I stumbled across this blog today.

The writer, Debbie Nel, lists essay topics for college students. Not all are relevant to the composition of the college application essay, but there are some interesting ideas.

If you’re a rising senior and are struggling with what to write for your essay, sit down with pen and paper and list the things you did today. Think of conversations you had. What you saw. What you ate. What you smelled. What did you think about? Where did you go? What did you plan? Did you brush your teeth? Did you take a shower, comb out your hair, make your bed? Did you run in the woods, jump off a bridge into the river, bake bread, read a book, play your guitar, stare at your walls, build a bookcase?

If you break down your life into tiny pieces, and think hard about the things you do, ideas will come to you. Your mind is like a network laced with tiny triggers. When you walk by a flowering bush and smell the scent it may remind you of your grandmother’s garden. When the anniversary of the day you met your best friend rolls around, you may find yourself daydreaming of that period of your life. When you stop panicking and relax into yourself, memories will turn into stories that will turn into essays that will turn into a powerful personal statement.