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Brainstorming
a Topic
by
EssayEdge
 Introduction
Choosing
an essay topic can be one of the most
difficult aspects of the entire admissions
process. Questions often ask you to
think about your entire life, pick just
one thing, and talk about it in great
depth. Even the most reflective writers
are left wondering: “How am I supposed
to know the ONE event that has changed
my life or the one thing that represents
my entire personality.” In all likelihood
there isn’t just one. But there probably
is one that you can write about most
passionately and effectively. The most
important part of your entire essay
is finding this one subject. Without
a topic you feel passionate about, without
one that brings out the defining aspects
of you personality, you risk falling
into the trap of sounding like the 90
percent of applicants who will write
boring admissions essays. Coming up
with this idea is difficult and will
require a great deal of time. But whatever
you do, don't let this part stress you
out. Have fun!
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Extra
Tip: One Essay, Multiple
Applications
By now, you have figured
out that you can save time
by submitting the same or
similar essays for the applications
to various schools. If you
are creative, you will be
able to plug in many of
your answers into some not
so similar questions, too.
It is fine to lift whole
paragraphs or even entire
essays and apply them to
different questions-as long
as you do so seamlessly.
Be absolutely sure that
you have answered the question
asked. Pay special attention
to the introductions and
conclusions-this is where
cutting and pasting is most
evident. Thorough proofreading
is imperative if you take
shortcuts like these. If
a school notices that you
have obviously swapped essays
without even bothering to
tailor them to the questions
at hand, it shows them that
you are lazy and insincere.
If the question requires
an answer specific to the
school, you should show
that you have read the college’s
web page, admissions catalog,
and have an understanding
of the institution's strengths.
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From
ESSAYS THAT WILL GET YOU INTO COLLEGE,
by Amy Burnham, Daniel Kaufman, and
Chris Dowhan.
Copyright 1998 by Dan Kaufman.
Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's
Educational Series, Inc.
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