1.3 - How to Decide on a Topic

In this lesson, I’ll cover:

  • Qualities That Can Make a Topic More Likely to Stand Out

  • A Quick Test to Help You Decide How Easy it Might Be to Stand Out with Your Essay

  • A List of Common Topics

Time To Complete

10 minutes

Module content

A few quick contextual notes:

  • This can be one of the hardest things to teach. Why? It kinda' takes a Spidey Sense to know which topics are likely to work, and that Spidey Sense isn't something you can develop in five minutes. Your counselors (and I) have developed this sense by reading hundreds (or thousands) of essays over many years.

  • There's no perfect way to decide on a topic and—to be honest—I kinda' like it that way, as this whole personal statement process is, in my opinion, more art than science. Speaking of "my opinion" ...

  • Bias alert: What I'm about to share is based on my own experience and does not represent the opinions of every counselor or admission officer, so take it with a grain of salt.

All that said, here's a simple tool to help you assess whether or not your essay might be likely to help you stand out.

Qualities That Can Help an Essay Stand Out

I believe a narrative essay (i.e., one based on challenges) is more likely to stand out if it contains:

X. Difficult or compelling challenges

Y. Insight (i.e., "so what" moments that surprise the reader)

Important note: These aren't binary; they're on a spectrum. In other words, it's not like your challenges are either DEFINITELY DIFFICULT or definitely NOT DIFFICULT, and it's not like your insight is either TOTALLY WOW or TOTALLY BORING.

In fact, the reason we labeled them "X" and "Y" above instead of "1" and "2" is that you can kinda' put these on a graph, with X and Y axes.

For those like me who are visual learners (or math nerds), that might look like this:

English Essays vs Personal Statements.jpg

An essay in the top right corner (i.e., one that contains difficult challenges + "wow" insight) may stand out more than an essay that's in the bottom left corner (i.e., one that contains challenges + insights that are both kinda' "meh").

Quick side note: This is a guideline, not a rule. While it might be easier to stand out with an essay that describes significant challenges and has a "wow" insight that blows the reader's mind ... you can still write a great essay with challenges that are not that difficult and an ending that does not close with an amazing insight—more on that in the post, "How to Write a Narrative Essay on a Challenge That TBH Wasn't That Big of a Deal"

But given these distinctions ...

Quick self-assessment: Where do you think your essay topic lands on the spectrum of possible topics?

Keep in mind that, for Narrative Structure (i.e., challenges-based essays), this can be a bit tricky, because as far as we know, there's really no test (at least not one we've seen or developed) to help you determine whether a challenge is "worthy" of an essay or not. Also, you may not know what insights your challenge links to yet (that's something you spend time reflecting on during the writing process).

Having said that, here are some useful questions to consider if you're uncertain:

Are you still in/facing the challenge?

  • As in, can you write about a) what you've done about it, and b) what you've learned? Because the challenge should only make up about a third of the essay, while the "what I've done" and "what I've learned" should make up the rest.

Are you writing about your scars (because you're looking back) or your wound (because you're still in it)? More on this in the FAQ below.

Are you forcing it?

  • Either: Are you writing about this challenge because you think you're supposed to? (Because you don't! In fact, check out this link for essays that aren't about challenges written by students who were accepted to great colleges.)

  • Or: Are you trying to write about a challenge that wasn't actually much of a challenge?

    • I know, it's tricky: The relative difficulty of a challenge is subjective. Here's a quick way of assessing it: Imagine a reader has faced extraordinary challenges in their life and they're reading a student's essay about how they were on a ski vacation in the Alps and ... the WiFi didn't work. Obviously, this is an extreme example, but imagine this on a spectrum, where "WiFi not working on a ski vacation in the Alps" is on the left side of the spectrum, not making a sports team is a hair to the right of that, and escaping war or living homeless is closer to the far right side of the spectrum. What we're saying is that the farther to the right your challenge is, the easier it can be to write about.

    • Note that we aren't saying you absolutely shouldn't write about these types of challenges, just that if you do write about challenges on the left side of the spectrum, it'll be important to help the reader understand why this challenge was really important to you. More on how to do this in the "How to Raise the Stakes" module in the Revising section of the Narrative side

Considering writing about mental health challenges in your college application?

