What Should I Write My College Essay About? Tips + Examples

Your college essay is a big part of your application, especially since more selective colleges are focusing on it more when making their decisions. In fact, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), 19% of schools assign “considerable” importance to essays. That means it can really impact your chances of getting into your dream school.

But figuring out what to write your college essay about can be challenging, especially when you’re asked to summarize your life and achievements in just a few hundred words.

In this blog, we’ll help you brainstorm ideas you can write about, share tips on how to write a stellar essay, and highlight common topics to avoid.

• What Can I Write My College Essay About?
• How to Brainstorm and Write a Narrative Essay
• How to Brainstorm and Write a Montage Essay
• Common Topics to Avoid in Your College Essay
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Can I Write My College Essay About?

There’s no one right answer to this question. Your college essay is your chance to share your unique background, interests, and personality, so the topic should reflect who you really are. 

Think of your essay as your chance to share your story in a way that your test scores, GPA, and activities list can’t. Instead of a formal literary analysis like you might write in English class, your college essay should sound like you and show admissions what you really value.

While there are no strict rules about what makes a good college essay topic, some themes tend to work well. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Your background, identity, or talents. Share what makes you, you. This could include your cultural heritage, unique skills, or anything that shapes your identity. For example, how your Filipino-American upbringing taught you the importance of honoring your roots.
• Your challenges. Talk about a challenge you’ve faced and how it helped you grow. It could be academic, personal, or something you’ve overcome. Maybe you could describe how you overcame dyslexia and the strategies you developed to succeed academically.
• Your values and beliefs. What’s important to you? Whether it’s helping others or your passion for a particular cause, show what you stand for. Perhaps you could share how volunteering at an environmental organization inspired you to advocate for sustainability.
• Your role models. Who has inspired you? Whether it’s family, a teacher, or a historical figure, describing how they’ve influenced you can help readers understand your values. For example, an English teacher who made you realize that writing could be a career.
• Your achievements and goals. Highlighting a significant achievement and its connection to your future goals can show your drive and determination. For example, you could share how winning a science fair made you want to become a chemist.
• Your academic and personal interests. If there’s a subject or hobby you’re passionate about, writing about it can showcase your curiosity and commitment. For example, you could share your love for robotics and how it made you start a robotics club at school.
• Your character and qualities. Use the essay to showcase your personality traits, like resilience or creativity. It’s a chance to show who you are beyond your resume. Perhaps you can highlight your resilience by explaining how running helps you cope with stress.

Remember, there’s no perfect topic, just the one that feels right for you. Make it personal, meaningful, and true to yourself, and you’ll create an essay that stands out.

What makes a good topic?

Now, just because there’s no one-size-fits-all topic doesn’t mean you can write about just anything! We know writing about yourself can be difficult, but you’ll need to make sure the topic you choose is something you feel genuinely confident writing about.

Above all, your topic should be about you and your unique experiences. It should allow admissions officers to get to know you in a way that the rest of your application doesn’t. Remember, they read thousands of college essays, most of which are forgettable.

Try to find something specific and original, which not many other students could write about. If you could swap someone else’s name into your essay, that means it needs heavy rewriting. Your essay should highlight your personal stories and positive qualities, so choose a topic that allows you to do that in an authentic way.

This might sound obvious, but we’ll mention it just the same. Avoid topics that reflect poorly on your character or behavior. For example, writing about how you failed a class or got caught breaking a rule doesn’t exactly leave a great impression. If you want to write about a challenge or difficult experience, make sure you’re also sharing a lesson learned or a positive perspective.

Should my college essay be a story?

In general, college essays are either a montage or a narrative. A montage links several examples around a central idea, while a narrative or “story” essay focuses on one (or a few) significant challenges you’ve faced. To figure out which style works for you, ask yourself: Have I faced any major challenges in my life?

If you’ve experienced significant challenges and are comfortable sharing them, a narrative-style essay might be the right choice for you. But if you haven’t faced any big challenges (lucky you!), or prefer to write about something different, a montage could be the better fit.

Up next, we’ll break down the differences between these two types of essays and help you brainstorm ideas, along with sharing writing tips on how to approach both.

How to Brainstorm and Write a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay tells the story of a specific event or series of events, often focusing on challenges, experiences, or personal growth.

After some reflection, let’s say you’ve realized that you’ve faced significant challenges and are open to writing about them. You might be wondering how to begin your essay and write about it in a way that shows your growth, maturity, and readiness for college.

