supplemental essays are as follows:

The Why College Essay Prompt

Most of America’s elite universities ask applicants why they wish to attend their institutions. Why do they ask this question? Because America’s elite universities are a tad insecure, and they’re trying to control their yields (or the percentage of accepted students who choose to enroll). Asking students why they wish to attend is a proven way of measuring a student’s Demonstrated Interest — or the likelihood they’ll matriculate.

When students respond to Why College essay prompts and fill their answers with names of professors or classes or generic sentences that can apply to virtually any school in America, they’ve fallen through the trap door of effectively proving to the school that they’d attend if admitted. Admissions officers don’t want to waste offers of admission on students who — no matter how well qualified — have no intention of enrolling. It’s why a student can get into Harvard University but be denied to Cornell University. Harvard, we at Ivy Coach have long argued, is the only school that truly doesn’t care about Demonstrated Interest because Harvard knows students wish to attend. When a school’s yield is over 84% , as it was for the Class of 2027, they have that luxury!

Top Colleges with Why College Essay Prompts

The following elite universities have versions of Why College essay prompts. Some of these prompts are worded differently than others, but they’re all essentially asking the same question:

The Why Major Essay Prompt

Many of America’s top colleges ask why students wish to major in the disciplines they’ve selected on the application. They want to understand the origin story of a student’s chief academic interest. Too often, applicants set this origin story during their childhoods when it would behoove them to set it during their high school years.

Top Colleges with Why Major Essay Prompts

The following elite universities have versions of Why Major essay prompts. Some of these prompts are worded differently than others, but they’re all essentially asking the same question:

The Why College/Why Major Hybrid Essay Prompt

Many of America’s top colleges ask an essay with essentially two parts: Why Major and Why College. Thus, their essay should include the origin story of their interest in their chosen field and specifics about the program at the school that only apply to this particular institution.

Top Colleges with Why College/Why Major Hybrid Essay Prompts

The following elite universities have versions of Why College/Why Major hybrid essay prompts. Some of these prompts are worded differently than others, but they’re all essentially asking the same question:

The Community/Background Essay Prompt

In the wake of the United States Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw Affirmative Action , many of America’s elite universities added this prompt to their supplements this year. The prompt capitalizes on Chief Justice John Roberts ’ own words in the majority opinion banning the consideration of race in admissions decision-making.

In the majority opinion, Chief Justice Roberts wrote, “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”

The schools that ask this prompt offer all applicants a chance to tell their stories. But by focusing on candidates’ backgrounds, it’s also an opportunity for underrepresented minority applicants to write about their race so these schools can continue to admit diverse classes.

Top Colleges with Community/Background Essay Prompts

The following elite universities have versions of Community/Background essay prompts. Some of these prompts are worded differently than others, but they’re all essentially asking the same question:

Two Schools Deserving of Praise for Their Supplemental Essay Prompts

While many elite universities included a community/background question on their supplements this admissions cycle, few included the word “race” in the language of their questions.

After all, with these questions, America’s elite schools are capitalizing on the loophole penned by Chief Justice Roberts in the majority opinion outlawing Affirmative Action. They want to walk a fine line between continuing to admit a diverse class without facing litigation for not obeying the Supreme Court’s decision.

But there are two  highly selective universities that bucked the trend and dared include the word “race” in their community/background questions: Johns Hopkins University and Rice University. In the world of college admissions, for bucking the trend and staring the Supreme Court right in the eyes, these schools are deserving of Profiles in Courage .

A School Deserving of Criticism for a Supplemental Essay Prompt

And while we applaud Johns Hopkins and Rice for daring to include the word “race” in their supplemental essay questions, we wish to shame the University of Virginia for asking what we at Ivy Coach have deemed the most outrageously inappropriate supplemental essay prompt on any of America’s elite college applications this year. That optional prompt is as follows:

If you have a personal or historic connection with UVA, and if you’d like to share how your experience of this connection has prepared you to contribute to the university, please share your thoughts here. Such relationships might include, but are not limited to, being a child of someone who graduated from or works for UVA, a descendant of ancestors who labored at UVA, or a participant in UVA programs.

While UVA’s admissions committee may defend asking this question with the misguided argument that it’s  optional , that’s  nonsense . UVA’s admissions committee is giving more space to mostly privileged students — the children of alumni and students who attended fancy shmancy UVA summer programs . As such, most students will choose not to answer the essay.

But that’s a mistake because any essay that’s optional in elite college admissions should not be considered  optional . Instead, it’s an opportunity for an applicant to make their case for admission, to tell their story. How dare UVA’s admissions committee give extra space for legacy applicants and students who attended fancy shmancy UVA summer programs!

Get with the times, UVA! Legacy admission is on the way out, especially after the SCOTUS ruling outlawing Affirmative Action. Yet, your institution — a public flagship, no less — is seemingly doubling down on legacy status. Your founder, Thomas Jefferson, didn’t write our Declaration of Independence from an aristocracy so you could perpetuate a ruling class in our American meritocracy. Shame on UVA!

All that said, we encourage  every  applicant to respond to this 100-word question. You don’t need to be a legacy. You don’t need to have attended a UVA summer camp. Just fill the essay with Why UVA specifics. Treat it as a typical Why College essay. Regretfully, we just suspect most students will think the essay doesn’t apply to them — through no fault of their own — and leave it blank.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with College Essays

If you’re looking to optimize your case for admission to America’s highly selective universities by submitting essays that inspire admissions officers to root for you, fill out Ivy Coach ’s free consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to outline our college admissions counseling services for applicants to the Class of 2028.

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How To Write An Essay

Essay Topics

Amazing Essay Topics & Ideas for Your Next Project (2024)

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Published on: Jan 25, 2021

Last updated on: Jan 30, 2024

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Are you a student struggling to find interesting and engaging essay topics for your next essay?

Choosing the right essay topic can be a daunting task. It often feels overwhelming to find a topic that is both captivating and meets the requirements of your essay. 

Without a compelling topic, you may struggle to engage your readers and convey your ideas effectively.

But fear not! In this blog post, we provide a list of topics to choose from. 

By exploring these diverse topics, students will not only find inspiration but also develop their critical thinking and analytical skills.

Let's dive in and explore the endless possibilities together!

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Good Essay Topics for Students

A good essay topic will make your writing phase easy and help you get good grades from the teacher. When you pick the essay topic, make sure it is interesting and meets your teacher’s requirements.

We compiled some simple essay topics that will help you in creating a great essay. 

Essay Topics for Kids

• Describe your worst nightmare.
• Football vs. baseball.
• Why is math hard?
• How to help animals?
• If I Could Fly.
• Benefits of drinking tea Vs. Coffee.
• Is your school day too short?
• Our school library.
• What do you like best about winter?
• Christmas Eve with family and friends. 

Essay Topics for Grade 3 

• My Favorite Season
• My Best Friend
• If I Were a Superhero
• A Place I Like to Visit
• My Dream Job
• The Best Day of My Life
• My Favorite Animal
• The Importance of Kindness
• My Favorite Book

Essay Topics for Grade 4 

• My last summer vacation.
• What is the funniest thing you've ever seen?
• How to prevent bullying?
• Why is it important to be honest and not lie? 
• What do you like about how you look?
• What is your favorite television show, and why?
• Can you live without television?
• How are we affecting the environment?
• Importance of recycling.
• If I Could Have a Superpower

Essay Topics for Grade 5 

• Write a poem about your favorite season.
• Skating and running have a lot in common.
• Who is your hero, and why?
• What if the president were a kid?
• Being rich vs. being famous.
• Cereal is not a healthy breakfast.
• A random act of kindness.
• Are boys too dominating?
• The rainy season.
• The Value of Honesty

Essay Topics for Middle School Students 

• What is your favorite children’s literature?
• From your point of view, what factors contribute to a good movie?
• Write about a vacation that you will never forget.
• Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals like chimpanzees or tigers?
• Should sports marketing professionals earn more money?
• Difference between effects of books and video games on morals.
• How many friends do teens need to have?
• How do online high schools compare to traditional education?
• What are the best informative essay topics?
• Should students be able to pick their teachers?

Essay Topics for Grade 6 

• Tom and Jerry are the best cartoons.
• Reading is more important than math.
• A field trip that your class took.
• Annual day in my school.
• How to deal with a bully
• A world where dogs take over. 
• Should boys and girls be in separate classes?
• Describe your future life.
• How should parents be an example to their children?
• Technology and education.

Essay Topics for Grade 7 

• The value of volunteerism
• The impact of social media on relationships
• A good diet means good health.
• Zoos are unsafe for young children.
• My favorite academic writing website.
• Why is it important to set goals?
• What is the best decision you ever made?
• Schools and colleges should minimize the fees.
• Effects of social media on youth.
• How fair is our election process?

Essay Topics for Class 8 

• The importance of financial literacy
• Exploring gender equality.
• Technology makes people's lives better.
• Is the death penalty right?
• Youth activism
• The power of literature
• Do you prefer weekdays or weekends?
• The matter of age in a relationship.
• Do your teachers use technology well?
• Do you make friends slowly or quickly? 

Essay Topics for Class 9 

• The impact of social media on young people's mental health
• Should school uniforms be mandatory? Why or why not?
• How can we reduce bullying in schools?
• The importance of physical exercise for students
• Is homeschooling a better option than traditional schooling?
• The benefits and drawbacks of online learning
• The impact of technology on communication skills
• The impact of fast food on public health
• The effects of climate change on the environment
• The importance of conserving natural resources for future generations

Essay Topics for Class 10 

• The impact of chemical fertilizers on the environment
• The role of mathematics in daily life 
• The importance of vaccines in preventing diseases
• The physics of roller coasters
• The impact of social media on mental health
• The benefits of learning a second language
• The impact of computers on modern society
• The role of art and music in promoting mental health
• The history and significance of the Indian Constitution
• The impact of globalization on Indian economy 

Essay Topics for O levels 

• Why is education important for personal and societal development?
• How has social media changed the way we communicate and interact with one another?
• How can sports help individuals develop discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills?
• What are some of the drawbacks of technological advancements in our daily lives?
• What can individuals and governments do to promote sustainable development?
• How has globalization affected cultural diversity and individual identity?
• Why is it important to prioritize mental health?
• Should animals be used for scientific research?
• How have historical events shaped the world we live in today?
• How can volunteerism and community service benefit both individuals and society?

Essay Topics for High School Students

• Does social media negatively impact teenagers’ social lives?
• Do you always have your phone or tablet at your side?
• Should children be punished for inappropriate behavior?
• What is the most important thing in the world to you?
• Is there a connection between real-life violence and video games?
• Ways to deal with insomnia and other sleeping disorders.
• Do advancements in modern technologies ruin childhood?   
• The implementation of capital punishment should be adopted universally.
• Methods of preventing excessive air pollution from factories.
• Pros and cons of getting admission to an expensive university.

Essay Topics for Grade 12 

• The Benefits and Challenges of Online Learning
• The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
• The Role of Social Media in Politics
• The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
• The Impact of Climate Change on Global Health
• The Ethics of Genetic Engineering
• The Pros and Cons of Universal Basic Income
• The Future of Space Exploration
• The Value of Intercultural Competence
• The Role of Art and Culture in Society

Essay Topics for College Students 

• What are the advantages the US educational system offers to international students?
• Explain the possible consequences of dropping out of college.
• Social media has played a big role in increasing business opportunities.
• What is one thing you want to accomplish in college?
• How would you feel about a computer grading your essays?
• What is an extracurricular activity that has been meaningful to you?
• Professional athletes are overpaid.
• Do you know the secret to Taylor Swift's popularity?
• The day you decided to change your life.
• Can you succeed in life working in the field of art?

Essay Topics for University Level 

• The Ethics of Human Cloning
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Employment
• The Role of Mass Media in Shaping Public Opinion
• The Relationship between Technology and Privacy
• The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy
• The Future of Healthcare
• The Impact of Globalization on Economic Inequality
• The Ethics of Animal Rights
• The Importance of Cultural Diversity in Education
• The Role of Government in Addressing Climate Change

COVID-19 Topics

As the world continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic, it's worth examining some of the topics that emerged during this unprecedented time.

Here are some potential COVID-19 topics to reflect on:

• How does the current situation compare with other major outbreaks in history?
• What steps need to be taken now, or soon inaction might lead?
• How do you get COVID-19?
• Where do coronaviruses come from?
• School life during COVID-19
• How is coronavirus diagnosed?
• Mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Pros and cons of self-isolation
• The effects of Covid-19 on business
• A person or special friend you lost due to COVID-19

Essay Topics by Category

Here are some essay topics that can be categorized into different types of essays.

Good Argumentative Essay Topics

An  argumentative essay  presents arguments for and against an issue. You have to show both sides of the issue, but you only need to focus on the side that you support the most.

Some good argumentative essay topics are below:

• What should be done to reduce income inequality?
• Should self-driving cars be legal?
• Should companies market to children?
• Is it still important to teach English in schools?
• Are emojis beneficial or destructive to communication?
• Should women be allowed to fight on the front lines alongside men?
• Is cheese a good enough substitute for milk?
• Should the United States have one official language?
• Are the public school policies reasonable?
• The sales and production of tobacco should be made illegal.

Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics 

Essay topics are sometimes controversial. For your help, check this list that gives you ideas for a great essay.  

• Are hot dogs bad for you?
• Should euthanasia be illegal?
• Paper books vs. E-books.
• Are school uniforms advantageous?
• Should torture be acceptable?
• Sports make you a good student.
• Is bottled water safe?
• Monarchy: pros and cons.
• Is prostitution a crime?
• Should gym classes be required?

Funny Argumentative Essay Topics 

Do you want to make your essay more interesting? Why not try a funny topic? Humor is a great way to get your reader's attention and keep them interested in what you have to say.

Look at the below-mentioned interesting essay topics and write a great one.

• Why is wearing braces fun?
• Why are dogs, irreplaceable friends?
• Can a diamond be a girl’s best friend?
• Does Google make us smart?
• Things your mother is always saying.
• How to deal with breakups?
• Is music class necessary?
• Why do women like evening outs?
• Can I join your family?
• How not to sleep?

If there's a specific topic or type of writing that interests you, be sure to check more argumentative essay topics .

Persuasive Essay Topics

A  persuasive essay  is a type of writing that you are often asked to do in high school, college, and university. It shows how well you can persuade people with facts and logic.

Here are some topics that you can use for your help.

• Should healthcare be universal?
• Should students learn cursive writing in school?
• School should take place in the evenings.
• What is the funniest movie you’ve ever seen?
• Do hobbies help people with their careers?
• How does it benefit nature to reduce human paper consumption?
• Dreamers must obtain permission to stay in the US.
• Schools should have playtime in between classes.
• Churches should pay taxes too.
• Is solar energy worth the cost?

Continue reading our blog persuasive essay topics and get some more interesting topics. 

Narrative Essay Topics

A  narrative essay  is a type of writing that tells the writer's story and experiences. The writer's point of view and life events entertain the audience in this essay type.

Below are some good narrative essay topics for your help.

• The story of how you got your first pet.
• How did you write your first essay?
• The beginning of a friendship or relationship.
• What I remember most about my childhood.
• The best songwriters of modern times.
• Write about a time when you felt on top of the world.
• Growing up in New York.
• How much time do you spend alone?
• A day in the life of a flight attendant.
• Did you like any particular subject when in school?

You can also get more interesting narrative essay topics and choose the one that suits your needs. 

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

In a  compare and contrast essay , you show how two things are similar and different. This essay type is easy to write because you don’t need to use facts, but you have to express your thoughts.

The following are the topics for your ease.

• Mobile healthcare units or stationary clinics.
• Formulas of two different chemical reactions.
• Public vs. private transportation.
• Chocolate and marmalade candies.
• How do education and employment compare?
• British colonization and Spanish colonization.
• Eating fast food against consuming healthy meals.
• African countries vs. European countries.
• Differences and similarities: Writing emails and letters.
• Plagiarizing content vs. cheating on exams.

You can also check more compare and contrast essay topics an d get ideas for your next essay. 

Cause and Effect Essay Topics

It is fascinating to discuss the effects and causes of two subjects in an essay. An essay that discusses the effects and causes of two subjects enhances the students’ creative and analytical skills.

Take a look at the below topics and choose the best one for your essay.

• How happy relationships affect a person.
• Coke and Pepsi: Their influence on our health.
• What causes social media sites to lose popularity?
• Why would you mix Coke and Pepsi at breakfast?
• How does college differ from university?
• Explain the outcomes of low social status.
• Microplastic in food damages human health.
• What are the main reasons couples get divorced?
• What are the consequences of drinking and driving?
• How does social media help in overcoming shyness?

Choose from the best cause and effect essay topics for your academic assignment. 

