Unsure of where or how to begin your college essay? Read on to learn our top college essay brainstorming tips and exercises to begin your essay-writing journey with confidence and purpose!
Avoid the mistake of putting pressure on yourself to simply sit and write your college essay without a solid plan. Writing your college essay isn’t something you should rush into; it’s more of a marathon than a sprint.
These essays are pivotal in the admissions process, so it’s crucial to take your time with them. Dedicate a couple of weeks to the brainstorming phase before you even think about writing the first sentence of your essay.
This phase will help you sift through ideas, reflect on your life, dig deep into your experiences, and identify the distinct moments worth sharing. Skipping this vital step could prevent you from crafting a unique and well-thought-out essay.
In this guide, we’ll go over how to brainstorm for your college essay, find the perfect topic, and set yourself up for success!
Where to Start With Brainstorming For Your College Essays
To get your brain gears turning, you need to fully understand the essay prompts from your target colleges. Read them a few times, let the words sink in, and see what memories or experiences they trigger.
Jot down any ideas or recollections that pop into your head. And if nothing immediately jumps out at you, don’t worry—that’s what brainstorming is for! After reflecting on the prompts, find inspiration in other students’ successful essays.
Work smarter, not harder, by learning what kinds of experiences other students wrote about, how they narrated their stories, and what effective writing techniques they used. While you can’t copy stories or ideas, you can certainly adapt and personalize the techniques they’ve used to enhance your own narrative.
3 College Essay Brainstorming Tips & Tricks
Consider these tips and tricks as you start brainstorming for your college essay!
Understand How the Best Brainstorming Happens
The brainstorming process doesn’t only take place when you sit down with a pen and paper and start reflecting on your life. Inspiration doesn’t play by the rules.
It can hit you at the most unexpected times—like when you’re reminiscing with an old friend, tossing a ball for your dog, or even just taking a shower. That running water can be strangely good at triggering memories you forgot you had!
Eureka momenta can come at any time, so it’s a smart move to keep a notebook or your phone nearby to write them down.
Think Past, Present, and Future
As you brainstorm, know you aren’t limited to discussing your most recent experiences. Expand your horizons. Think back to where you’ve been, what you’ve seen, the hurdles you’re currently overcoming, or the milestones you’re celebrating, and dream about the future—whether it’s just a day away or 25 years down the road.
The more you delve into your past, present, and future, the greater your chances of discovering that perfect essay topic. The aim is to have a diverse pool of experiences to choose from!
Forget About Word Counts and Structure
Brainstorming doesn’t follow a specific order. You don’t have to start with the introduction, move to the body paragraphs, and end with the conclusion. Your creative process may start with a captivating opening line or a compelling closing thought. Don’t feel confined by essay structure until you actually begin writing your essay.
Jot down ideas as they come to you! You’ll eventually make all the puzzle pieces fit, but you’ll need to have all of them to complete the picture.
5 More Fun Brainstorming Exercises
To further discuss how to brainstorm an essay, here are five exercises that can simplify the essay-planning process!
Freewriting
Unleash your creative powers by freewriting! This college essay brainstorming exercise entails writing all your thoughts, ideas, and feelings as they come to you without worrying about coherence or grammar.
The goal is to let your thoughts flow freely so that you can pick out good ideas and get rid of any writer’s block that’s holding you back.
Mindmapping
Create a visual representation of your thoughts and ideas. Start with a central concept or experience and branch out with related thoughts, memories, and emotions. This can help you see connections between different elements of your life and draw parallels between experiences that you would have otherwise never thought to link together.
Interview Yourself
If you’re struggling to figure out how to come up with a college essay topic, consider interviewing yourself. By posing a series of thoughtful questions, you can navigate your way to a unique and meaningful topic. Here are some prompts to get you started:
- What is most important to me?
- Who do I look up to?
- What could I spend hours doing every day?
- What is the hardest obstacle I overcame?
- Who has influenced me/my thinking?
- What am I curious about?
- What are three distinguishing traits about me? What am I known for?
- If I were to write a book about my life, what would it be called? What would the beginning, middle, and end be?
- How do I want to be remembered?
- What lessons have I learned throughout my life?
- What moments have changed me?
- What are my top three core values?
Writing Consultations
Writing consultations are another effective brainstorming method. If you find mapping out your ideas isn’t working, find a friend who is willing to talk to you about your ideas. Consider this to be a “free talking” exercise, if freewriting isn’t your thing. Talking to another person can help you find great ideas you would’ve otherwise missed!
Final Thoughts
College essay brainstorming may sound tedious, but it’ll ensure you get out all of your ideas—good and bad—so you can present your best ideas to the admissions committee while honing your ability to connect your thoughts seamlessly.
You’ll have a clear direction to take your essay in and will avoid common pitfalls like rambling, being cliche, or straying off-topic, which can reduce the efficacy of your writing. Investing this extra time at the beginning of your essay sets the stage for a smooth and stress-free writing journey!
Good luck!
Author Bio:
by: Mary Banks
She is the Senior Admissions Consultant at Quad Education. She is also the former Director of Admissions at the Columbia School of Nursing and former Director of Admissions for the School of Education, Nursing, and the Arts at NYU.
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