Brainstorming essay ideas

Start by brainstorming challenges you’ve faced in your life. For each challenge, reflect on the following questions:

• What were the effects of the challenge? For example, an injury during a soccer game left you unable to play for the rest of the season, affecting your confidence.
• How did you feel as a result of those effects? Maybe you felt frustrated and defeated because soccer had always been a big part of your identity.
• What needs did those feelings create? The frustration made you realize you needed to find a way to regain your confidence and stay connected to your team.
• What did you do to meet those needs? You might have supported your team from the sidelines, attending practices, and improving your skills during your recovery.
• What did you learn? Perhaps you learned that your value wasn’t just in your physical abilities but in how you could contribute to the team in other ways, like leadership and encouragement.

Writing your essay

Once you’ve brainstormed your challenges and picked one you want to write about, here’s a good way to structure your essay:

• Hook readers’ attention. Start your essay with a captivating hook that pulls the reader in. A great hook can be a vivid description, a thought-provoking question, or an interesting anecdote.
• Set the scene and provide context. Where were you, who was involved, and what led up to this moment? Be specific but concise.
• Describe the action and the turning point. This is where the main part of your story unfolds. Describe what happened during the challenge and, more importantly, how it made you feel.
• Show your internal conflict and growth. How did you wrestle with your emotions, and what was going on in your mind at the time? This is where you can highlight your personal growth.
• Reflect on what you learned. Wrap things up by reflecting on what you’ve learned from the experience. This is your opportunity to show how the challenge has prepared you for future challenges, including the challenges of college.

Narrative college essay example

Here’s an example of an effective narrative essay:

“The night before my final high school presentation, I stood in front of the mirror, shaking. I’d never been a confident public speaker, and speaking in front of 30 classmates made my stomach churn.

I was assigned a group project on climate change, and despite my knowledge of the subject, I was chosen to present. I was the one everyone depended on to communicate our research, but I had always struggled with anxiety in public speaking.

I practiced before my family for weeks, only to freeze up whenever I faced an audience. The turning point came when I realized that my nervousness wouldn’t disappear on its own, and I needed to actively face my fear head-on.

As the day of the presentation approached, I battled with my self-doubt. I questioned whether I was capable, but something shifted when I started focusing not on my fear but on the message I wanted to share. I practiced in front of a mirror, worked on my posture, and rehearsed my speech until it felt like second nature.

When I finally presented, I was nervous, but I didn’t let it control me. The experience taught me the power of facing fears directly and how preparation and perseverance can transform anxiety into confidence. Public speaking is still a challenge for me, but I now approach it with the understanding that growth happens when we step outside our comfort zones.”

How to Brainstorm and Write a Montage Essay

If you haven’t faced significant challenges or don’t want to write about them (which is totally fine), you can still craft a montage essay.

A montage essay weaves together several examples or moments from your life that all connect to a central theme or idea.

For instance, if your central theme is “resilience,“ your essay might include a memory of how you faced a science project that didn’t go well or an experience where you pushed yourself to improve in swimming. Each of these moments ties back to the theme of resilience, showing how you’ve developed this trait over time.

Brainstorming essay ideas

Brainstorming for a montage essay is really about finding your central idea or “guiding thread.” Think about the following:

• A personal value or belief that shows up in different areas of your life. This could be something you live out daily, like kindness, resilience, or curiosity. For example, you might write about how you always carry an extra granola bar to share with classmates.
• Your passions that connect seemingly unrelated experiences. Something like writing or design can pop up in different parts of your life, showing a consistent theme. Maybe your love for storytelling shows up in a writing class or your #BookTok account.
• Recurring themes in your life. What do your favorite activities, people, and memories have in common? For example, a theme of fixing and improving could appear in your love for restoring vintage bikes, organizing your friend group’s upcoming trip, and tweaking your debate speeches until they’re just right.
• The “why” behind your choices. What motivates you to keep coming back to specific experiences? For example, your passion for learning Korean could come from a deep desire to connect with your grandfather, who only speaks the language.
• Symbolic objects, hobbies, or habits. Sometimes, an object or repeated activity can represent something bigger, such as your growth or identity. For example, your well-worn sketchbook could symbolize how art helps you process family drama to academic stress.

Writing your essay

Once you’ve found your guiding thread, it’s time to turn those connected moments into a compelling story.

