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College Essay Brainstorming & Guidelines
Not ready for full advising, but stuck on what to write about? This is the exact set of exercises and writing guidelines we use to help students find a personal statement topic that's actually theirs, and turn it into a strong essay. No consultation required.
What's Inside
Two parts: how to find your topic, then how to write it.
This guide walks through the same brainstorming exercises our advisors use in essay sessions, each with a worked example showing what a generic answer looks like next to a specific one. Then it covers everything from matching your topic to a Common App prompt to a full revision process, plus a bonus section on "Why This College" supplemental essays, so you can work through the whole process on your own, at your own pace.
Part One
Brainstorming: Seven Exercises to Find Your Topic
The Object Exercise
Start from something physical and specific instead of a big abstract theme.
The Detail Inventory
Fifteen hyper-specific facts about yourself, mined for the details too small to have made your resume.
The Challenge Inventory
Surface the moments that actually changed how you think, not just what happened.
The "People Who Know You" Interview
Questions to ask a parent, teacher, or friend to find your blind spots.
The Values Ranking
Narrow a long list of values down to the two or three your essay should actually be about.
The First Line Test
Test whether your opening line could belong to anyone's essay, or only yours.
The "So What" Test
A short checklist for testing whether a topic idea is actually strong enough to build an essay around, before you spend hours drafting it.
Part Two
Guidelines: How to Structure and Write the Essay
Match Your Topic to a Prompt
All seven Common App prompts, and which kind of brainstormed material fits each one.
Narrative vs. Montage
The two structures nearly every strong essay uses, and how to tell which one fits your material.
The Personal Statement Skeleton
The four-part structure most strong personal statements follow, once you have a topic.
The Adjective Test
A one-minute self-editing trick for catching "telling" instead of "showing" in your own draft.
Topics That Need Extra Care
Seven overused topics, and exactly what separates a working version from a generic one.
The Revision Process
Three passes, in order: structure, voice, then surface polish.
Bonus
The "Why This College" Essay
How to write the supplemental essay nearly every school requires, with a worked example.
Your Next Steps Checklist
What to do after brainstorming, from rough draft to outside feedback to supplements.
Is This For You?
A self-serve starting point, not a replacement for advising
This is the right fit if you just need help finding a topic and want to work independently. If you'd like a person reviewing drafts with you, our Essay Advising Program includes that guidance directly.
Ready When You Are
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