  • Read this step-by-step guide first—it'll help you think through if (and how) to do it. 

  • Additionally, check out the FAQ below for more information.

Are you worried it'll sound like a sob story?

  • See FAQ below.

+ FAQS FOR A NARRATIVE/CHALLENGES-BASED ESSAY

(I.E., "IS THIS A 'GOOD' TOPIC OR NOT?")

Q: My parent/counselor/friend said I shouldn't write about COVID-19. What do you think?

A: It depends. One thing I've noticed is that boring essays are often boring because they describe a common topic, make common connections, and use common language. In other words: they describe something many other students will describe in a way that many other students will describe it. A stand-out essay, on the other hand, often describes an uncommon topic, makes uncommon connections, or uses uncommon language. (I'll say more about this in the "Upleveling Your Paragraphs" lesson coming up.)

COVID-19/coronavirus will probably be a common topic. So it's going to make it harder to stand out. But if you really want to write about it, you'll probably need to make some uncommon connections and use uncommon language, just as you would with any other common topic.

Quick Tips for Writing about COVID-19

Narrative Structure Tip: If you want it to be The Main Thing for your essay (like you want to describe it as the main challenge you've had to overcome), first check in with yourself: Are you choosing this because some part of you believes, or someone told you, that it's "better" to write about a challenge for your college essay? BECAUSE IT'S NOT TRUE. :) You'll find many examples of amazing essays written by students who do not discuss significant challenges. Many of them are in this Tool.

Also, the Common App includes an optional COVID-specific response section in its application this year. So ask yourself, Could I just express this in a few sentences there? At least consider it!

But okay, if you feel like this is The Best Way to Show Who You Are, then follow the principles of the Narrative Structure and make sure that only the start of your essay describes the challenge, then devote most of your essay to relating what you did about it and what you learned from the experience. Why? Because (remember) your goal with the personal statement is to demonstrate skills, qualities, values, and interests. If you're committing to COVID-19 as a topic, you're basically saying that you feel this is the best way to show the many sides of who you are. Is it the best way?

Montage Structure Tip: If you'd like to mention something you did/learned/experienced while being shut in during COVID-19, but you don't necessarily need this to be The Main Thing for your essay, consider making it just one paragraph in a montage essay. How do you do this? Again, connect it to a value. What's the main value you connected with during that time? You can probably express it in just a few sentences. Then get on with describing all the other amazing things that make you ... you.

For more on this, click here.

Q: What if I'm worried my essay might sound like a sob story?

A: Often an essay ends up sounding like a "sob story" because a student focuses more on describing their challenges and less on the "what I did" and "what I learned" parts of their story. But you're not going to do that. Why? Because in the next module, I'll invite you to expand on what you did and learned. So move ahead with your topic for now! I have a sense it might turn into an interesting essay. (Tip: Spend a little extra time on the "what I did" and "what I learned" parts of the next module.)

Q: Are there any situations where I may not want to write about my life struggles?

A: Sure. Sometimes it can be too difficult to discuss them. Or you may be actively dealing with a challenge.

Note: If either of the above is the case, reach out to your counselor, a trusted mentor, or, if possible, a therapist. If money is an issue (i.e., you feel you can't afford a therapist) and you don't feel comfortable sharing your struggles with your counselor, ask them if they can refer you to a therapist or counselor who works on a sliding scale. Many mental health professionals work with clients at low rates or for free.

Q: Should I write about mental health challenges?

A: Mental health can be very difficult to write about for a few reasons:

  1. If a student is still very much struggling through the challenges they describe, the admission reader may wonder if the student is ready for college.
  2. In some cases, the admission officer may feel that a student is ready for college, but their institution may not be adequately equipped to help them thrive.
  3. Unfortunately, mental health challenges have become so common these days that many students write personal statements about them, and so it can be difficult to stand out.

