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How to Respond to the 2023-2024 Reed College Supplemental Essay Prompts

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Cait Williams is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cait recently graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications. During her time at OU, was active in the outdoor recreation community.

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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Students working on their Reed College supplemental essays

If you want to know how to best respond to the Reed College supplemental essay prompts, look no further–you’re in the right place! While there is only one essay prompt, you’ll need to share your interests as you connect to Reed’s mission and vision. So, before we jump in, let’s take a look at what defines Reed College and you!

An introduction to Reed College 

Reed College is a small liberal arts and sciences college located in Southeast Portland, Oregon. Since opening in 1908, Reed has become known as one of the top intellectual universities in the United States. They focus on offering their students small conference style meetings where students engage with each other and their professors. 

One thing Reed offers prospective students is the opportunity to hear from its alumni. On Reed’s website, they have several testimonies from graduates. These stories are a great way to see if you might fit in as a “Reedie.” Take a look at their website to read about their academic standards, personal testimonies and their commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

Also see: How to write about yourself

Essay prompt

For one week at the end of January, Reed students upend the traditional classroom hierarchy and teach classes about any topic they love, academic or otherwise. This week is known as Paideia after the Greek term signifying “education” – the complete education of mind, body and spirit. What would you teach that would contribute to the Reed community? (500 Words)

First off, what a fun essay prompt and a really cool thing to hear that their college does? There is so much room in this question to share who you are, what you love and how you will add to the Reed Community. 

Let’s start with the first question. What would you teach? While this question is giving you a lot of creative freedom, you’ll still want to keep a few parameters in mind when you answer this. They want to hear about a topic that will contribute to their community. So, while learning about the extremely detailed world of Harry Potter might be really interesting to you and others, there needs to be a way in which that can be learned from that contributes to the community around you. Can we learn about xenophobia and racism through specific lessons from Harry Potter?

The above example is just one idea to show you the connection that they want you to make between your topic and the bigger picture of improving the world around you. There are some questions below to read through that might help get the ideas flowing in your head.

Questions to consider

  • What topics do you love, academic or otherwise?
  • How have you grown through your interests?
  • What topic do you think more people should know about? Why?

Hopefully, if you take a few minutes to think through those questions, you’ll come up with some ideas. Maybe you love sports and want to teach a class about how sports can build our mental tenacity. Perhaps you volunteer a lot at home, and you want people to know more about how easy it is to find organizations to donate your time to. Or perhaps you’ve always loved cooking and you know a lot of college students haven’t ever had a chance to learn about cooking. 

There are no wrong answers to this question! Once you’ve come up with your topic and how it will improve the community, start to think about how your class would actually be structured. You do not have to come up with a whole syllabus and schedule, but there should be more to your essay than just that you think this topic is cool and it’ll teach people stuff. 

Come up with one required reading and a few lecture topic examples. Think about if there would be homework and what that would look like. When you begin to type your response, make sure you write it as an essay. You should mention your lecture ideas, homework assignments, and readings, but do so in an essay format.

Your paragraphs should be organized with a clear introduction of what you’re talking about, a good body and a clear conclusion as to why this class would improve the campus community. 

Additional resources

Reed College only has one essay question, meaning there is only one chance for you to show through writing what you will add to their college. While this article should give you a good idea about how to write your essay, your journey doesn’t end there. Once you’ve finished your Reed College supplemental essay, check out some of the articles below!

  • 10 Tips for successful college applications
  • How to end a scholarship essay in five steps
  • How to answer the Common App essay prompts

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Love Reed: Writing the Reed College “Paideia” Essay Supplement

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Mastering Reed College's 2024 Supplemental Essays

Reed College is renowned for its rigorous academics and its vibrant student community. As part of your application for 2024, Reed College asks for a writing supplement of between 200 and 500 words on a unique and engaging topic:

For one week at the end of January, Reed students upend the traditional classroom hierarchy and teach classes about any topic they love, academic or otherwise. This week is known as Paideia after the Greek term signifying “education” – the complete education of mind, body and spirit. What would you teach that would contribute to the Reed community?

Crafting strong responses to Reed’s supplemental essays is an essential part of standing out as an applicant. Below, we offer a comprehensive guide on how to approach this intriguing essay prompt.

Understanding the Prompt

The essence of the Paideia week is to foster a community of learning driven by passion and curiosity, rather than formal academic structures. This prompt asks you to delve into your interests and think about how you can share them with others. It’s not just about showing what you know but demonstrating your enthusiasm and ability to engage peers in a meaningful way.

Brainstorming Your Essay

Start by reflecting on subjects that genuinely excite you, whether they’re academic, a hobby, a quirky talent, or a unique perspective you hold. For example:

Is there a scientific concept or historical event you’re passionate about?

Are you skilled in a particular art form, like painting or playing an instrument?

Do you have a hobby or interest that could introduce others to a new culture or perspective?

Have you developed a skill in coding, cooking, or creative writing?

Sups AI can be an excellent tool during this brainstorming phase. Sups offers one-on-one chats with current students who can help you refine your ideas and ensure that your unique voice shines through.

Structuring Your Essay

Once you’ve chosen your topic, it’s important to structure your essay effectively within the 200 to 500-word limit.

Introduction

Begin with an engaging hook that introduces your topic. Explain briefly why you are passionate about it and how it has influenced your life.

In the primary section of your essay, describe the class you would teach. Consider including the following elements:

Your teaching methods (lectures, hands-on activities, discussions, etc.)

What students will gain from your class

Any unique materials or demonstrations you would use

Wrap up with a reflection on why teaching this topic would be meaningful to you and beneficial to the Reed community. Highlight how your contribution aligns with Reed’s values of community, curiosity, and comprehensive education.

Additional Tips

Using Sups AI for feedback on your drafts can make a big difference. Sups AI has already helped over 10,000 students gain admission to top 50 schools in the US. Their platform provides valuable insights from those who’ve successfully navigated the application process.

Lastly, be authentic and let your personality shine through. Reed College values genuine passion and intellectual curiosity, so make sure your essay reflects who you truly are.

Good luck with your application! With thoughtful reflection and careful crafting, you can write a compelling essay that showcases your unique strengths and aspirations.

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reed college essay prompt

The Ultimate Guide to the Reed College Essay

Reed College

In this article, we’ll be covering everything you need to know to write the Reed College essay.

Don’t let the school’s unconventional culture and laid-back environment fool you. Reed is a rather selective school. If you want to get accepted into Reed, you will need a strong high school profile. You’ll also need to know how to write the Reed College essay well, so as to stand out amongst the other students.

Reed boasts an average acceptance rate of 39%. For the class of 2024, the average high school GPA was 4.0. 68% of Reed students were in the top fifth of their high school class rank, and 43% were in the top tenth. 6% of students at Reed were Valedictorians at their high school.

You can find more info on their freshman profile here .

With that said, let’s cover a bit of the Reed College Essay Prompt and how to write it.

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Note: both the Reed College transfer application and regular admissions application have the same essay prompt.

For one week at the end of January, Reed students upend the traditional classroom hierarchy and teach classes about any topic they love, academic or otherwise. This week is known as  Paideia  after the Greek term signifying “education” – the complete education of mind, body and spirit. What would you teach that would contribute to the Reed community? (200 words minimum, 500 words maximum) * Reed College Application Essay Question –Common Application

Tips on How to Write the Reed College Essay

Find a unique topic, reed takes on a stance against tradition, so act like it., make sure your topic says something about you or your values, reference how your class would contribute to the community.

In a university as competitive as Reed College, this is critical. If you do not have a unique topic in your Reed essay, it’ll be hard to stand out from the rest. For a school with so many competitive students, standing out is vital to getting accepted.

So, what about a topic like Environmental Justice?

Normally, this sounds like a good topic. Besides, Reed leans rather liberally on the political spectrum. This makes Environmental Justice a good topic, right. Well, sadly no. There will be more than enough applicants covering this topic, so standing out will be next to impossible.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: If it’s trending on social media, then it’s probably not a good topic.

Let’s say you really, really want to cover Environmental Justice. Perhaps you’ve done a lot of projects and non-profit charity work around the field, or you have a great passion for it. You can still cover the topic if you get hyper-specific.

Here’s an example of a topic that works: Startups in Environmental Justice.

This topic, despite the fact that it covers something already covered by others, is still good. That’s because we focused in on the business and startup aspect of Environmental Justice. By doing this, you’re effectively zeroing in on a subcategory instead of a large cliché.

Traditional classes: you get a syllabus, participation points, homework assignments, one lab, one midterm, and a final.

