There are seven prompts provided by the Common Application.  Over the next few days, we’ll examine each one in depth to help you come up with essay topics of your own. If you need more help, consider registering for the “Brainstorm Your College Essay” workshop on Wednesday, June 27, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Westford, Mass. You’ll leave with a solid topic and the opening paragraph. Your first draft will be edited if submitted by a mutually agreed upon deadline.

Prompt #2 examined

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 

One of the most poignant essays I’ve read came from a young man of Indian heritage who had tried every year since ninth grade to make it onto the varsity basketball team at his high school and failed. His essay was about how he planned to try out again that November as a senior.

The essay was memorable for its lack of accusation, anger, or self-pity. It broke one of my key rules: to not write about sports because it’s a subject that is common and would not make a student stand out in an admissions officer’s mind.

But this student’s essay was so well written and so unique in its presentation that it was an exception. He talked about being shorter than most basketball players and knowing that his stature made his dream unlikely to come true.

It demonstrated a spirit of perseverance and a willingness to move past disappointment that reflected well on him. This student found his true essence and used it to stir emotion and sympathy in the reader.

His essay is a perfect example of how any topic can be compelling if the essay stirs emotion and reflects the writer’s true nature.