So, I know that I have to write the famous college essays soon and I have a platform and plenty of topics I like but honestly some I don’t feel are good enough. What will really make me stand out from the rest of the group applying to the same college as me?
Being yourself!
^^Exactly! That’s what I told my daughter. And it worked. 
Be true to yourself that will make you stand out among the rest.
Be interesting, unique and personal. That is the magic formula.
For my sons’s essay, his voice totally comes across the page and only he could have written it (in style and substance). It’s not some magical great piece of literary work or even good writing for that matter, just a small window on how he looks at things, what he thinks is important and some of what he experienced, taking the reader on a short journey through his thought process. For my daughter, total soul searching type essay on what interests her.
The only standing out is to think deeply about who you are and have that come across in your essay. Good luck!
Unfortunately, it’s being the “you” that they want. Not any old slice.
Thank you all for the info
Google “Hacking the College Essay 2017” and read it.
Write the Essay No One Else Could Write
“It boils down to this: the essay that gets you in is the essay that no other applicant could write.
Is this a trick? The rest of this guide gives you the best strategies to accomplish this single
most important thing: write the essay no one else could write.
If someone reading your essay gets the feeling some other applicant could have written it,
then you’re in trouble.
Why is this so important? Because most essays sound like they could have been written by
anyone. Remember that most essays fail to do what they should: replace numbers (SAT/GPA) with the real you.
Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer. She’s got limited time and a stack of
applications. Each application is mostly numbers and other stuff that looks the same. Then she picks
up your essay. Sixty seconds later, what is her impression of you? Will she know something specifically
about you? Or will you still be indistinguishable from the hundreds of other applicants she has been
reading about?”
Did you read the tips pinned at the top of this forum?
One possible way to showcase your personality as discussed above is the slice of life essay- you don’t need to pick a momentous occasion, just anything you can convey your personal qualities through.
Show that you are thoughtful, interested, and self-aware and you should be good.