What should I write my college essay about? How shall I start writing? What topic to choose? These are the common questions college students ask when they are assigned an essay without theme specifications. Initially, students may be happy that they are free to choose a topic. However, when they start choosing the one, they will definitely become frustrated as each theme seems too common and unimpressive. Obviously, students may wish to find the most interesting and impressive theme for their admission essays; however, they may lack creativity and ideas.

First of all, do not panic. You are not alone in this frustration as most students appear in the same situation when they try to develop a proper topic for their essays. Second, you need to plan your work as only in this case you will be able to compose an essay that will bring to the highest level of satisfaction. Third, write what you feel shows your best talents and qualities but not what Google offers as top 10 themes for admission essays. Sometimes the simplest but the most open and ordinary essays are accepted only because they are written with the highest level of faithfulness, interest, and admiration.

No need to write about some hard childhood where you dreamed about becoming a specialist if you have never thought about the profession you apply to till the last year. However, you may describe the day when you decided to become a professional in the field of application and how impressed and motivated you were in your choice. The theme should not be absolutely incredible; it may be simple and common. However, it is essential how you present it, what personal skills you depict and how artfully you explain them to the admission committee.

Why I Need to Write a College Admission Essay

A college admission essay is a traditional application essay for each student who applies to a college or university. Many students think it is an old tradition to write admission essays and do not work hard on them. However, such an approach may cost students an application. An admission essay is an important stage of the application process, and we strongly recommend you pay attention to it. When hundreds of students apply to the college, an admission committee has to choose the best ones who will fit their requirements. The problem appears when several students get the same number of grades, and a commission has to choose a couple of students only. However, those, whose GPA’s are lower a bit or the grades for exams are not the highest, may get additional points for a perfectly written application essay.

An application essay is your opportunity to allow an admission committee to get acquainted with you. This is your chance to leave a good first impression. This is sometimes more important than the amount of grades you have or your GPA. Reading your essay, a committee should see you as an ideal applicant for them; they should understand that you are the one who they will be proud of. Communication is a core skill you need to possess. Even though you do not have an opportunity to talk to the admission committee, you can turn to them in a written form and share your ideas through an admission essay. Sometimes, the content is not as important as your ability to logically structure your ideas and present them in the best way you can. So, what are the best means of choosing a proper title for your admission essay?

Tell a Story in the Application Essay

No matter which topic you plan to select, you have to tell a story. Readers are not interested in a list of your skills and achievements. They want to read an exciting story about something or someone. You definitely have a story you may tell the admission committee. Everyone has. The problem is in the ability to see this story in your life and present it in such a way that the admission committee likes it. This is a set of skills you should have and depict while application.

Never stop asking yourself, “What should I write my college essay about?” You will see how in a day or two you will come up with a list of ideas. It is important to note each idea that comes to your mind as this is the only way not to lose something really valuable. You should read the list from time to time. If you feel that some ideas are not your choice for sure, remove them and leave those which seem interesting for you. Do not forget to add new ideas. One day you will see that one idea frequently appears in your mind in different interpretations. This is exactly what you want to write about. Check some other variants of how to find your theme for writing an application essay:

• Take a strengths questionnaire: If you have decided to present your strongest skills in an application essay, you may at least know what your strong sides are. If you have doubts you may take one of the surveys online which can show you your strength. Use this information for developing your essay.
• Ask friends or relatives: Discuss the point of your concern with your relatives and strength. People around us usually have their personal vision of who we are and what strengths we possess. You may be pleasantly surprised about what your friends and relatives think about you and your strength. Most probably you underestimate yourself, and the responses of your friends and family members may show you how powerful you really are.
• Brainstorm big events and memorable moments: Your life is definitely full of different exciting events and moments. Develop a list of the most incredible events in your life. It may be your last trip to another country or todays’ A+ in math. If these two events are equally valuable for you. Include them in a list; you will further decide which is still more impressive and important. Make sure that you list everything you may remember and further put the events in the order of value increase. It may take some time, but you will see which event is the most pleasurable and significant for you.

