35 Ideas for College Essay Inspiration

Writing your college application essays can be challenging, especially when it comes to picking ideas for college essays to make you stand out.  Whether you’re just starting your personal statement or struggling with college essay inspiration for supplemental essays, brainstorming new ideas can help you find your way.

This blog explores 35 college essay inspiration topics to spark your inner creativity. These topics can help you think about how to convey your authentic self and leave a lasting impression on college admissions readers. Whether you’re passionate about environmental activism, a hobby, or have experienced a life-changing event, you’re sure to find a topic here that you love.

1. A moment that changed your perspective: Describe an experience that significantly changed how you view the world or yourself.
2. A challenge you’ve overcome: Share a story about a time when you overcame an obstacle, whether personal, academic, or social, and what you learned from the experience.
3. A passion project: Talk about a project or initiative you started out of an interest of yours. 
4. Cultural heritage: Think about how your cultural background has shaped your identity, values, or goals. Try writing about that! Make sure to give a specific story to focus on. 
5. A unique skill or talent: Write about a talent or skill that sets you apart and tell how you developed it over time. 
6. Intellectual Curiosity: Write about a subject, theory, or idea that fascinates you and how you’ve pursued this interest further.
7. A mentor or role model: Share how a particular person has influenced your life, and make sure to highlight specific lessons or values they imparted on you. WARNING! Be careful not to write an essay about this other person. It still needs to be about you.
8. A significant failure: Reflect on a time you failed at something important to you. What did you learn from the failure, and how did it contribute to your growth.
9. A place of significance: Describe a place that holds special meaning to you and where that meaning comes from.
10. A book, movie, or work of art that changed your life: Discuss how a specific work of art, literature, or film has affected you. Be careful about letting this become a media review. This still needs to be an essay about you.
11. Volunteering and community service: Share an experience from volunteering that has permanently changed your life or viewpoint. Remember, there is a right and wrong way to do this!
12. Figuring out your identity: Write about your journey of self-discovery and how you’ve navigated your identity in different contexts.
13. A family tradition: Describe a family tradition and its significance in your life and values. Prompts like this can help you show admissions officers that you’re family oriented. 
14. An unexpected friendship: Tell a story of an unlikely friendship and what it taught you about yourself and others.
15. A moment of leadership: Reflect on a time when you took on a leadership role and what the outcome was. Remember to focus on your role, not just the group’s accomplishments. 
16. A quirky habit or hobby: Share a unique hobby or habit of yours, explaining where it came from and its meaning in your life.
17. The impact of technology: Discuss how technology has influenced an aspect of your life or your views.
18. A pivotal conversation: Describe a conversation that had a big impact on your thinking or choices. This can be with a family member, classmate, friend, coach, or stranger.
19. Adapting to change: Write about a major change in your life (moving to a new place, changing schools, getting a sibling) and how you managed to adapt.
20. Dreams for the future: Discuss your dreams, how you formed them, and the steps you’re taking to achieve them. This shows you’re goal oriented and allows colleges to learn more about your future aspirations. 
21. A moment of empathy: Spend some time discussing a time when you deeply connected with someone else’s feelings and how it changed your worldview.
22. A tradition you question: Spend some time thinking about a cultural, family, or societal tradition you’ve questioned or challenged, and the insights you gained from the experience.
23. A unique family story: Share a story that’s been passed down in your family and how it has helped shape your values and who you are today.
24. A significant journey: This could be a physical trip that changed your perspective, or a metaphorical journey about overcoming fears or discovering new passions.
25. An ethical dilemma: Spend some time reflecting on a time you faced an ethical dilemma and resolved it. What did it teach you about integrity and morality
26. A “eureka” moment: Write about a sudden realization or insight you had that changed a situation, and how it has since influenced your actions or beliefs.
27. A creative process: Describe your creative process in art, music, writing, or any other form of expression, and then share how it reveals your perspective or inner emotions. 
28. A lesson learned from nature: Share an experience in nature that taught you something valuable about life, resilience, or interconnectedness.
29. A misunderstanding that taught you a lesson: Discuss a time when a misunderstanding led to a significant realization or change in your approach to communication or your relationships.
30. A moment you took a stand: Think about a time when you stood up for what you believed in, regardless of the consequences or opposition you faced. 
31. An unlikely friendship: Share a story of a time you developed a friendship with someone who was very different from you and what you learned from them.
32. A recipe with a story: Describe a family recipe and the story or tradition behind it. For bonus points, try weaving in how it connects to your heritage and growth.
33. Overcoming a language barrier: Has this ever happened to you? Try describing a time when you had to overcome a language barrier and how you were able to communicate with those around you.
34. A lesson learned from a younger person: Do you have a sibling, mentee, or younger cousin? Reflect on a time a child or someone younger taught you something or helped you see things differently. 
35. An invention or idea you have: Write about an invention or idea you’ve come up with, regardless of whether it’s implemented, and show your creativity and problem-solving skills.

Conclusion

Deciding on a college application essay topic is never easy, but once you’re prepared with these 35 ideas for college essay inspiration, you’re well on your way to writing an essay that feels like you.

If you need more guidance to put your thoughts to paper, don’t hesitate to reach out for professional essay help. At Marks Education, we’re dedicated to helping you turn your ideas into compelling essays to your dream schools. Contact us for a free consultation!