What are some good college essay topics to consider?

You're definitely not alone in feeling stuck on essay topics. Picking the right one can make a huge difference, and it's smart to think about how to avoid clichés. Admissions officers read hundreds of essays about overcoming injuries, moving schools, or winning/losing big games. But you can still use a common theme if you approach it from a highly personal or unique angle.

Colleges want to get to know you beyond your grades and test scores. It's less about picking the most dramatic story and more about sharing something that reveals who you are—your values, quirks, interests, or the way you think. Often, the best essays come from small, meaningful moments or specific, unique experiences that shaped your perspective.

Some essay topic ideas that stand out include:
- A hobby or passion that’s unusual for someone your age, and how it’s influenced the way you see the world. For example, maybe you’ve made an obsession out of organizing your family’s holiday photos and that turned into an interest in digital archiving or storytelling.
- Exploring a contradiction within yourself—maybe you’re both incredibly shy and the lead in your school musical, and you write about how you navigate that space.
- An awkward or funny failure (that doesn’t have massive stakes) and what you learned from it. Maybe you tried to cook a meal from your grandmother’s homeland and it went horribly wrong, but it brought your family together.
- A moment of conflict, whether it was standing up for a belief or feeling caught between two cultures or communities. The key is to zoom in on a specific incident, like being made to feel unwelcome at a club meeting, and how you responded afterward.
- The story behind a minor but deeply personal object or tradition in your life. For instance, one student wrote about always fixing squeaky classroom chairs as an act of care and stewardship and tied that back to his approach to teamwork.

Personal stories tend to resonate more, but that doesn’t mean you have to write about trauma or massive setbacks. Light-hearted essays can work if they showcase your personality. The important thing is to share something authentic that gives the reader a sense of your voice and what you care about. Admissions officers appreciate honesty, self-awareness, and reflection more than a dramatic narrative arc. Sometimes the story itself isn’t the most important part—it’s how you tell it and what it shows about how you think.

If you’re still unsure, try jotting down a few very specific moments you remember vividly—ones that made you laugh, feel uncomfortable, change your mind, or helped you see the world differently. Often, these smaller stories are more interesting and original than big headline events. Good luck with your brainstorming! If you have a draft or want feedback on specific topic ideas, don’t hesitate to ask.