What are most college essays about?

Question

I am going to be a Junior this year, and i was thinking about college essays. Do they tell you what to write about or do you get to chose? Or is it usually about a life changing experience?

Answer 1

I've written essays  about how I got to a certain point in my life (in general). A wee bit of a memoir.  

Answer 2

do u mean the application essays? They vary from school to school- look when you apply, and ask about it when you go to visit.  

Answer 3

Never wrote an essay for a life changing experience...its usually read a book and critique it, analyze something...i had to write a 15 page paper last semester analyzing a topic...basically they give you a prompt with criteria and you research it using "reliable sources" and document your findings...

Answer 4

Looking over some of the answers you have received it is apparent that your question is not so clear to some people.  You might want to specify if you are asking about essays you will write for classes while in college already, or if you're asking about college admission essays.  I am assuming that you are asking about college admission essays, so I will answer from that standpoint.  Usually, they give you a prompt- write in 500 words or less, write about your most challenging experience in life and how this experience has shaped the person that you are today.  What they are really looking for in these types of essays are your abilities in critical thinking and reasoning.

Answer 5

it's usually left very open. it's a way of expressing yourself beyond a transcript and what not. so yeah, they're almost always open to whatever you want. they may give you a few ideas but after that it's all up to you.

Answer 6

They usually give you a topic.

You would be safe in thinking about the following topics:

What people have most influenced your life and why?

Why do you feel you would excel in your major field of study?

What contribution would you like to make to the world? How would you go about it?

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Sometimes you get a topic that is totally irrelevant to your life. I remember I had to answer: Why is collecting fees for extra-curricular activities necessary?  

On these you just have to bullsh** as best you can. Use proper grammar, correct spelling and punctuation, and act as if you really care!

Good luck to you! Its smart to learn to write these essays ahead of time!