Early Brainstorming Strategies for College Admissions Essays

Module Overview The journey to crafting standout college admissions essays begins well before senior year. Yet, many students postpone thinking about their essays until the last possible moment, leading to a rushed process that often results in generic and unremarkable submissions. This module is designed to change that narrative by encouraging students to start the brainstorming process early, allowing for the development of unique and memorable essay topics. This module focuses on the importance of early and ongoing brainstorming for college essay topics, ensuring that when the time comes to write, you're not just prepared, but ahead of the curve. We'll explore a variety of essay prompts from top-tier schools and other popular choices among our students, using these prompts as a springboard for our brainstorming sessions.

Key Components A deep dive into understanding the underlying themes and expectations behind various essay prompts, including diversity, "why this university," and "why this major," among others. Techniques and strategies for continuous brainstorming throughout high school, focusing on how everyday experiences can translate into compelling essay topics. An innovative approach where we work backward from the provided list of essay prompts, encouraging students to think critically about potential topics that align with these themes. Tools and tips for keeping a running list of ideas, experiences, and reflections that could serve as potential essay material, emphasizing the importance of thinking ahead and capturing moments that could distinguish your application.

A comprehensive, school-by-school list of supplemental essay prompts with word limits, organized by prompt type (Why School, Why Major, Diversity, Community, Identity, Intellectual Experience, etc.) so you can plan a brainstorming sheet alongside your applications.

Covers prompts from: Boston College, Brown, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Common App (personal statement, all 7 prompts), Cornell (every undergraduate college), Duke, Emory, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Northwestern, Princeton, Stanford, UChicago, University of California (all UC campuses), UIUC, UMD, UNC Chapel Hill, UPenn, UVA (incl. Nursing), Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, William & Mary, and Yale.

Use the spreadsheet's "Your Brainstorming" column to draft notes and themes against each prompt. Look for opportunities to bank essays by theme — e.g., the same "community" story can serve Yale, Northwestern, William & Mary, and UNC supplements with light tailoring.

For the full list with every prompt's exact wording and word count, see the Drive document.

📹 Watch video