Reed prides itself on its defiance of tradition. Say goodbye to all the dead old white people stuff –unless you’re an English major. If you want the class you’re teaching in Paideia to be interesting and fresh, and more importantly attractive to the admissions officers, you’d want something that parallels Reed’s unconventional culture.

Let’s take the “Startups in Environmental Science” course. Instead of having courses that assign True or False assignments, you may take away the assignments completely! Instead, you’ll have students work in groups of 4-5 throughout the whole time and have them simulate what it’s like to create their own startup. Guiding individual groups of students through the business creation process would be much more fun and exciting than just learning about them on paper.

Okay. This one is going to be important. When writing the Reed College essay, it’s critical that your topic demonstrates something about your character.

If you’re going to talk about gender studies as a whole, one may determine that you have a fairly strong sense of justice in the world of gender identity. However, this is going to be rather common and it makes it difficult to stand out at all.

Let’s look back to “Startups in Environmental Science”. A person with an interest in Environmental science and startup culture may be seen as both empathetic and practical. They use the productivity of startups to build something that will solve a solution –environmental catastrophe. They also have the empathy and compassion to focus their efforts into something that will save the planet.

We feel that this is a part of the essay that can get easily looked over and forgotten. However, it is part of the prompt and therefore important.

In the Reed College essay, you need to show how the class you teach will benefit the Reed community. This first implies that you need to understand the Reed community to begin with. Think about the times you may have visited the campus. What was the culture like? What were the people like? More importantly, what did they need that they were lacking?

So, let’s take our favorite example again. If you were writing about Startups in Environmental Science, you may be tapping into an itch that the Reed Community needs. They not only needs passionate students who have the right moral compass about the environment. They also need people who can take actionable steps to achieving the goals of Environmental Justice.

Startup work fits perfectly with this. The class would help people learn how to start their own companies and innovate new ways to better the community –a nice break from protesting and ‘raising awareness’. This class would help Reed’s thirst for actionable steps to achieving climate justice.

Think about your own topic. What would you write about? How would the topic you’re teaching provide value to Reed? How does it scratch an itch that the school and community cant quite scratch themselves?

Have any more questions about how to write the Reed College essay? Still wondering what your chances are of getting accepted into Reed College? Our admissions experts and advisors can help! We’ve helped students get accepted into some of the most prestigious universities in the nation.

Contact us for a free consultation. We will provide you with free advice on how to write your Reed College essay and get accepted.

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Reed College Undergraduate College Application Essays

These Reed College college application essays were written by students accepted at Reed College. All of our sample college essays include the question prompt and the year written. Please use these sample admission essays responsibly.

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College Application Essays accepted by Reed College

Thinking globally angela viti beckon, reed college.

Recently, my family unearthed a home video on an old Beta tape from when I was three years old. In the video, I was sitting on my dad's lap with a globe in front of me, and he was asking me to point out different countries. "Where's Vanuatu?" or...

Playground Pillage Daniel Dolgicer

I arose unusually early that morning, rather disheveled. My typically straight and stagnant hair had deteriorated into a lopsidedness that seemed to defy the laws of physics. My pajamas, generously dotted with dinosaurs of the multicolored...

My First Flight Robin Bates

"Northwest, this is La Crosse Tower. Hold-short runway three-one for Cessna on final."

Knowing that I had personally delayed a plane full of commercial passengers on my sixteenth birthday was not what I had in mind for my first solo flight....

Imported Culture Michelle Salman

“Lower your lids!”

Gilad, my drama instructor, paced back and forth on the stage, arms folded over his belly, Israeli impatience rising in his voice. His eyes narrowed, scanned me through bushy slits, and he barked new commands.

“Let your smile...

Why Reed? Anonymous

I glanced upward from my computer and saw a wall covered with posters, each displaying a beautiful computer modified image of a college campus. One of them struck me for months. It was a clear aerial view of a field of green trees dotted by...

Life's Obstacles Anonymous

I grew up with my grandparents in a rural town near the coast of eastern China. I have never seen my biological father. This is not an obstacle, however, because my mother has always been my source of motivation. She first introduced me to the...

The Strange and The Familiar Anonymous

It was to my temporary Italian address that a package arrived in mid-November. Even though it had been only a couple of months, I had yearned for something to read as a respite from the unending flow of Italian, which inundated my still-untrained...

The Garden Avril Carrillo

I had never before seen a sleeping bee. Yet there it was, nestled among lavender petals. I could see the yellow pollen dusting the bee’s delicate wings. As I looked around, I could see other life in the garden settling down as well. The constant...

Biocentrism Anonymous

I've always had a special interest in physics, and if I could teach the Reed community anything, I'd want to talk about Biocentrism. Biocentrism is a relatively obscure theory that states that we, with our consciousness, create the universe,...

There are No Rules Anonymous

The line between water and sky is two shades of black. Silence hides between the crevices of elements, and I convince myself that I can weigh the air.

I cannot see my body or my paddle or my kayak, but I am kayaking.

The trees’ shadows reflect on...

Dancing 101 Anonymous

Welcome to Dancing for Terrible Dancers 101, taught by me, the world's worst dancer. Nope, this isn’t an oxymoron; it’s just me sharing what I've learned after finally coming to terms with the fact that I’m a terrible dancer. Dancing is a vital...

Paideia Anonymous

I am a wilderness survivalist. Over the years, I have found myself thriving in conditions ranging from torrential rain in the Valley of the Kings to white-out conditions on top of Mount Lassen. Some would call these situations miserable, but to me...

184,000 Miles Haley Braner

184,000 miles. This is the number glowing green on the dashboard of my 2008 gold Prius. Although most people might interpret this number as a sign my car has been on the road for far too long, I see it as a badge of honor. Despite the strange...

In the Margin Caroline Stahl

I was confused when I saw “85%” scrawled in red ink on my eighth-grade algebra worksheet despite all of the answers being correct. Underlined at the top of the page were the words "No Doodling!" and a large arrow pointed to a cluster of flowers...

Breaking In Anonymous

I believe in hiking boots. Stiff, clunky and unapologetically dorky, preferably made of waterproof leather. Neat rows of hiking boots line the back wall of REI. An employee who calls himself a “shoe expert” lists the pros and cons of each pair. “I...

The Politics of Food: Eating Your Way to a Better World Haley Braner

In today's food-centric culture, different cuisines give communities and regions distinct identities, from the wine and brie of France to the beignets and Chicory coffee of New Orleans. Yet for all the conversations we have over food, we rarely...

A Push Anonymous

Few things rival the rigorous blend of dexterity, reflexes, and chess-like foresight that true mastery of ping pong demands. When I entered boarding school as an anxious and introverted junior, though, ping pong became more than just a thrill. It...

K-Pop Blooms a Thousand Stories Anonymous

It was my turn to speak.

The Korean girl across the table and I had spent the past hour in a back-and-forth of stilted conversation. Our pre-collegiate institute had demanded that all disciplines “mingle,” and the silence told a story of two...

Lean on Me Rachel Lynch

Summer begins with skin made of ants. The months between school years were designed for sitting on the border of the sandpit at the Jewish Community Center with ants crawling over my hands.

“Sugar ants don’t bite people,” my friend assures me...

Little Grains of Rice Anonymous

Little grains of rice, smothered in my mom’s pomegranate-walnut stew, danced around in my mouth as my mind strayed away from my hectic day. Our shadows remained beneath us at the dinner table as the kitchen lights burned a picture of what I wouldn...

Recent Questions about Reed College

The Question and Answer section for Reed College is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

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60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications

Ideas to inspire every college applicant.

Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.

Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.

Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts

2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.

Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).

  • Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
  • The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

  • Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
  • Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
  • Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.- college essay prompts

  • Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
  • 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.

More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.

  • Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

  • What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
  • Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
  • Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
  • What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

  • Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.

  • Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
  • Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
  • Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.- college essay prompts

  • Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
  • What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
  • Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
  • Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
  • Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
  • Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
  • When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
  • Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
  • Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
  • Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

  • Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.

These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.

  • What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
  • Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
  • What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
  • How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?

How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?- college essay prompts

  • Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
  • What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
  • What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
  • If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
  • What gives meaning to your life?
  • If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
  • If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?

If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?

  • Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
  • What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
  • Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.

Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.

  • What does it mean to you to be educated?
  • What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
  • Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
  • Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?

Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?- college essay prompts

  • What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
  • If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
  • Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
  • Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
  • What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.

What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.

  • Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
  • Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.

  • You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

  • Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
  • If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
  • If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
  • Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
  • If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
  • If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
  • My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
  • Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
  • If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
  • What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
  • Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?

Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?- college essay prompts

  • Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
  • If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
  • What website is the internet missing?

How do you help your students prepare their college application essays? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships.

Looking for writing ideas for your college application? These college essay prompts offer inspirational topics that let every student shine.

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Special Circumstances

Early admission.