Informative Essay Topics

An  informative essay  is a type of essay that provides detailed information to the readers. This type of essay requires good research skills.

Check out the below topics for your informative essay assignment.

• Kindness is the utmost personal trait.
• Things that cause eating disorders.
• What is the importance of oxygen?
• How can tanning be dangerous for your skin?
• The events that led up to World War II.
• Trump presidency outcomes.
• The important human health vitamins.
• How to clean your room?
• Eating Maggi destroys your health.
• Importance of vitamin C.

You can also get more informative essay topics from our blog for your essay assignment.  

Research Essay Topics

When you write a research essay, you present an issue based on the work of scholars and scientists.

Here are some interesting research essay topics that you can use or alter according to your teacher’s requirements:

• What is the future of religion?
• Effects of homeschooling.
• What are the pros and cons of cloud computing?
• How does a search engine work?
• Should prayer be a part of high school?
• Can bullying be a cause for murder?
• Effects of vaccination.
• How do behavioral patterns develop?
• The importance of mental health.
• Explain the art of Ancient Egypt.

Expository Essay Topics

An expository essay's main goal is to explain a process or a cause-and-effect relationship. You have to use facts and research to support what you say. The biggest difference between an expository essay  and other types of essays is that the point you are trying to argue is based on analysis, not just your opinion.

Some good expository essay topics below for your essay assignment:

• Explain why teens do drugs.
• How would you stop racism?
• How was your first day at school?
• Explain how a seed becomes a plant?
• Describe the state of the cure for cancer
• What makes a good friend?
• Explain how tobacco companies target teenagers.
• How to become a leader?
• Why do kids lie?
• Autocorrect could ruin your life.

Explore more expository essay topics and begin your essay with ease!

Definition Essay Topics

In a  definition essay , the essay writer gives a clear and concise definition of a term. In most cases, these essays are about terms that are not concrete and which can have different meanings depending on the culture or personal perspective.

Here are some excellent topics for a definition essay:

• Does money matter?
• Is one friend enough?
• What is honesty?
• Social media
• Define smelly cats/
• What is college for you?
• What is physics?
• Are bananas fruit?
• Explain the word “agility.”

Get more outstanding definition essay topics from our blog and make your topic selection process easy.

Descriptive Essay Topics

A  descriptive essay  focuses on describing details of a particular person, place, event, etc. Descriptive essays are usually about personal experiences or things that are vivid in the writer's memory.

Any topic can be used for a descriptive essay. For your help, we gathered some great topics, so take a look at them and pick the best one.

• Describe a lucky object.
• The best singer
• My first flight
• My favorite singer
• Going fishing.
• The traffic signal
• An inspiring view
• Best summer vacation
• Piece of art

If you're looking for more great descriptive essay topics , check out this blog. 

Personal Essay Topics

A personal essay is a story about your life. It should be written in a friendly, intimate tone. The essay should reflect your character and examine the emotions you have felt because of certain events that have happened to you.

Here is a great list of topics for your help.

• Your biggest loss
• What makes you a good coworker or friend?
• How did you get hurt?
• What was your most precious childhood possession?
• Why do people like karaoke?
• Your bucket list of wishes
• Why do some people avoid vaccines?
• Child discipline
• Your family traditions.
• Why don’t I smoke?

Problem Solution Essay Topics

A  problem-solution essay  is a persuasive type of writing. It presents a problem and then describes it in detail. The writer must show how to fix the problem, and they must be convincing. The essay must have strong evidence and arguments that prove that the given solution is the best.

Below are some topics that can make your essay great.

• What obstacles prevent people from getting help?
• Should college athletes be paid?
• How can schools promote tolerance?
• Educating women on self-defense
• Helping young people create a healthy family.
• What are the ways of avoiding cheating?
• The films are just not very good
• Cyberbullying
• Business problems
• Rising costs of bills

Classification Essay Topics

A  classification essay  is a formal piece of writing that shows how you group things together. You might put things with similar characteristics together or with things that are different.

Check out some great essay topics.

• Types of Music Genres
• Healthy breakfast foods
• Types of fashion brands.
• Reasons why graffiti is an art form.
• Types of lectures
• Portable music players
• Types of Food Cuisines
• Types of therapies
• Examples of women
• Types of internet commerce

Proposal Essay Topics

A proposal essay is a type of essay where you propose an idea and try to convince the reader why it is a good or bad idea.

You can pick any of the topics from the below-mentioned list and write a great essay.

• Can vaccines cause autism?
• The impact of gender roles in Roman society.
• A program for attracting more men nurses.
• What tests should be eliminated?
• Offer simple ways to deal with stray animals.
• Best ways to handle overbearing parents.
• Do statistical arguments in sports help?
• Turning points in personal life
• Should teens have jobs?
• How to decrease the number of smokers?

Essay Topics on Technology 

• The impact of blockchain technology on supply chain management
• The ethics of using drones in military operations
• The role of technology in promoting sustainable agriculture
• The use of biometrics in modern security systems
• The impact of technology on the music industry
• The benefits and drawbacks of self-driving cars
• The potential of nanotechnology in medical research
• The impact of technology on modern art
• The role of artificial intelligence in improving cybersecurity
• The impact of technology on the gig economy

Tips for Choosing the Best Topics 

Choosing the perfect essay topic is one of those things you really should do before starting your essay. If it's not something that interests or excites you, then how will anyone else find any passion in reading about it?

A good backbone for an interesting essay starts with a strong idea. For your help, we gathered some tips that will help you in choosing a good essay topic. 

• Identify your interests: Choose a topic that you are interested in or passionate about. This will make the research and writing process more enjoyable and engaging for you.
• Consider your audience: Think about who will be reading your essay. Choose a topic that is relevant and interesting to your audience.
• Research your options: Do some preliminary research on your topic options. Ensure that there is enough information available to write a comprehensive essay.
• Narrow your focus: If a topic seems too broad or general, try to narrow it down to a specific aspect or angle that you can explore in more detail.
• Brainstorm multiple ideas: Generate a list of potential essay topics and then narrow down the options based on your interests, research, and audience.
• Be creative: Don't be afraid to explore unique or unconventional topics that may not have been covered extensively before. This can help your essay stand out and capture the reader's attention.

Now, you get a list of several essay topics for your college essay assignment. You can experiment with generating new topics using an AI essay writer as well. However, if you need help in the essay writing phase, simply consult CollegeEssay.org .

Our professional essay writers will help you in writing top-notch essays. So, place your " write my essay " request now and get an experienced writer’s help for your assignments.

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Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

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335 Unique Essay Topics for College Students [2024 Update]

The success of any college essay depends on the topic choice. If you want to impress your instructors, your essay needs to be interesting and unique. Don’t know what to write about? We are here to help you!

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

In this article by our Custom-Writing.org team, you will find 335 interesting essay topics for college students. We’ve also included some helpful tips on choosing a topic that will make your essay stand out.

• 🔝 Top 10 College Essay Topics
• 📋 How to Choose a Topic
• 🧑 Personal Essay Topics
• 🖌️ Descriptive Topics
• 🏺 Narrative Topics: History
• 🔮 Creative Writing Topics
• 🎓 Topics for Various Fields
• ✍️ Topics for Different Essay Types
• 🚫 Topics to Avoid

🔗 References

🔝 top 10 essay topics for college students, 📋 how to pick a college essay topic.

There is no universal advice on picking a great essay topic. However, the tips below will surely help you avoid choosing a mediocre one. Just follow these steps:

STEP #1: Start with brainstorming.

Relax and write down everything that comes to mind. It can be related to your personal life or areas of interest.

STEP#2: Use outside sources.

If you need additional inspiration, find a list of essay topic suggestions. Pick several options that appeal to you.

STEP#3: Select a topic.

Once you have your list of possible topics, do the following:

• Review the essay instructions or prompt, if you have one.
• Exclude ideas that are not suitable or compelling enough.
• Decide which of the remaining topics you want to write about. It might be the one you are interested in or understand best.

College Essay Topics: Fields & Disciplines

Now that you know how to choose a theme for your assignment, let’s examine this list of college essay ideas. These exceptional topics are arranged by subject, so you can go right to the section that interests you the most.

🧑 Personal Essay Topics for College

• Your perfect date.
• Settling an argument.
• What’s usually in your bag.
• Your most memorable purchase.
• What your upbringing was like.
• One quote that inspired you the most.
• What you do to make the world better.
• Where you want to spend your life.
• When the effort was worth the result.
• An unusual feeling you’ve experienced.
• A life-changing adventure. There are many ways to write about adventure in an essay . You can describe an interesting situation from your own life or one experienced by another individual, perhaps a famous figure.
• Positive and negative leadership examples. Typically, essays on leadership describe a specific person or a situation. A more interesting perspective on this subject is highlighting episodes of disastrous leadership. Some examples include the expansion of fascism after World War I or exploitation under European colonialism .
• Decision making. Both mundane and monumental, earth-shattering decisions make great essay topics. You can choose a situation and describe what the decision-maker did correctly or incorrectly.
• Deciding what to wear today. This might be the most mundane decision that everyone makes daily. However, just because it’s so ordinary, it might yield a fascinating college essay if explored thoughtfully.
• President Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan. This decision may have been the most significant of human history. It marked the introduction of a technology that could annihilate the human race. This decision may have been the most significant of human history. It marked the introduction of a technology that could annihilate the human race.
• Purchasing decisions in the supermarket. Similarly, everyone decides what to eat several times every day. In an essay on this subject, focus on the most interesting factors influencing grocery shopping decisions.
• Picking a book to read. According to The Atlantic, an average modern American reads fewer books than at any earlier time in history. With this in mind, consider writing an essay on selecting a book to read. This is particularly interesting when you recognize that more books are being published nowadays than ever before.
• Childhood experiences as behavioral drives. An analysis of childhood experiences can help interpret individual character traits. Any challenge and achievement play a part in the formation of behavioral drives. You can discuss them in the context of one’s mental development .
• Parenting styles and motives. Everyone knows that the role of parents in children’s lives is crucial. For your essay, you can choose to evaluate specific approaches to interacting with a child. Obtain reliable data about a child’s habits and find correlations with social adaptation principles.
• Problem-solving skills in everyday life. Problem-solving skills allow a person to overcome challenges. You may assess these skills from your perspective. This essay can also highlight the traits that enable you to cope with difficulties.
• Negotiation skills and conflict resolution attainments. The ability to compromise is a valuable personal quality. It can be helpful in different areas of interpersonal communication. In your paper, analyze ways to enhance this skill for successful conflict resolution.
• Bill Gates’ initiative to create Microsoft and change the world. Thanks to Bill Gates , computer technologies became available to everyone. Assessing his career path can help identify specific components of success. What valuable lessons can we learn from him?

🖌️ Descriptive Essay Topics for College Students

• What your hometown is like.
• What you dislike about the Internet.
• If emotions were personified.
• How you experience art.
• Holiday season and nostalgia.
• Your personal teaching experience.
• How regular workout makes you feel.
• The impact of music on your body.
• National holidays in different countries.
• Traditions you observed around the world.
• Marriage: then and now. In bygone eras, most children were born within wedlock. In the contemporary world, fewer marriages take place than before. What are the reasons behind it?
• Pressure on women to marry. In the past, women were coerced into marriage more forcefully than men. Unfortunately, this tendency remains in many societies even today. You can choose this topic to investigate sexism in everyday life.
• Sports in your life. Everywhere in the world, fans fervently adore sports . It’s a spectacular subject for an essay, no matter if your tone is serious or lighthearted.
• Football : pros and cons. An essay about this popular American sport will surely spark your readers’ interest. For instance, you may explore the long-term health risks associated with concussions.
• Basketball as a global sport. After soccer, basketball is the most rapidly growing sport globally. Your basketball essay could delve into the geopolitical implications of this newly globalized sport.
• What is love ? It is the quintessential human emotion , and that’s why it’s a timeless topic for any writing assignment.
• Happiness and how to achieve it. Love and happiness go together, so it is no surprise that happiness is a fruitful writing topic . You can choose to concentrate on pursuing happiness, simply being happy, or anything else.
• The 19 th century origins of Christmas carols . You could write about the origins of Christmas carols, most of which date back to the 19 th century. Before that, Christmas songs were restricted to church hymns .
• Christmas carols around the world. Every country with a significant population of Christians celebrates Christmas uniquely, making the global diversity of Christmas carols one of the more interesting essay topics.
• Personal feelings evoked by Christmas carols. Once again, you can focus on your personal experience. Simply describe how Christmas carols make you feel. feel.

🏺 Narrative Essay Topics for College Students: History

• The life of Socrates.
• Nero and the Roman Empire.
• Everyday life of Puritans.
• Events of Mexican-American War.
• Life during the Great Depression.
• Women in Trojan War.
• The start of the Nuclear Age.
• Heroes of the Space Race.
• Pearl Harbor through the eyes of a witness.
• The fall of the Sumer civilization.
• Local heroes. You can write a fantastic college essay on a historical personality who is highly appraised in your state. What is this person’s contribution, and what makes them outstanding?
• Real-life villains. The Ivy League essays often include an analysis of notorious people’s deeds or personalities. You can write about Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin , Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Josef Mengele, H. H. Holmes, Caligula, and many others.
• Influential people in any area. Your college essay can focus on some notable figures in politics, finance, science, literature, architecture, visual arts, music, sports, or pop culture.
• The most influential women. You can write about women who achieved a lot in the “men’s world.” Choose between Elizabeth I , Margaret Thatcher , Indira Gandhi, and many other renowned figures.
• Scientists who changed the world. You may write a great college essay about the contributions of Nikola Tesla, Charles Darwin , Thomas Edison , and other scientists. What areas of our lives have changed thanks to these people?
• Great conquerors and their power. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan , Attila, and other commanders were outstanding people of their time. They expanded their territories thanks to successful military campaigns. Your essay may focus on one of these great conquerors.
• Hitler’s decision to unleash World War II . Adolph Hitler’s personality is often explored in academic works. Your paper can explore what prompted the German leader to popularize Nazism in Europe . Understanding it may help prevent the repetition of such events.
• Religious figures. Explore individuals who developed essential doctrines and spiritual teachings. Your essay may include the key ideas of people such as Thomas Aquinas and Joseph Smith Jr.
• Fighters for justice and equality. Democratic societies were significantly influenced by those who struggled for human rights. Freedom of people around the world was their primary goal. Your essay can assess the roles of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, or Martin Luther King Jr .
• Voyagers and discoverers. Thanks to the great explorers of the past, the world as we know it today was shaped. You can write about Christopher Columbus , Ferdinand Magellan, and others in your paper.
• Roman emperors . Ancient Rome was the greatest civilization of its time. Throughout its history, individual emperors have contributed to its prosperity. Julius Caesar , Nero, and other rulers can be the focus of your essay.

🔮 Creative Writing Topics for College Students

• A conversation with yourself from the past.
• What would life be like on a rogue planet?
• If you were an ancient conqueror.
• A children’s fairy tale.
• What if there is no money in the world?
• A new perspective on a famous story.
• If you lived in another era.
• What are animals thinking?
• A perfect world as you see it.
• A horror story in the style of Kafka.
• Detective stories . Suspense is often the key to interesting essays. You can write a unique story about a murder in a castle, a theft in your college dorm, or fraud in a famous (or fictional) company.
• The world of your fantasy. Write an outstanding college essay that describes a brave new (or beautiful) world. Your dreams, books, films, or even news you’ve heard can be the source of your inspiration.
• Stream of consciousness . It can be the most straightforward task you have ever completed. Just write about your thought, dreams, and ideas. Whatever comes to your mind! Make sure to edit it afterward.

• Description of a dystopian world. Come up with a dystopian scenario to assess contemporary vices and problems. Use descriptive words to make your essay stand out.
• A new look at traditional values. For a creative essay, try rethinking traditional values. For instance, you may provide new perspectives on compassion, charity, respect, and other essential components of a civilized society.
• A short movie script. One of the ideas is to write a short film script on any topic. This task will allow you to showcase your storytelling skills .
• The future as you imagine it. You can pay particular attention to social issues and their development. Will the situation improve in the future?
• Reporter experience. Conduct an investigation and report your findings in a creative essay. This work may include interviews, illustrations, and the analysis of issues. This approach allows moving away from traditional forms of essay writing .
• On behalf of another person. Take an opportunity to explore an issue from someone else’s perspective. For instance, you can assess the difficulties faced by people of the opposite sex. It can help analyze the problems of interpersonal communication .

🎓 College Essay Topics for Various Fields

College life essay topics.