Questions to ask yourself if you're considering writing about mental health challenges:

  • Do I have any other topics I could write on? Are there other interesting parts of myself I'd like to share that could reveal important skills, qualities, and values? Or must I write about this? (Heads-up: You don't have to write about a challenge to write a great personal statement—the Montage Structure exercise can help you find another topic!)
  • Have I truly worked through this challenge? Am I able to devote the middle third of my essay to overcoming the challenge and the final third to what I've learned? (You may not know the answers to these questions until you've done some writing.)
  • If I were an admission officer reading this essay, would I feel like this student has their situation handled and is truly ready for college? (If you're unsure, it's a great idea to find 2-3 folks who have a good understanding of what colleges are looking for and ask them to read it.)
  • Could the mental health challenge be a brief explanation in the Additional Info section? To see if this might work for you, see how briefly you can describe your mental health challenge using factual bullet points. Devote one bullet point to the challenge, another bullet point to what you've done about it, and a final bullet point briefly describing what you've learned.

Important: If you have a counselor, I strongly recommend consulting with them as you decide whether to discuss a mental health challenge in your personal statement. If your counselor is writing a letter on your behalf, they may be mentioning your mental health challenge and it can be a red flag if they mention it and you don't. Talk to them and find out.

Q: What do I do if I feel like I could write an interesting essay based on my challenge(s) if I had more time, but right now, I honestly don't feel I have the time/energy to process my challenge. Maybe I should try focusing on a different topic that might show my positive qualities in a clearer or more effective way?

Two options:

  1. Try brainstorming a new topic using the Montage Structure. (Recommended!)
  2. Consider incorporating your challenge into a single paragraph of a montage essay so that you still include that part of yourself but it doesn't dominate your whole personal statement. In other words, try the Montage Structure.

Q: What should I do if I'm still facing my challenge (i.e., I haven't been able to work through it yet)?

A: Maybe you're thinking, "Yeah, I've been through hard times ... but I haven't really done anything yet. I'm still going through them." If this is the case, ask yourself whether you feel you have time to process through the challenges before your essay is due. If you're worried you won't, it might be worth trying Montage Structure and writing an essay that's not about challenges. If you feel like you do have time, here are two options:

  1. Write the first part of your essay (including the "Challenges + Effects") and leave the rest of the essay blank for now. Use the "What I did" part of the essay to brainstorm a list of things you could do in the coming months to work through your challenge and meet the needs you identified.
  2. You could also write a hypothetical version of your essay that details things you hope to be able to do in the coming weeks or months to work through your challenges. I've seen students do this, and it's been pretty empowering. In other words, if you feel like it could be good to talk to a counselor, you could write as part of your draft, "I talked to a counselor and was able to process through some of my feelings," and then reach out to someone you trust to see whether they can help you actually connect with a counselor or therapist. Or if you feel that taking an online course might be cool, say, "I researched options online and took a course," and then actually do it!

If, however, it just feels like too much to write about this particular challenge, then don't! You can still write a great essay. Try the Montage Structure to see how.

Q: What if I'm worried my challenge is too common or not that interesting?

A: Actually, you may be right. Some students write about not making a sports team, moving to a new school, or not being elected to a particular office in a school club. Besides these being common challenges, if the reader doesn't understand why the challenge was extremely significant for you, the essay may not turn out great.

I do have a strategy that can help make a challenge more interesting (or more uncommon), and I'll share it once you've worked through the next section and written your first draft. But for now, if you sense that your challenge isn't or wasn't all that exceptional (and this happens!), you can either a) move forward knowing you might change your topic, or b) consider trying the Montage Structure.

Q: What if I'm still not sure?

A: Try Narrative Structure now and Montage Structure next! It won't take long for you to find out which you prefer.

Q: Wait, how is Narrative Structure different from Montage Structure?

A: Whereas the Narrative Structure can help you go deep, discussing a main challenge or experience that changed your life, the Montage Structure can help you go wide, discussing a variety of experiences that have influenced you.

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Next Steps:

Now that you’ve watched/read this, what should you do? 

  • If your challenges are difficult and compelling and you think you can come up with an insight (i.e., lesson you’ve learned), great. It may be a good topic.

  • If your challenges aren’t very difficult and compelling, we’d recommend brainstorming some montage topics by going to this link.

IMPORTANT: If at all possible, check in with a counselor or mentor on which topics seem most likely to strongly pass the test above. If you don’t have a counselor, try your best to think it through yourself using the questions and spectrum exercise above.

 If after considering the questions above you feel like the answer is ...