College Essay 101
The college essay (or personal statement) is your opportunity to speak directly to the admissions committee in your own voice. It’s your moment to share who you are, how you think, and what kind of student you’ll be. And it’s a critical piece of your application.
This blog was originally published in August of 2022 and has been republished with updated information.
Much dreaded and oft misunderstood, the college essay is an essential component of your admissions package – and for good reason. The college essay (or personal statement) is your opportunity to speak directly to the admissions committee in your own voice. It allows you to communicate what is most important and integral to YOU, and in doing so, what makes you different from the other applicants.
This guide provides a broad overview of everything you need to know to write a strong college essay leveraging the Morganelli Method. This essay primarily addresses the Common App Personal Statement, which is the main application essay used by over 800 colleges. But we also offer support for your supplement essays here, as well as guidance for those tackling the Brown video portfolio.
How important is the college essay?
The college essay, also called the personal statement, is very important. It’s your moment to share who you are, how you think, and what kind of student you’ll be. Some competitive universities now base 50% of admissions on what you write in application essays. That’s because top schools receive tens of thousands of applications from academically qualified students. To stand out from the crowd you need to show how you think, rather than just what you’ve done.
College Essay Format
How long should a college essay be?
Most schools use the Common App or Coalition App, which set a limit of 650 words for the main personal statement. Aim for 550–650 words to ensure you’re making the most of that space without feeling rushed or overloaded.
Supplemental essays, which many schools require in addition, are typically shorter—often between 100–300 words—and require equally thoughtful execution.
How many words is a college essay?
Between 400 and 650 words. Aim for 550.
College Essay Topics
What are good college essay topics?
Here’s the thing: your college essay can be about literally anything, providing you present the topic in an engaging and original way. There is a famous college essay about shopping at Costco, of all things. But we’d suggest you think about framing it less as a story and more like you’re investigating an idea.
A common mistake students make is to write an essay about something that interests them, which may be very interesting and engaging, but fail to relate it back to themselves and their experience. In the Morganelli method, the essay is a “mini-ethnography of the self”—a place where students ask questions, wrestle with contradictions, and explore curiosity. The topic is almost irrelevant. What matters is the central investigation that drives the essay.
A great college essay isn’t about having the perfect anecdote. You need to use it to show an admissions reader how your mind works. What do you notice? What can’t you stop thinking about? What questions guide you, and what unexpected truths do you uncover along the way?
The Morganelli Method recommends clarifying your PAGE (Perspective - Activities - Goal - Ethos) before you write a single word. These four elements form the foundation of a cohesive and memorable application. When your essay aligns with your PAGE, it reinforces your intellectual direction and personal authenticity. Read more here.
What are the most common college essay topics?
If you’re asking this question, you’re not thinking about the essay in the right way. A good essay topic should not be something “common.” Rather, the best essay topic is one that is original and unique to you and aligns with your overall ethos.
What college essay topics to avoid?
It is commonly said that students should avoid “the 5 Ds” when selecting a college essay topic: Death, Divorce, Disease (including Depression), Drugs, and Dating. This is not to say that these topics are not important or worthy of being written about. The problem is many students fail to realize just how common they are. They’re very difficult components of the human experience - and ones almost everyone will encounter in some way. Your parents’ divorce, the death of your grandfather, or your addiction problem are no doubt important to your personal story, but they are not unique to you, nor do they showcase your intellectual curiosity or what you’ll bring as a member of the next freshman class at a university.
This leads to the larger and more important point. When it comes to the college essay, the main rule is to avoid the cliché. It is paramount that your essay be original and unique to you. So in theory, you could write your essay about any of the 5 Ds, provided it ties into your academic goal and personal ethos. It can be extremely tricky to do with the 5 D’s however.
There are still some topics and themes that should generally be avoided, either because they verge into the realm of cliché or may potentially put off the admissions committee:
- Going on a service trip abroad and “discovering poverty.”
- Illegal activities or anything that shows compromised judgment - you don’t want to be seen as a liability by schools.
- The 5 D’s - Death, Divorce, Disease (including Depression), Drugs, and Dating.
- The word “passion.” You should still write about your passions, but show us it’s your passion instead of telling us.
Check out this article for more information on college essay do’s and don’t.
College Essay Writing Tips
What makes a great college essay?
A great college essay should be engaging, personal, concise, and well-written.
1. Make It Relatable Through Everyday Experiences. Start with a familiar moment—Costco runs, awkward family dinners, missed notes at a piano recital. When readers feel grounded in your world, they’re more open to your reflections.
2. Hook the Reader with a Strong Opening. Open with tension, humor, surprise, or specificity. You want the admissions reader leaning forward, not skimming.
Example: “I slammed the piano keys so hard that even the dog flinched, staring at me like I’d personally offended Beethoven.”
3. Introduce Intellectual Depth Through Contrast. Use the mundane to launch into something meaningful. Let a seemingly simple experience lead you into deeper waters.
Example: “I wasn’t thinking about lunch. I was wondering whether we really have free will.”
4. Use Humor to Show Personality. A touch of self-aware humor builds likability and confidence without turning your essay into a comedy routine.
5. Ask Thought-Provoking Questions. The strongest essays are driven by curiosity. Ask questions. Let them guide your structure, tone, and momentum.
6. Tie Everyday Moments to Larger Themes. Zoom out from your anecdote to reflect on personal growth, belief shifts, or new awareness. Describe what happened, but also explain why it matters.
7. Maintain a Clear, Cohesive Theme. Choose one unifying idea—curiosity, resilience, perspective, contradiction—and ensure every paragraph supports it.
8. End With Reflection. Circle back to your central question or idea. What insight surprised you? What are you still learning? A thoughtful ending is far more powerful than a tidy resolution.
How to come up with a college essay topic?
Coming up with the right topic for your essay is probably the most important part of the process, and also the hardest. How can you possibly sum up your entire being in 500 words?
The truth is there’s no “right” topic.
One way to start is to look at the prompts provided by the Common App.
These prompts may trigger some ideas for a topic, but don’t worry too much about answering any of them directly. There is still the last prompt that permits you to write about pretty much anything that’s important to you.
If none of the prompts speak to you, here are a few places you could start:
- A question that keeps you up at night
- A moment you misunderstood something
- A challenge that changed your outlook
- A passion that shaped your academic goals
- A contradiction you’re still navigating
If you complete this exercise, you’re bound to come up with something to explore deeper. Remember to focus on your thinking around what happened, and not just what happened. This is also a great way to brainstorm topics for the many supplemental essays other than the personal statement you will be asked to write for your applications.
How to start a college essay?
We always recommend that students begin writing their essay the summer before senior year. Get the essay done early so there’s one less thing to worry about in the fall, when you’ll also have to juggle normal school, standardized tests, and the rest of your application essays.
Once you’ve landed on a topic, write as much as you can without editing. Aim for 500 + words. This is the initial thought dump that will provide the raw material you can then shape into a finished product. It’s important to remember that it is very normal to write multiple drafts of your college essay, and maybe even change your topic a few times before landing on one that works. Don’t let being a perfectionist prevent you from getting started.
Read our article for more tips on how to start your essay.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Only you can write your essay, but it’s very common for students to get help from expert advisors who know what the admissions committees are looking for. IVY’s college essay tutors have helped countless students write smash-hit college essays, resulting in multiple offer letters from their top schools. They can help you come up with a great topic and make sure your final draft is hitting all the right notes.