• Start with a strong opening that introduces your thread. Begin with an image, moment, or sentence that hints at the theme that will tie your essay together.
• Use clear section breaks or transitions. Each paragraph or section should spotlight a different example or moment connected to your thread.
• Vary your examples while keeping your theme consistent. Show different sides of who you are by picking diverse but connected experiences, from academic to personal.
• Use reflection throughout, not just at the end. Describe what happened and briefly explain what each experience meant to you.
• End with a strong conclusion that ties everything together. Your final lines should echo your opening and clearly express how all the moments you’ve shared point to who you are today.

Montage college essay example

Here’s an example of a montage college essay:

“There’s a roll of duct tape on my desk, not because I use it daily, but because it reminds me of how often I’ve had to figure things out on the fly. It’s a small symbol of a bigger trait: resourcefulness. Over the years, I’ve learned to make the most of what I have, whether for school, home, or daily life.

Like the time my bike brakes snapped the morning of my chemistry final. I didn’t have time to wait for a repair, so I grabbed a zip tie and a wooden chopstick, fastened them, and biked the rest of the way. I arrived just in time, hands covered in grease, heart still racing, but I passed the exam and proved that problem-solving doesn’t always look perfect.

At home, I’ve often been the go-to person when things stop working: the fan that buzzes at night, the missing blender lid, the nearly empty pantry. When money was tight, I’d stretch ingredients into full meals. Rice, soy sauce, frozen vegetables, and a fried egg became dinner more times than I can count.

In school, resourcefulness has helped me find my way around academic roadblocks. During a unit on molecular bonds, I struggled to understand the textbook diagrams. So, I built a model using marshmallows and toothpicks, and suddenly the content clicked.

Each of these experiences—quick-fixing my bike, inventing meals, crafting models—has reinforced a mindset I rely on daily. I don’t panic when things go wrong. I ask, “What do I have to work with?” and go from there. Being resourceful isn’t just about tools or tape. It’s about finding solutions, even when you’re not sure one exists yet.”

Common Topics to Avoid in Your College Essay

Most topics are acceptable for college essays, as long as you can use them to reflect on your personal growth or a meaningful lesson. That said, avoid specific topics that could backfire and hurt your application, such as:

1. Overly personal or graphic topics.

Sharing emotional, tragic stories can be powerful, but there’s a line between vulnerability and making your reader uncomfortable. For example, essays that go into graphic detail about medical conditions, mental health struggles, or traumatic events like abuse or sexual assault can be difficult for admissions officers to read, especially if they don’t include thoughtful reflection or signs of healing.

You can still write about hard things, but keep the focus on what you learned or how you’ve grown.

2. Topics that aren’t personal enough.

On the other hand, you should also avoid topics that aren’t personal enough. Generic essays about fixing world problems like climate change or praising a school for being “prestigious” are, well, boring.

With thousands of other applicants likely saying the same thing, admissions officers might just skim your essay and miss the chance to really get to know who you are.

3. Inappropriate or risky content.

Humor can be tricky; what feels funny to you might feel off-putting to someone else. It’s best to avoid sarcasm, edgy jokes, and anything that references illegal activity, like underage drinking or drug use. 

Also, avoid exaggerating or making up stories to sound more impressive. Remember, admissions officers have read essay after essay after essay, so they can usually tell when something feels forced or dishonest.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you pick an idea for a college essay?

Think about your personal experiences and what’s shaped you. It could be a challenge you overcame, a passion that drives you, or even a moment that changed your perspective. Just make sure it really shows who you are beyond what’s already in your application.

2. How long should a college essay be?

It really depends. Common App essays are usually around 650 words, while supplemental essays can be anywhere between 250 to 500 words. Make sure to check each school’s specific guidelines. You want to stay within the word limit and focus on quality over quantity.

3. What is the point of a college essay?

The college essay is your chance to show the admissions team who you are beyond your grades, test scores, or extracurricular activities. It’s about sharing your story, values, and what makes you a unique fit for their school—all in your own voice.

Takeaways

• Your college essay can cover a wide range of topics, from your background and personal challenges to your beliefs, hobbies, and interests.
• What matters most is showing who you really are and making sure your voice comes through in your essay.
• That said, avoid writing about overly traumatic events, vague or broad topics like solving climate change, or anything inappropriate or illegal.
• You can choose between writing a narrative or a montage essay, depending on the topic.
• If you need extra help, consider working with a college essay editor to refine your essay and make sure it presents your best self.