I’m completely stuck when it comes to thinking of something to write my Common App essay on. I’ve written most of the supplemental essays for the schools I’m applying to, but cannot for the life of me write even a single word for the CA essay. I’m applying to one school ED, so the essay needs to be done relatively soon. I don’t really have any unique stories or attributes compared to everyone else applying to top schools. Any suggestions on how to think of an essay topic? Or would anyone be willing to help me brainstorm?
I’m going to copy and paste exactly what I just posted in another thread on the same topic:
Today: set a timer for 4 minutes. Copy the first prompt onto the top of a document, and brainstorm any event in your life, large or small that could possibly apply.
After 4 minutes, do the same with the second prompt, and then each remaining prompt. No idea is off limits; the more off the wall, the better.
Tomorrow: Go through your list, and eliminate any that seem like a bad idea. For those that remain, write a sentence or two about what you would write.
Monday: For each topic that remains, come up with bullets that generally outline what you would say. Eliminate any topic that doesn’t flesh out.
Tuesday: Take what you have, and write a draft of the body of the essay. Don’t worry about an opening or closing, just get the guts of the draft written.
Wednesday: Take what you have, and choose the one(s) that seem to have the most promise, and write an essay or two
The point is just to get something down on paper. It’s so much easier to edit than to write. So start by brainstorming topics for each of the prompt, no matter how off the wall. Then worry about refining your ideas.
You’re a 17 year old kid, just like all the other applicants. Their stories are less about unique things that have happened, they’re more about finding a unique spin to everyday experiences you’ve all shared.
Choosing a topic for an essay, research paper or writing assignment can be difficult. Choosing an essay topic is one of the most important parts of writing a great essay or paper.
Select something that interests you.
Choose something you know about.
Narrow your topic down to a manageble size.
Find an interesting way to approach a topic.
Start researching.
Brain storm.
Look right in front of you. What do you spend most of your time doing or thinking about? A sports team? A hobby? A goal? A certain game?
Ask a teacher, advisor or look online.
Re-use a topic. Think about whether you have a topic you’ve written about before that you could re-use for this essay.
If you can’t find anything that thrills you, just pick something and get started. Take your most basic idea and run with it.
Or you can find some useful tips like these https://300writers.com/compare-and-contrast-essay-topics.html
I hope it helps.
