{"id":2924,"date":"2014-11-26t09:00:58","date_gmt":"2014-11-26t09:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/?p=2924"},"modified":"2015-04-14t20:29:55","modified_gmt":"2015-04-14t20:29:55","slug":"tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/","title":{"rendered":"tips for choosing your college essay topic"},"content":{"rendered":"

where to start with those college essays\u2014that is the question. if you\u2019re stuck on what exactly to write about, this is the post for you!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

your college essay \u2014 probably the most daunting, dreaded and time-consuming part of the college application process. you might find yourself asking: what am i supposed to write about? how do i know if the admissions office will like it? these are just a few of the many questions you\u2019re likely asking yourself and could be the reason why you might be procrastinating writing your essay.<\/p>\n

unfortunately, your application isn\u2019t complete until the essay is done, and it might be the one thing that sets you apart from every other applicant and gets you into your dream school. choosing the essay topic is the hardest part, but once you start, it\u2019ll be done before you know it! here are my five tips for coming up with topics for your college essay.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. show them who you are<\/h2>\n

your college essay is a time to show the admissions counselors who you are. if you have a unique interest or hobby that stands out and that most other applicants won\u2019t have, talk about it. it shows the kind of person you are and tell the admissions office that you\u2019ll add character and diversity to their school.
\n <\/p>\n

2. think about a life-changing event<\/h2>\n

you might still be young, but that doesn\u2019t mean you haven\u2019t learned a valuable lesson in your life. if you\u2019ve had an experience that changed your life or taught you a valuable lesson, explain what that event was and why it made an impact on your character.
\n <\/p>\n

3. discuss future career goals<\/h2>\n

if you already know the career goal you have and it\u2019s something you\u2019ve known for a long time, you\u2019ve got a topic! it shows the college why you\u2019re choosing them and that you\u2019re a driven person with goals you\u2019re trying to achieve.
\n <\/p>\n

4. address a gap in your r\u00e9sum\u00e9<\/h2>\n

so maybe your activity resum\u00e9 is a little on the bare side \u2014 that\u2019s okay, but talk about why that is. if you were really dedicated to something outside of school or had a personal issue that held you back from being involved, this is your time to tell them. colleges want students who are well-rounded and involved, if your activity resum\u00e9 doesn\u2019t show that, you want to tell them why.
\n <\/p>\n

5. use humor<\/h2>\n

this one isn\u2019t a topic or situation, but is something you can incorporate in your essay. if you are creative and have a great sense of humor, let it show. if you can make someone laugh in your essay, it\u2019s a way they will remember you when it comes time to send out those acceptance letters.
\n <\/p>\n

author bio: written by annalise cosco \u2014 a writer for nextstepu.com.<\/em> cosco attended st. john fisher college in rochester, n.y. she has a love and passion for writing and is a complete \u201cnews junkie.\u201d she\u2019s the kind of girl who loves shopping, chick flicks and pumpkin flavored everything, but is also a complete sports fanatic!<\/em><\/p>\n

for more college planning advice, visit <\/em>nextstepu.com<\/em><\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

where to start with those college essays\u2014that is the question. if you\u2019re stuck on what exactly to write about, this is the post for you! your college essay \u2014 probably the most daunting, dreaded and time-consuming part of the college application process. you might find yourself asking: what am i supposed to write about? how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[24888],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\ntips for choosing your college essay topic - magoosh blog | high school<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_us\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"tips for choosing your college essay topic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"where to start with those college essays\u2014that is the question. if you\u2019re stuck on what exactly to write about, this is the post for you! your college essay \u2014 probably the most daunting, dreaded and time-consuming part of the college application process. you might find yourself asking: what am i supposed to write about? how […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"magoosh blog | high school\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/magooshsat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-11-26t09:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-04-14t20:29:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"nextstepu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@magooshsat_act\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@magooshsat_act\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"nextstepu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"article\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/#article\",\"ispartof\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"nextstepu\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/person\/469d22f12859237693569fd7aca4dbc0\"},\"headline\":\"tips for choosing your college essay topic\",\"datepublished\":\"2014-11-26t09:00:58+00:00\",\"datemodified\":\"2015-04-14t20:29:55+00:00\",\"mainentityofpage\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/\"},\"wordcount\":549,\"commentcount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#organization\"},\"articlesection\":[\"college admissions\"],\"inlanguage\":\"en-us\",\"potentialaction\":[{\"@type\":\"commentaction\",\"name\":\"comment\",\"target\":[\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"webpage\",\"@id\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/\",\"url\":\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/tips-for-choosing-your-college-essay-topic\/\",\"name\":\"tips for choosing your college essay topic - 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