• Making a choice. You can write your college essay about making a decision. For example, how did you choose your college? Are you happy with your choice?
• Good and bad habits . Write about the patterns that affect your academic life. How can you get rid of the unproductive ones?
• Major challenges . In your college experience essay, you can describe the major issues you have faced during your school years. How did you handle them?
• Time-management practices. College studies are often stressful. That’s why multitasking is an important skill. In your essay, explore the topic of time management. Analyze the algorithms for competent task distribution.
• Memorable events. Did you ever have a life-changing experience? You can write a perfect college essay about it.
• University life: expectations vs. reality. You can also try to imagine your future and write an essay on your expectations related to university life .
• Interaction with classmates. An interesting topic for a college life essay is building relationships with classmates. It can be helpful to study the basics of teamwork. Conflict resolution practices are also important factors of interpersonal peer communication.
• Freshman experience. You can describe it in anecdotes or conduct some research. For instance, assess the challenges and barriers that first-year students face. Then, determine optimal mechanisms to overcome them.
• Teamwork and group activities. Describe appropriate ways to communicate with people in groups. Or, you can focus on the crucial features of effective teamwork .
• Research work experience. College education involves conducting many kinds of research. They refer to theoretical training and the practical study of subjects. In this regard, you can describe your personal research experience.
• The importance of self-education. Students often face the need to study some subjects on their own. Self-education and its aspects can be an exciting topic to explore. Focus on honing individual skills and overcoming academic challenges.
• A comparison of high school and college. For many high school students, the idea of college study is different from reality. You can describe the distinctions between the two levels of education. Give personal views on the learning process and common pitfalls.

Health Topics for College Students

• Healthy eating . In the wealthiest and poorest countries on Earth, healthy eating has very different meanings. Focusing on cultural variations of healthy eating has plenty of potential.
• Fast food and its popularity. People have never eaten so much fast food as they do now. Consider writing about this interesting trend and its health implications.
• Childhood obesity as a global health issue . Because of all the high-calorie foods available today, many children in industrialized countries have weight problems. This issue has some extraordinary potential for persuasive writing.
• The problem of alcoholism . Substance abuse problems such as alcoholism have been an exemplary subject of writing for a long time. You can contemplate the implications of this problem in your college essay.
• Teen pregnancy: risk factors . In many regions of the world, teen pregnancy rates are higher than ever . The phenomenon is often associated with poverty and lower levels of education.
• Smoking in public . Should it be outlawed? Is it a public health hazard or just fundamental liberty that the government is unjustified to control or even regulate?

• Why do people smoke ? All smokers have their initial justifications for starting to smoke, so perhaps use your essay to explore one or several reasons.
• Quitting smoking . Some people use tobacco substitutes like candies or even nicotine gum. Whatever the methods are, everyone struggles when trying to overcome an addiction.
• Smoking should be banned . This is an extremely strong stance, but these are often the most entertaining essays to write.
• Smoking and mood. Studying the linkage between smoking and mood is undeniably intriguing, especially if you smoke or know a smoker.
• Dangers of secondhand smoke . When a person smokes, nearby people also breathe in many of the toxins. You could write about the moral implications or the societal and health impacts of this phenomenon.
• Smoking and cancer. Everyone understands that tobacco use is linked to cancer, so attempt to take a novel perspective if you choose this topic.
• Smoking and cardiovascular disease. Long-term smoking has been linked to heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD.) Try to convince your reader of these very clear dangers in your essay.
• Peer pressure and tobacco use. The vast majority of smokers develop this habit at a young age because their friends or acquaintances are already smoking.
• Smoking in pop culture. In the past, movies and TV shows often depicted smoking. Your essay could explore how this pattern has evolved.
• Acquiring bad habits from family members. As pointed out by a famous public service announcement from the 1980s, addictions such as smoking can run in families. You could explain the implications of it.

Ideas for College Essay on Ethics and Society

• Abortion as a controversy . You could use this topic for an abortion debate essay. Rather than taking one position, try to do your best to present different perspectives.
• The case against abortion . In writing a pro-life essay , you need to offer various reasons to oppose abortion.
• The case for access to abortion. You may also consider a pro-choice essay . In this type of abortion persuasive essay, you need to emphasize the costs to individuals and society when women are denied access to abortions.
• Shoplifting and its consequences. Your essay could explore the motivation for this practice, methods of discouraging it, or even its implications to retail businesses. Maybe you can even detail a personal story about a friend who has shoplifted .
• Domestic violence in developed countries. Violence against women and children is frequent in all societies, so you can use your essay as an opportunity to explore domestic violence .
• Types of animal cruelty . Another woefully widespread form of abuse is animal cruelty. It can range from dog fights to factory farming and everything in-between.
• Capital punishment: pros and cons. The vast majority of governments have banned this barbaric practice. When judicial systems have the authority to take lives as punishment for crimes , there are profound social implications.
• Current events analysis. If you have difficulty picking a topic, open up a newspaper or go to your favorite news website . Your next essay can be on the first article you read that captures your attention.
• History of child labor . Under this subject, you could survey the decline of child labor over time. You might also want to consider atypical counterexamples of this trend.
• Child labor laws . Child labor doesn’t occur on a larger scale because it is banned by law. Take some time to research the effectiveness of these laws.
• Child labor across the world. In this essay, try to evaluate how child labor practices vary from one geographic region to another.
• Unemployment and child labor. Sometimes, there aren’t enough jobs even for the adults in a nation, not to mention children. Consider exploring why this happens.

Environmental Issues Essay Topics for College

• Local environmental issues . Success in college essay writing largely depends on one factor: you should pick a problem you are interested in or know a lot about. For example, describe what environmental issues you and your community face.
• The most urgent ecological problems. Burning issues such as pollution, deforestation , biodiversity loss , and scarcity of natural resources can jeopardize the existence of the human race if solutions are not found. You can come up with a perfect essay on any of these challenges.
• Solutions to environmental problems. Winning college essays often include describing and analyzing efficient or inefficient solutions. You can write about emissions restrictions , the use of renewable energy sources, and so on. Why are some solutions ineffective?
• Renewable energy. Solar energy, windmills, electric vehicles, and many other solutions are implemented every year, but environmental issues persist. Your essay can answer the following questions: Why is renewable energy underused? Why is the production of electric vehicles in its infancy, although it started at the beginning of the 20th century?
• Global and political perspectives on sustainability. Some countries, especially in Western Europe, are making significant progress in developing sustainable practices. However, some states focus on gaining economic well-being or supremacy, especially in the developing world. Will the US be one of the global polluters in the future?
• Global warming and how to stop it. This is an urgent contemporary issue that deserves particular attention. An essay on a climate catastrophe may prompt readers to discuss the problem. Describe the ways to avoid adverse consequences for nature and humanity.
• Water and air pollution. Write about the impact of pollution on individual spheres of life. For example, focus on the correlation between contamination and economy.
• The depletion of natural resources. Ecological issues are often connected with natural resources. They’re essential in industrialized societies. You can discuss the depletion of these resources in your college essay.
• The issues of waste disposal. Environmental activists are concerned about severe soil pollution . They also address the negative impact of landfills on ecology. All of this shows that waste disposal is an urgent issue. Study how much of a threat it poses for humanity.
• The dangers of animal extinction. Over the past few decades, many species have become endangered . You can review this problem as a consequence of industrial development.
• Deforestation’s consequences. This topic is closely related to the issue of mass extinction. Forests are a habitat for countless species of animals and plants. What adverse effects does deforestation entail?
• The economic impact of environmental problems. Focus on financial aspects and budget spending on pollution control . You can also highlight the importance of addressing challenges associated with climate change.

Topics for Funny College Essays

• Humorous stories and personal experiences. University essay writing can be enjoyable and even entertaining. Describe some of your adventures or make up a funny story for your assignment. Be creative !
• Interesting historical facts. You can find tons of funny stories if you dig deeper into history. Many entertaining events are well-documented. Choose one and write an essay about it.
• Funny and awkward situations. All students know what it’s like to be in an uncomfortable situation. Try to describe such an event in a comical way. It will allow you to look at it from a different perspective.
• Dealing with unexpected tests. Sometimes professors don’t warn their students about upcoming tests . Did it ever happen to you? You probably didn’t enjoy these experiences. Still, why not describe them in a humorous essay?
• Your personal teaching experience . This topic is suitable for student teachers. Have you tried teaching a whole classroom of noisy children? Successful or not, these experiences make great anecdotes.
• Excessive efforts. Some students put too much effort into education. Sometimes it pays off, and other times it’s all in vain. Does it sound familiar to you? Write an essay about it!
• Poor time management. Delays, late deadlines, and other time management catastrophes can form the basis of this essay.
• Jokes on classmates. Innocent pranks help maintain a friendly environment and even serve as team building . Describe the memories of such humorous situations in your essay.
• Your professors’ jokes. Not only students but also teachers are often inclined towards humor. Occasional jokes on their part can be a good essay topic for college. Such gags can contribute to maintaining interest in a learning environment .
• Least favorite lessons. Describe the most boring or unpleasant class you can remember in a humorous manner.
• Making friends with other students. Awkward and funny situations often accompany these experiences. They can serve as a topic for a great essay.
• Unexpected praise. It’s always a pleasure to receive unexpected recognition from teachers. It’s especially gratifying when you do something well by accident or without even trying. Did anything like that ever happen to you? Then write a short story about it!

Best College Essay Topics on Gender Issues

• Machismo: what is it? How was the term coined? What are areas of life negatively affected by this phenomenon? Think about sports, politics, or popular culture.
• Gender roles in modern societies. Many Harvard essays provide answers to the following questions. How are gender roles distributed in your country, community, family? What factors led to this distribution?
• Famous feminists. Explore the contributions of Lucrezia Marinella, Anne Bradstreet, Emmeline Pankhurst, Eleanor Roosevelt , Marlene Dietrich, Alice Walker, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and many other renowned women.
• Men’s views on gender. Writing a good college essay involves an analysis of different perspectives. It can be fascinating to examine men’s attitudes towards gender issues .
• Matriarchy as a social system. You can write about modern societies such as Bribri or Garo. Or, you can find examples of matriarchy in the past. What about Neolithic Ages or Bronze Age ?
• Biological differences between sexes. It can be an eye-opening experience to explore physical differences between men and women. Are they that different?
• Patriarchal society in today’s world. Assessing patriarchy as a trend can help identify key stereotypes and stigmas. How can we facilitate women empowerment ?
• Workplace gender discrimination . Even today, many women struggle to get promoted due to gender stereotypes. Biased attitudes are unacceptable in modern organizations. Where do they originate from, and what should be done about it?
• Conflicts between boys and girls at school. The foundations of interpersonal interaction are laid in a collective environment. Analyze students’ behavior patterns related to interactions between boys and girls. What are the most common causes of conflicts?
• Family violence from a gender perspective. Family violence is a grave social problem. In your paper, identify the underlying determinants of domestic abuse .
• The role of women in science . Assess the contribution of women scientists from different eras. You can focus on their specific achievements and auxiliary work. Both the humanities and the sciences are suitable for analysis.
• Individual duties in parenting. The roles of fathers and mothers in families are often separated. In your essay, analyze stereotypes and behavioral patterns related to parenthood. You can use specific variables such as the time spent with children.
• Women in male-dominated occupations. Assess the performance of women in positions usually occupied by men. You can study female CEOs, firefighters, or filmmakers. What are the career prospects for women in these fields?

Titles for College Essays on Diversity

• Cultural diversity’s importance . Many Stanford essays explore issues associated with cultural diversity and how it can affect individuals, workplaces, and societies.Many Stanford essays explore issues associated with cultural diversity and how it can affect individuals, workplaces, and societies.
• Ethnic diversity in different countries. The US is one of the most conventional examples of a melting pot. How do people of different cultural backgrounds co-exist there? What challenges do they face? How do they solve conflicts?
• Variety of religious beliefs. Religion is one of the most interesting subjects to write an essay on. You can concentrate on Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and dozens of other religions. Scientology or Happy Science can also be excellent essay subjects.
• Diversity related to sexual identity . You can write an outstanding argumentative essay on same-sex marriages or the inclusion of issues such as transgender identity in the K-12 curriculum.
• Personal contribution to diversity development. Address the promotion of diversity as an important social phenomenon. Your essay will raise awareness of this practice.
• Children’s and adults’ views on diversity and ethnicity. This essay can highlight crucial aspects of interpersonal communication. You can pose questions from a child’s perspective. Do other people’s ethnic backgrounds play an essential role for children compared to adults?
• Cross-cultural management in modern organizations. Leaders of various companies promote this valuable practice. It’s highly relevant in today’s business environment. The trend of globalization is one of its crucial factors.
• Gender diversity in the management field. Issues related to the distribution of leadership roles are often discussed in the context of gender. In your paper, evaluate the perception of male and female managers. This analysis may reveal the existing trends and views on the issue of diversity .
• Gender diversity from a criminological perspective . You can evaluate the current situation in the legal field. Assess offenses committed by people of different genders. The proportion of female prisoners, the severity of crimes, and other essential aspects can be used as criteria for comparison. This work may help assess potential bias.
• Gender diversity in the army. Attitudes towards women in military service are interesting to discuss. In an essay, you can present distinctive opinions. Mention the importance of involving people of all genders.

Short Essay Topics for College

• Teenagers’ concerns . You can write a simple essay on the appropriate age to vote or the proper age to buy alcohol. You may also want to examine major reasons for misunderstanding between teenage children and their parents.
• Best something ever. An excellent way to start a college essay is to write about something you admire, such as your favorite movie. What can you learn from it?
• Someone inspirational. For example, why not write an essay about your favorite teacher? How did this person change your life?
• Political issues in the US. Many short college essays are concerned with political life. You can write a winning essay about Electoral College or the flaws in the US voting system.
• An abstract concept. You can define an idea in your short essay. For instance, write about consumerism and the existing definitions of this term. Which one is the most appropriate? Why?
• Modern social values . The topic refers to the shift in moral values. For example, you can discuss the roles of wealth and personal beliefs. Compare them with the values of past eras to highlight the changes.
• Contemporary addictions and methods to deal with them. Explore excessive smartphone use, gaming , and other new addictions. Include the ways of dealing with these problems.
• A management theory overview. This paper can summarize individual findings related to management. Alternatively, you can present one of the theories of business development.
• Proposal of a legal act. This topic is perfect for a law essay. For example, discuss the document’s purpose, stakeholders , and industry-specific implications. The intersection with other regulations is optional.
• A geographic location. A short essay format is convenient for a description of a specific place. You can start by providing the basic facts about it. Include its population, area, resources, and several other parameters.
• Definition of an economic term. In this short essay, analyze a term of your choice. For instance, discuss inflation , capital, clearing, or any other definition. Explain the term you’ve chosen in simple words.
• A science to study. Choosing a science to learn is a potentially daunting task. In your essay, assess any field of study you like. Describe their benefits and pitfalls. You can also mention career prospects.

Great College Essay Ideas in Visual Arts

• Historical periods in art. Your paper can dwell upon a specific era. Why did the Renaissance occur? What are the central peculiarities of Postmodernism ?
• Artists and their personalities. Countless Cornell essays on art provide insight into artists’ legacy. Your essay writing can become a fascinating process if you focus on Leonardo, Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, Andy Warhol , Artemisia Gentileschi , or Barbara Kruger.
• Prospects of artistic forms. You can use your imagination and think of the world in the 2100s. Try to predict the movements that will become popular in 100 years.
• Masterpieces. Essay writing practice is associated with the ability to narrow topics down. You can choose a specific work for your analysis from the following list: The Birth of Venice , The Scream , Starry Night , and Girl with a Pearl Earring .
• Different genres and styles in visual art . Many distinctive genres characterize visual arts. They differ in style, period, and other aspects. In your essay, you can describe impressionism, surrealism , cubism, abstract art, and other genres.
• Mediums in visual arts. Every art form is distinguished by the use of materials. Explore the peculiarities of oil paintings, prints, or watercolors.
• Art galleries to visit around the world. You may want to choose one art gallery and describe its history. Your essay will be even more interesting if you add the descriptions of the most famous artworks found in the museum.
• How auction houses work. Numerous art pieces and collectibles are sold at auctions. One of the world’s most famous auction houses is Sotheby’s. In your paper, present the workings of an auction of your choice. Add individual examples of profitable deals from its history.
• The most expensive art objects . The cost of many classical paintings is enormous. The prices are usually estimated by qualified experts. Explore this topic in your essay and include information on the most expensive art objects.
• The comparison of classical and contemporary art forms. Art is a dynamic environment that is constantly evolving. New genres and forms of expression appear regularly. In your paper, compare classical canvases with modern means of creative expression such as graffiti . What influences the emergence of new art forms?
• Rescued artworks and their history. History knows examples of great artworks that were found centuries after their disappearance. Your essay can study several art objects saved during wars.

