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Lesson
Two: Brainstorming a Topic
EXERCISE
#1: BRAINSTORMING
First
please complete our Brainstorming
Worksheet. The worksheet is a .PDF file and requires
the free
Adobe Acrobat viewer. If you do not yet have the free
viewer, please click
here to download it.
After
Completing the Worksheet...
You should now have between 25 and 75 potential essay
topics. The next step is to narrow this list down to the
topics that are most suited to an admissions essay. For
each item listed above, answer the following questions.
Some of your ideas may reveal themselves as dull, while
you will find plenty to discuss for others.
For
each of the personal characteristics or skills you have
listed, ask:
- Does
it distinguish me from others I know?
- How
did I develop this attribute?
For
each of the activities you have listed, ask:
- What
made me join this activity?
- What
made me continue to contribute to it?
For
each event in your life you have listed, ask:
- Why
do I remember this particular event?
- Did
it change me as a person?
- How
did I react?
- Was
the event a moment of epiphany, as if my eyes saw something
to which they had previously been blind?
For
each person you have listed, ask:
- Why
have I named this person?
- Do
I aspire to become like this person?
- Which
of this person’s traits do I admire?
- Do
I aspire to become like this person?
- Which
of this person’s traits do I admire?
- Is
there something that this person has said that I will
always remember?
- Did
he or she challenge my views?
For
each of your favorites and least favorites, ask:
- Why
is this a favorite or least favorite?
- Has
this thing influenced my life in a meaningful way?
For
each failure, ask:
- What
if anything did I learn from this failure?
- What
if anything good came out of this failure?
In answering
these questions, you will probably find that you have a
great deal to talk about, at least for five to seven topics.
You must now confront the underlying problem of the admissions
essay: find the one topic that will allow you to synthesize
your important personal characteristics and experiences
into a coherent whole while simultaneously addressing your
desire to attend a specific institution. While most admissions
essays allow great latitude in topic selection, you must
also be sure to answer the questions that were asked of
you. Leaving a lasting impression on someone who reads 50
to 100 essays a day will not be easy, but we have compiled
some guidelines to help you get started.
 Continue
to Selecting a Topic
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