I want to start constructing my essays, but I’m stuck 
I want to write something creative and intriguing but I don’t know exactly what.
Does anyone have any tips? I am a perfectionist and VERY picky so when I looked online at essays that “worked”, I wasn’t pleased or blown away.
Think about what makes you tick. Write down some key moments of your life- “aha” moments, or moments where your opinion changed, etc. Do some free-writing on what is important to you- your values, etc. Look for stories and anecdotes.
Once you have done that, try to find a prompt that will fit what you want to write about- not the other way around.
Additionally, don’t try to write something to impress colleges- just write truthfully.
To get started, just start writing without editing yourself. Pick an experience you want to talk about and just write the first things that come to mind for 10 minutes straight. That should give you some ideas and you can begin editing and craft it how you want it.
If you aren’t impressed with “essays that worked”, you probably are never going to be completely satisfied with your own essay. You need to take a step back and realize that it’s a college admissions essay and it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t win a Pulitzer Prize. College admissions officers are just trying to get to know who you are and what you will add to their school.
- Don't write an epiphany essay
- Don't "show off"
- Don't start with a "quality" or "side of you" that you want to show
- DO start by writing down--as *stories*, just narratives with no commentary!--your most interesting and memorable experiences.
- Once you've got a few, see if any of them can fit together in any meaningful way. Look for patterns and links.
- Then see what qualities that story or those stories might reveal about you. Great stories reveal multitudes.