Essay Topics
Topic 1: Choose a vivid time from your childhood. You might think of the first time that
you rode a school bus, of a time when you went to the principal’s office, the first A you earned on a test or paper, earning money to buy something that you really wanted, and so on. Narrate the events related to the childhood memory that you’ve chosen so that your readers will understand why the event was important and memorable.
Topic 2: Write about the most dangerous situation you’ve ever faced. Be sure to include
enough rich, specific detail so that your readers will be able to understand what you went through.
Topic 3: Write about the first proper date you ever went on. Avoid general statements
like “It was a dream come true” or “It was an absolute nightmare.” Make your readers understand exactly what was good, bad, or indifferent about the experience.
Topic 4: Write a ghost story. However, there are two primary restrictions. First, the
story must be true. Second, the story must involve you. However, the events, in the end, can turn out to have been caused by something perfectly ordinary.
Topic 5: Think of an experience when you realized that you suddenly understood an
idea, a skill, or a concept you had been struggling with — it might be something related to a class that you took or a specific athletic skill you were trying to perfect. For instance, you might consider trying to perfect your free throws and suddenly understanding how your follow-through was affecting your success. Write a narrative that tells the story of your movement toward understanding. How did you finally come to understand? What changed your perceptions and gave you a new understanding? Your paper should help readers understand how you felt to struggle with the idea or skill and then to understand.
Topic 6: Choose a time when you did something that took a lot of nerve, a time when
you didn’t follow the crowd or a time when you stood up for your beliefs. Perhaps your friends were urging you to do something that you were uncomfortable with and you chose not to cave into peer pressure. Maybe you took a stance on a political issue that was important in your community, or you. Whatever you choose, think about the details of the event and write a story that tells about what happened. Your narrative should show your readers why you decided to make a stand or try something that took nerve, give specifics on the events, and share how you felt after the event.
Topic 7: Write about the landscape, the physical characteristics of the place where you
grew up. This is not a narrative. You want to focus on the descriptive impressions of this place and time, and also decide upon the dominant points you want your readers to understand.
Topic 8: If you are afraid of flying, describe the first time that you flew. While there may
be some narrative in this, you are to focus primarily upon the descriptions, sensations, and impressions of what flying was like and also upon the reasons why you are so frightened by flight.
Topic 9: Describe a personal ritual that you, your friends, or your family have. For
instance, think about the personal steps that you always go through when you prepare for an exam. Do you sit at a desk, spread books and notes across your bed, or use the kitchen table? Do you have to have something to drink…soda, water, Red Bull? Or think about how you wake up in the morning. Are there things that you absolutely, positively have to do or your entire day will be ruined? There are numerous things that we do for which we create our own personal rituals.
Topic 10: Describe a place (other than your house) that is or was important to you.
Include enough detail to show your readers what the place is or was like and why it is or was important to you.
Topic 11: Escape ClauseIf you hate the above topics, you may pick one of your own as long as it is true and not fiction and as long as it can be written using narrative and/or descriptive writing.