Students who wish to enter Reed College before completing high school may apply for Early Admission. Early Admission applicants follow the same application procedures as first-year applicants, with the following additional requirements:

  • Outstanding high school record (which makes clear the applicant has exhausted the educational opportunities available at their high school)
  • Application to Reed under the Regular Decision plan (Early Admission applicants are not eligible to apply Early Decision)
  • Letter from a high school counselor or principal supporting the plan to leave high school early to enter college
  • Interview with a Reed representative

Early Admission applicants who intend to apply for financial aid should note the federal regulations require that students receive a high school diploma, a GED, or a state certification in order to be eligible to receive federal financial aid funds.

Home-Schooled Applicants

Applicants enrolled in home-school programs follow the same application procedures as first-year or transfer applicants, with the following additional requirements:

  • School Report Form completed by the applicant’s parents or the home-school facilitator and submitted with the application
  • Comprehensive list of the books and texts read over the four years of high school, including novels, textbooks, and other resources
  • At least one letter of recommendation from a tutor, evaluator, or teacher who is not a family member

In addition, Reed recommends the following:

  • Two—rather than one—academic recommendations (the second letter may come from an employer, supervisor, or nonfamily member who can address important personal qualities such as responsibility, creativity, discipline, and initiative)

Home-schooled applicants who intend to apply for financial aid should note that federal regulations require that students receive a high school diploma, a GED, or a state certification in order to be eligible to receive federal financial aid funds.

Waitlisted Applicants

If you have been offered a spot on Reed ’ s waitlist, you will receive an email with a link to a Waitlist Reply Form where you can indicate your interest in remaining on the waitlist. You can also access the form from the Reed Application Portal . We ask that you submit the form within three weeks of receiving the waitlist notification email.

See below for frequently asked questions about Reed ’ s waitlist process.

Waitlist FAQ

When is my waitlist reply form due.

We ask that you submit a Waitlist Reply Form within three weeks of receiving the waitlist notification email. When submitting the form, you will be asked to provide a brief statement of intent that gives some context for your decision to remain on the waitlist. This statement is required and will be read by your admission counselor and considered as part of your larger application.

May I send supplementary materials?

Yes! You may send us more information to increase your chances for consideration. Additional materials should be sent as soon as possible for highest consideration.

In addition to a statement of intent indicating your continued interest in attending Reed, you may also submit supplementary materials to strengthen your application:

  • A copy of your most recent grades (unofficial transcripts are acceptable)
  • An additional essay that highlights your fit and interest in Reed (500 words maximum)
  • Any awards or distinctions you’ve earned since submitting your application
  • Note: This recommendation must be sent by the recommender to [email protected] . Peer recommendations are not allowed.
  • An analytical or creative essay that you wrote for a class and that you feel highlights your academic writing skill

Waitlist materials (pdf, jpeg, docx) should be submitted via the self-service upload tool located at the bottom of the Reed Application Portal . If you have questions, please contact your admission counselor by email or by phone (800-547-4750).

Would it be helpful to visit campus and have an interview?

Is the waitlist ranked, when will i know more, should i pay a deposit at another college, what if i need financial aid, i have more questions..

Contact your admission counselor by email or by phone (800-547-4750).

Deferred Admission

Information for students who would like to request deferred admission:

  • Admitted first-year students may request to defer entrance for one year once they have made their first $400 non-refundable enrollment deposit.
  • Students who wish to request deferred admission must send a written plan outlining how they will spend their deferral year to the Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid via email to [email protected] by May 15. 
  • Students are required to submit the second enrollment deposit by June 1.
  • Once the deferral request is approved, the submitted enrollment deposits will reserve a place in the following year's entering class and will be applied toward the student's first-semester tuition at Reed.
  • Students granted a deferral year may not enroll at another college or university as full-time or part-time students and may not apply to other colleges or universities.
  • Students granted a deferral year will be asked to confirm their intent to enroll by submitting a $400 confirmation deposit to the Office of Admission by January 10 of the deferral year. Like the two enrollment deposits, the confirmation deposit will be applied towards the student's first-semester tuition at Reed.
  • Transfer students are not eligible for deferred entrance except in the case of military or religious service or medical necessity (documentation may be required).

Reapplying to Reed

Students who applied to Reed and did not enroll may reapply by following the same application procedures and deadlines for the type of admission they have been approved to apply for ( First-Year or Transfer ) , with some additional requirements:

  • A new Application with a new personal essay.
  • Reapply Statement: Check the box identifying that you previously applied to Reed to College. This will cause the required Reapply Statement prompt to appear for you to answer
  • Official high school transcript, showing all final grades and date of graduation
  • College Transcripts for all completed college coursework
  • One new teacher evaluation, from a teacher who did not submit previously (College Instructor for applicants reapplying as transfers).

Reapplying students are responsible for submitting any application requirements that weren't included in their original application to Reed in order to complete the reapplication process.

Please note that a reapplying student who was originally placed on the waitlist or denied will be allowed to reapply to Reed as a transfer applicant only after completing at least one semester of college coursework (or the equivalent of four Reed units). More than one semester of college coursework will significantly increase the likelihood of admission.

A student will not be allowed to reapply more than two times.

Older Students

Auditing students, visiting students, non-degree students.

Students who wish to take one or more courses at Reed for credit but who do not wish to work toward a Reed degree may apply for admission as special, non-degree students. Special students are not eligible for financial aid and pay tuition on a per-unit basis. The application deadline is June 1 for the fall semester and November 15 for the Spring Semester. Application requirements include the following:

  • Special Student Application, available through Reed’s admission office
  • Essay—limit 500 words—describing why you want to attend Reed as a non-degree student and how the courses will help you meet your educational objectives
  • Either official high school transcript, sent directly from your school, GED scores, or state high school certification
  • Official college transcript from every college or university attended

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How to Write a Great College Essay, Step-by-Step

College Admissions , College Essays

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Writing your personal statement for your college application is an undeniably overwhelming project. Your essay is your big shot to show colleges who you are—it's totally reasonable to get stressed out. But don't let that stress paralyze you.

This guide will walk you through each step of the essay writing process to help you understand exactly what you need to do to write the best possible personal statement . I'm also going to follow an imaginary student named Eva as she plans and writes her college essay, from her initial organization and brainstorming to her final edits. By the end of this article, you'll have all the tools you need to create a fantastic, effective college essay.

So how do you write a good college essay? The process starts with finding the best possible topic , which means understanding what the prompt is asking for and taking the time to brainstorm a variety of options. Next, you'll determine how to create an interesting essay that shows off your unique perspective and write multiple drafts in order to hone your structure and language. Once your writing is as effective and engaging as possible, you'll do a final sweep to make sure everything is correct .

This guide covers the following steps:

#1: Organizing #2: Brainstorming #3: Picking a topic #4: Making a plan #5: Writing a draft #6: Editing your draft #7: Finalizing your draft #8: Repeating the process

Step 1: Get Organized

The first step in how to write a college essay is figuring out what you actually need to do. Although many schools are now on the Common App, some very popular colleges, including Rutgers and University of California, still have their own applications and writing requirements. Even for Common App schools, you may need to write a supplemental essay or provide short answers to questions.

Before you get started, you should know exactly what essays you need to write. Having this information allows you to plan the best approach to each essay and helps you cut down on work by determining whether you can use an essay for more than one prompt.

Start Early

Writing good college essays involves a lot of work: you need dozens of hours to get just one personal statement properly polished , and that's before you even start to consider any supplemental essays.

In order to make sure you have plenty of time to brainstorm, write, and edit your essay (or essays), I recommend starting at least two months before your first deadline . The last thing you want is to end up with a low-quality essay you aren't proud of because you ran out of time and had to submit something unfinished.

Determine What You Need to Do

As I touched on above, each college has its own essay requirements, so you'll need to go through and determine what exactly you need to submit for each school . This process is simple if you're only using the Common App, since you can easily view the requirements for each school under the "My Colleges" tab. Watch out, though, because some schools have a dedicated "Writing Supplement" section, while others (even those that want a full essay) will put their prompts in the "Questions" section.

It gets trickier if you're applying to any schools that aren't on the Common App. You'll need to look up the essay requirements for each college—what's required should be clear on the application itself, or you can look under the "how to apply" section of the school's website.

Once you've determined the requirements for each school, I recommend making yourself a chart with the school name, word limit, and application deadline on one side and the prompt or prompts you need to respond to on the other . That way you'll be able to see exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it by.

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The hardest part about writing your college essays is getting started. 

Decide Where to Start

If you have one essay that's due earlier than the others, start there. Otherwise, start with the essay for your top choice school.

