A Crash Course in the College Admissions Essay (continued)

1. Look at your list of topics and ask yourself which ones have the most potential as essay topics: which ones say something about you that you could relate to your future? For instance, if you like smelly socks, is it because it reminds you of a long soccer practice and your love of sports? If so, it could be a good topic to illustrate your potential as a college athlete.
2. Choose three topics that you feel have the most potential to build an essay around. Now, write one paragraph for each. It doesn’t have to be polished or perfect – no one is going to see it! Just go with the flow, and trust your instincts. Don’t spend more than ten minutes on each one.
3. Now look at your writing. What tone and style did you use? Did you joke around, use a story from your past, or speak directly to the admissions officer? Do you think that the tone and the topic support each other, or do you need to rethink your approach?

Step 3 Takeaway No matter what your topic is, it is essential that the essay contains a message about who you are and why you are a great college applicant. That means that your topic needs to lead towards some sort of conclusion that sums up your “argument.”

1. Choose the topic paragraph that you like the best, and think will frame you as an applicant the best. Now think about what your takeaway is. Did you recount a funny memory about getting back at a bully? Tie it up by talking about your commitment to social justice. Did you write about being labeled a “dork” in school? Let it be known that you’re proud of your deep interest in science or books.
2. Now write it out! Figure out a transition from your first paragraph to your takeaway idea. Don’t spend more than ten minutes in doing so. After you’re done, read over what you’ve written. Presto! You have an awesome start to a great essay. That doesn’t mean you have to stick with that topic, but it does mean you have some writing under your belt, and a strategy for approaching your essay.