Which Is Your Best College Application Essay Topic?

Find out if your college application essay topic is a good one. Tip: Your essay should include a situation that you can remember actually happening on a specific day. At the end, you will recieve a full report of the best responses, and why these things lead to a stronger topic for your essay.

Debbie Merion Essay Coaching
Created by Debbie Merion Essay Coaching (User Generated Content*)User Generated Content is not posted by anyone affiliated with, or on behalf of, Playbuzz.com.
On Jun 9, 2017

Your essay should include a situation that you can remember actually happening on a specific day. How old were you when the situation you discuss in your essay took place?

Does this essay topic seem like something you want to write about?

Would the person who reads your essay learn something good about you?

How many people (other than you) are in your essay?

Does this story involve any special skills that were a challenge to learn?

Is the topic of your essay (or part of it) related to any subject you would like to study in college?

Is your essay topic related to you taking initiative (doing something you weren't required to do)?

Do you have any friends who could tell a similar story to the one you tell in your essay?

Did anything good happen as a result of the story you told in your essay that you can describe using sensory information or quantify?

Would you like to learn more about how to improve your college application essay?

Another topic idea might be stronger. Keep thinking!

Another topic idea might be stronger. Keep thinking!

Possible outcomes are:

GOOD: Another topic idea could be stronger
BETTER: Good topic (try again for a great topic)
BEST: Great topic! This sounds like a strong essay topic

Here are the best answers to the questions in this quiz, along with explanations of each question.

Question 1 (Your essay should include a situation that you can remember actually happening on a specific day. How old were you when the situation you discuss in your essay took place?)
Best Answer: 16+
Explanation: Choose a situation to write about that has happened within the last two years, to show your mature reactions. Talking about a recent event will also make it easier for your application reader to imagine you in a college setting with your peers. Although it’s good to write about a situation that occurred in the last two years, if the topic involves a long-standing interest, that will also help show the strength of your passion, commitment, and dedication.
Example: An essay about a dilemma you had at music band camp last year could be a good one, especially if you’ve been playing the trombone since elementary school.

Question 2 (Does your essay idea seem like something you want to write about?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Would this topic be fun or interesting for you to write about? If so, your interest will help the reader feel compelled to read.

Question 3 (Would the person who reads your essay learn something good about you?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: The first thing an admissions officer asks him or herself is, “What have I learned about the student writing this essay?” Imagine you might meet an adult for the first time and want to make a good impression. What true story about yourself would you tell?

Question 4 (How many people (other than you) are in your essay?)
Best Answer: At least one person older or younger than me
Explanation: No man (or woman) is an island. It is good to show how your actions relate to other people, or how your life circumstances (such as being the middle child) have affected you. This will demonstrate to colleges how you are likely to interact in group settings (e.g. classes, dorms), and possibly in leadership positions. How you learn from or teach others is always interesting.
Example: For example, does being a soccer team captain give you an opportunity to nurture younger students like your captains did? If so, how exactly did you do that?

Question 5 (Does this story involve any special skills that were a challenge to learn?)
Best Answer: Yes. I’ve taken lessons or tried to learn this skill for a year or more.
Explanation: Does your story involve any special skills that were a challenge to learn?
Example: Can you speak another language, debate like a lawyer, ride a horse, code a phone app, bake a fabulous pie, or manage a cash register in a store?

Question 6 (Is the topic of your essay (or part of it) related to any subject you would like to study in college?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Writing about something you want to participate in or study in college gives the college insight into how you have explored the subject in the past.
Example: An essay about a boy going to a car show with his father is a good way to demonstrate how the young man became interested in becoming an automotive designer.

Question 7 (Is the topic of your essay story related to you doing something that you decided to do on your own (without being required to do it for a class or a job)?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Doing work that you weren’t required to do (also called “taking initiative”) can be an essential part of achieving academic success.
Example: An essay about starting a lawn care business will show a college your personal commitment to a goal, and it is an example of you taking initiative.

Question 8 (Do you have any friends who could tell a similar story to the one you tell in your essay?)
Best answer: No
Explanation: College admissions officers have to read through hundreds of essays. You want to write a story only you can tell. High school students often have similar lives (such as going to school, clubs, and sports). You should provide enough detail (where, when, why) and insight into your thoughts and emotions so that only you could tell this exact story. A unique story will make you memorable when it is time for admissions officers to make decisions.