I would also recommend starting with a longer personal statement before moving on to shorter supplementary essays , since the 500-700 word essays tend to take quite a bit longer than 100-250 word short responses. The brainstorming you do for the long essay may help you come up with ideas you like for the shorter ones as well.

Also consider whether some of the prompts are similar enough that you could submit the same essay to multiple schools . Doing so can save you some time and let you focus on a few really great essays rather than a lot of mediocre ones.

However, don't reuse essays for dissimilar or very school-specific prompts, especially "why us" essays . If a college asks you to write about why you're excited to go there, admissions officers want to see evidence that you're genuinely interested. Reusing an essay about another school and swapping out the names is the fastest way to prove you aren't.

Example: Eva's College List

Eva is applying early to Emory University and regular decision to University of Washington, UCLA, and Reed College. Emory, the University of Washington, and Reed both use the Common App, while University of Washington, Emory, and Reed all use the Coalition App.

1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?

4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

7. 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.
What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college?
after the Greek term signifying "education"—the complete education of mind, body and spirit. What would you teach that would contribute to the Reed community?

Even though she's only applying to four schools, Eva has a lot to do: two essays for UW, four for the UCLA application, one for the Common App (or the Coalition App), and two essays for Emory. Many students will have fewer requirements to complete, but those who are applying to very selective schools or a number of schools on different applications will have as many or even more responses to write.

Eva's first deadline is early decision for Emory, she'll start by writing the Common App essay, and then work on the Emory supplements. (For the purposes of this post, we'll focus on the Common App essay.)

Pro tip: If this sounds like a lot of work, that's because it is. Writing essays for your college applications is demanding and takes a lot of time and thought. You don't have to do it alone, though. PrepScholar has helped students like you get into top-tier colleges like Stanford, Yale, Harvard, and Brown. Our essay experts can help you craft amazing essays that boost your chances of getting into your dream school . 

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Step 2: Brainstorm

Next up in how to write a college essay: brainstorming essay ideas. There are tons of ways to come up with ideas for your essay topic: I've outlined three below. I recommend trying all of them and compiling a list of possible topics, then narrowing it down to the very best one or, if you're writing multiple essays, the best few.

Keep in mind as you brainstorm that there's no best college essay topic, just the best topic for you . Don't feel obligated to write about something because you think you should—those types of essays tend to be boring and uninspired. Similarly, don't simply write about the first idea that crosses your mind because you don't want to bother trying to think of something more interesting. Take the time to come up with a topic you're really excited about and that you can write about in detail.

Want to write the perfect college application essay?   We can help.   Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will help you craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay to proudly submit to colleges.   Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Analyze the Prompts

One way to find possible topics is to think deeply about the college's essay prompt. What are they asking you for? Break them down and analyze every angle.

Does the question include more than one part ? Are there multiple tasks you need to complete?

What do you think the admissions officers are hoping to learn about you ?

In cases where you have more than one choice of prompt, does one especially appeal to you ? Why?

Let's dissect one of the University of Washington prompts as an example:

"Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. "

This question is basically asking how your personal history, such as your childhood, family, groups you identify with etc. helped you become the person you are now. It offers a number of possible angles.

You can talk about the effects of either your family life (like your relationship with your parents or what your household was like growing up) or your cultural history (like your Jewish faith or your Venezuelan heritage). You can also choose between focusing on positive or negative effects of your family or culture. No matter what however, the readers definitely want to hear about your educational goals (i.e. what you hope to get out of college) and how they're related to your personal experience.

As you try to think of answers for a prompt, imagine about what you would say if you were asked the question by a friend or during a get-to-know-you icebreaker. After all, admissions officers are basically just people who you want to get to know you.

The essay questions can make a great jumping off point, but don't feel married to them. Most prompts are general enough that you can come up with an idea and then fit it to the question.

Consider Important Experiences, Events, and Ideas in Your Life

What experience, talent, interest or other quirk do you have that you might want to share with colleges? In other words, what makes you you? Possible topics include hobbies, extracurriculars, intellectual interests, jobs, significant one-time events, pieces of family history, or anything else that has shaped your perspective on life.

Unexpected or slightly unusual topics are often the best : your passionate love of Korean dramas or your yearly family road trip to an important historical site. You want your essay to add something to your application, so if you're an All-American soccer player and want to write about the role soccer has played in your life, you'll have a higher bar to clear.

Of course if you have a more serious part of your personal history—the death of a parent, serious illness, or challenging upbringing—you can write about that. But make sure you feel comfortable sharing details of the experience with the admissions committee and that you can separate yourself from it enough to take constructive criticism on your essay.

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Think About How You See Yourself

The last brainstorming method is to consider whether there are particular personality traits you want to highlight . This approach can feel rather silly, but it can also be very effective.

If you were trying to sell yourself to an employer, or maybe even a potential date, how would you do it? Try to think about specific qualities that make you stand out. What are some situations in which you exhibited this trait?

Example: Eva's Ideas

Looking at the Common App prompts, Eva wasn't immediately drawn to any of them, but after a bit of consideration she thought it might be nice to write about her love of literature for the first one, which asks about something "so meaningful your application would be incomplete without it." Alternatively, she liked the specificity of the failure prompt and thought she might write about a bad job interview she had had.

In terms of important events, Eva's parents got divorced when she was three and she's been going back and forth between their houses for as long as she can remember, so that's a big part of her personal story. She's also played piano for all four years of high school, although she's not particularly good.

As for personal traits, Eva is really proud of her curiosity—if she doesn't know something, she immediately looks it up, and often ends up discovering new topics she's interested in. It's a trait that's definitely come in handy as a reporter for her school paper.

Step 3: Narrow Down Your List

Now you have a list of potential topics, but probably no idea where to start. The next step is to go through your ideas and determine which one will make for the strongest essay . You'll then begin thinking about how best to approach it.

What to Look for in a College Essay Topic

There's no single answer to the question of what makes a great college essay topic, but there are some key factors you should keep in mind. The best essays are focused, detailed, revealing and insightful, and finding the right topic is vital to writing a killer essay with all of those qualities.

As you go through your ideas, be discriminating—really think about how each topic could work as an essay. But don't be too hard on yourself ; even if an idea may not work exactly the way you first thought, there may be another way to approach it. Pay attention to what you're really excited about and look for ways to make those ideas work.

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Consideration 1: Does It Matter to You?

If you don't care about your topic, it will be hard to convince your readers to care about it either. You can't write a revealing essay about yourself unless you write about a topic that is truly important to you.

But don't confuse important to you with important to the world: a college essay is not a persuasive argument. The point is to give the reader a sense of who you are , not to make a political or intellectual point. The essay needs to be personal.

Similarly, a lot of students feel like they have to write about a major life event or their most impressive achievement. But the purpose of a personal statement isn't to serve as a resume or a brag sheet—there are plenty of other places in the application for you to list that information. Many of the best essays are about something small because your approach to a common experience generally reveals a lot about your perspective on the world.

Mostly, your topic needs to have had a genuine effect on your outlook , whether it taught you something about yourself or significantly shifted your view on something else.

Consideration 2: Does It Tell the Reader Something Different About You?

Your essay should add something to your application that isn't obvious elsewhere. Again, there are sections for all of your extracurriculars and awards; the point of the essay is to reveal something more personal that isn't clear just from numbers and lists.

You also want to make sure that if you're sending more than one essay to a school—like a Common App personal statement and a school-specific supplement—the two essays take on different topics.

Consideration 3: Is It Specific?

Your essay should ultimately have a very narrow focus. 650 words may seem like a lot, but you can fill it up very quickly. This means you either need to have a very specific topic from the beginning or find a specific aspect of a broader topic to focus on.

If you try to take on a very broad topic, you'll end up with a bunch of general statements and boring lists of your accomplishments. Instead, you want to find a short anecdote or single idea to explore in depth .

Consideration 4: Can You Discuss It in Detail?

A vague essay is a boring essay— specific details are what imbue your essay with your personality . For example, if I tell my friend that I had a great dessert yesterday, she probably won't be that interested. But if I explain that I ate an amazing piece of peach raspberry pie with flaky, buttery crust and filling that was both sweet and tart, she will probably demand to know where I obtained it (at least she will if she appreciates the joys of pie). She'll also learn more about me: I love pie and I analyze desserts with great seriousness.

Given the importance of details, writing about something that happened a long time ago or that you don't remember well isn't usually a wise choice . If you can't describe something in depth, it will be challenging to write a compelling essay about it.

You also shouldn't pick a topic you aren't actually comfortable talking about . Some students are excited to write essays about very personal topics, like their mother's bipolar disorder or their family's financial struggles, but others dislike sharing details about these kinds of experiences. If you're a member of the latter group, that's totally okay, just don't write about one of these sensitive topics.

