<p>hey, I'm planning to start writing my college essay now (im a rising senior) but im having trouble brainstorming. whenever i think of an idea, it's either cliche or ends up showing a bad side of me.</p>
<p>so what i want to know is, how other people brainstormed and why they chose the topic that they chose.</p>
<p>any feedback is appreciated. thanks!</p>
<p>Here’s how I would approach an essay:
- Brainstorm:
-Write down what you like (besides literature) for two minutes. This includes guilty pleasures, passions, shows, video games, etc.
-Write down who you like, as in famous people, for two minutes.
-Write down your strengths, and only your strengths, for one minute.
-Write words that describes you for 30 seconds.
-Write down your favorite pieces of literature/author for 3 minutes. This should give you many references for your essay.
- Review your list:
-Immediately cross off anything from your list that you don’t like. Do NOT cross off anything that makes you feel embarrassed.
-Take a highlighter and highlight the ones you feel are the strongest.
-Let it sit for a few days, return, and repeat the process.
- Find a common theme.
-Go over the ones you highlighted, and try to connect them to each other. The best essays are the ones that combine interests. If you cannot, repeat step 2.
-The tie can be an event, an idiosyncrasy, or something else.
- Finding a concept for your essay.
-This is where the pieces finally fit together. Find a creative way to structure your essay, being sure that it fits with the theme.
-Find a style of writing that works for you (this is where your literary references come in).
- Start writing and don’t look back.</p>
<p>The poster above has good advice. </p>
<p>I’d just like to say that you should remember that you don’t need to write about a great, super important event in your life. It can be something small that you believe represents part of you or has taught you something about yourself. I wrote about when I encountered an American idiom my first day in the US, my friend wrote about one family reunion in India, my other friend wrote about baking.</p>
<p>I agree with dragon1234. I know an admissions counselor who said the best essay he had ever read was about a kid who described how he learned how to love vegetables!</p>
<p>Just write something that’s very YOU. Even if it’s not particularly deep or heavy, make sure to put yourself into it because that’s really the only time the admissions people get to really hear what you have to say.</p>