Writing your essay you need to make it personal. It is not enough to present some general ideas. It does not work in such a way. You have to open yourself, focus on some personal aspects and events. If you have decided to write about leadership as a core skill a student should possess, you have to tell what leadership skills you obtain and where you have ever used these skills. No need to write some secrets or aspects you prefer to keep private; however, you need to ensure that your essay is personal enough to tell the admission committee who you are.

How to Write a College Application Essay

When you start writing your application essay, you need to consider some basic points you have to focus on. First, after you have selected a topic, you need to develop a college essay structure. This will help you arrange your essay in an academic manner. Second, you need to develop an outline, which will help you keep your thoughts structured and do not miss any information. Finally, do not delay writing because you will need time to revise and even rewrite your paper. The first variant is never final. The first draft is considered as a variant you need to see what you write about. The next paper will refer to some new ideas, and so on and so forth until you have an essay that perfectly fits your desires. Do not stop revision if you are not satisfied with the outcome. You need to deliver a top-quality college essay. How one will ever tell you how to end a college application essay, you will feel that you have said everything you wished and you will not want to tell more.

What to Include in an Admission Essay

Even though an application essay should be unique and creative, the general structure of the essay still remains the same. Follow this structure and enjoy the writing process:

1. Start with a Hook: Make sure that from the very beginning you manage to get the attention of a reader, as this is the only chance that your paper will be read till the end.
2. Sound unique: Ensure that your focus on your particular event, skill, or moments from the very beginning. A reader should have a clear picture of what he/she is going to read further.
3. Present personal experience: You need to share your personal experience in the paper. Even if you think your experience is not enough and the story of someone else is more motivational, do not discuss something not related to you. An admission committee wants to see your personal experience.
4. Apply your skills to college needs: School administration should understand how you are going to apply your skills in their educational establishment. Provide examples to show how it may appear in practice.
5. Draw the conclusions: The essay must finish with a strong summary of what you have written. You need to return the reader to the beginning of the story and shortly provide your basic ideas. Make sure that the admission committee will remember your essay.
6. Stick to requirements: Each college has some specific requirements for writing a college essay. You need to get acquainted with them, as you most probably will be limited in the amount of words, font, and spacing. The admission committee never limits you in choice of the topic, but other restrictions must be considered.

Some ideas to consider

Editing and proofreading your admission essay, you may wish to check the content one more time. consider the following questions as a guide for amending your essay:

• Is there any general information? Can you make it sound more personal?
• Am I creative enough?
• Is this my story?
• Is the theme I discuss significant for me?
• Would I read a similar piece?

Writing an admission essay is an interesting journey you need to accomplish. You need to like the process, admire your ideas, and appreciate your effort. An admission essay is not an essay that must be written because you have no other option. You need to wish writing an admission essay as an opportunity to depict yourself and your skills.

Always Revise Even If You Have Proofread a College Application Essay

Some students do not pay much attention to essay revision. Proofreading is a separate stage of essay writing. You should not omit it but you have to remember that this is a stage where you eliminate some possible mistakes, while revision is a complete amendment of an essay where you critically question each idea and either add or remove something. Critical assessment of personal writing is a good revision strategy.

Asking for peer review is another strategy for revision. You may ask someone to check your essay and provide a comment. It is your choice either to agree with revision comments or not but as an essay writer, you may not adequately assess it.

Check the list below and put a tick in front of the lines if you have accomplished it in your essay:

1. 1. The essay follows the basic college requirements
2. 2. The essay is my story
3. The essay is unique as it is my personal experience
4. The essay shows the flow of my thoughts
5. The essay depicts my values
6. The essay clearly underlines my contribution to the college
7. The essay shares my growth intentions

Examples of Good College Essay Writing

If you still have no idea of how to write your admission essay, check the examples below. Do not copy anything from these essays as you may be accused of plagiarism. However, it may be a good beginning for you on the ways of understanding what an admission committee expects from you. Make it your starting point.