Still, don't worry that every single detail has to be perfectly correct. Definitely don't make anything up, but if you remember a wall as green and it was really blue, your readers won't notice or care.

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Consideration 5: Can It Be Related to the Prompt?

As long as you're talking about yourself, there are very few ideas that you can't tie back to one of the Common App or Coalition App prompts. But if you're applying to a school with its own more specific prompt, or working on supplemental essays, making sure to address the question will be a greater concern.

Deciding on a Topic

Once you've gone through the questions above, you should have a good sense of what you want to write about. Hopefully, it's also gotten you started thinking about how you can best approach that topic, but we'll cover how to plan your essay more fully in the next step.

If after going through the narrowing process, you've eliminated all your topics, first look back over them: are you being too hard on yourself? Are there any that you really like, but just aren't totally sure what angle to take on? If so, try looking at the next section and seeing if you can't find a different way to approach it.

If you just don't have an idea you're happy with, that's okay! Give yourself a week to think about it. Sometimes you'll end up having a genius idea in the car on the way to school or while studying for your U.S. history test. Otherwise, try the brainstorming process again when you've had a break.

If, on the other hand, you have more than one idea you really like, consider whether any of them can be used for other essays you need to write.

Example: Picking Eva's Topic

  • Love of books
  • Failed job interview
  • Parents' divorce

Eva immediately rules out writing about playing piano, because it sounds super boring to her, and it's not something she is particularly passionate about. She also decides not to write about splitting time between her parents because she just isn't comfortable sharing her feelings about it with an admissions committee.

She feels more positive about the other three, so she decides to think about them for a couple of days. She ends up ruling out the job interview because she just can't come up with that many details she could include.

She's excited about both of her last two ideas, but sees issues with both of them: the books idea is very broad and the reporting idea doesn't seem to apply to any of the prompts. Then she realizes that she can address the solving a problem prompt by talking about a time she was trying to research a story about the closing of a local movie theater, so she decides to go with that topic.

Step 4: Figure Out Your Approach

You've decided on a topic, but now you need to turn that topic into an essay. To do so, you need to determine what specifically you're focusing on and how you'll structure your essay.

If you're struggling or uncertain, try taking a look at some examples of successful college essays . It can be helpful to dissect how other personal statements are structured to get ideas for your own , but don't fall into the trap of trying to copy someone else's approach. Your essay is your story—never forget that.

Let's go through the key steps that will help you turn a great topic into a great essay.

Choose a Focal Point

As I touched on above, the narrower your focus, the easier it will be to write a unique, engaging personal statement. The simplest way to restrict the scope of your essay is to recount an anecdote , i.e. a short personal story that illustrates your larger point.

For example, say a student was planning to write about her Outward Bound trip in Yosemite. If she tries to tell the entire story of her trip, her essay will either be far too long or very vague. Instead, she decides to focus in on a specific incident that exemplifies what mattered to her about the experience: her failed attempt to climb Half Dome. She described the moment she decided to turn back without reaching the top in detail, while touching on other parts of the climb and trip where appropriate. This approach lets her create a dramatic arc in just 600 words, while fully answering the question posed in the prompt (Common App prompt 2).

Of course, concentrating on an anecdote isn't the only way to narrow your focus. Depending on your topic, it might make more sense to build your essay around an especially meaningful object, relationship, or idea.

Another approach our example student from above could take to the same general topic would be to write about the generosity of fellow hikers (in response to Common App prompt 4). Rather than discussing a single incident, she could tell the story of her trip through times she was supported by other hikers: them giving tips on the trails, sharing snacks, encouraging her when she was tired, etc. A structure like this one can be trickier than the more straightforward anecdote approach , but it can also make for an engaging and different essay.

When deciding what part of your topic to focus on, try to find whatever it is about the topic that is most meaningful and unique to you . Once you've figured that part out, it will guide how you structure the essay.

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Decide What You Want to Show About Yourself

Remember that the point of the college essay isn't just to tell a story, it's to show something about yourself. It's vital that you have a specific point you want to make about what kind of person you are , what kind of college student you'd make, or what the experience you're describing taught you.

Since the papers you write for school are mostly analytical, you probably aren't used to writing about your own feelings. As such, it can be easy to neglect the reflection part of the personal statement in favor of just telling a story. Yet explaining what the event or idea you discuss meant to you is the most important essay —knowing how you want to tie your experiences back to your personal growth from the beginning will help you make sure to include it.

Develop a Structure

It's not enough to just know what you want to write about—you also need to have a sense of how you're going to write about it. You could have the most exciting topic of all time, but without a clear structure your essay will end up as incomprehensible gibberish that doesn't tell the reader anything meaningful about your personality.

There are a lot of different possible essay structures, but a simple and effective one is the compressed narrative, which builds on a specific anecdote (like the Half Dome example above):

Start in the middle of the action. Don't spend a lot of time at the beginning of your essay outlining background info—it doesn't tend to draw the reader in and you usually need less of it than you think you do. Instead start right where your story starts to get interesting. (I'll go into how to craft an intriguing opener in more depth below.)

Briefly explain what the situation is. Now that you've got the reader's attention, go back and explain anything they need to know about how you got into this situation. Don't feel compelled to fit everything in—only include the background details that are necessary to either understand what happened or illuminate your feelings about the situation in some way.

Finish the story. Once you've clarified exactly what's going on, explain how you resolved the conflict or concluded the experience.

Explain what you learned. The last step is to tie everything together and bring home the main point of your story: how this experience affected you.

The key to this type of structure is to create narrative tension—you want your reader to be wondering what happens next.

A second approach is the thematic structure, which is based on returning to a key idea or object again and again (like the boots example above):

Establish the focus. If you're going to structure your essay around a single theme or object, you need to begin the essay by introducing that key thing. You can do so with a relevant anecdote or a detailed description.

Touch on 3-5 times the focus was important. The body of your essay will consist of stringing together a few important moments related to the topic. Make sure to use sensory details to bring the reader into those points in time and keep her engaged in the essay. Also remember to elucidate why these moments were important to you.

Revisit the main idea. At the end, you want to tie everything together by revisiting the main idea or object and showing how your relationship to it has shaped or affected you. Ideally, you'll also hint at how this thing will be important to you going forward.

To make this structure work you need a very specific focus. Your love of travel, for example, is much too broad—you would need to hone in on a specific aspect of that interest, like how traveling has taught you to adapt to event the most unusual situations. Whatever you do, don't use this structure to create a glorified resume or brag sheet .

However you structure your essay, you want to make sure that it clearly lays out both the events or ideas you're describing and establishes the stakes (i.e. what it all means for you). Many students become so focused on telling a story or recounting details that they forget to explain what it all meant to them.

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Example: Eva's Essay Plan

For her essay, Eva decides to use the compressed narrative structure to tell the story of how she tried and failed to report on the closing of a historic movie theater:

  • Open with the part of her story where she finally gave up after calling the theater and city hall a dozen times.
  • Explain that although she started researching the story out of journalistic curiosity, it was important to her because she'd grown up going to movies at that theater.
  • Recount how defeated she felt when she couldn't get ahold of anyone, and then even more so when she saw a story about the theater's closing in the local paper.
  • Describer her decision to write an op-ed instead and interview other students about what the theater meant to them.
  • Finish by explaining that although she wasn't able to get the story (or stop the destruction of the theater), she learned that sometimes the emotional angle can be just as interesting as the investigative one.

Step 5: Write a First Draft

The key to writing your first draft is not to worry about whether it's any good—just get something on paper and go from there. You will have to rewrite, so trying to get everything perfect is both frustrating and futile.

Everyone has their own writing process. Maybe you feel more comfortable sitting down and writing the whole draft from beginning to end in one go. Maybe you jump around, writing a little bit here and a little there. It's okay to have sections you know won't work or to skip over things you think you'll need to include later.

Whatever your approach, there are a few tips everyone can benefit from.

Don't Aim for Perfection

I mentioned this idea above, but I can't emphasize it enough: no one writes a perfect first draft . Extensive editing and rewriting is vital to crafting an effective personal statement. Don't get too attached to any part of your draft, because you may need to change anything (or everything) about your essay later .

Also keep in mind that, at this point in the process, the goal is just to get your ideas down. Wonky phrasings and misplaced commas can easily be fixed when you edit, so don't worry about them as you write. Instead, focus on including lots of specific details and emphasizing how your topic has affected you, since these aspects are vital to a compelling essay.

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Write an Engaging Introduction

One part of the essay you do want to pay special attention to is the introduction. Your intro is your essay's first impression: you only get one. It's much harder to regain your reader's attention once you've lost it, so you want to draw the reader in with an immediately engaging hook that sets up a compelling story .

There are two possible approaches I would recommend.

