College Essay Help!

StressedPotato · June 27

So I'm still stuck on college essay topics but I have one in mind I'm just not sure if it would be a good idea or how to go about writing it so it doesn't sound too cliche and jumbled. I did gymnastics for 9 years and quit before high school- since then I hadn't gone to the gym at all- I've been hired as a coach at my old gym though (which is my first job) and so maybe somehow writing something based on this? I'm not sure though because I didn't continue with gymnastics so idk how that would come off? I was thinking of writing it in some form like: going back to the gym and then seeing everything, describing its impact on my life (like maybe learning the importance of balance- idk if too cliche) and then transitioning to how I'm going to be teaching kids this stuff or like how I'm going to change their lives in ways that gymnastics changed mine. Sorry this is so long but I need advice; thanks!

Empireapple · June 28

I think you have a lot to work with here in your idea. I'm not so sure you will be changing kid's lives though. But I do think you will learn a lot about working and yourself through this experience. Maybe there is a nugget in there somewhere that can turn into a great essay. Remember it is only 650 words. That isn't a lot of space to show yourself. Keep that in mind - what do you want your reader to learn about you through your writing? Good luck!

3puppies · June 28

I think you have a great start of an idea for your essay, because more than anything, the colleges are using them to get a sense of your own voice. The way you start talking about this topic sounds like it genuinely means something to you. As a young adult, you've learned some things about yourself along the way, and this is a chance to show it. Lots of topics can be used well or poorly. The very same topic coming from someone else might not convey much about themselves, as you can write about yourself.
As admin officers have to read so many essays, I recall several information sessions at multiple top schools, where they were asked "What essays stand out to you?" The common response was they preferred the essays that they can immediately tell are written by the student in their own voice. Not an essay written by a parent, teacher, or prep coach, but from a 17-18 year old kid. You're not supposed to know everything yet - you're still a kid - but you can show a lot about yourself in your essay.

BTW - Congrats on your first job! This is an exciting time for you, with a lot to look forward to, and while there will be plenty of stress and waiting, it will fly by faster that you realize.

KateinCollege · July 20

Getting started is always the hardest part! But don’t worry: you got this!
Your idea is a good start but you should dig a bit deeper. Try this: Take a big piece of paper and set an alarm for ten minutes. Then start writing whatever you think of without letting your pen rest. Then you can check what you wrote and see whether there is a common theme. There is no specific topic that gets you into your dream college and it is super important that your essay has your voice. AO will detect if something is off (aka you write about a topic that you think will get you in). So if it’s gymnastics is the most obvious theme after this exercise : go for it! Wrote about how it shaped you as a person and what skills you gained that you can use in other situations. Good luck with your essay and let me know how it goes! I am happy to help you brainstorm or edit

Publisher · July 21

Great topic . Consider presenting it as two different perspectives on the same activity.

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