<p>Finding a topic:</p>
<p>Find a quiet place and close your eyes. Forget essays and topics for the moment. This is an important step; if your don't push essays aside, it could screw up the rest of this exercise.</p>
<p>Now, of all your memories, which ones are the most memorable. What 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 moments in your life are the ones that first pop up? Some might be good. Some might be terrible. Some might even be frightening. It might even be something that remains a secret to this day. Make a list - just a sentence to help you remember. Spend a little time on this, but do it in a relaxed environment. Let YOUR MEMORIES GUIDE YOU; DON'T GO "WHAT CAN I THINK OF?"</p>
<p>Next, look over your list. Were any of these moments ones that led to a change in you, tested you, or allowed you to overcome any fears or issues? If one of these led to a better you or a stronger you, or a more knowledgeable you, then that is your topic!</p>
<p>For an essay to be personal and memorable to a reader, it has to be personable and memorable to the writer (you!).</p>
<p>Now, a big hint: Describing ("showing") that moment in your life becomes the first paragraph of your essay. The rest should show your development from that moment to a changed you. It doesn't have to be some earth-shattering experience. It might be quite a gentle thing, or a moment where you were tempted by doing something wrong, but were able to develop and overcome the temptation. It could be an ordinary experience that led to changing you.</p>
<p>In my book on writing college application essays, I showed example topics like "The time my sister gave me a sketchbook for my 14th birthday," "The time I moved to a new school and felt like a freak," "The time the coach told me to come in last at the swim meet," and "The time I was a bit player in a crowd scene in the school play."</p>
<p>These ordinary events can lead to very powerful essays.</p>