Lesson Two: Brainstorming & Selecting a Topic
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's not just one. But there probably is one that you can write about most passionately and effectively. 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. If you start putting ideas on paper, a topic will emerge.
Brainstorming
For each item listed above, answer the following questions. Some of your ideas may reveal themselves as dull, while you will find plenty to discuss for others.
For each of the personal characteristics or skills you have listed, ask:
Does it distinguish me from others I know?
How did I develop this attribute?
For each of the activities you have listed, ask: What made me join this activity? What made me continue to contribute to it?
For each event in your life you have listed, ask:Why do I remember this particular event? Did it change me as a person? How did I react? Was the event a moment of epiphany, as if my eyes saw something to which they had previously been blind?
For each of your favorites and least favorites, ask: Why is this a favorite or least favorite? Has this thing influenced my life in a meaningful way?