Conspiracy-Related College Essay Topics That Stand Out

• Space exploration . If your essay requirements concerning the topic are not too strict, you can try to answer some of the following questions. Did “a giant leap for mankind” really occur? Why was the Moon project shut down? Is there life on Mars ?
• Wealth distribution. An excellent essay for college students can focus on the allocation of resources. Is there a league of people who own or control all the resources ? How did the world’s wealthiest people earn their money?
• Secret societies of the past and present. Does the Illuminati exist? Can such a secret society persist in the modern world?
• Catastrophes and reasons behind them. Why did Titanic drown? Was the curse of the Pharaoh real? Was the Chernobyl nuclear disaster an accident , or was it an unsuccessful experiment of KGB?
• JFK’s assassination . Who killed the most loved president? Why was the investigation so inadequate? Were any other countries’ agents involved?
• Aliens among us. Does Area 51 exist? What do governments hide? With questions like these, essay writing for college students can be exciting!
• Did Adolf Hitler escape after World War II? One of the most mysterious conspiracy theories is the possible escape of Adolf Hitler. Some people believe that the Nazi leader moved to Argentina after World War II . Your essay may discuss whether his suicide was staged.
• Is HIV an experimental biological weapon against humanity? The end of the 20th century was a difficult time. During this period, a suspicion arose that HIV was a biological weapon. Pharmaceutical companies and governments were blamed for this. What caused this conspiracy?
• Did Elvis Presley fake his death? Elvis Presley , the idol of millions, passed away long ago. However, many fans don’t believe in this outcome. A conspiracy theory was born that the musician faked his death. You can explore its implications and determine what it says about American pop culture.
• 5G cell towers exposure and accusations against Bill Gates . Explore the public fears related to the potential exposure to 5G cell towers. Include the experts’ opinions and assess the role of Bill Gates as one of the promoters of fast Internet.
• Flat Earth theory and its followers. In recent years, many flat Earth proponents have emerged worldwide. In your essay, compare their arguments with officially existing data. Why is this conspiracy so widespread?
• COVID-19 conspiracy theory. Certain groups of people doubt the threat of the pandemic. They believe that the coronavirus is a fictional problem. Your essay might focus on the evidence for the virus’s existence.

Other College Essay Topics

• Personal reasons to become a nurse
• US women’s rights movements in 1850-1900
• The importance of the “knowledge utilization” concept
• Ethical responsibilities to children
• Work-life balance in employed women
• The environmental impacts of the food and hospitality industry
• Personal time management challenges
• Conspiracy theories and distrust of experts
• Brazilian business from personal experience
• Panathenaic festival: personal experience
• Social stratification in the United States
• Leadership and personal philosophy of management
• Trends in atmospheric carbon concentration over 150 years
• How business organizations value diversity
• Personal experience: how being bullied shaped me
• Automation of insurance industry: personal reflection
• Environmental trends showing improvement
• Food processor description and how to use it
• Catharanthus roseus: description and its benefits
• Racial identity based on personal experiences
• Tap dance: history and personal attitude
• How educational institutions value diversity
• National Association of Social Workers code of ethics
• Continental mountain ranges and ocean lifecycle
• Personal experiences and social imagination
• Personal ethical framework – decision-making
• Creating personal business plan
• Sustainability and waste management
• Gun violence as the social justice issue
• Ethical theory and personal morals
• Reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases
• Arts and crafts movement in Melbourne
• Energy management and nuclear power plants development
• A personal code of ethics
• What’s significant about Mesopotamia geography?
• Personal budget planning: saving, investing, and donating
• Intersectionality of personal identities
• “Not so new” New World Order. Conspiracy theories
• Picture exchange communication system research
• Urbanisation impact on streams and rivers
• Savoring and flow in personal experience
• Personal leadership portrait: leadership reflections
• Researching of personal health recorder
• The notion of race through the prism of personal experience
• Students’ life in college: classes, exams, courses
• Spatial and social mobility: barriers and restrictions
• Air quality and pollution: solution measures
• Why understanding personal biases is important
• Human condition to adapt: factors
• Project management process description
• Criminal justice and workforce diversity
• The art style of Mueller analysis
• Quality measures description
• Haiti and Japan’s earthquake comparative analysis
• Ethical relativism and freedom of speech
• Common patterns of social behaviors
• Racial discrimination regarding attraction and romance
• Theory of caritative caring by K. Eriksson: description and main concepts
• Unfair treatment experience based on cultural diversity
• Madeline Leininger’s theory of culture care diversity and universality
• DNA fingerprinting technology: description and use
• Gloucester City community description
• Violence against queer community and construction of gender
• American nation’s changes after the Civil Rights Movement
• Positive things to learn from Medieval culture
• Racial tensions and immigration in California
• Solar energy: advantages and disadvantages
• The Salem Witch Trials history
• Nuclear accidents danger analysis
• Risk, expatiating on its types, classifications and methods of control
• The impact of individualism, ethnic nationalism, and class rule on society
• Television, movies, and games’ relationships with culture
• Catastrophic organizational failure in examples
• Thermal power generating plant – impact
• Racial inequality, immigration, and healthcare in the US
• Scenario investigation of waste management in Australia
• Environmental science: main principles
• The important steps that are involved in the processing of images
• COVID-19 conspiracy: critical thinking
• Climate disruption: understanding the problem and its significance

✍️ Topics for Different College Essay Types

Below you’ll find writing prompts for problem solution, cause and effect, and definition essays. There’s also a section with personal statement essay topics. Check them out!

• In a problem-solution essay , you need to introduce an issue and suggest several ways to fight it. Usually, each body paragraph describes a different solution. This essay aims to convince the audience that these scenarios are the best ways to eliminate the problem.
• In a cause and effect essay , you need to discuss a problem, its reasons, and possible consequences. It’s better to pay attention to topics that involve multiple studies of the issue (you can read our cause and effect essay guide to learn more.)
• In a definition essay , you need to explain a term, concept, or idea. Sometimes a definition is only a part of a more extensive research paper. It’s crucial to study the topic from different perspectives to provide an extended definition. Before you start working on your essay, make sure that the meaning of the word you’ve chosen is not too simple.
• In a personal statement , you write about yourself. Writing a personal statement or a transfer essay is crucial when applying to college. How do you make it a winning paper? Read our personal statement guide .

Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Students

• How can students contribute to educational system changes in the United States? Discuss student communities and their impact on college life. Do students need to have more power and control over changes in the educational system?
• Ensuring access to clean water in developing African countries. Describe the achievements of charities that aim to help countries such as Ethiopia . You may also write about the costs of technologies that filter water. What are the possible solutions with a limited budget?
• How can you help make energy cleaner? Try to think about what you can do on campus that will enable clean energy access. Decide whether it should be a part of your curriculum.
• Ways of reducing plastic waste in oceans. Research the current efforts of environmental organizations and big businesses. Then, evaluate them and find the best solution.
• Healthy eating habits among children. Think about the right age to start educating children on healthy eating . Find several possible ways to develop the proper habits without forcing children.
• How can students address sustainability and climate change? Describe your participation in ecological projects, communities, etc. You can also discuss the possible things you and other students can do without spending too much time and money.
• Ways of stopping healthcare rising costs in the United States. Highlight the current problems of the healthcare model . What measures does the government take to solve them? Try to find the best way to optimize the resources.
• Psychological support for children who suffered from violence. Research the techniques specialists use when working with children. What do you find more preferable: therapy or medication ? Suggest how we can protect children from further offenses.
• How can we provide equal chances to children who want to receive an education? For this essay, find as much information as possible about financial aid , including grants, loans, and other projects. What’s the best way to make education accessible to everyone?
• Reducing homelessness in the United States. Study the factors that make people homeless and what the government does to fight it. Then try to come up with an action plan.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics for College Students

• The effects of regular alcohol consumption on women’s health. Everyone knows that excessive alcohol consumption has highly adverse effects. In your essay, you can discuss the causes of alcoholism in women. Try to find specific information about diseases, psychological problems, and lifestyle changes related to them.
• What causes bullying among preschool children? Children might get violent due to many factors. Describe what beliefs and behavioral patterns influence their actions at preschool age.
• What are the economic effects of the 2020 lockdown ? Write about the changes in the labor market, remote jobs, and new opportunities. How did small businesses manage to survive in extreme circumstances?
• Lack of education in African countries: causes and effects. Discuss why children in some African countries don’t have access to education. Then, explain how it affects labor markets and economies. Make sure to choose only one country as a research subject.
• What will be the effects of implementing higher taxes on tobacco ? Will it inspire people to quit smoking or buy fewer tobacco products? Study the previous cases of such measures and predict the outcomes.
• How does social media affect communication in families? For this essay, research the impact of social media on family relationships. Do social media users communicate more or less with their closest relatives? on family relationships. Do social media users communicate more or less with their closest relatives?
• The causes and effects of glacier melting . Global warming, ozone depletion, and many other factors contribute to this process. Discuss how this issue influences people and animals.
• What would happen if everyone started using electric cars? Study the benefits and drawbacks of electric vehicles . You might discuss the CO2 emissions and safety.
• What are the effects of animal hunting in the United States. We can call hunting a hobby, a sport, and even an illegal activity. In your essay, describe the current laws and why people want to hunt. How do these activities influence animals’ populations?
• The causes and effects of chemical pollution in China. China is the biggest manufacturer of goods in the world. However, the waste that the factories produce becomes dangerous for its ecology. In your essay, research how chemical pollution affects the everyday life and health of the Chinese people.

Definition Essay Topics for College

• Behaviorism in psychology and philosophy. Consider writing your essay on behaviorism as a psychological movement at the beginning of the 20 th century. Additionally, you can provide a broader definition by researching behaviorism in philosophy. century. Additionally, you can provide a broader definition by researching behaviorism in philosophy.
• How can we define egoism ? People interpret human behavior and character traits in different ways. Someone who seems to be an egoist to you can seem like someone with a sense of self-worth to another person. You can provide your own viewpoint on this issue.
• What is the definition of evil ? Some people believe in eternal evil , while others see evil even in the littlest bad things that happen to them. In your opinion, what makes someone or something evil?
• Does the term “commodification” only apply to goods? In the modern world, everything has value. Discuss the moral aspects of commodification and the limits of its application.
• What is your definition of the word “endurance” ? You can compare the physical abilities of athletes and non-athletes. Don’t forget to mention mental stamina that involves dealing with psychological pressure and overcoming difficulties.
• Does the word “ambition” have a positive or negative meaning? Naturally, you can’t give a single answer to this question. Instead, you can discuss both sides of this concept in your paper.
• How can you define the word “dualism”? Describe all the meanings of the word “ dualism ” in philosophy and daily life. Don’t forget to provide your understanding of the concept. You may also explain why this term is controversial.
• What does the word “identity” make you think of? Cover all the meanings of this word. Begin with a set of qualities that defines a person. Also, you may include a psychological interpretation of the term.
• What is your interpretation of the word “justice”? Discuss the legal definition of this concept. Also, you can write about the moral aspects and the subjective meaning of the term. Describe how justice is related to rewards and punishments and its place in the modern world.
• What are your thoughts about realism ? This term is used in many disciplines. For example, it’s prominent in literature and art. In your essay, you may describe realism as a philosophical concept and its different forms and perceptions.

Themes for Your Personal Statement Essay

• Your academic credentials. When writing about your academic achievements , it is appropriate to mention the major things like your degree or courses you’ve had. It’s better to focus on the moral lessons you’ve learned rather than your grades and certificates.
• Your personality traits. A successful acceptance essay will reveal your character. Admission officers want to know who the applicants are. Every university has its specific culture, so they should make sure you can fit in.
• An event that changed your life. Of course, your college entry essay can’t be just an enumeration of character traits. Describe some circumstances where your personal qualities manifested themselves. Again, it’s best to focus on the lessons you’ve learned!
• Commitment as your character trait. Your college admittance essay should also show your dedication. Why do you want to study there? Why do you want to take the course you’ve chosen? What are you ready to do for your alma mater?
• Humor in your life. Even Harvard personal statement essays are often characterized by humor. Write about your failures in a funny way, and admission officers will see your ability to stand up and fight.
• Academic goals and ways to achieve them. Choosing a field to study is a responsible step. You can describe this process in a personal statement . Justify your choice and mention the academic skills necessary for this particular field.
• Creative writing . When applying to a course in English, it can be effective to write a poem rather than a typical description of your educational background.
• Views on society and contemporary values. You can impress the committee by discussing your opinions. One convenient approach is to focus on modern society and its values. Analyze the foundations of a particular cultural environment and assess interaction gaps.
• Professional objectives you want to achieve. Without mentioning professional goals, a personal statement will be incomplete. One effective strategy is to evaluate the desired prospects you want to achieve. They can be related to education as well as work. Pay attention to relevant resources needed to acquire optimal skills.
• Cultural background from an ethnic perspective. A personal statement can be focused not only on your academic experience but also on your cultural background . Include the basic facts about your ethnicity, parents, beliefs, family values, and other information. This way, you’ll present yourself comprehensively and impartially.
• Self-evaluation over time: personal strengths and skills. Both short- and long-term perspectives are worth mentioning. Assessing individual development and career growth can provide you with a helpful timeline.

🚫 College Essay Topics to Avoid

When it comes to college essays, some topics might produce a wrong impression or offend your audience. That is why you need to know what kind of content is not suitable for your academic writing.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

Here are the most common examples of the topics that you should avoid:

• Your personal life. Better leave the stories about your breakups aside. For a successful application essay, you can focus on the other areas of your life. Try to choose a topic that will show how well you are suited for the college.
• Inappropriate humor. Provocative, mean, or cruel jokes are not suitable for college essays. Your audience probably won’t consider such humor clever or funny. If you are unsure if a joke fits your task, don’t hesitate to ask your professor.
• Tragic stories. This trope is critical to avoid when writing essays about yourself. It’s okay to mention tragic events, but it’s best to avoid making a pessimistic narrative out of your paper. Instead, you can describe such occurrences as challenges to overcome and focus on the positives.
• Sensitive or controversial topics. Avoid them if you know that they may offend your readers. Politics, religion, abortions, and cruelty are not the best topics for college essays. If your assignment requires writing an essay on one of those topics, make sure you don’t make bold statements or provoke your audience.
• Cliché topics. It’s better to avoid writing about your academic achievements, volunteering, or winning a sports competition. Admissions officers and professors have read similar essays thousands of times.
• Overly narrow topics . It’s good to choose a topic that stands out because it’s not cliché. However, it becomes harder to find enough relevant information if it’s too obscure or limited. Choose a topic like this only if you are sure you will have enough data to research.
• Insulting someone. Offensiveness is a wrong approach to your assignment that creates a negative impression. It’s crucial to stay objective and professional when it comes to academic writing.
• Fancy words. Avoid overcomplicating your essay’s title and its contents. It’s also not a great idea to begin your essay with a trite quote. Instead, it’s best to prioritize logic and clear structure during writing.
• Vague topics . It will likely make your essay lack a focus, which will come off as unprofessional. Make sure to always narrow your topic down to a particular issue.
• Untrue and unrealistic topics. It might be interesting to fantasize about impossible scenarios and get creative. Still, remember that you need to support your statements with solid evidence. It’s much harder to do when you deal with unrealistic topics.

We hope these college essay topics helped you make a great choice. If you need more proposal argument essay topics, feel free to use our topic generator . Let us know in the comments what topic you’ve chosen!

This might be interesting for you:

• College Essay Writing 101—the Comprehensive Guide
• How to Write a Creative Essay: Tips, Topics and Techniques
• Descriptive Writing Exercises to Boost Your Imagination
• Terrific Essay Tools for Fast and Simple Writing
• How to Use the Right Gender-Neutral Pronouns
• How to Write an Outline That Will Earn an A+ Grade

✏️ College Essay Topic FAQ

Think about something that makes you genuinely interested. You will need to research the subject. So if you are bored from the outset, you won’t be able to do a good job and impress your readers.

A good topic doesn’t have to be very serious. It means that the subject under study should fascinate you. Then you would be able to make it enjoyable for others, too. Study something connected with your hobby, favorite author, or even a country.

To choose a good topic, you need to think about your assignment. Different issues are appropriate for argumentative, persuasive, and other types of essays. The main thing is that the subject should interest you. Your essay would be more exciting for the readers if you have fun writing it.

If you are lucky enough to choose a topic for yourself, you can have fun writing the essay. Don’t waste this opportunity! To figure out the best subject, think about your favorite things. If you want to share something with others, write an essay about it.

