12/15/2023 0 Comments Essay rough draft sample![]() “Insight” is the answer to the question “so what.” A great insight is likely to surprise the reader a bit, while a so-so insight likely won’t. While you can possibly write a strong essay about a weaker challenge, it’s really hard to do so. “Difficult or compelling challenges” can be put on a spectrum with things like getting a bad grade or not making a sports team on the weaker end and things like escaping war or living homeless for three years on the stronger side. ![]() It’s not that you can’t write about these things, but it’s a lot harder to stand out. “Uncommon”-every year, thousands of students write about mission trips, sports, or music. I might be able to connect mountain climbing to family, history, literature, science, social justice, environmentalism, growth, insight … and someone else might not connect it to much of anything. “Elastic” will vary from person to person. These aren’t binary-rather, each exists on a spectrum. I believe that a Narrative essay is more likely to stand out if it contains: Uncommon (i.e., something other students probably aren’t writing about) Elastic (i.e., something you can connect to variety of examples, moments, or values) ![]() I believe a Montage Essay (i.e., an essay NOT about challenges) is more likely to stand out if the topic or theme of the essay is: With that in mind, how do you pick? What makes a good topic? Ultimately, you won’t know if a topic works until you try it. In fact, it’s often a great thing-I’ve seen plenty of students spend time exploring one approach, then find another that allowed them to write a stronger personal statement. It’s time to pick something and start writing! Before we talk about how, a word to the wise: Your topic may change. ![]()
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