The "In Media Res" Opening

You'll probably recognize this term if you studied The Odyssey: it basically means that the story starts in the middle of the action, rather than at the beginning. A good intro of this type makes the reader wonder both how you got to the point you're starting at and where you'll go from there . These openers provide a solid, intriguing beginning for narrative essays (though they can certainly for thematic structures as well).

But how do you craft one? Try to determine the most interesting point in your story and start there. If you're not sure where that is, try writing out the entire story and then crossing out each sentence in order until you get to one that immediately grabs your attention.

Here's an example from a real student's college essay:

"I strode in front of 400 frenzied eighth graders with my arm slung over my Fender Stratocaster guitar—it actually belonged to my mother—and launched into the first few chords of Nirvana's 'Lithium.'"

Anonymous , University of Virginia

This intro throws the reader right into the middle of the action. The author jumps right into the action: the performance. You can imagine how much less exciting it would be if the essay opened with an explanation of what the event was and why the author was performing.

The Specific Generalization

Sounds like an oxymoron, right? This type of intro sets up what the essay is going to talk about in a slightly unexpected way . These are a bit trickier than the "in media res" variety, but they can work really well for the right essay—generally one with a thematic structure.

The key to this type of intro is detail . Contrary to what you may have learned in elementary school, sweeping statements don't make very strong hooks. If you want to start your essay with a more overall description of what you'll be discussing, you still need to make it specific and unique enough to stand out.

Once again, let's look at some examples from real students' essays:

Neha, Johns Hopkins University

Brontë, Johns Hopkins University

Both of these intros set up the general topic of the essay (the first writer's bookshelf and and the second's love of Jane Eyre ) in an intriguing way. The first intro works because it mixes specific descriptions ("pushed against the left wall in my room") with more general commentary ("a curious piece of furniture"). The second draws the reader in by adopting a conversational and irreverent tone with asides like "if you ask me" and "This may or may not be a coincidence."

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Don't Worry Too Much About the Length

When you start writing, don't worry about your essay's length. Instead, focus on trying to include all of the details you can think of about your topic , which will make it easier to decide what you really need to include when you edit.

However, if your first draft is more than twice the word limit and you don't have a clear idea of what needs to be cut out, you may need to reconsider your focus—your topic is likely too broad. You may also need to reconsider your topic or approach if you find yourself struggling to fill space, since this usually indicates a topic that lacks a specific focus.

Eva's First Paragraph

I dialed the phone number for the fourth time that week. "Hello? This is Eva Smith, and I'm a reporter with Tiny Town High's newspaper The Falcon. I was hoping to ask you some questions about—" I heard the distinctive click of the person on the other end of the line hanging up, followed by dial tone. I was about ready to give up: I'd been trying to get the skinny on whether the Atlas Theater was actually closing to make way for a big AMC multiplex or if it was just a rumor for weeks, but no one would return my calls.

Step 6: Edit Aggressively

No one writes a perfect first draft. No matter how much you might want to be done after writing a first draft—you must take the time to edit. Thinking critically about your essay and rewriting as needed is a vital part of writing a great college essay.

Before you start editing, put your essay aside for a week or so . It will be easier to approach it objectively if you haven't seen it in a while. Then, take an initial pass to identify any big picture issues with your essay. Once you've fixed those, ask for feedback from other readers—they'll often notice gaps in logic that don't appear to you, because you're automatically filling in your intimate knowledge of the situation. Finally, take another, more detailed look at your essay to fine tune the language.

I've explained each of these steps in more depth below.

First Editing Pass

You should start the editing process by looking for any structural or thematic issues with your essay . If you see sentences that don't make sense or glaring typos of course fix them, but at this point, you're really focused on the major issues since those require the most extensive rewrites. You don't want to get your sentences beautifully structured only to realize you need to remove the entire paragraph.

This phase is really about honing your structure and your voice . As you read through your essay, think about whether it effectively draws the reader along, engages him with specific details, and shows why the topic matters to you. Try asking yourself the following questions:

  • Does the intro make you want to read more?
  • Is the progression of events and/or ideas clear?
  • Does the essay show something specific about you? What is it and can you clearly identify it in the essay?
  • Are there places where you could replace vague statements with more specific ones?
  • Do you have too many irrelevant or uninteresting details clogging up the narrative?
  • Is it too long? What can you cut out or condense without losing any important ideas or details?

Give yourself credit for what you've done well, but don't hesitate to change things that aren't working. It can be tempting to hang on to what you've already written —you took the time and thought to craft it in the first place, so it can be hard to let it go. Taking this approach is doing yourself a disservice, however. No matter how much work you put into a paragraph or much you like a phrase, if they aren't adding to your essay, they need to be cut or altered.

If there's a really big structural problem, or the topic is just not working, you may have to chuck this draft out and start from scratch . Don't panic! I know starting over is frustrating, but it's often the best way to fix major issues.

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Consulting Other Readers

Once you've fixed the problems you found on the first pass and have a second (or third) draft you're basically happy with, ask some other people to read it. Check with people whose judgment you trust : parents, teachers, and friends can all be great resources, but how helpful someone will be depends on the individual and how willing you are to take criticism from her.

Also, keep in mind that many people, even teachers, may not be familiar with what colleges look for in an essay. Your mom, for example, may have never written a personal statement, and even if she did, it was most likely decades ago. Give your readers a sense of what you'd like them to read for , or print out the questions I listed above and include them at the end of your essay.

Second Pass

After incorporating any helpful feedback you got from others, you should now have a nearly complete draft with a clear arc.

At this point you want to look for issues with word choice and sentence structure:

  • Are there parts that seem stilted or overly formal?
  • Do you have any vague or boring descriptors that could be replaced with something more interesting and specific?
  • Are there any obvious redundancies or repetitiveness?
  • Have you misused any words?
  • Are your sentences of varied length and structure?

A good way to check for weirdness in language is to read the essay out loud. If something sounds weird when you say it, it will almost certainly seem off when someone else reads it.

Example: Editing Eva's First Paragraph

In general, Eva feels like her first paragraph isn't as engaging as it could be and doesn't introduce the main point of the essay that well: although it sets up the narrative, it doesn't show off her personality that well. She decides to break it down sentence by sentence:

I dialed the phone number for the fourth time that week.

Problem: For a hook, this sentence is a little too expository. It doesn't add any real excitement or important information (other than that this call isn't the first, which can be incorporate elsewhere.

Solution: Cut this sentence and start with the line of dialogue.

"Hello? This is Eva Smith, and I'm a reporter with Tiny Town High's newspaper The Falcon. I was hoping to ask you some questions about—"

Problem: No major issues with this sentence. It's engaging and sets the scene effectively.

Solution: None needed, but Eva does tweak it slightly to include the fact that this call wasn't her first.

I heard the distinctive click of the person on the other end of the line hanging up, followed by dial tone.

Problem: This is a long-winded way of making a point that's not that important.

Solution: Replace it with a shorter, more evocative description: " Click. Bzzzzzzz. Whoever was on the other end of the line had hung up."

I was about ready to give up: I'd been trying to get the skinny on whether the Atlas Theater was actually closing to make way for a big AMC multiplex or if it was just a rumor for weeks, but no one would return my calls.

Problem: This sentence is kind of long. Some of the phrases ("about ready to give up," "get the skinny") are cliche.

Solution: Eva decides to try to stick more closely to her own perspective: "I'd heard rumors that Atlas Theater was going to be replaced with an AMC multiplex, and I was worried." She also puts a paragraph break before this sentence to emphasize that she's now moving on to the background info rather than describing her call.

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Step 7: Double Check Everything

Once you have a final draft, give yourself another week and then go through your essay again. Read it carefully to make sure nothing seems off and there are no obvious typos or errors. Confirm that you are at or under the word limit.

Then, go over the essay again, line by line , checking every word to make sure that it's correct. Double check common errors that spell check may not catch, like mixing up affect and effect or misplacing commas.

Finally, have two other readers check it as well . Oftentimes a fresh set of eyes will catch an issue you've glossed over simply because you've been looking at the essay for so long. Give your readers instructions to only look for typos and errors, since you don't want to be making any major content changes at this point in the process.

This level of thoroughness may seem like overkill, but it's worth taking the time to ensure that you don't have any errors. The last thing you want is for an admissions officer to be put off by a typo or error.

Example: Eva's Final Draft (Paragraphs 1 and 2)

"Hello? This is Eva Smith again. I'm a reporter with Tiny Town High's newspaper The Falcon , and I was hoping to ask you some questions about —" Click. Bzzzzzzz. Whoever was on the other end of the line had hung up.