• Writing Tips: Thesis Statements: Writers Workshop, The Center for Writing Studies, Illinois
• Essay Introductions: UMGC, the University System of Maryland
• How to Read an Assignment: William C. Rice, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
• Thesis Statements: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Essay Writing: University of Wollongong
• How to Write High-Quality Papers and Essays More Quickly: Ransom Patterson, College Info Geek
• Essay Tips from Andrew K. Strickler, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid: Connecticut College
• Essays that Worked: Hamilton College
• Popular Application Essay Topics: The Princeton Review
• Women’s Health Topics: US Food & Drug Administration
• Essay Topics: Yale College Undergraduate Admissions
• Essay Topics and Tips: College of Arts and Sciences, Lewis & Clark
• Essay Prompts: Seattle Pacific University
• Essay Questions, Undergraduate Admissions: University of Michigan
• Writing the College Essay: Babson College
• The Essay: NYS Higher Education Services Corporation
• Over 1,000 Writing Prompts for Students: The New York Times
• How to Write a College Essay: Sofia Tokar, Southern New Hampshire University
• Personal Essay Topics and Prompts: ThoughtCo
• Who’s the Most Significant Historical Figure?: The Guardian
• The Dos and Don’ts of Campus Life: CollegeXpress
• Climate Change: National Geographic
• 4 Types of Parenting Styles and Their Effect on Kids: Very Well Family
• Campus Life: What to Expect: My Future
• Gender Equality and Women Empowerment: United Nations
• 100 Creative Writing Prompts for Writers: Writer’s Digest
• 13 Benefits and Challenges of Cultural Diversity at Workplace: Hult International Business School
• 7 Benefits of Gender Diversity at Workplace: Workplace.com
• Artists: The Art History
• Art Movements: Artyfactory
• 36 of the Most Popular Conspiracy Theories in the US: Insider
• Personal Statements: University of Connecticut
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How to Write the ApplyTexas Essays 2023-2024 + Examples

Born from the collaboration between the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and various public and private universities around the state, ApplyTexas is a wide-spanning application that allows its users to apply to hundreds of Texan colleges. Like the Common App, it offers a platform for students—natively Texan or not—to send off the same information to many schools, although each school may require differing additional information. 

Unlike the Common App, ApplyTexas may be used to apply to the community colleges, public four-years, participating private schools, graduate programs, and even scholarships within Texan borders. For this article’s purposes, we will be focusing primarily on ApplyTexas’s 150+ four-year colleges and universities. Check out our full list of Texan colleges .

Read this ApplyTexas essay example to inspire your own writing.

Which Colleges Require Which Essays?

As for the ApplyTexas essays, there are three main prompts — prompts A, B, and C — but some colleges will only require some, keep others optional, or not accept certain prompts at all. They may also have additional short answer questions and supplements of their own. Even the recommended word count varies between schools.

Here’s a quick snapshot into the unique essay requirements of a few top ApplyTexas colleges:

University of Texas at Austin:

• Topic A is required.
• 4 short answer responses, 1 of which is optional (250-300 words).
• Additional major-specific materials/requirements for art/art history, architecture, nursing, and social work programs .
• Also accepts the Common App.

Southern Methodist University:

• Topic A essay required, B is optional. 
• Also accepts the Common App, Coalition Application, and its own application.

Texas A&M University, College Station:

• Topic A is required. 
• 4 additional short answers for all applicants, 1 of which is optional.
• 1 short answer for applicants to the College of Engineering.

Baylor University, Waco:

• Choose between Topic A, B or C (optional). 
• Also accepts the Common App and its own application.

Texas Christian University:

• Any essay topic on the ApplyTexas application (optional)
• 3 additional short answer questions, 1 of which is optional.
• Any essay topic on the ApplyTexas application (optional).

Never ignore optional prompts! Taking the time to complete them shows that you truly care about the school. Ignoring them will make admissions officers wonder if you even like it enough to actually attend it if accepted.

If you are applying to any of these universities and feel you would rather use the Coalition Application or the Common Application, see our Coalition Application Essay Guide and our Common Application Essay Guide . Keep in mind that essay requirements will vary depending on which platform you use. For instance, some schools (SMU, TCU, Baylor) may have additional short essays if you use the Common App.

If you still feel ApplyTexas is the platform for you, read on!

Before You Begin

It’s important to verify that your desired schools are featured on the ApplyTexas platform. Certain private schools—Rice University, for example—use the Common Application instead of ApplyTexas.

And while all the public universities in Texas accept ApplyTexas, some of them also accept the Common Application and Coalition Application, as we’ve seen. The Common Application , Coalition Application , and ApplyTexas offer tools to determine whether a university is included in their platform. Be sure to verify which application is better suited to your college list. Many students can tackle all their schools with just the Common App, but others may have to use a couple different platforms.

Approaching the ApplyTexas Essays

So you’ve worked through the application form, requested copies of your transcript and recommendation letters, effectively described your extracurriculars, and sent in your scores, if any. All that remains now are the essays: your best shot at showing admissions officers how you think, who you are, what matters to you, and why!

As you may remember, ApplyTexas contains three essay prompts: Topics A, B, and C. Each school may have different essay requirements, so it is best to familiarize yourself with all of them. For instance, even if you’re bursting with knowledge about your future major, these essays are an opportunity to speak holistically with regards to your life and experience.

Essay-Writing Strategies

With few parameters aside from the word limit of approximately 800 words (and with each school often setting different word counts), the ApplyTexas essay may seem intimidating. Luckily, the prompts can act as a creative and procedural tether. Whereas students applying via Common Application may begin by shaping a central idea before matching it up to one of the various prompts, ApplyTexas essays grow from the prompt up . Because of this, the best brainstorming and organizational practices for each prompt are unique. The one factor that remains ubiquitously relevant is writing — good writing. Before we get into the details of ideation and organization for each prompt, we’ll review some ways to ensure your writing is clear, communicative, and evocative.

Tips for writing well:

• Show, don’t tell (you’ve heard it before, but it’s worth hearing again!)
• Use active, rather than passive, sentence construction.
• Write with precision.
• Avoid clichés

The somewhat hackneyed advice of “Show, don’t tell” is nevertheless crucial to writing a compelling application essay. The meaning of showing a reader rather than telling them is best interpreted literally. Imagine you’re outside your house and you see a dog skateboarding on it’s two front paws. You run inside, eager to { tell, show } whoever is home. You fling open the door and narrowly avoid a collision with your brother, still unlacing his shoes from basketball practice.

You tell him: “Aamir, I just saw a dog skateboarding on its two front paws!”

You show him: You grab Aamir by the corner of his Jersey. “Come quick” you squeal, and he stumbles out after you, tripping on his laces. Thankfully, the dog is still there. “Just look,” you breathe out, already mesmerized by the wind rushing through the schnauzer’s mustache. Wobbling ever so slightly, the pup remains confident as he shreds the inclined blacktop of the cul-de-sac. Then, a moment later, it’s over. Unaware of the scale of his accomplishment, the dog scratches behind his right ear. You look over at Aamir. “Whoa.”

Out of these two scenarios, we can be sure that Aamir will only remember the second. It’s much the same for admissions committees; they’re more likely to remember you if you show them what you want to communicate. Now, showing doesn’t need to be much longer than telling. In fact, succinct writing is just as important as descriptive writing. Abandoning the literal narrative of “showing,” we’re left with something like this: A schnauzer puppy from the cul-de-sac was balanced on his front paws—miraculously, on a skateboard. Man, that dog could shred.

Using active voice is another crucial component of clean, clear writing. It’s also pretty simple. Make sure your sentence’s subject performs the action indicated by the verb. For example, instead of writing “the skateboard was maneuvered by a schnauzer,” you would opt for, “the schnauzer maneuvered the skateboard.” The only exception to this rule is when you want to bring explicit attention to the person or thing affected by an action. Our story is actually a decent example. What’s more noteworthy? The skateboarding? Or the fact that a dog is doing it? An acceptable passive construction might look like this: “the skateboard—would you believe it—was being maneuvered by none other than the schnauzer from across the cul-de-sac.” In this instance, we’re able to use passive voice to create humor and suspense. That being said, the vast majority of your sentences should employ the active voice.

The active voice is also a big part of writing with precision , and word choice may also make writing precise or imprecise. For example, while “evasive” is a synonym of “oblique” in one sense, it would nevertheless be embarrassing to write that, “John sat in the armchair evasive to the television.” Rather than picturing a chair positioned diagonally (obliquely) from the television, readers are left wondering what in the world an evasive chair might be. So use your thesaurus — carefully. 

It is common for burgeoning writers to get a little too adjective-happy. Adjectives’ power correlates inversely with their use. If each of your sentences is flush with adjectives, you’re diluting their impact.

Finally, avoid any clichés, aphorisms, etc. that fail to add value to your essay. Admissions officers will read countless essays boasting “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  If you’re tempted to use a hackneyed phrase, find its seed instead. Clichés are cliché because they stem from important thoughts, universal truths, and romantic principles. In the case of “Be the change you want to see in the world,” the seed might be an individual’s ability to impact a community, or to transform outdated and unjust systems. The seed of a clichéd phrase may still be worth writing about, but it’s important that you write authentically and originally.

Dissecting the Prompts

ApplyTexas features two sets of prompts, one for incoming freshmen (both domestic and international) and one for transfer, transient, or readmit applications. In this article, we will cover the first set to help freshman applicants. Want to know your chances at an ApplyTexas school? Calculate your chances for free right now.

While different schools require different combinations of essays, most students should be prepared to deal with topics A, B, and C. Students intent on pursuing a degree related to art and design should also be ready to answer topic D. Check out this ApplyTexas database to scout out which schools will require which essays . 

Here are this year’s prompts:

• Topic A: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?
• Topic B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
• Topic C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?
• Topic D (specific to majors in architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education): Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Notice how you are encouraged to speak about an opportunity or a challenge. Many students believe that they must talk about a tragedy in order to grab the attention of admissions officers, but this isn’t true. An essay can easily be thoughtful, insightful, and an engaging read without utilizing this specific emotional appeal.

Still, stories about difficult circumstances are often memorable. They are most effective when focused primarily on the student’s journey of working through the challenge instead of the challenge itself. Check out Collegevine’s article if you would like more tips on writing about challenges .

You’re trying to stand out, so beware of overused tropes like the following:

• Mental illness: It takes enormous strength to heal from and learn to manage a mental illness. Still, they may be tricky to write about. Read our article for more information on covering mental illness and disabilities within your application .
• Getting a bad grade in a class but then working hard to raise it.
• Sports stories such as winning/losing the “big game” or getting injured.
• Death of a pet or family member.
• Mission trip which made you realize how lucky and privileged you are.

Side note : Sometimes students face challenges that are outside of their control and which have negatively impacted their academic and/or extracurricular performance. If this has been your experience, and you don’t plan to explain them within this essay response, you may ask one of your recommenders to do so through their letter of recommendation.

Now, there’s no such thing as a “bad” or “good” essay topic; students have gotten into top schools with essays about Costco, pizza deliveries, and sparkling water. It often matters less so what you write about than how you write about it! 

These common essay topics are only doable when well-written, specific, and featuring a fresh take. The story of how fixing your Calculus grade taught you the value of hard work is not nearly as interesting as that of a student who is diagnosed with dyscalculia—a disability which creates a difficulty in understanding and working with math and numbers—and then opens up a dyscalculia awareness club with plans to become a special education teacher. The latter story would demonstrate the student’s ability to turn preconceived weaknesses into strengths, and admissions officers will quickly see that though he may initially struggle with long division, this student is nonetheless a creative problem-solver.

Please be aware that although it is possible to make a “common” topic interesting, it is easier to write about a situation that is unique to begin with. Also, don’t feel pressured to write about a challenge, especially if the situation has happened so recently that you haven’t fully finished processing or growing from it.

With all of this in mind, let’s get into brainstorming! Many people begin their ideation process through writing long lists or even talking into their phones in an untethered stream-of-consciousness. Do whatever it takes to get your creative juices flowing! 

As you reflect, you may consider these questions:

• Which values and skills do you hold closest to your heart? Honesty? Hard work? Clear communication? Diversity? Environmental stewardship? Activism? Where did these priorities come from?
• What are you most grateful for? What are you most proud of? What risks have you taken which have paid off?
• What do you like to do? When and how did you get into it?
• How would your family and friends say you have changed for the better over the years, and why?
• Look back at your list of extracurricular activities. Which ones were challenging and/or special opportunities? When have you tried something new?

Practice self-compassion while considering topics, and know that none are too big or too small. You can write about anything from taking a summer math class (even though you’re more of an English person) to being a camp counselor to giving your first speech in front of a crowd.

Overall, the admissions officers are looking for growth. They want to see the circumstances you turned into opportunities for improvement. You may even reflect upon a situation that initially seemed like an unpleasant challenge but later revealed itself as a hidden opportunity. For example, you may have reluctantly let your friend drag you to a business club meeting before discovering a passion for economics and rising as a club leader.

Ideally, your story will be unique and offer a fresh perspective. Be specific about the challenge or opportunity you were presented with, and think about how it changed you for the better. 

Remember, they are literally asking for you to “tell [them] your story,” so consider using a narrative format, especially if storytelling is a talent of yours. 

Here’s a general outline: 

• If you choose to go with a traditional storytelling format, we recommend beginning with a vivid anecdote featuring rich imagery to draw the reader in or an unexpected premise which makes one have to read on in order to fully understand. 
• From there, you may dive into who you were at the time, how you felt and how you acted, before moving towards your turning point—the challenge or opportunity—from which you decided to grow. 
• Explain how, exactly, the turning point influenced you. Ask yourself: How did it make you feel? Excited and ready for more, or initially anxious? How did it impact you? Perhaps you learned something new about yourself, or maybe now you’re kinder, more confident, or a harder worker. 
• To mix it up a bit, you could even play with sequencing, perhaps starting with a moment of success before reflecting on all of the growth you had to complete to get to that point.

Finally, you are human, so you don’t have to portray yourself as perfect in the end. You are using this essay to talk about what may be one of your greatest strengths or sources of pride, but make sure to stay balanced with a humble tone.

Here’s an Example Essay for Topic A:

The morning of the Model United Nation conference, I walked into Committee feeling confident  about my research. We were simulating the Nuremberg Trials – a series of post-World War II  proceedings for war crimes – and my portfolio was of the Soviet Judge Major General Iona  Nikitchenko. Until that day, the infamous Nazi regime had only been a chapter in my history  textbook; however, the conference’s unveiling of each defendant’s crimes brought those horrors  to life. The previous night, I had organized my research, proofread my position paper and gone  over Judge Nikitchenko’s pertinent statements. I aimed to find the perfect balance between his  stance and my own.

As I walked into committee anticipating a battle of wits, my director abruptly called out to me.  “I’m afraid we’ve received a late confirmation from another delegate who will be representing  Judge Nikitchenko. You, on the other hand, are now the defense attorney, Otto Stahmer.”  Everyone around me buzzed around the room in excitement, coordinating with their allies and  developing strategies against their enemies, oblivious to the bomb that had just dropped on me.  I felt frozen in my tracks, and it seemed that only rage against the careless delegate who had  confirmed her presence so late could pull me out of my trance. After having spent a month  painstakingly crafting my verdicts and gathering evidence against the Nazis, I now needed to  reverse my stance only three hours before the first session.

Gradually, anger gave way to utter panic. My research was fundamental to my performance, and without it, I knew I could add little to the Trials. But confident in my ability, my director  optimistically recommended constructing an impromptu defense. Nervously, I began my  research anew. Despite feeling hopeless, as I read through the prosecution’s arguments, I  uncovered substantial loopholes. I noticed a lack of conclusive evidence against the defendants  and certain inconsistencies in testimonies.

My discovery energized me, inspiring me to revisit  the historical overview in my conference “Background Guide” and to search the web for other  relevant articles. Some Nazi prisoners had been treated as “guilty” before their court dates.  While I had brushed this information under the carpet while developing my position as a judge,  it now became the focus of my defense. I began scratching out a new argument, centered on the premise that the allied countries had violated the fundamental rule that, a defendant was “not guilty” until proven otherwise.

At the end of the three hours, I felt better prepared. The first session began, and with bravado, I  raised my placard to speak. Microphone in hand, I turned to face my audience. “Greetings  delegates. I, Otto Stahmer would like to…….” I suddenly blanked. Utter dread permeated my  body as I tried to recall my thoughts in vain. “Defence Attorney, Stahmer we’ll come back to  you,” my Committee Director broke the silence as I tottered back to my seat, flushed with  embarrassment. Despite my shame, I was undeterred. I needed to vindicate my director’s faith  in me. I pulled out my notes, refocused, and began outlining my arguments in a more clear and  direct manner. Thereafter, I spoke articulately, confidently putting forth my points. I was  overjoyed when Secretariat members congratulated me on my fine performance.

