What topics do students usually choose for their college essays?

Students often write about experiences that feel meaningful to them, which can include accomplishments, challenges, or personal passions. Some of the most common topics include sports victories or injuries, moving to a new place, overcoming academic hurdles, a family member’s influence, and immigration stories. Others choose to discuss their involvement in activities like band, debate, or robotics.

Choosing something like your experience on the robotics team or learning guitar is absolutely valid, but it’s important to find a unique angle that helps you stand out. These topics can become generic if the essay only describes participating in the activity or talks generally about perseverance and teamwork. To avoid this, home in on a specific moment, challenge, or insight you had that most people wouldn’t know about unless they were you. For example, instead of recounting the competitions you entered with your robotics team, you could write about a night you stayed late troubleshooting a problem, what you learned about creative problem-solving, or how you connected with a teammate in an unexpected way. Similarly, rather than just explaining that you learned guitar, you might tell the story of the first song you performed at an open mic, and how you overcame stage fright, or how writing your own music helped you cope with something personal.

A helpful tip is to focus on a brief, specific moment that represents something larger about you. For example, one student wrote about the exact moment they realized programming robots was more exciting to them than watching them compete; another wrote about teaching their younger sibling to play a difficult chord on the guitar and what that taught them about patience.

Try to avoid simply stating a life lesson like "I learned the value of hard work." Instead, show your growth through your story. Admissions officers see thousands of essays about general accomplishments and struggles, so a specific, memorable detail or perspective will always be more engaging. As you brainstorm, ask yourself, 'What’s one story only I could tell?' That mindset can help you uncover a unique angle, even for common activities.