50 Care Package Ideas for College Students
If you're given the creative freedom to write about whatever you want, consider a college essay topic that allows you to be honest and original. We've compiled the following ideas to help you brainstorm:
One note is that if you feel that any of the above topics is truly, deeply ingrained in who you are, you don't have to omit them entirely (particularly for #4). However, many people tend to choose a big topic (like the ones above) and write about it too broadly because there's a lot to explain about big events. You can still have such events underlying your essay as a whole, but write very specifically. Your essay should be something ONLY you could have written about. There's this quote by Richard Price that I think is applicable here: “The bigger the issue, the smaller you write. Remember that. You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying on the road. You pick the smallest manageable part of the big thing, and you work off the resonance.” Big, impactful events are, by nature, impactful to a lot of people and often very common; that's why you don't want to write about moving to a new state. You could, however, write about how a quirky tradition at your new school introduced you to the nuance of balancing homesickness with excitement about the future or something reflective like that. The "big event" shouldn't be centered, but it can be part of your essay's context.
1) Open up a google doc and write down literally everything you can think of about yourself. Formative memories, tiny memories that you don't know why you remember, places you've been with family and friends, your favorite things, aspects of your identity, people you care about, hobbies, experiences, etc. If it pops into your head, write it down. Even if it seems trivial, it's way better to write a bad idea down than have it bounce around in your head. You can also look through old notebooks and items in your house that are important/memorable to you. Write down any notes/feelings you think of as you're writing stuff down, and any applicable tangents your brain goes on. When you're done with all that, you'll have this massive document of ideas + memories specific to you that you can potentially write about (mine was like 12 pages lol). Later on when you're looking at the prompts you can look back through the document and highlight anything that jumps out at you (again, even if it seems trivial! Especially if it seems trivial! Some of the strongest essays I've read have been meaningful reflections of trivial events). You can also go through each bullet point and try to connect the moment/memory/thing to anything meaningful you want to talk about (deeper topics like finding joy in trivial moments, how leaps of faith are super nerve-wracking but also rewarding, etc.) If you find yourself getting into the flow of doing this step, that bullet point may be something you want to write about! If you're having a hard time coming up with a meaningful connection, just move on.
50 Care Package Ideas for College Students
When writing about why you want to attend a particular college, it's crucial to be specific. This isn't just about praising the school's reputation. Dive deeper by researching programs, professors, campus culture, and any unique opportunities that align with your academic and personal interests. Show admissions officers that you’ve done your homework and that you’re genuinely enthusiastic about what their college has to offer. For example, mention specific courses, extracurricular activities, or research projects that excite you. Explain how these align with your goals and how you see yourself contributing to the campus community.
As a final note, the list at the top is probably not comprehensive. I encourage you to look up videos/articles by people who review college essays for a living, either actual admissions counselors or people who offer college essay review services. They have seen WAY more essays than I have, and can tell you what people write about much better than I can. It's also just pretty fun to watch YouTube videos and count it as part of your college application process. Here are some links if you want to explore this more:
Each year we email newly admitted and current College students and ask them for essay topics. We receive several hundred responses, many of which are eloquent, intriguing, or downright wacky.
We asked dozens of experts on essay writing and test scores for their take on what makes a great college essay. Check out five of our favorite below.
21 College Essay Topics & Ideas That Worked
"Don't bury the lede!" The must capture the reader's attention, provide a gist of the story, and give a sense of where the essay is heading. Think about any article you've read—how do you decide to read it? You read the first few sentences and then decide. The same goes for college essays. A strong lede (journalist parlance for "lead") will place your reader in the "accept" mindset from the beginning of the essay. A weak lede will have your reader thinking "reject"—a mindset from which it's nearly impossible to recover.
Top 40 College Essay Ideas and Topics | Empowerly
If you already have, erase them from memory and write the story you want colleges to hear. The truth is, admission reviewers rarely know—or care—which prompt you are responding to. They are curious to discover what you choose to show them about who you are, , and why. Even the most fluid writers are often stifled by fitting their narrative neatly into a category and the essay quickly loses authentic voice. Write freely and choose a prompt later. Spoiler alert...one prompt is "Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. " So have at it.
Top 40 College Essay Ideas and Topics · 1
Really common one I've heard of include: Sports injuries, death of a grandparent (while it's still sad, it's a commonly used essay topic), and mission trips. If you really want to stand out, I'd use something completely original. I know a girl who did one about this pen pal she's had for over ten years and how their relationship has grown without ever seeing each other's faces. If you think about it, there's a ton of things that's happened in your life that are unique to YOU, you just have to figure out how to express it in an essay correctly.
Check out these outstanding college essay examples
Each school sets different requirements around the college essay, so it's important to review the expectations around every application you intend to submit. Some give you creative freedom, while others expect you to respond to a pre-developed prompt. Either way, a strong college essay conveys to the admissions team who you are, why you want to attend that particular school, and what matters to you. It's a way to personalize an application that often focuses on quantitative data, such as GPA and SAT scores.