Going into the conference, I believed that preparation was the key to success. I wouldn’t say I  disagree with that statement now, but I believe adaptability is equally important. My ability to  problem-solve in the face of an unforeseen challenge proved advantageous in the art of  diplomacy. Not only did this experience transform me into a confident and eloquent delegate at  that conference, but it also helped me become a more flexible and creative thinker in a variety of other capacities. Now that I know I can adapt under pressure, I look forward to engaging in  activities that will push me to be even quicker on my feet.

Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

This prompt is a more varied than the first one, and gives you more leeway in choosing what you’ll actually be talking about. Someone’s identity, talents, and interests, might be linked together but they just as easily might not. Either way, don’t worry. With regards to this prompt, there is no ideal angle. Let’s break down what it could mean to address each of these categories.

Identity can refer to any number of traits that you feel define you. This includes race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and other more community-based identities such as gamer, athlete, artist, weaver, dancer, Democrat, etc. Your identity is simply what makes you, you. Essays about identity are a great opportunity to demonstrate your critical and political acuity, personal convictions, and social history. However, they also pose certain risks. The premise of writing about identity is that you’ll demonstrate what makes you unique as a person. Even though many of us share certain identity traits, we’ve all experienced them differently. It’s especially important to focus on those details. Essays about identity that lack individual texture risk making you appear almost clone-like. That being said, there is no topic that is inherently cliché for this prompt.

Talent is a topic that will surely feel familiar to you as a prospective college applicant. Frankly, that’s what can make it tricky to write an essay about your talents—it risks echoing the several other parts of an application that are designed to draw out and display your talents for an admissions committee. Even so, if you believe that you have gained an especially insightful lesson or reflection from one of your listed activities, it may still be worth writing about. Just make sure you’re elaborating on your talents rather than reiterating them. Beyond the talents already featured in your application, many applicants have a talent that stands out from their formal talents and activities. One might be a master bird-caller, for example, but not have it listed as an extracurricular. Often times, writing about a wild-card talent is a way to introduce a facet of your personality that would otherwise remain invisible. The topic of talent also gives you the opportunity to write about certain interpersonal skills that might be especially important to you but impossible to express on a resume. For example, if you cultivate your skills as a listener and have a well-formulated political or philosophical imperative for doing so, that could make a great topic.

Interests are unique from talents in that you need not necessarily be good at them. They might not even be skills-related to begin with. For example, you might be supremely interested in pigeons but unable to include that interest in any other part of the application. Interests can make for especially unique, quirky, and fascinating essays. That being said, such essays also risk missing the whole point of the prompt. You need to tell the committee about yourself. If you choose to write about an obscure interest, it’ll be crucial to relate it back to your personality, outlook, or identity.

Now that we’ve addressed the differences between the subsections of this prompt, let’s review some ways in which you can brainstorm. While writing about identity, talents, or interests will result in slightly different essays, the goal is the same: to show the admissions committee—through your own eyes—who exactly you are.

The first step in brainstorming for this prompt is making a list of your defining characteristics. As you do this, you’ll want to prioritize characteristics that paint you in a generally positive light. While you don’t want to brag, you definitely want to be optimistic about who you are.

Second , you should make a sort of genealogy for each characteristic. How did they come to be so important to you? What experiences built up to the point where you’d consider a trait to be essential to your personality?

Finally , you’re going to need to rank your traits and their accompanying genealogies. For some students, who have a very central and defining trait, this won’t be tricky at all. But for students who are less certain what to write about, it will be important to prioritize the traits with the most interesting genealogies. Seeing as you want to show the committee rather than tell them, it’s crucial that you pick a trait that has a compelling history—that fits into a narrative or intellectual picture of yourself. This is especially essential for students intent on taking a more creative tone with this prompt. While an obscure interest can be interesting and endearing, it needs to have a compelling genesis and impact within your personal history.

Here’s an Example Essay for Topic B:

In one of the side streets of Rabat, one of the many winding corridors in the Medina, a long-abandoned house is standing, dilapidated from its years of neglect. The windows have been smashed; valuable materials have been ripped out of the floor and graffiti smears peeling walls. Yet remnants of its old life still remain intact; photo albums clutch family moments as cobwebs dangle from their spines. A mini plastic basketball hoop clings to a wall and a handmade poster above it reads “Senior League: Armond – Junior: Sasha and Lucy” but the faded yellow of the net suggests that no games have been played here for a long time. Not since we left. Mom left him just as I was turning four. The relationship had been emotionally stressful for the past few years and the threat of physical danger forced her to make a secret escape with us. We left everything behind.

Thousands of miles away and thirteen years later, I have never been back. I have never met him. As young as I was, I have not been oblivious to his absence. Even now, there are moments when I experience this emptiness inside of me. A sensation so overwhelming, I can’t believe I have managed to ignore it for so long. I lie down, close my eyes and grieve. Not just for him but for the life I never had, or at least, the one I left behind and can no longer remember. As the tears stop, I slowly drift to sleep. Sometimes I dream that he has unexpectedly turned up on the doorstep of our Chicago house especially for me. I open the door and immediately recognize him. I jump into his arms, simultaneously crying and laughing. I wake up, the empty feeling has passed and I know that he will never come. But I can’t help romanticizing the first time we meet.

However, going on eighteen, reality is soon catching up with me. Four years ago at the age of eighteen my brother, Armond, travelled to Morocco to meet him. Last year my sister, Sasha, did the same. So now, it is my turn; my own rite of passage awaits me. I have been waiting for this opportunity my whole life, even imagined it ten times over. But the more I thought about it, the more I doubted it. As the youngest in the family, I have striven to emulate my siblings in many ways. I could feel the assumption that I would go to meet him just as they did. However, I know that I am not yet ready. Unlike Sasha and Armond, my memories of Rabat are just a haze. I do not know whether they are real, or dreams or stories I have been told. I don’t understand any Arabic, and his English is very broken. And most of all, I cannot remember his face. The emptiness still comes back every now and then. But I know that the hole is not father-shaped, and if I meet him now, he might think it is. What I need to do first is to find out who I am before I can know what shape that hole really is. And when I know, I will understand what it would mean to meet him. For now at least, that tired old home stays suspended; a three-dimensional snapshot of my forgotten childhood. I like to think it’s waiting for me; waiting for when I’m ready to go back.

You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Topic C stands opposed to Topics A and B in that it is almost entirely oriented towards the future. While each of your essays should demonstrate a degree of imagination, this prompt also carries the most overt call for creativity. There are two main genres of responses to prompts like this. The first genre adds to the forecasting effort found throughout your whole application. The second represents a creative departure from the path of your ambitions.

Choosing a Genre:

Forecasting is what you do when you make promises or predictions about what you’ll do with an educational opportunity. You’re forecasting when you tell UT Austin that you want to attend their engineering program in order to realize your dream of developing clean, public transportation. You’re forecasting when you draw conclusions from your past accomplishments to predict your future success. The act of applying to a school is inherently future-oriented. That being said, good applications demand cohesion and balance. An application that is too future-oriented will leave the admissions officers wondering who exactly you are . An application that is too auto-ethnographic will leave them wondering about your ambitions .

A forecast oriented answer to topic C will likely link-up with other parts of your application. For example, the engineering student from the example above might write that they’re holding a ticket for the very first 100% green, interstate transportation system—a system that they’ve spent the past 15 years building from the ground up. In this case, the essay looks back from a future point in which the student has fulfilled the ambitions they forecasted. It’s also possible to write this essay looking forward. Students that hope to attend medical school or law school might write about holding a “ticket” to their tertiary degree. These essays would go on to imagine the important, transformative work that those students would accomplish when they get to medical/law school.

Here’s an Example Essay for Topic C:

I’m holding a flyer that declares the date and time—this coming Tuesday at 7:30 PM—for a meeting of the Low Carbon Emissions Workers’ Union. Twelve years ago, when I started my undergraduate degree in public policy, the union was only a flicker of a thought, housed somewhere in the back of my mind. Still, those years were crucial. With every class I took, whether in policy studies, environmental science, or history, that flicker grew stronger. Following my interest in labor, I developed a rapport with the university employees that kept things rolling on campus—the people that took care of us, really. For my senior thesis, I made it my mission to collect and present an oral history of labor on campus. Many university workers expressed a sense of relief at being employed by the university. It allowed for decent wages and preserved the dignity of it’s workforce through open dialogue and worker representation. Through this sense of relief—or rather, through its negative—my thesis became invested in the alternatives for these laborers, in what lay on the other side of their relief. Though they were specifically skilled in care work, janitorial work, landscaping, and more, most of them told me that outside the university there was little opportunity for the advancement of worker’s interests. Finding work on a free-lance basis or through predatory placement companies, these care-laborers were largely on their own.

After graduating, I stayed in touch with my contacts at the university. Throughout law school, I made time to continue coordinating with them. We were hatching a revolutionary idea. Our goal was to create a union that could unite the various forms of under-the-radar care-work that was so often left out of organized bargaining units. The plan that we finally realized was even bigger than that. Not only would it unite domestic workers, janitors, and landscapers, its umbrella would extend to cover teachers, day-care supervisors, nurses, artists, and agricultural workers. This was the Low Carbon Emissions Workers’ Union. While it contained specifically oriented compartments, each aimed at advancing the rights of a particular sub-group of laborers, its superstructure was perhaps the more significant. In the same way that my senior thesis became invested in its negative all those years ago, this union stood as a foil to the socially and environmentally destructive tendencies of so many economic giants. We mobilized and housed research regarding Green-GDP, environmentally adjusted Gini coefficients, and other methods aimed at illuminating the real cost of having an economy predicated on environmental exploitation. As a political and intellectual force, the union gained ground in reevaluating the ways in which we value certain kinds of labor over others.

I’m smiling as I tack the flyer to the community board at my old university. I step back to look at it. “I can’t believe this is where it all started,” I think to myself. “Well, see you all this Tuesday.”

The genre of creative departure allows you to focus more on your personality, imagination, and capacity for critical thought. If you feel that your application already does enough to forecast your ambitions, you may opt to write about something completely unrelated. Especially for students applying to creative programs such as theatre or studio art, this can be a good moment to demonstrate your fit. Students who pick this genre can write about almost literally anything. The ticket in your hand could be for a time-machine to the Renaissance, a one-way expedition to Mars, or a mysterious back-alley puppet show. The important thing is that you use the premise of your essay to reflect on the world in a mature and thoughtful manner.

Here’s another Example Essay for Topic C:

“Take a number” buzzes an automated voice from somewhere inside the ticket booth. I reach out and tear off a slip of blue paper. 96. “Great,” I snort, “might as well settle in for the long haul.”

Someone behind me notices my annoyance and pipes up.

“I know right? I’ve never seen the time machines so crowded in my life.”

“Me neither,” I respond, “application season I guess.”

“Must be. Damn ticket prompts.”

I turn around to address my queue-compatriot. He’s a tall guy, pretty built for our age—probably a football player or something. He looks anxiously down the line, craning his neck to see something or someone just out of view.

“What’s got your nerves up?” I ask, “where are you headed?”

“You know,” he shrugged, “the usual. Off to 1904 to encourage Hitler to pursue his passion for painting. I’m just worried she’s gonna get there first.” I stepped out of line to see where he was looking. Fourth in line was a girl decked out in all black, determination etched into her features.

“Is she carrying a rail-gun?” I ask, stepping back into line. Football nods. “Yeesh…that’s a bit extreme but to each their own I guess. Wonder how the AdComms are gonna feel about that.”

Football fidgets for a few minutes before asking, “And you? What’s your plan?”

“Way back. Off to the early fifth-century to help Pelagius argue against St. Augustine.”

“Pelagius. He was an early theologian that rallied against Augustine’s notion of original sin.”

Football nods. “So all that with Eve and the apple, yeah?”

“Exactly. The doctrine of original sin says that because Adam and Eve had the apple, every human from then on was infected with their sin. That’s one of the reasons babies are baptized, to cleanse them. It’s behind a whole host of other things too. All the indulgences that people paid into the church, our long-standing association of sexuality with guilt and impurity, not to mention most of the pessimistic philosophies surrounding human depravity.”

Football chuckles. “So let’s say you win” he proposes, “then what? Babies don’t get baptized? There are still nineteen people ahead of us. You might want to change plans.”

My brow furrows a bit as I consider his suggestion. “I don’t know,” I say, “Pelagius argued for a whole lot of things. He was a big proponent of free will and accountability. He thought we should do good for the sake of good, not for salvation. He even countered a lot of hang-ups that endure to this day—bedroom stuff, bathroom stuff, all of it. Where Augustine saw sin and depravity, Pelagius saw beauty and Grace.” I continue. “I mean, I’m not even religious. I just think we could use a sort of ‘reset’ for our collective psyche. People are too caught up in hating themselves. We’re subconsciously misanthropic and it hurts. It hurts when a corporation takes advantage of a mining community because profit is the only legitimate motive in a world that seems like a lost cause. It hurts all the young people who hate their bodies and strive for an unrealistic ‘cleanliness’ from deformity and irregularity. It hurts women who get told they’ll be ‘second-hand stock’ if they have sex before marriage. It hurts when the police open fire in a neighborhood because they’re scared a kid might do it first.”

“Yeah” he nods, “hey, do you mind if I tag along? Mine might be a lost cause anyways—that girl was scary.”

Just then my number comes up on the time machine’s display. I look up at Football. “Sure. Why not. Oh, and I don’t think I caught your name.”

“It’s Bryan.”

“Well Bryan, we’re off.”

(Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept the Apply Texas Application. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education, you are not required to write this essay.)

Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space affected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?”

Topic D is a situational prompt for students looking to engage with art, design, and image. Unlike topics A and B, topic D is specifically asking you to tell a story. Regardless of the mode of narrative you employ, your essay should start with a moment of confrontation, observation, and reaction. Whether you engage with a piece of art or a lecture from design class, this step is crucial. It is here that you will demonstrate your ability to sift through your feelings about art, pulling out the concrete variables and specific vocabularies to describe why the art made you feel that way in the first place. It’s unsurprising that the prompt is so intent on drawing this out from you—understanding how art has impacted you is the first step towards creating art to impact others.

The second part of this process should move you beyond the moment of interaction detailed in step one, either to the present or the future. In this section, you’ll want to set your compass, so to speak. Using the lessons from part one, you should forecast the ways in which your future ambitions will be uniquely impactful. This can include anything from aperture to allegory. Whether technical or philosophical, your art is largely a product of your inspiration—being able to trace and predict this link demonstrates your maturity as a budding artist or designer.

Here’s an Example Essay for Topic D:

Standing in the Musée de l’Orangerie, surrounded on all sides by Monet’s Water Lilies, I felt myself melt away. The noise of the room seemed to dim, even as my perception heightened. I was somewhere else. The water lilies had swallowed me whole. They were beautiful, certainly, but also tense. One of the lesser-known iterations, flush with the purples, golds, and oranges of autumn, reminded me of the fluttering dance of falling leaves. And yet, its leaves were static—not because they weren’t real; they were real to me in that moment—but because of the water’s tension. Tethered to the surface of the pond, equally unable to float up or down, the leaves were trapped in a planar prison. The painting was practically bursting with the energy of an infinite autumn, but the water held it all together with its sticky buoyancy. Surface tension is far crueler than gravity, I thought to myself. My throat tightened and I felt paralyzed, peacefully imprisoned along with the lilies and leaves.

“Huh.” My brother stepped up beside me. “Look, you can see the canvas poking through,” he whispered, nudging me. He was right. As my eyes latched onto those bare fibers I felt a gust of release; I was back in the room.

To this day, that remains one of my most intense experiences with art. While it wasn’t exactly euphoric, it was transformative. Spanning the whole wall, the water lilies are all you can see; they colonize your reality. It was that quality—the quality of transportation out of time and space—that has stayed with me most. Monet’s techniques, brushstrokes that infuse the canvas with texture and momentum, allowed for a sort of virtual reality. VR before VR. It was the power of that experience that prompted me to combine my art with contemporary VR techniques. My first VR project pays homage to the water lilies. Putting on the headset, you find yourself in a blue green film, replete with flowers of every kind. It’s peaceful but when you try to move you find that the further you stray, the slower you get. A few feet out and you’re snapped back to the start. The piece explores movement and energy through anxiety and ensnarement.

As I continue my education in fine art, I’m primed to explore the range of possibilities allowed by VR technology. I’m eager to create landscape experiences that more directly implicate art and embodiment. My current project also takes inspiration from Monet’s impressionism. Entering the reality, one finds oneself on the top of flower-freckled hillside, umbrella in hand despite the blue skies. It is windy and the grasses sway around you. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, you begin to blow away, to disperse, until there’s nothing left. The viewer is utterly gone, yet utterly present.

Want to learn more about how to write the ApplyTexas essays? Check out one of our popular recorded live streams on this topic.

