Start College Essays in the Summer
Photo by Armin Rimoldi
by Sarah M.
As your junior year draws to a close, college applications are probably an undeniable, crucial, anxiety-inducing task that you plan to start… soon. But summer begins, and December starts to seem very far off. The task of writing can seem overwhelming, and it can be all too easy to push those essays back to the end of the summer, or the fall, or even beyond. Here are a few questions to help you maintain momentum and begin the process.
The thing is, there’s a lot you can do to begin your essays without producing a complete draft. In fact, you need to brainstorm before you can write. It takes effort to zero in on a compelling idea to write about, and before you even think about drafting you need to have a list of possible topics to explore.
These prompts are designed to help you make a preliminary list of possible essay topics. You might not have great answers to every single one, and that’s okay! Focus on the questions that you can answer most naturally. Make sure to write your answers down, and compare them to see which are the strongest, or if any might be combined into one. At the end of this exercise, you will be prepared to begin the drafting phase with a handful of strong possible topics:
- Consider what is unique about you or your story. Was there anything unusual about your childhood? Do you have any quirky hobbies or interests? Have you realized that you think about certain things in a way that others find strange?
- Is there something you’re really, really, really good at? This is not just about listing your accomplishments! Your superpower could be something obvious, like being an amazing athlete, but it could also be something counterintuitive, like being willing to try things even when you know you’ll be bad at them. Either way, think hard about why you excel at that thing. What led you there? What do you do that others don’t? How has this changed the way you live, or think?
- What are your passions? Is there something in your life that you are completely committed to, perhaps to an extreme degree? Is there some specific thing that you spend the majority of your time doing, or thinking about? Is there something that inspires you to work obsessively? Is there an idea that you find endlessly difficult or fascinating, that you simply can’t stop thinking about?
- What do you value most about yourself, or your life? What are the things that fill you with joy, peace, or contentment? Are you a family-centered person, or someone who loves to take care of others? Do you thrive outdoors, in nature? Or perhaps on the couch, reading, crafting, or watching a favorite show? Think about your ideal environment, and how you contribute to it.