A new client, who I will call Sarah, met with me for the first time to talk about topic ideas.
When I pressed her about her interests, her hobbies, her passions, she kept insisting that she was a well-rounded, strong student, but didn’t have any one thing that stood out about her.
It’s a common obstacle in writing these essays.
Students think they need to have climbed Mt. Everest or invented a better paperclip to justify a strong topic.
These students just need to slow down long enough to see what is right in front of them: the often mundane (ordinary; everyday), yet fascinating qualities, habits, goals or characteristics that make them unique.
I gave Sarah a few examples of this idea: the student who wrote about her wild red hair; the girl who liked riding the public bus system and used that to “show” her sense of adventure and openess to all types of people; the student who wrote a tribute to his TI-83+ calculator; the girl who wrote about her prowess as a karaoke queen.
After listening to these ideas, Sarah kept insisting she really didn’t have anything special to write about herself.
She thought for a few more minutes and then said quietly, “I smile a lot.”
Bingo!!
I had only spent about ten minutes with Sarah, and I had noticed she easily broke into a wide, beautiful smile.
Sarah even smiled when she talked.
It was as though she couldn’t stop herself.
“My mom says I’m always smiling,” she added, smiling.
What a perfect topic for an essay.
Sarah’s constant smiling obviously was a big part of who she is, and all she had to do was explore what this meant to her, how it affected her relationships and experiences with others, maybe develop some metaphors to her smiling and life, and she had a makings of an engaging essay.
As with Sarah, sometimes the best essay topics are so close you don’t even see them. Just keep looking!
If you still don’t believe me about the power of writing about everyday topics for college admissions essays over those you think might impress your college(s) of choice, read this comment from a veteran college admissions counselor (this was posted in the comments section in response to an article called A Few Essays That Worked in the The New York Times‘ blog on college admissions called The Choice):
“I am often asked how to compose memorable application essays out of “ordinary” teenage lives. High school seniors who haven’t won international awards or lived on houseboats or in homeless shelters can feel as if their essays have little to offer. They’re terrified that they will make the same “mistakes” that are highlighted here in “The Choice” (and no wonder … even I–an admissions professional for three decades–had a tough time differentiating between the “good” and “bad” ones!).
I always reply that, during my 15 years of reading application essays at Smith College, many of the most memorable submissions were on mundane topics. One of my all-time favorites was about a laundry mishap at a summer school. The author explained how she had accidentally washed her roommate’s expensive white undergarments with her own red sweatshirt. Of course, the essay wasn’t really just about laundry … it was more about the boundaries of friendship. Other wonderful essays I recall include a hilarious one on playing in a truly terrible school band and another called “Why I Shop at Wal-Mart.”
While there are lots of books out there that serve up samples of “successful” essays, there are two that I especially like that offer helpful suggestions on how to craft your own. “On Writing The College Application Essay: Secrets of a former Ivy League Admissions Officer,” by Harry Bauld (which I’ve recommended for eons) and a newcomer called, “Concise Advice: Jump-Starting Your College Admissions Essays,” by Robert Cronk, both lead students through the composition process and never lose sight of the fact that 17-year-olds can rarely report triumphs—or traumas—that might help their essays stand out in a crowd.
Admission officials really DO want to read about their applicants’ experiences, no matter how “typical,” and they are eager to view them through the writers’ eyes. Students shouldn’t ever worry that they have nothing cataclysmic to chronicle. After all, what could be more “ordinary” than laundry?”
— Sally Rubenstone, Senior Advisor, College Confidential
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I understand “The Power of Mundane” quite well and do agree with you but, I was wondering what you are to do when a single college requires not one but anywhere from two to six separate essay responses as part of their undergraduate application?! (USC being the six separate essays school) Are all of these essays to tell a story, mundane, anecdotal or otherwise, or are some of these essays expected and/or allowed to be more practical and straightforward in retort? I’m worried four or five or six essays employing an immersion tactic will feel a bit overkill and actually end up lessening the effect one or maybe two intense Show not Tell essays may hold.
You give examples like “I smile a lot” and “I play in a school band” and “I shop at Wal-Mart,” but I’m the kind of high schooler who doesn’t even have those things. Hell, I can’t even write about a laundry mishap involving a friend because I don’t even have close friends.
The only thing I’d say I have about myself is my crippling insecurity and self-doubt and depression (and I try to analyze like some 1910s Freudian psychoanalyst why I have the problems that I do, which makes it even more pathetic), which you would agree wouldn’t really make for a favorable college essay.
Hi Katherine,
I understand how hard it is to believe that you have something original and memorable to write about for your essay. But I know you do. Even the little you told me here could be an excellent essay topic. What you describe as “crippling insecurity” is a very real problem. And if you read my blog, you will see how problems can lead to outstanding essays. And how you said you “analyze like some 1910 Freudian psychoanalyst” also tells me that you are actively working on your problems (and that you have a good sense of humor, too!). This is not pathetic. In fact, it shows that you are a deep thinker and determined person who wants to figure out your life. This is exactly the type of people colleges want at their schools. Everyone has problems. Some are more severe than others. What matters is that you recognize them and try to find ways to handle them. If you can write your essay about your problem, and then go onto show the steps you have taken to deal with it (note: you don’t have to had solved it.)–you could write an awesome essay. I would encourage you to continue reading this blog. Start with this post:https://www.essayhell.com/2016/02/write-college-application-essay-3-easy-steps/
Give it a shot. Be real and open and honest about your “problem,” but make sure to quickly go into how you think about it and what you are doing to deal with it, and ultimately, what you have learned in the process. You might surprise yourself what you have to say!! Good luck! JR
I wonder if I could write how struggling I am with writing because English is my second language. Even though in my mother language, I felt very nervous whenever it came to writing assignments. I just worry my weakness is not what colleges are looking for in their incoming students