I'd heard rumors that the historic Atlas Theater was going to be replaced with an AMC multiplex, and I was worried. I'd grown up with the Atlas: my dad taking me to see every Pixar movie on opening night and buying me Red Vines to keep me distracted during the sad parts. Unfortunately my personal history with the place didn't seem to carry much weight with anyone official, and my calls to both the theater and city hall had thus far gone unanswered.

Once you've finished the final check, you're done, and ready to submit! There's one last step, however.

Step 8: Do It All Again

Remember back in step one, when we talked about making a chart to keep track of all the different essays you need to write? Well, now you need to go back to that list and determine which essays you still need to write . Keep in mind your deadlines and don't forget that some schools may require more than one essay or ask for short paragraphs in addition to the main personal statement.

Reusing Essays

In some cases, you may be able to reuse the essay you've already written for other prompts. You can use the same essay for two prompts if:

Both of them are asking the same basic question (e.g. "how do you interact with people who are different from you?" or "what was an important experience and why?"), or

One prompt is relatively specific and the other is very general (e.g. "tell us about how your family shaped your education" and "tell us something about your background"), and

Neither asks about your interest in a specific school or program.

If you choose to reuse an essay you wrote for a different prompt, make sure that it addresses every part of question and that it fits the word limit. If you have to tweak a few things or cut out 50-odd words, it will probably still work. But if the essay would require major changes to fit the criteria, you're probably better off starting from scratch (even if you use the same basic topic).

Crafting Supplemental Essays

The key to keep in mind in when brainstorming for supplemental essays is that you want them to add something new to your application . You shouldn't write about the same topic you used for your personal statement, although it's okay to talk about something similar, as long as you adopt a clearly different angle.

For example, if you're planning to be pre-med in college and your main essay is about how volunteering at the hospital taught you not to judge people on their appearance, you might write your secondary essay on your intellectual interest in biology (which could touch on your volunteering). There's some overlap, but the two topics are clearly distinct.

And now, you're really, truly, finally done. Congrats!

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What's Next?

Now that you know how to write a college essay, we have a lot more specific resources for you to excel.

Are you working on the Common App essay ? Read our breakdown of the Common App prompts and our guide to picking the best prompt for you.

Or maybe you're interested in the University of California ? Check out our complete guide to the UC personal statements .

In case you haven't finished the rest of the application process , take a look at our guides to asking for recommendations , writing about extracurriculars , and researching colleges .

Finally, if you're planning to take the SAT or ACT one last time , try out some of our famous test prep guides, like "How to Get a Perfect Score on the SAT" and "15 Key ACT Test Day Tips."

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?   We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

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Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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How to Write Your College Essay: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Getting ready to start your college essay? Your essay is very important to your application — especially if you’re applying to selective colleges.

Become a stronger writer by reviewing your peers’ essays and get your essay reviewed as well for free.

We have regular livestreams during which we walk you through how to write your college essay and review essays live.

College Essay Basics

Just getting started on college essays? This section will guide you through how you should think about your college essays before you start.

  • Why do essays matter in the college application process?
  • What is a college application theme and how do you come up with one?
  • How to format and structure your college essay

Before you move to the next section, make sure you understand:

How a college essay fits into your application

What a strong essay does for your chances

How to create an application theme

Learn the Types of College Essays

Next, let’s make sure you understand the different types of college essays. You’ll most likely be writing a Common App or Coalition App essay, and you can also be asked to write supplemental essays for each school. Each essay has a prompt asking a specific question. Each of these prompts falls into one of a few different types. Understanding the types will help you better answer the prompt and structure your essay.

  • How to Write a Personal Statement That Wows Colleges
  • Personal Statement Essay Examples
  • How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity Essay
  • Extracurricular Essay Examples
  • Tips for Writing a Diversity College Essay
  • Diversity Essay Examples
  • Tips for Writing a Standout Community Service Essay
  • How to Write the “Why This Major” Essay
  • How to Write a “Why This Major” Essay if You’re Undecided
  • How to write the “Why This College” Essay
  • How to Research a College to Write the “Why This College” Essay
  • Why This College Essay Examples
  • How to Write The Overcoming Challenges Essay
  • Overcoming Challenges Essay Examples

Identify how each prompt fits into an essay type

What each type of essay is really asking of you

How to write each essay effectively

The Common App essay

Almost every student will write a Common App essay, which is why it’s important you get this right.

  • How to Write the Common App Essay
  • Successful Common App Essay Examples
  • 5 Awesome College Essay Topics + Sample Essays
  • 11 Cliché College Essay Topics + How to Fix Them

How to choose which Common App prompts to answer

How to write a successful Common App essay

What to avoid to stand out to admissions officers

Supplemental Essay Guides

Many schools, especially competitive ones, will ask you to write one or more supplemental essays. This allows a school to learn more about you and how you might fit into their culture.

These essays are extremely important in standing out. We’ve written guides for all the top schools. Follow the link below to find your school and read last year’s essay guides to give you a sense of the essay prompts. We’ll update these in August when schools release their prompts.

See last year’s supplemental essay guides to get a sense of the prompts for your schools.

Essay brainstorming and composition

Now that you’re starting to write your essay, let’s dive into the writing process. Below you’ll find our top articles on the craft of writing an amazing college essay.

  • Where to Begin? 3 Personal Essay Brainstorming Exercises
  • Creating the First Draft of Your College Application Essay
  • How to Get the Perfect Hook for Your College Essay
  • What If I Don’t Have Anything Interesting To Write About In My College Essay?
  • 8 Do’s and Don’t for Crafting Your College Essay
  • Stuck on Your College Essay? 8 Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block

Understand how to write a great hook for your essay

Complete the first drafts of your essay

Editing and polishing your essay

Have a first draft ready? See our top editing tips below. Also, you may want to submit your essay to our free Essay Peer Review to get quick feedback and join a community of other students working on their essays.

  • 11 Tips for Proofreading and Editing Your College Essay
  • Getting Help with Your College Essay
  • 5 DIY Tips for Editing Your College Essay
  • How Long Should Your College Essay Be?
  • Essential Grammar Rules for Your College Apps
  • College Essay Checklist: Are You Ready to Submit?

Proofread and edited your essay.

Had someone else look through your essay — we recommend submitting it for a peer review.

Make sure your essay meets all requirements — consider signing up for a free account to view our per-prompt checklists to help you understand when you’re really ready to submit.

Advanced College Essay Techniques

Let’s take it one step further and see how we can make your college essay really stand out! We recommend reading through these posts when you have a draft to work with.

  • 10 Guidelines for Highly Readable College Essays
  • How to Use Literary Devices to Enhance Your Essay
  • How to Develop a Personalized Metaphor for Your College Applications

Essay Papers Writing Online

Unlock your creativity with these inspiring college essay writing prompts.

College essay writing prompts

As a college student, you may find yourself facing the daunting task of writing essays for your classes. While some essay prompts may seem dull and uninspiring, there are plenty of creative writing prompts that can spark your imagination and help you produce engaging and unique essays.

From personal experiences to imaginative scenarios, these creative college essay writing prompts will encourage you to think outside the box and showcase your storytelling skills. Whether you’re writing an admissions essay or a class assignment, these prompts will challenge you to explore new ideas and perspectives.

So, if you’re looking for a fresh approach to your college essays, take a look at these 15 creative writing prompts that will inspire you to craft compelling and memorable essays that stand out from the crowd.

Spark Your Imagination with College Essay Writing

Writing college essays can be a challenging but rewarding experience. As you start brainstorming ideas for your essay, it’s important to let your imagination run wild. Try to think outside the box and come up with unique angles and perspectives that will make your essay stand out.

One way to spark your imagination is to think about your personal experiences and how they have shaped you as a person. Consider writing about a moment that changed your life or a challenge you overcame. These personal stories can make your essay more compelling and give the admissions committee a glimpse into who you are as an individual.

Another way to get creative with your essay is to experiment with different writing styles and formats. You could try writing in the form of a letter, a diary entry, or even a poem. Mixing things up can help you find your voice and make your essay more interesting to read.

Ultimately, the key to sparking your imagination with college essay writing is to be open-minded and willing to take risks. Don’t be afraid to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of traditional essay writing. By letting your imagination run wild, you can create an essay that truly reflects who you are and what you have to offer.

Unleash Your Creativity with These Inspiring Prompts

Unleash Your Creativity with These Inspiring Prompts

Ready to take your college essay writing to the next level? These inspiring prompts will help you unleash your creativity and showcase your unique voice in your writing:

  • Imagine you have the ability to travel to any place, real or fictional. Where would you go and why?
  • If you could have a conversation with any historical figure, who would it be and what would you talk about?
  • Write a story where you are the protagonist in a world where all your wildest dreams come true.
  • Reflect on a personal experience that shaped your perspective or worldview.
  • Describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it, showcasing your resilience.