Where to Get Your ApplyTexas Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your ApplyTexas essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Essay Topics – List of 500+ Essay Writing Topics and Ideas

List of 500+ essay writing topics and ideas.

Essay topics in English can be difficult to come up with. While writing essays , many college and high school students face writer’s block and have a hard time to think about topics and ideas for an essay. In this article, we will list out many good essay topics from different categories like argumentative essays, essays on technology, environment essays for students from 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades. Following list of essay topics are for all – from kids to college students. We have the largest collection of essays. An essay is nothing but a piece of content which is written from the perception of writer or author. Essays are similar to a story, pamphlet, thesis, etc. The best thing about Essay is you can use any type of language – formal or informal. It can biography, the autobiography of anyone. Following is a great list of 100 essay topics. We will be adding 400 more soon!

But Before that you may wanna read some awesome Essay Writing Tips here .

Get the Huge list of 100+ Speech Topics here

Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should plastic be banned?
• Pollution due to Urbanization
• Education should be free
• Should Students get limited access to the Internet?
• Selling Tobacco should be banned
• Smoking in public places should be banned
• Facebook should be banned
• Students should not be allowed to play PUBG

Essay Topics on Technology

• Wonder Of Science
• Mobile Phone

Essay Topics on Festivals on Events

• Independence Day (15 August)
• Teachers Day
• Summer Vacation
• Children’s Day
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
• Janmashtami
• Republic Day

Essay Topics on Education

• Education Essay
• Importance of Education
• Contribution of Technology in Education

Essay Topics on Famous Leaders

• Mahatma Gandhi
• APJ Abdul Kalam
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Swami Vivekananda
• Mother Teresa
• Rabindranath Tagore
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Subhash Chandra Bose
• Abraham Lincoln
• Martin Luther King
• Lal Bahadur Shashtri

Essay Topics on Animals and Birds

• My Favorite Animal

Essays Topics About Yourself

• My Best Friend
• My Favourite Teacher
• My Aim In Life
• My Favourite Game – Badminton
• My Favourite Game – Essay
• My Favourite Book
• My Ambition
• How I Spent My Summer Vacation
• India of My Dreams
• My School Life
• I Love My Family
• My Favourite Subject
• My Favourite Game Badminton
• My Father My Hero
• My School Library
• My Favourite Author
• My plans for summer vacation

Essay Topics Based on Environment and Nature

• Global Warming
• Environment
• Air Pollution
• Environmental Pollution
• Water Pollution
• Rainy Season
• Climate Change
• Importance Of Trees
• Winter Season
• Deforestation
• Natural Disasters
• Save Environment
• Summer Season
• Trees Our Best Friend Essay In English

Essay Topics Based on Proverbs

• Health Is Wealth
• A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
• An Apple a Day Keeps Doctor Away
• Where there is a will, there is way
• Time and Tide wait for none

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Essay Topics for Students from 6th, 7th, 8th Grade

• Noise Pollution
• Environment Pollution
• Women Empowerment
• Time and Tide Wait for none
• Science and Technology
• Importance of Sports
• Sports and Games
• Time Management
• Cleanliness is next to Godliness
• Cleanliness
• Rome was not Built in a Day
• Unemployment
• Clean India
• Cow Essay In English
• Describe Yourself
• Festivals Of India
• Ganesh Chaturthi
• Healthy Food
• Importance Of Water
• Plastic Pollution
• Value of Time
• Honesty is the Best Policy
• Gandhi Jayanti
• Human Rights
• Knowledge Is Power
• Same Sex Marriage
• Childhood Memories
• Cyber Crime
• Kalpana Chawla
• Punctuality
• Rani Lakshmi Bai
• Spring Season
• Unity In Diversity
• Artificial Intelligence
• Online Shopping
• Indian Culture
• Healthy Lifestyle
• Indian Education System
• Disaster Management
• Environmental Issues
• Freedom Fighters
• Grandparents
• Save Fuel For Better Environment
• Importance Of Newspaper
• Lal Bahadur Shastri
• Raksha Bandhan
• World Environment Day
• Narendra Modi
• What Is Religion
• Charity Begins at Home
• A Journey by Train
• Ideal student
• Save Water Save Earth
• Indian Farmer
• Safety of Women in India
• Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
• Capital Punishment
• College Life
• Natural Resources
• Peer Pressure
• Nature Vs Nurture
• Romeo And Juliet
• Generation Gap
• Makar Sankranti
• Constitution of India
• Girl Education
• Importance of Family
• Importance of Independence Day
• Brain Drain
• A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed
• Action Speaks Louder Than Words
• All That Glitters Is Not Gold
• Bhagat Singh
• Demonetization
• Agriculture
• Importance of Discipline
• Population Explosion
• Poverty in India
• Uses Of Mobile Phones
• Water Scarcity
• Train Journey
• Land Pollution
• Environment Protection
• Indian Army
• Uses of Internet
• All that Glitters is not Gold
• Balanced Diet
• Blood Donation
• Digital India
• Dussehra Essay
• Energy Conservation
• National Integration
• Railway Station
• Sachin Tendulkar
• Health And Hygiene
• Importance Of Forest
• Indira Gandhi
• Laughter Is The Best Medicine
• Career Goals
• Mental Health
• Save Water Save Life
• International Yoga Day
• Winter Vacation
• Soil Pollution
• Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining
• Indian Culture And Tradition
• Unity Is Strength
• Unity is Diversity
• Wildlife Conservation
• Cruelty To Animals
• Nelson Mandela
• Of Mice And Men
• Organ Donation
• Life in a Big City
• Democracy in India
• Waste Management
• Biodiversity
• Afforestation
• Female Foeticide
• Harmful Effects Of Junk Food
• Rain Water Harvesting
• Save Electricity
• Social Media
• Social Networking Sites
• Sound Pollution
• Procrastination
• Life in an Indian Village
• Life in Big City
• Population Growth
• World Population Day
• Greenhouse Effect
• Statue of Unity
• Traffic Jam
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
• Importance of Good Manners
• Good Manners
• Cyber Security
• Green Revolution
• Health And Fitness
• Incredible India
• Make In India
• Surgical Strike
• Triple Talaq
• A Good Friend
• Importance of Friends in our Life
• Should Plastic be Banned
• Nationalism
• Traffic Rules
• Effects of Global Warming
• Fundamental Rights
• Solar System
• National Constitution Day
• Good Mother
• Importance of Trees in our Life
• City Life Vs Village Life
• Importance of Communication
• Conservation of Nature
• Man vs. Machine
• Indian Economy
• Mothers Love
• Importance of National Integration
• Black Money
• Greenhouse effect
• Untouchability
• Self Discipline
• Global Terrorism
• Conservation of Biodiversity
• Newspaper and Its Uses
• World Health Day
• Conservation of Natural Resources
• A Picnic with Family
• Indian Heritage
• Status of Women in India
• Child is Father of the Man
• Reading is Good Habit
• Plastic Bag
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Boston College vs. Denver Frozen Four championship game time, TV channel, streaming info

No. 1 seed Boston College and No. 3 Denver are tied for the most NCAA Division I men's college hockey titles since the turn of the century with four apiece.

Saturday, one of them will skate away with another title when they face each other in the championship game of the Frozen Four.

Denver has the most recent championship, winning in 2022. It beat Massachusetts, Cornell and Boston University in this year's tournament. Boston College, which last won in 2012, knocked off Michigan Tech, defending champion Quinnipiac and Michigan to reach the final.

Denver won 4-3 in overtime when the teams played in October.

Here's what to know about Saturday's NCAA championship game:

When is the NCAA Frozen Four championship game?

Boston College and Denver will play in the championship game at 6 p.m. ET Saturday.

Where is the NCAA Frozen Four being held?

The championship game will be at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

How can I watch the NCAA Frozen Four championship game on TV?

The game will be shown on ESPN2. 

How can I live stream the NCAA Frozen Four championship game?

The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

What to know about Boston College and Denver

Boston College  (34-5-1) has five titles. It has four of the NCAA's top six scorers, led by Will Smith (71 points), a San Jose Sharks draft pick. He had two goals in the 4-0 win against Michigan and two goals in the October loss to Denver. Cutter Gauthier, an Anaheim Ducks prospect, scored against Michigan to give him 65 points. He was voted top forward as the USA won gold at the world junior championships and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award ( won by Boston University's Macklin Celebrini ). Freshman goalie Jacob Fowler was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award ( won by Wisconsin netminder Kyle McClellan ).

Denver  (31-9-3) has nine titles. It has Division I's top offense, averaging 4.65 goals per game to BC's 4.58. Leading scorer Jack Devine averages 1.3 points per game and had two assists against Boston University, including on Carter King's overtime goal. High-scoring defenseman Zeev Buium (49 points) was rated among the top North American draft prospects in NHL Central Scouting's midseason rankings.

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The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Here’s what has happened so far in the unprecedented proceedings against a former u.s. president..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

It’s the first day of the Trump trial and just walking out the door in my house. It’s a beautiful day, 6:11 AM. The thing that keeps running through my head is it’s kind of amazing that hundreds of jurors are going to show up at the Manhattan courthouse. And some of them are going to know what they’re there for — probably talking to their friends, their relatives about it.

Some of them are going to learn this morning talking to other jurors in line, asking what all the fuss is about. But I really do imagine that there’s going to be at least one potential juror who, headphones on, getting into court. Here they’re going to be there for the first criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. And just, I mean, how would you react?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today, what it’s been like inside the lower Manhattan courtroom, where political and legal history are being made? My colleague, Jonah Bromwich, on the opening days of the first criminal trial of a US President. It’s Thursday, April 18.

Is that his mic? Hi, there.

Hello. How are you?

I’m doing good.

OK. Thank you for coming in, Jonah —

Thank you for having me.

— in the middle of a trial. Can you just explain why you’re able to even be here?

Sure. So we happen to be off on Wednesdays during trial, so.

We being not “The New York Times,” but the courts.

That’s right.

Which is why we’re taping with you. And because we now have two full court days of this history-making trial now under our belts. And the thing about this trial that’s so interesting is that there are no cameras in the courtroom for the wider world.

There’s no audio recordings. So all we really have is and your eyes and your notebook, maybe your laptop. And so we’re hoping you can reconstruct for us the scene of the first two days of this trial and really the highlights.

Yeah, I’d be happy to. So on Monday morning, I left the subway. It’s before 7:00 AM. The sun is just rising over these grandiose court buildings in lower Manhattan.

I’m about to turn left onto Center Street. I’m right in front of the big municipal building.

And I turn onto Center Street. That’s where the courthouses are.

I’m crossing.

And I expected to see a big crowd. And it was even bigger than I had anticipated.

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Now, I finally see the crowd.

You have camera banks. You have reporters. You have the beginnings of what will eventually become a protest. And you have this most New York thing, which is just a big crowd of people.

[CHUCKLES]: Who just know something is going on.

That’s right. And what they know is going on is, of course, the first trial of an American president.

All right, I’m passing the camera, folks. Camera, camera, camera, camera. Here we go.

Let’s start with Sharon Crowley live outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

I want to get right to ABC’S Aaron Katersky who’s outside of the courthouse.

Robert Costa is following it outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Bob, I saw the satellite trucks lined up all in a row. Good morning.

Talk to us how we got here exactly.

So this is the case that was brought by the Manhattan district attorney. So prosecutors have accused Donald Trump of covering up the actions of his former fixer, Michael Cohen, after Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Stormy Daniels had a story about having had sex with Donald Trump, which Trump has always denied.

Cohen paid her money, and then Trump reimbursed Cohen. And prosecutors say that Trump essentially defrauded the American people because he hid this information that could have been very important for the election from those people when he reimbursed Cohen.

Right. And as I remember it, he also misrepresented what that reimbursement was. Claimed it was a legal fee when, in fact, it was just reimbursing Michael Cohen for a hush money payment.

Exactly, yeah. He definitely didn’t say reimbursement for hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. It’s a cover up case. It’s a case about hiding information you don’t want people to see.

Right. And of course, the context of all this is that it is in the middle of a presidential election. It’s 2016. Trump wants to keep this secret, prosecutors allege, so that the American public doesn’t know about it and potentially hold it against him.

Right. And prosecutors are telling a story about election interference. They’re saying that Trump interfered with an election. And Trump himself is also using the phrase “election interference.” But he’s painting the trial itself as election interference as he now runs again in 2024.

Fascinating.

And because we’re in Manhattan, and because the jury pool is going to be largely Democratic, and the judge is a Democrat, and the district attorney is a Democrat, Trump keeps claiming he cannot get a fair shake. This is democrat central. And in democrat central, Trump doesn’t have a chance.

OK. So, what happens once you actually enter the courthouse?

Outside, there’s all this fanfare. But inside, it’s a little bit business as usual. So I go up to the 15th floor, and I walk into the courtroom, and I sit down, and it’s the same old courtroom. And we’re sitting and waiting for the former president.

Around 9:30, Trump walks in. He looks thin. He looks a little tired, kind of slumping forward, as if to say with his body like let’s get this over with. Here we go.

The judge walks in a little bit after that. And we think we’re all set for the trial to start, but that’s not what happens here. And in fact, there are a series of legal arguments about what the trial is going to look like and what evidence is going to be allowed in.

So, for example, prosecutors ask that they be allowed to admit into evidence headlines from “The National Enquirer” that were attacks on Trump’s 2016 opponents — on Ted Cruz, on Marco Rubio, on Ben Carson.

Because prosecutors are in some sense putting Trump’s 2016 campaign on trial. These headlines are a big part of that because what prosecutors say they show is that Trump had this ongoing deal with “The National Enquirer.” And the publisher would promote him, and it would publish damaging stories about his opponents. And then crucially, it would protect Trump from negative stories. And that’s exactly what prosecutors say happened with Stormy Daniels. That “The National Enquirer” tipped Cohen off about Stormy Daniels trying to sell her story of having had sex with Donald Trump, which he denies. And that led to the hush money payment to her. So what prosecutors are doing overall with these headlines is establishing a pattern of conduct. And that conduct, they say, was an attempt to influence the election in Trump’s favor.

And the judge agrees. He’s going to admit this evidence. And this is a pretty big win for the prosecution. But even though they win that one, they’re not winning everything.

They lose some important arguments here. One of them was that after the Access Hollywood tape came out, there were allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump. And you know this, Michael, because you reported two of them — two of the three in question at this very trial.

Prosecutors had hoped to talk about those during trial in front of the jury to show the jurors that the Trump campaign was really, really focused on pushing back against bad press in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump seemed to describe sexual assault. That was a big problem for the campaign. Campaign did everything it could to push back, including against these allegations that surfaced in the wake of the tape.

But the judge, saying that the allegations are hearsay — that they’re based on the women’s stories — says absolutely not. That is incredibly prejudicial to the defendant.

Interesting.

And that Donald Trump would actually not get a fair trial were those allegations to be mentioned. And so he will not let those in. The jurors will not hear about them.

So this is a setback, of course, for the prosecution, a victory for Trump’s legal team.

It’s a setback. And it also just shows you how these pre-trial motions shape the context of the trial. Think of the trial as a venue like a theater or an athletic contest of some sort. And these pre-trial motions are about what gets led into the arena and what stays out. The sexual assault allegations — out. “The National Enquirer” headlines — in.

OK. And how is Trump sitting there at the defense table reacting to these pre-trial motion rulings from the judge?

Well, as I’ve just said, this is very important stuff for his trial.

Right. Hugely important.

But it’s all happening in legal language, and I’m decoding it for you. But if you were sitting there listening to it, you might get a little lost, and you might get a little bored. And Trump, who is not involved in these arguments, seems to fall asleep.

Seems to fall asleep — you’re seeing this with your own eyes.

What we’re seeing, overall, including our colleague, Maggie Haberman, who’s in the overflow room and has a direct view of Trump’s face — I’m sitting behind him in the courtroom, so I can’t see his face that well.

You guys are double teaming this.

That’s right. I’m sitting behind him, but Maggie is sitting in front of him. And what she sees is not only that his eyes are closed. That wouldn’t get you to he is asleep.

And we have to be really careful about reporting that he’s asleep, even if it seems like a frivolous thing. But what happens is that his head is dropping down to his chest, and then it’s snapping back up. So you’ve seen that, when a student —

I’ve done that.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah. We all kind of know that feeling of snapping awake suddenly. And we see the head motion, and it happens several times.

Lawyers kind of bothering him, not quite shaking him, but certainly trying to get his attention. And that head snapping motion, we felt confident enough to report that Trump fell asleep.

During his own criminal trial’s opening day.

Does someone eventually wake him up?

He wakes up. He wakes up. And in fact, in the afternoon, he’s much more animated. It’s almost as if he wants to be seen being very much awake.