Question 9 (Did anything good happen as a result of the story you told in your essay that you can describe using sensory information or quantify?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: How did the situation you describe in your essay end? Can you describe or quantify the result? Did you learn or change, and in what way does that show?
Example: Feeling good about raising money for charity is awesome, but it is helpful to let the reader know how much you raised.

Question 10 (Would you like to learn more about how to improve your college application essay?)
If you answered “Sure, Why Not?” to this question, check out www.essaycoaching.com
No one was born knowing how to write a college application essay. Essay Coaching works one-on-one and in workshops with students and families to help you strengthen your essays and your writing. Essay Coaching does not write any essays. You do the writing. Write debbie@essaycoaching.com

When you have completed a rough draft of your essay, take the second quiz in this series.

Quiz and this document are Copyright © 2016 Debbie Merion of Essay Coaching.

Good topic (but try again for a great topic)

Good topic (but try again for a great topic)

Possible outcomes are:

GOOD: Another topic idea could be stronger
BETTER: Good topic (try again for a great topic)
BEST: Great topic! This sounds like a strong essay topic

Here are the best answers to the questions in this quiz, along with explanations of each question.

Question 1 (Your essay should include a situation that you can remember actually happening on a specific day. How old were you when the situation you discuss in your essay took place?)
Best Answer: 16+
Explanation: Choose a situation to write about that has happened within the last two years, to show your mature reactions. Talking about a recent event will also make it easier for your application reader to imagine you in a college setting with your peers. Although it’s good to write about a situation that occurred in the last two years, if the topic involves a long-standing interest, that will also help show the strength of your passion, commitment, and dedication.
Example: An essay about a dilemma you had at music band camp last year could be a good one, especially if you’ve been playing the trombone since elementary school.

Question 2 (Does your essay idea seem like something you want to write about?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Would this topic be fun or interesting for you to write about? If so, your interest will help the reader feel compelled to read.

Question 3 (Would the person who reads your essay learn something good about you?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: The first thing an admissions officer asks him or herself is, “What have I learned about the student writing this essay?” Imagine you might meet an adult for the first time and want to make a good impression. What true story about yourself would you tell?

Question 4 (How many people (other than you) are in your essay?)
Best Answer: At least one person older or younger than me
Explanation: No man (or woman) is an island. It is good to show how your actions relate to other people, or how your life circumstances (such as being the middle child) have affected you. This will demonstrate to colleges how you are likely to interact in group settings (e.g. classes, dorms), and possibly in leadership positions. How you learn from or teach others is always interesting.
Example: For example, does being a soccer team captain give you an opportunity to nurture younger students like your captains did? If so, how exactly did you do that?

Question 5 (Does this story involve any special skills that were a challenge to learn?)
Best Answer: Yes. I’ve taken lessons or tried to learn this skill for a year or more.
Explanation: Does your story involve any special skills that were a challenge to learn?
Example: Can you speak another language, debate like a lawyer, ride a horse, code a phone app, bake a fabulous pie, or manage a cash register in a store?

Question 6 (Is the topic of your essay (or part of it) related to any subject you would like to study in college?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Writing about something you want to participate in or study in college gives the college insight into how you have explored the subject in the past.
Example: An essay about a boy going to a car show with his father is a good way to demonstrate how the young man became interested in becoming an automotive designer.

Question 7 (Is the topic of your essay story related to you doing something that you decided to do on your own (without being required to do it for a class or a job)?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Doing work that you weren’t required to do (also called “taking initiative”) can be an essential part of achieving academic success.
Example: An essay about starting a lawn care business will show a college your personal commitment to a goal, and it is an example of you taking initiative.

Question 8 (Do you have any friends who could tell a similar story to the one you tell in your essay?)
Best answer: No
Explanation: College admissions officers have to read through hundreds of essays. You want to write a story only you can tell. High school students often have similar lives (such as going to school, clubs, and sports). You should provide enough detail (where, when, why) and insight into your thoughts and emotions so that only you could tell this exact story. A unique story will make you memorable when it is time for admissions officers to make decisions.

Question 9 (Did anything good happen as a result of the story you told in your essay that you can describe using sensory information or quantify?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: How did the situation you describe in your essay end? Can you describe or quantify the result? Did you learn or change, and in what way does that show?
Example: Feeling good about raising money for charity is awesome, but it is helpful to let the reader know how much you raised.