These prompts are designed to ignite your imagination and help you craft a compelling college essay that stands out. Get creative, be authentic, and let your voice shine through!

Explore Unique Topics to Stand Out in Your Admission Essay

When it comes to writing your college admission essay, choosing a unique and engaging topic can make all the difference. Admissions officers read through countless essays, so standing out with a fresh and creative topic is crucial.

Consider exploring topics that showcase your personality, experiences, and aspirations in a unique and compelling way. Instead of rehashing common themes like your volunteer work or a sports achievement, think outside the box and delve into topics that truly reflect who you are.

  • Share a meaningful encounter you had with a stranger that changed your perspective.
  • Discuss a book, movie, or piece of art that greatly influenced your worldview.
  • Reflect on a personal failure or setback and how it ultimately shaped your character.
  • Describe a unique hobby or passion that sets you apart from your peers.
  • Explore a cultural tradition or heritage that has shaped your values and beliefs.

By choosing a unique and compelling topic for your admission essay, you can capture the attention of admissions officers and leave a lasting impression. Use this opportunity to showcase your creativity, thoughtfulness, and uniqueness to stand out in a sea of applicants.

Get Inspired by 15 Innovative College Essay Writing Ideas

College application essays are a great opportunity for students to showcase their creativity, personality, and unique perspectives. Here are 15 creative prompts to help you get started on your college essay:

  • Write about a time when you faced a challenge and how you overcame it.
  • Describe a person who has had a significant influence on your life and why.
  • Imagine you could have dinner with any historical figure–who would it be and why?
  • Discuss a book, movie, or artwork that has had a profound impact on you.
  • Share a personal story that illustrates your passion for a particular hobby or interest.
  • Reflect on a moment when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea.
  • Discuss a problem in your community and propose a creative solution.
  • Describe an experience that changed your perspective on life.
  • Write about a time when you had to make a difficult decision and how it shaped you.
  • Discuss a quote that resonates with you and explain its significance.
  • Share a piece of advice that has stuck with you and influenced your actions.
  • Imagine yourself ten years in the future–what do you hope to have accomplished?
  • Reflect on a moment of failure or setback and how you grew from the experience.
  • Describe a place that holds special meaning for you and why.
  • Write about a topic that you are passionate about and why it matters to you.

These prompts are designed to inspire your imagination and help you craft a compelling and unique college essay that showcases your personality and accomplishments. Use them as a starting point to brainstorm ideas and stories that will captivate admissions officers and set you apart from other applicants.

Ignite Your Passion for Writing with Creative Essay Topics

Writing essays can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be boring! With the right topic, you can unleash your creativity and passion for writing. Creative essay topics not only challenge your critical thinking skills but also allow you to express your unique perspective in an engaging way.

Whether you’re exploring a personal experience, analyzing a thought-provoking question, or delving into a fictional world, creative essay topics offer endless possibilities for exploration. By choosing topics that resonate with you, you can truly ignite your passion for writing and produce compelling essays that captivate your audience.

So, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and embrace unconventional ideas. Let your creativity flourish and discover the joy of writing with these creative essay topics!

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  1. Reed College's 2023-24 Essay Prompts

    Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.

  2. How to Write the Reed College Supplemental Essay ...

    Learn how to write a creative and compelling essay for Reed College's Paideia program, where students teach their own classes. Find examples, tips, and insights into Reed's unique educational philosophy and culture.

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    Learn how to write a strong Reed College essay by reading three real examples and getting feedback on what worked and what could be improved. Find out how to showcase your creativity, academic rigor, and passion for learning at Reed.

  4. First-year Applicants

    Learn about the application requirements, deadlines, and platforms for first-year applicants to Reed College. Find out how to submit your personal essay, writing supplement, transcripts, and test scores, and explore the Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision options.

  5. How to Write the Reed College 2024-2025 Supplemental Essays

    Applying to Reed College entails responding to an intriguing supplemental essay prompt for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. This year, the prompt delves deeper into your passions and creativity. ... In conclusion, the 2024-2025 Reed College supplemental essay is an opportunity to showcase your passions and how you will contribute to the Reed ...

  6. How to Respond to the 2023-2024 Reed College Supplemental Essay Prompts

    Essay prompt. For one week at the end of January, Reed students upend the traditional classroom hierarchy and teach classes about any topic they love, academic or otherwise. This week is known as Paideia after the Greek term signifying "education" - the complete education of mind, body and spirit. What would you teach that would ...

  7. Writing the Reed College Paideia Essay

    The essay supplement to the Reed application is an attempt on the part of the Reed College admission office to help you to understand some of its uniqueness, by introducing you to the tradition of Paideia. Let's have a look: For one week at the end of January, Reed students upend the traditional classroom hierarchy and teach classes about any ...

  8. Mastering Reed College's 2024 Supplemental Essays

    Reed College is renowned for its rigorous academics and its vibrant student community. As part of your application for 2024, Reed College asks for a writing supplement of between 200 and 500 words on a unique and engaging topic: ... Below, we offer a comprehensive guide on how to approach this intriguing essay prompt. Understanding the Prompt.

  9. The Ultimate Guide to the Reed College Essay

    Learn how to stand out from the crowd with a unique topic, a creative teaching style, and a contribution to the Reed community. Find tips, examples, and advice on the Reed College essay prompt and format.

  10. Reed College Undergraduate College Application Essays

    Join Now to View Premium Content. GradeSaver provides access to 2364 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11008 literature essays, 2775 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, "Members Only" section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

  11. 2,000+ College Essay Prompts for 2023-24 and How-To Guides

    Find your college's application essay prompts for 2023-24 and how-to guides on CollegeVine. Browse over 2,000 essay prompts from various colleges and universities and get tips on how to write a great essay.

  12. How To Apply

    Learn how to apply to Reed College, a liberal arts institution that values intellectual inquiry, creative thinking, and engaged citizenship. Find out about application platforms, deadlines, requirements, financial aid, and more.

  13. Transfer Applicants

    Learn how to apply as a transfer student to Reed College, a liberal arts institution in Portland, Oregon. Find out about transfer credit, class standing, financial aid, deadlines, and more.

  14. 60+ College Essay Prompts for 2023-2024 Applicants

    Find ideas to inspire your college application essay from real questions used by Common App and Coalition for College. Explore topics such as life experiences, personal interests, academic passions, and creative expression.

  15. Reed College Admission Requirements

    What are your chances of getting into Reed College? Learn the admissions requirements, including test scores and GPA, and calculate your chances. ... Essay prompt; Acceptance Rate. 27%. SAT. Average SAT . 1405. SAT 25th-75th. 1310 - 1500. Students Submitting SAT. 72%. Math. Average (25th - 75th) 640 - 760.

  16. How to Combine Your College Essay Prompts

    Learn how to save time and write better essays by finding topics that can work for multiple college essay prompts. Follow a step-by-step process to brainstorm, research and write your super essays.

  17. College Essay Prompts: Complete List, Analysis, and Advice

    Find out the essay questions for popular schools in the US and abroad, and learn how to write effective essays for different applications. This guide covers the Common App, UCA, Coalition App, and school-specific prompts, with examples and tips.

  18. Special Circumstances

    This will cause the required Reapply Statement prompt to appear for you to answer ... available through Reed's admission office; Essay—limit 500 words—describing why you want to attend Reed as a non-degree student and how the courses will help you meet your educational objectives ... Reed College prohibits unlawful discrimination on the ...

  19. How to Write a Great College Essay, Step-by-Step

    Learn the process of writing a personal statement for your college application, from finding the best topic to editing your draft. Follow the example of Eva, a student who plans and writes her college essay for Emory, UW, UCLA, and Reed.

  20. Reed College

    Essay prompt; Your chances-Acceptance rate 27%. Private school in Oregon with 1,400 total undergraduate students . Urban. Far West. reed.edu. 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97202 (503) 771-1112. ... Reed College is a private school in Oregon with 1,400 total undergraduate students

  21. How to Write Your College Essay: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

    Learn how to write a successful college essay with this step-by-step guide from CollegeVine. Find tips, examples, and resources for different types of essays, Common App prompts, and supplemental essays.

  22. 44 Essay Prompts for College That Will Get You Inspired

    Find creative and inspiring essay prompts for college applications that cover a wide range of topics and perspectives. Learn how to choose the right prompt, brainstorm ideas, and write a compelling essay that showcases your personality and skills.

  23. 15 Creative College Essay Writing Prompts to Spark Your Imagination

    Find 15 inspiring prompts to spark your imagination and craft a compelling college essay that showcases your personality and achievements. Explore topics that range from personal experiences to imaginative scenarios and stand out from the crowd.