Every year around this time, I start getting questions like these from counselors, parents, and students…
- Is it still okay to write about politics?
- Depression?
- Suicide of a friend?
- Racism? Coming out?
The answer: Yes … if the essay:
- Showcases a positive trait or characteristic.
- Sounds like the high school student who wrote it.
- Illustrates something meaningful about the applicant.
- Demonstrates reflection.
A college essay topic is not as important as why a student is writing about it.
We know students tend to get excited over ideas they think will get them noticed inside the admissions office, without giving as much consideration to what the college essay prompt is really asking.
That’s a mistake.
First things first, help your students slow down and make sure they understand the prompt and its purpose (Step 1 of the Wow Method) before they start brainstorming ideas.
Encourage your student to step away from the topic and spend time making sure they know what a personal statement is, why they are writing it, how it fits into the application, who reads it, and what admissions readers are looking for. That’s why we’ve started to call Step 1 “Understand the Prompt and Purpose” instead of just “Understand the Prompt.”
Ignore these myths: Sensitive topics are taboo. Sports, mission trips, and summer camp stories are off limits.
If done well, any topic can work.
And here’s one more thing to help you determine if a topic, sensitive or not, will work.
We tell our students: Reflect. Don’t report.
The college essay is not the place to report on something sensitive, or to process feelings. It’s a place to reflect on something they’ve already experienced and processed a bit. If resilience, problem-solving skills, compassion, or any other trait is the focus, the student is reflecting, and that’s what colleges want.
If the issue/topic/experience is the focus of the essay, that’s reporting. That’s not what colleges want.
If you want to hear more, I talked about sensitive topics in this Pro Chat from last spring.
I hope it helps you get your students off on the right foot.
