June 13, 2022
Did you know the average student applies to 7-10 colleges and writes an average of 15-20
essays? Gone are the days of writing a single essay and submitting it to the single college of
your choice. When these essays can be the difference between being accepted or denied,
receiving a scholarship or not, you want your essays to stand-out and hit the mark. Choosing
essay topics for college and scholarship applications can be difficult, but the topic is often as
important as submitting a well-written and grammatically correct essay.
We offer three tips on crafting a great college essay in our latest video from Class 101 college
planning expert, Randy Stegemoller.
While some of these topics may be tempting, we recommend avoiding them because they
are incredibly common. Admissions officers read hundreds, if not thousands, of essays each
year, and you don’t want yours to blend in or put anyone to sleep. In our experience, these
topics are overused and should be avoided:
● “I took an international trip, experienced new things, and changed my life.”
● “I was hurt in my sport, went through physical therapy, and now I want to go into a
medical profession to help others.”
● Any topic that is highly controversial or political
You may be asked to select from essay prompts or select a topic of your choice. No matter the
topic, the goal is for your essay to stand-out among the rest and offer a unique insight to who
you are. The reader likely has never met you, so you want to provide a picture of who you are
and why you are the best fit to represent their school or receive their scholarship. Now that
you know what to avoid, here are some tips for writing a winning essay:
● Make your essay unique to you and avoid common tropes.
● Make it personal. The focus should be on you.
● Write about something you learned or a way you have grown.
Our Class 101 experts in Brandon, FL have helped thousands of students write essays. We are currently helping students choose essay topics and learn how to write their 650-word Common Application essay through our Essay Workshops. Contact us to learn more.
January 23, 2023
College is expensive—that much is obvious. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost for a student to go to a four-year college out of state is $43,421 per year. And each year the cost of tuition for public and private colleges goes up. Faced with these mounting costs, scholarships and financial aid is essential […]
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December 8, 2022
The form we commonly refer to as the FAFSA stands for the Free Application for FederalStudent Aid. This form is used by college-going students to apply for financial aid andbecomes available each year on October 1st. As college advisors, we work with many families who come to us with preconceived ideasabout the FAFSA. Parents often […]
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July 11, 2022
Summer is time for fun and sun but the smartest students also utilize the time to add meaningful experiences to their college resumes. With two whole months without high school classes and a break from extracurriculars, summer is a prime time to gain stand-out work experiences, impactful volunteer work, student research programs, and more! Students […]
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