How About those “Very Creative” Essay Topics

Every year, the Common Application provides seven essay options for students to select one in order to convey your story beyond their grades and test scores. However, some colleges require supplemental essays, asking students to write your thoughts on some “very creative” topics. Some colleges ask “Why [their] University?” or “Tell us about an extracurricular activity.” However, others go well-beyond those simple questions with the idea of gauging your unique thought process and your out-of-the-box thinking skills.

Here are some of those “very creative” essay prompts:

• University of Notre Dame wanted to know if the applicants have ideas that defy the norms. “Defend an unpopular opinion you hold?”
• Wake Forest University offered the applicants a chance to highlight some unseen aspects of their personality by revealing their thought process. “What piques your curiosity and why?”
• Shorter writing tasks are more challenging because less has to say a lot. Emory University asked its students to simply write a tweet! “If asked to write a 150-word tweet to tell the world who you are, what would you say?”
• Talking about a blank canvas, here is one essay prompt by University of Chicago where applicants could venture into any thought process they wanted to. “Cats have nine lives, Pac-Man has 3 lives, and radioactive isotopes have half-lives. How many lives does something else—conceptual or actual—have, and why?”
• Stanford University decided to ask a though-provoking question. The trick is to try and be as genuine as possible. “Imagine you had an extra hour in the day—how would you spend that time?”
• The simpler the question, the more challenging it is to create a good answer. University of Southern California asked a simple question “What is your favorite snack?”
• Now here is a chance to write down your childhood fantasy for Scripps College. Show them how can you put a meaningful thought behind a childhood daydream. “You’ve invented a time machine in your living room—well done! When and where is your first destination and why?”
• Chapman University wanted to know if there is a song out there that you really connect to. “What song should we be listening to while reading your application?”
• Hendrix College wanted to see the approach of prospective students on a fun topic! “What is your favorite candy?”
• Presbyterian College put forward a question we have all thought about at some point. “Yes or No: Is a hot dog a sandwich? Be sure to defend your position on this important life question.”
• How many times have we wished for time travel to be real! University of Richmond asked the applicants to write down their plans for time travel. “You are required to spend the next year in either the past or the future. To what year would you travel and why?”
• Linfied College asked its applicants to write about “What fictional character would you choose as your college roommate and why?”
• Elon University decided to bring out the creativity in its applicants. “If you could create a food truck, what type of food would you serve? Name the truck.”
• Smith College also wanted to know more about your taste in music. “If you had a theme song—a piece of music that describes you, what would it be and why? Please include the name of the song and artist.”

Some advice… Spend some free time thinking about a few of these pointers and note down what you might have written. This way when the colleges share their essay prompts for this application season, you may already be prepared to handle any type of question.

While supplement essay topics for 2020-2021 are yet to be announced, Common App essay prompts are already here. This gives you ample time to think about a topic where you can add meaningful information about yourself and your life’s journey so far.

• 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?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• 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.

Remember – you are the best narrator of your story. No one else can tell it as genuinely as you can, so the key is to be yourself.  Be as creative as you can and show colleges what you are truly made of!