What Makes a Great Essay Topic?

It’s not what you think . . .

Well, this is a loaded question, but since it is one that comes up daily, it is time to address it and demystify it. The answer is a simple as it is confusing at first glance, but once you take a deeper look at the explanation, it could not be more straightforward. The truth is, it is not any given topic that is “great” or “not so hot.” The identical topic could be a springboard for a fantastic essay for one student and a catastrophic one for another. So, the answer is there is no such thing as a great essay topic, but rather, a great essay topic for YOU. Let us explain.

It’s all about making a connection . . .

All great essay topics have one thing in common: they involve something that is meaningful to the author.  One student might be a talented abstract painter and another might be committed to teaching youngsters how to swim. There is a “great” topic within each of those activities, but only for that particular student. These students can not “trade” topics and write effective essays because they would have nothing to say. This explains why a particular topic may be perfect for one student and absolutely useless to another. The entire purpose of the essay is to showcase yourself and to show colleges that you are unique and will be valuable to their campus community. The best way to accomplish this goal is to choose a topic that is special to you and that will allow you relate it to your growth as a person. No topic is more “important” than another. Rather, what makes any topic significant and interesting is the connection you make between it and the person you have become, and more importantly, the person you intend to be at college as well. It really is never the topic at all that is the great part, it is invariably you!

It’s merely a means to an end . . . 

Once you understand this simple concept, it takes the pressure off. You clearly do not have to win a national championship or offer solutions to world affairs to write a powerful essay. What you do need is a topic that is meaningful to you which you can relate to your development as a person. Suddenly, things that are mundane to one student become the fuel for greatness to another. In the end, your topic is never viewed in a vacuum. The greatness of your essay depends upon your ability to use your topic as a tool to tell your own story and to show how it has helped shape who you are, not to justify the merits of the topic itself. This explains why an essay based on fly fishing can be more powerful and moving than one on volunteering at a medical facility. The endeavor itself is not at issue, you are.

We hope this clears things up, and by no means does any of this mean that topic selection is not critical. Simply put, it is vital to choose “your” right topic, not “the” right topic.