High-quality education is one of the top priorities of present-day life; and if one strives for being successful in the future, it is a matter of primary concern to choose a college that can benefit him or her. Having considered all pros and cons, I have come to the conclusion that Monroe College is the best option for me as its main goal is in synch with my personal goal: to guarantee a successful future. What I need is real theoretical and practical knowledge and actual experience that can be a valuable asset for me in the modern highly competitive world. Monroe College is known as a leader in career-oriented education, and I believe that I can benefit from the education obtained there in a number of ways.

First of all, I am willing to study hard and gain profound knowledge in the chosen field. I truly believe that knowledge is light and power that enables a person to reach heights. Having done some research, I have realized that all college professors are highly respected for their attitude to teaching and motivating the students. Each of them aims at providing the young people with invaluable knowledge and sharing their experience which can ensure the future success of the students and benefits for society as a whole. I have heard about the amazing dedication of the professors who exert all efforts to make it possible for each student to understand the new material and be able to apply it in practice.

Furthermore, I am sure that education at Monroe College is a perfect investment in the future. The degree obtained from this top-ranking college will serve as a guarantee of the applicant’s high standing in the job market, competitiveness, good knowledge and leadership position. I need my academic potential to be developed to the fullest, and I believe that the encouragement of this particular college can be suitable for me to be excellent in my studies. One of the questions from future employers will be related to the education I obtained, and mere mentioning of Monroe College will definitely bring me several additional points to the total score. I am an ambitious person with numerous plans to carry out and cherished dreams; thus, I feel that my future and my potential accomplishments depend on the educational establishment that I will choose. I cannot afford to make mistakes, so I want to choose the best option at once.

The following benefit of studying at Monroe College is job security and satisfaction that students gain. Being a leader in international and urban education, this college has a unique approach to preparing the students to career success after they graduate. Their priority of practical knowledge, development of relevant skills, and flexibility of schedules together with the engagement of the facility helps the students feel secure when they get their jobs. I am eager to be well-positioned after I graduate from college, am I need to be aware of all the peculiar features of job security. Thus, what I need now is to get an education from the college that guarantees my absolute awareness and my ability to make conscious decisions and choices. What I expect from Monroe College is gaining confidence that I have a high chance to be promoted at my future job and no chances to stay unemployed.

In addition to the security at work, I want to have better career opportunities having graduated from Monroe College. I am aware of the factors that employers take into consideration while choosing the best applicants, and I understand that education is only one of them. However, I am willing to demonstrate my strengths and improve in what now are my weaknesses; my diligence and eagerness to work hard in combination with an excellent education can open new horizons for me. I hope that more doors will be open for me if I get my degree at Monroe College. Every person needs a possibility to choose the most suitable options among those available, and I really wish I could have a wide range of choices to decide on the career I want to make.

Finally, I am often characterized as a decisive and persistent person; however, I need to be able to make sound and informed decisions in the future. I understand that making decisions requires great responsibility and thoughtfulness as it is important to take into account all the possible consequences for all engaged parties. Besides, in my opinion, it is vital to have a solid theoretical basis and a wide range of practical skills and experience to be able to estimate all the possible risks and benefits of every made decision. Only by getting a good education, a person can be able to think critically and logically, to make predictions and conclusions, and prepare plans.

To sum up, my biggest dream and ambition now is to be admitted to Monroe College and to be able to gain a wide range of benefits it provides. I want to be successful and prosperous in the future to support my family adequately; moreover, I dream about being a valuable asset for my community. I plan to serve people using my knowledge, experience, and skills; so, I need to gain them in the most efficient way. I believe that Monroe College can be the most suitable environment for my development and growth as an expert in my chosen field. I will try my best to overcome all the difficulties that may arise on my way to knowledge, accomplishments, and success and become of the best students of the college.