Right. So once these pre-trial motions are ruled on and Trump is snapped back to attention, what happens?

Well, what happens in the courtroom is that the trial begins. The first trial of an American president is now in session. And what marks that beginning is jurors walking into the room one by one — many of them kind of craning their necks over at Donald Trump, giggling, raising their eyebrows at each other, filing into the room, and being sworn in by the judge. And that swearing in marks the official beginning of the trial.

The beginning is jury selection, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not dramatized in our kind of courtroom dramas in the same way. But it’s so important. It’s one of the most important parts of the case. Because whoever sits on the jury, these are the 12 people who are going to decide whether Trump is guilty or whether Trump is innocent.

So how does jury selection actually look and feel and go?

So, jury selection is a winnowing process. And in order to do that, you have to have these people go through a bunch of different hurdles. So the first hurdle is, after the judge describes the case, he asks the group — and there are just short of 100 of them — whether they can be fair and impartial. And says that if they can’t, they should leave. And more than half the group is instantly gone.

So after we do this big mass excusal, we’re left with the smaller group. And so now, jurors are getting called in smaller groups to the jury box. And what they’re going to do there is they’re going to answer this questionnaire.

And this part of the process is really conducted by the judge. The lawyers are involved. They’re listening, but they’re not yet asking questions of the jurors themselves.

And what’s on the questionnaire?

Well, it’s 42 questions. And the questions include, their education, their professional histories, their hobbies, what they like to do whether you’re a member of QAnon or Antifa.

Whether you’re far left or far right.

That’s right. Whether you’ve read “The Art of the Deal,” Trump’s book, which some prospective jurors had.

Right. It was a bestseller in its time.

That’s right. And some of it can be answered in yes/no questions, but some of it can be answered more at length. So some of the prospective jurors are going very, very fast. Yes, no, no, no, yes.

Right. Because this is an oral questionnaire.

That’s right. But some of them are taking their time. They’re expanding on their hobbies. So the potential juror in seat 3, for example, is talking about her hobbies. And she says some running, hiking. And then she said, I like to go to the club, and it got a huge laugh. And you get that kind of thing in jury selection, which is one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s the height of normality in this situation that is anything but normal.

Right. The most banal answer possible delivered in front of the former president And current Republican nominee for president.

Well, that’s one of the fascinating parts about all this, right? is that they’re answering in front of Trump. And they’re answering questions about Trump in front of Trump. He doesn’t react all that much. But whenever someone says they’ve read “The Art of the Deal —” and there are a few of those — he kind of nods appreciatively, smiles. He likes that. It’s very clear. But because there are so many questions, this is taking forever, especially when people are choosing to answer and elaborate and digress.

This is when you fall asleep.

This Is. When I would have fallen asleep if I were a normal person.

And by the end of the day. Where does jury selection stand?

Well, the questionnaire is another device for shrinking that jury pool. And so the questionnaire has almost these little obstacles or roadblocks, including, in fact, a question that jurors have seen before — whether they would have any problem being fair and impartial?

Hmm. And they ask it again.

They’re asked it again. And they’re asked in this more individualized way. The judge is questioning them. They’re responding.

So, remember that woman who said she liked to go to the club got a big laugh. She reaches question 34. And question 34 reads, “Do you have any strong opinions or firmly-held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?” She said, yes, she does have an opinion that would prevent her from being fair and impartial. And she, too, is excused.

So that’s how it works. People answer the questionnaire, and they get excused in that way, or they have a scheduling conflict once they reach the jury box. And so to answer your question, Michael. At the end of day one, given all these problems with the questionnaire and the length of time it’s taken to respond to and people getting dismissed based on their answers, there is not a single juror seated for this trial.

And it’s starting to look like this is going to be a really hard case for which to find an impartial jury.

That’s the feeling in the room, yeah.

We’ll be right back.

So Jonah, let’s turn to day 2. What does jury selection look like on Tuesday?

So when the day begins, it looks almost exactly like it looked when the day ended on Monday. We’re still with the questionnaire, getting some interesting answers. But even though it feels like we’re going slow, we are going.

And so we’ve gone from about 100 people to now there’s about 24 the room there’s 18 the jury box. And by the time we hit lunch, all those people have answered all those questions, and we are ready for the next step in the process.

Voir dire. And what it is the heart of jury selection. This is the point where the lawyers themselves finally get to interview the jurors. And we get so much information from this moment because the lawyers ask questions based on what they want out of the jurors.

So the prosecution is asking all these different kinds of questions. The first round of wajir is done by a guy named Joshua Steinglass, a very experienced trial lawyer with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. And he’s providing all these hypotheticals. I’ll give you one example because I found this one really, really interesting. He provides a hypothetical about a man who wants his wife killed and essentially hires a hitman to do it. And what he asked the jurors is, if that case were before you, would you be able to see that the man who hired the hitman was a part of this crime?

And of course, what he’s really getting at is, can you accept that even though Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, made this payment, Trump is the guy who hired him to do it?

That’s right. If there are other people involved, will jurors still be able to see Donald Trump’s hands behind it all?

Fascinating. And what were some of the responses?

People mostly said, yes, we accept that. So that’s how the prosecution did it.

But the defense had a totally different method of voir dire. They were very focused on their client and people’s opinions about their client.

So what kind of questions do we get from them?

So the lawyer, Todd Blanche, is asking people, what do you make of President Trump? What do you think of President Trump?

And what are some of the responses to that?

Well, there’s this incredible exchange with one of the jurors who absolutely refuses to give his opinion of Donald Trump. They go back and forth and back and forth. And the juror keeps insisting you don’t need to know my opinion of him. All you need to know is that I’m going to be fair and impartial, like I said. And Blanch pushes, and the guy pushes back. And the only way the guy budges is he finally kind of confesses almost at the end that, yes, I am a Democrat, and that’s all we get.

And what ends up happening to this potential juror?

Believe it or not, he got dismissed.

[LAUGHS]: I can believe it. And of course, it’s worth saying that this guy and everybody else is being asked that question just feet from Trump himself.

That’s right. And you might think you were going to get a really kind of spicy, like, popcorn emoji-type exchange from that. But because these are now jurors who have said they can be fair and impartial, who, to some extent, want to be on this jury or at least wouldn’t mind being on this jury, they’re being very restrained.

Mostly, what they are emphasizing — much like that guy just described dis — is that they can be fair. They can be impartial. There’s one woman who gives this really remarkable answer.

She says, I thought about this last night. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about whether I could be fair. It’s really important to me, and I can.

What ends up happening to that particular juror?

She’s also dismissed. And she’s dismissed without any reason at all. The defense decides it doesn’t like her. It doesn’t want her on the jury. And they have a certain number of chances to just get rid of jurors — no questions asked.

Other jurors are getting dismissed for cause — I’m doing air quotes with my hands — which means that the lawyers have argued they actually revealed themselves through their answers or through old social media posts, which are brought up in the courtroom, to be either non-credible, meaning they’ve said they can be fair and they can’t, or somehow too biased to be on the jury.

Wait, can I just dial into that for a second? Are lawyers researching the jurors in real time going online and saying — I’m making this up — but Jonah Bromwich is a potential juror, and I’m going to go off into my little corner of the courtroom and Google everything you’ve ever said? Is that what’s happening in the room?

Yeah, there’s a whole profession dedicated to that. It’s called jury consultant, and they’re very good at finding information on people in a hurry. And it certainly looked as if they were in play.

Did a social media post end up getting anybody kicked off this jury?

Yes, there were posts from 2016 era internet. You’ll remember that time as a very heated one on the internet, Facebook memes are a big thing. And so there’s all kinds of lock him up type memes and rhetoric. And some of the potential jurors here have used those. And those jurors are dismissed for a reason.

So we have these two types of dismissals, right? We have these peremptory dismissals — no reason at all given. And we have for cause dismissals.

And the process is called jury selection. But you don’t actually get selected for a jury. The thing is to make it through all these obstacles.

You’re left over.

Right. And so when certain jurors are not dismissed, and they’ve made it through all these stages, by the end of the day, we have gone from zero juror seated to seven jurors who will be participating in Donald Trump’s trial.

Got it. And without going through all seven, just give us a little bit of a sketch of who so far is on this jury. What stands out?

Well, not that much stands out. So we’ve got four men. We’ve got three women. One lives on the Upper East Side. One lives in Chelsea. Obviously, they’re from all over Manhattan.

They have these kind of very normal hobbies like spending time with family and friends. They have somewhat anonymous jobs. We’ve got two lawyers. We’ve got someone who’s worked in sales.

So there’s not that much identifying information. And that’s not an accident . One of the things that often happens with jury selection, whether it be for Donald Trump or for anyone else, is the most interesting jurors — the jurors that kind of catch your attention during the process — they get picked off because they are being so interesting that they interest one or the other side in a negative way. And soon they’re excused. So most of the jurors who are actually seated —

Are not memorable.

Are not that memorable, save one particular juror.

OK. All right, I’ll bite. What do I need to know about that one particular juror?

So let me tell you about a prospective juror who we knew as 374, who will now be juror number five. She’s a middle school teacher from Harlem. And she said that she has friends who have really strong opinions about Trump, but she herself does not. And she insisted several times, I am not a political person.

And then she said this thing that made me quite surprised that the prosecution was fine with having her on the jury. She said, quote, “President Trump speaks his mind, and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.”

Hmm. So she expressed approval of President Trump.

Yeah, it was mild approval. But the thing is, especially for the defense in this trial, all you need is one juror. One juror can tie up deliberations in knots, and you can end with a hung jury. And this is actually something that I saw firsthand. In 2019, I was the foreperson on a jury.

How you like that?

Yeah. And the trial was really complicated, but I had thought while we were doing the trial, oh, this is going to be a really easy decision. I thought the defendant in that case was guilty. So we get into deliberations, but there’s this one juror who keeps gumming up the works every time we seem to be making progress, getting a conversation started.

This juror proverbially throws up his hands and says, I am not convicting. This man is innocent. And we talked and we talked. And as the foreperson, I was trying to use all my skills to mediate.

But any time we made any progress, this guy would blow it up. And long story short, hung jury — big victory for the defense lawyer. And we come out of the room. And she points at this juror. The guy —

The defense lawyer.

The defense lawyer points at this juror who blew everything up. And she said, I knew it. I knew I had my guy.

OK. I don’t want to read too much into what you said about that one juror. But should I read between the lines to think that if there’s a hung jury, you wonder if it might be that juror?

That’s what everyone in the courtroom is wondering not just about this juror, but about every single person who was selected. Is this the person who swings the case for me? Is this the person who swings the case against me?

These juries are so complex. It’s 12 people who don’t know each other at the start of the trial and, by the end of the trial, have seen each other every morning and are experiencing the same things, but are not allowed to have talked about the case until deliberations start. In that moment when deliberations start —

You’re going to learn a whole lot about each other.

That’s right. There’s this alchemical moment where suddenly, it all matters. Every personality selected matters. And that’s why jury selection is so important. And that’s why these last two days are actually one of the most important parts of this trial.

OK. So by my math, this trial will require five more jurors to get to 12. I know also they’re going to need to be alternates. But from what you’re saying what looked like a really uphill battle to get an impartial jury or a jury that said it could be impartial — and Trump was very doubtful one could be found — has turned out to not be so hard to find.

That’s right. And in fact, we went from thinking, oh, boy, this is going awfully slowly, to the judge himself saying we could be doing opening arguments as soon as Monday morning. And I think that highlights something that’s really fascinating both about this trial and about the jury selection process overall.

One of the things that lawyers have been arguing about is whether or not it’s important to figure out what jurors’ opinions about Donald Trump are. And the prosecution and, I think, the judge have really said, no, that’s not the key issue here. The key issue is not whether or not people have opinions about Donald Trump.

Right. Who doesn’t have an opinion about Donald Trump?

Exactly. They’re going to. Automatically, they’re going to. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial. And the seven people we already have seated, and presumably the five people that we’re going to get over the next few days and however many alternates — we expect six — are all going to have answered that question, not I hate Trump; I love Trump, but I can weigh in on the former president’s innocence or guilt, and I can do it as fairly as humanly possible.

Now, Trump is not happy about this. He said after court yesterday, quote, We have a highly conflicted judge, and he’s rushing this trial.” And I think that he is going to see these beats of the system the criminal justice system as it works on him as he is experiencing it as unfair. That is typically how he talks about it and how he views it.

But what he’s getting is what defendants get. This is the system in New York, in the United States. This is its answer to how do you pick a fair jury? Well, you ask people can you be fair? And you put them through this process, and the outcome is 12 people.

And so I think we’re going to see this over and over again in this trial. We’re going to see Trump experience the criminal justice system.

And its routines.

Yeah, openings, witnesses, evidence, closings. He’s going to go through all of it. And I think, at every turn, it makes sense to expect him to say, well, this is not fair. Well, the judge is doing something wrong. Well, the prosecutors are doing something wrong. Well, the jury is doing something wrong.

But at the end of the day, he’s going to be a defendant, and he’s going to sit, mostly silently if his lawyers can make him do that, and watch this process play itself out. So the system is going to try and treat him like any other defendant, even though, of course —

— he’s not. And he is going to fight back like no other defendant would, like no other defendant could. And that tension, him pushing against the criminal justice system as it strives to treat him, as it would anyone else, is going to be a defining quality of this trial.

Well, Jonah, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Of course. Thanks so much for having me. [MUSIC PLAYING]

PS, have you ever fallen asleep in a trial?

I have not.

[CHUCKLES]:

Here’s what else you need to know today.

It’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act. We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible and in a way that, as I said —

During a visit to Jerusalem on Wednesday, Britain’s foreign Secretary left little doubt that Israel would retaliate against Iran for last weekend’s aerial attack, despite pressure from the United States and Britain to stand down. The question now is what form that retaliation will take? “The Times” reports that Israel is weighing several options, including a direct strike on Iran, a cyber attack, or targeted assassinations. And —

Look, history judges us for what we do. This is a critical time right now, critical time on the world stage.

In a plan that could threaten his job, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson will put a series of foreign aid bills up for a vote this weekend. The bills, especially for aid to Ukraine, are strongly opposed by far-right House Republicans, at least two of whom have threatened to try to oust Johnson over the plan.

I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different, but I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important. I really do. I really — [MUSIC PLAYING]

Today’s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Will Reid, Lynsea Garrison, and Rob Zubko. It was edited by Paige Cowett, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly Lake.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
• April 17, 2024   •   24:52 Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ a Forever Problem?
• April 16, 2024   •   29:29 A.I.’s Original Sin
• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Rikki Novetsky ,  Will Reid ,  Lynsea Garrison and Rob Szypko

Edited by Paige Cowett

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano and Elisheba Ittoop

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.

Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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EMCON students sweep 2024 AAHN essay contest

Both undergraduate and graduate winners are emcon students..

Two Elaine Marieb College of Nursing students have won the 2024 Sarah B. Pasternack Nursing Student Essay Contest . Ameneh Arzheh (PhD Nursing) and Shaely Lora-Brito (BSN) won the respective graduate and undergraduate categories in the contest. They will each receive a $500 prize and will read their essays during a Nursing Archives Associates meeting later this spring.

Both students responded to the prompt: "Why is understanding nursing history important to the future of nursing?" Lora-Brito opens likening the history of nursing to the unfolding pages of a diary.

"Understanding the history of nursing is like unfolding the pages of a diary that holds the secrets to the soul of healthcare... Knowing the history of nursing isn't just a look back into the past; it's a guiding light that illuminates the way to the future." 

Lora-Brito goes on to discuss the historical importance of Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African-American licensed nurse, writing, "Mahoney's story teaches us that nursing is not just about the skills and knowledge we acquire but also about the values we embody and the changes we strive to make, not only in healthcare but in society as a whole."

Arzheh also opens with the perspective that understanding history allows us to shape the future of nursing with an informed lens, with a specific focus on nursing theory.

"Nursing theory played a pivotal role in establishing the profession's unique identity... Nursing theories contribute significantly to shaping the profession by offering unique worldviews that enrich our understanding of nursing practice."

Using theory by which to evolve the profession and industry, Arzheh writes, helps shape nurse self-awareness, too. "This self-awareness becomes a catalyst for developing a deeper and more empathetic connection with patients," Arzheh argues.

Only two winning essays are selected each year for this prestigious contest. The winning essays will eventually be published in full on the Nursing Archives Associates website. The contest is in honor of Sarah Pasternack, MA, RN, who "served as the President of the Nursing Archives Associates for more than 20 years. She received the Living Legend Award from the ANA Massachusetts in 2014. Sarah was an Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Nursing and a Nursing Patient Services Director and an Advanced Practice Nurse in Patient Safety and Quality at Boston Children’s Hospital," according to AAHN .

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