Title says it all.
I do many things, but nothing really stands out. They’re generic, and I am seriously stuck at this point.
Everyone has a story. Everyone has something about them that is interesting.
Go over every common app prompt (assuming this is regarding those prompts) and try to think of something about yourself that would fit into one of the prompts. If you’re stuck, maybe ask a parent or friend if they have suggestions–maybe they would have interesting ideas about you.
I had to write a practice college essay for my English class recently, and I had serious writer’s block. I ended up writing about what I had done the night before, which was baking cream puffs. It was really random, but I could twist it to show off my character really well. I would start with a memory you have. It could be from when you were little or from now.
OK, time for a little stream of consciousness, just to get the juices flowing:
What did you want to be when you were little?
What do you want to be when you “grow up”?
What do your friends like best about you?
What’s your best trait?
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
If you could be principal of your school for a day, what would you change? Why?
What do you see as the biggest problem in education?
What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?
What would you do with a million dollars if you had it?
If you had one magical power, what would it be?
What do you think is the biggest problem in our country? In our world?
What are the qualities that make your BFF such a great person?
I see where this is going, but how do I incorporate these ideas? Like what are some examples
@alison16 that’s interesting! What did cream puffs have to do with it?
@kaatherinee I had this really big craving for them one night, so I decided I would try to bake them even though I had no idea what I was doing. In concluding the essay, I talked about how I’m a problem solver and I embrace new challenges. So really, anything you’ve done in your life, big or little, can be an example of your character or your perspective!
Come with anything that tells us anything about you, see where it leads.
I think maybe you’re trying to think of something really big that happened to you and that’s what’s stumping you, but really, you just need something small to spark a great essay. At 17-18, most of us haven’t had some phenomenal, awe-inspiring event happen to us. But I guarantee you there’s something about you, something that’s happened to you, that’s worth writing about. A small event that has changed you in some way or had some impact on you. That’s all you need.
Sometimes you don’t even recognize that something you do has had an impact on you. Maybe it would help if you had a conversation with somebody about what you like to do or want to do in the future, and they can help you delve deeper into the why. It may help you come up with some ideas.
Example: So, how do you spend your time? Well, I spend a lot of time on College Confidential. Oh, why? You’re already in college… I know, but I really like answering people’s questions and giving advice. Why? I don’t know; I like teaching in general, and I don’t want people to make the same mistakes I did when I was applying to colleges. What kind of mistakes did you make? Well, for one thing I was always very hesitant to try new things, because I don’t like making mistakes or letting people down. So I didn’t do many extracurriculars. I also didn’t know what colleges required of students until late in the game, because I didn’t get any help from my GC, and my parents are both immigrants, so they don’t know either.
If I were to write an essay now, I could take several approaches just based on this. I could write about my first extracurricular and how scared I was. I could write about an experience of failure, and how I dealt with it. I could write about what it’s like living with parents who don’t understand American culture, and how the values they teach clash with the ones I learn from my peers. Or what I’ve noticed about my school system. Or how much I love College Confidential, and why.
Those things all connect back to who I am, why I am that way, what I’m still working on, and what I hope to be. So if you have something you want to write about, but you worry that it’s too generic, just try to ask yourself questions about the experience and see if you can discover something about yourself.
@CE527M Yeah I’m only 16 haha good point
@alison16 You didn’t know how to bake them? How did they turn out LOLLLL
@OnMyWay - what a great, helpful answer. Thank you!
I read a real college essay by a student admitted to Columbia ED in which the first line was seriously “I can curl my tongue pretty well.” Even the most silly things can catch the attention of an adcom.
@kaatherinee Nope, and they came out really good actually!! I was super excited. Highly recommend trying to bake them sometime.
How detailed are the essays supposed to be? Like for UCs, the max total is only 1000 words so…
I usually just write the essay, then work on cutting it down if it’s too long.