Topic C: There may be personal information you want considered as part of your admissions

application. Write an essay describing that information. You might include exceptional
hardships, challenges, or opportunities that have shaped or impacted your abilities or
academic credentials, personal responsibilities, exceptional achievements or talents,
educational goals, or ways in which you might contribute to an institution committed to
creating a diverse learning environment.

Most important part of this essay prompt:__________________________________________________

What is the purpose of a college entrance essay?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
What is this essay prompt REALLY asking you:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Think about 4 different times in your life when you faced some kind of challenge and briefly describe
those challenges below:
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
How did each of these challenges change you? What did you learn from the experiences? Remember,
you dont want to sound negative in your college application essayyou want to frame any
challenges/hardships in a positive way!
1. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Opening Sentence: Your opening sentence is very important because you want it to stand out from
the thousands of other college application essays. You should make the admissions committee want
to keep reading. Brainstorm 3 different possible opening sentences for your essay:
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________

Some ideas to talk about in your essay:

How would you have been different without this event in your life?

Looking back on the event, can you pull any funny or positive elements from it?

What was going through your mind at the time of the event?

Has this event shaped what you want to do in the future? If it has, how so?