Question 10 (Would you like to learn more about how to improve your college application essay?)
If you answered “Sure, Why Not?” to this question, check out www.essaycoaching.com
No one was born knowing how to write a college application essay. Essay Coaching works one-on-one and in workshops with students and families to help you strengthen your essays and your writing. Essay Coaching does not write any essays. You do the writing. Write debbie@essaycoaching.com

When you have completed a rough draft of your essay, take the second quiz in this series.

Quiz and this document are Copyright © 2016 Debbie Merion of Essay Coaching.

Great topic! This sounds like a very strong essay topic.

Great topic! This sounds like a very strong essay topic.

Possible outcomes are:

GOOD: Another topic idea could be stronger
BETTER: Good topic (try again for a great topic)
BEST: Great topic! This sounds like a strong essay topic

Here are the best answers to the questions in this quiz, along with explanations of each question.

Question 1 (Your essay should include a situation that you can remember actually happening on a specific day. How old were you when the situation you discuss in your essay took place?)
Best Answer: 16+
Explanation: Choose a situation to write about that has happened within the last two years, to show your mature reactions. Talking about a recent event will also make it easier for your application reader to imagine you in a college setting with your peers. Although it’s good to write about a situation that occurred in the last two years, if the topic involves a long-standing interest, that will also help show the strength of your passion, commitment, and dedication.
Example: An essay about a dilemma you had at music band camp last year could be a good one, especially if you’ve been playing the trombone since elementary school.

Question 2 (Does your essay idea seem like something you want to write about?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Would this topic be fun or interesting for you to write about? If so, your interest will help the reader feel compelled to read.

Question 3 (Would the person who reads your essay learn something good about you?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: The first thing an admissions officer asks him or herself is, “What have I learned about the student writing this essay?” Imagine you might meet an adult for the first time and want to make a good impression. What true story about yourself would you tell?

Question 4 (How many people (other than you) are in your essay?)
Best Answer: At least one person older or younger than me
Explanation: No man (or woman) is an island. It is good to show how your actions relate to other people, or how your life circumstances (such as being the middle child) have affected you. This will demonstrate to colleges how you are likely to interact in group settings (e.g. classes, dorms), and possibly in leadership positions. How you learn from or teach others is always interesting.
Example: For example, does being a soccer team captain give you an opportunity to nurture younger students like your captains did? If so, how exactly did you do that?

Question 5 (Does this story involve any special skills that were a challenge to learn?)
Best Answer: Yes. I’ve taken lessons or tried to learn this skill for a year or more.
Explanation: Does your story involve any special skills that were a challenge to learn?
Example: Can you speak another language, debate like a lawyer, ride a horse, code a phone app, bake a fabulous pie, or manage a cash register in a store?

Question 6 (Is the topic of your essay (or part of it) related to any subject you would like to study in college?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Writing about something you want to participate in or study in college gives the college insight into how you have explored the subject in the past.
Example: An essay about a boy going to a car show with his father is a good way to demonstrate how the young man became interested in becoming an automotive designer.

Question 7 (Is the topic of your essay story related to you doing something that you decided to do on your own (without being required to do it for a class or a job)?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: Doing work that you weren’t required to do (also called “taking initiative”) can be an essential part of achieving academic success.
Example: An essay about starting a lawn care business will show a college your personal commitment to a goal, and it is an example of you taking initiative.

Question 8 (Do you have any friends who could tell a similar story to the one you tell in your essay?)
Best answer: No
Explanation: College admissions officers have to read through hundreds of essays. You want to write a story only you can tell. High school students often have similar lives (such as going to school, clubs, and sports). You should provide enough detail (where, when, why) and insight into your thoughts and emotions so that only you could tell this exact story. A unique story will make you memorable when it is time for admissions officers to make decisions.

Question 9 (Did anything good happen as a result of the story you told in your essay that you can describe using sensory information or quantify?)
Best answer: Yes
Explanation: How did the situation you describe in your essay end? Can you describe or quantify the result? Did you learn or change, and in what way does that show?
Example: Feeling good about raising money for charity is awesome, but it is helpful to let the reader know how much you raised.

Question 10 (Would you like to learn more about how to improve your college application essay?)
If you answered “Sure, Why Not?” to this question, check out www.essaycoaching.com
No one was born knowing how to write a college application essay. Essay Coaching works one-on-one and in workshops with students and families to help you strengthen your essays and your writing. Essay Coaching does not write any essays. You do the writing. Write debbie@essaycoaching.com

When you have completed a rough draft of your essay, take the second quiz in this series.

Quiz and this document are Copyright © 2016 Debbie Merion of Essay Coaching.

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