If your high school student is writing a school essay, it’s important that they find the right topic to write about. Some of the most popular topics include overcoming challenges, sports-related obstacles or successes, volunteer stories, immigration stories and a summary of personal achievements. These are all great examples of how students can express their unique personality through the essay.

But many students may find themselves stuck on how to get started. One way to help them break through this hurdle is to start with a narrative structure. This will allow them to tell a story about a challenging experience they have gone through, and how it has shaped their personality. It can also provide a great anecdote to grab the reader’s attention at the beginning of the essay.

It’s important to make sure that the story is authentic and interesting for the reader. Another important factor is making sure that the topic is able to be supported by evidence. It is a good idea for your student to do some research on the topic before they write their essay, so that they can be sure that they are including all of the relevant information. This may be a good opportunity for them to talk with a librarian about where they can find reliable sources of information.

While it is important to stay away from well-worn themes, it’s equally important for students to focus their attention on crafting a strong, compelling argument that is capable of supporting the theme they are choosing to explore. If they are not careful, it’s easy for students to focus too narrowly on a particular challenge they have overcome and end up with an essay that doesn’t stand out.

This is why it’s important for students to give themselves plenty of time to write their school essay, and to have a mentor who can offer feedback and guidance. Parents can be a useful resource when it comes to helping their child write the essay, but they should never rewrite or edit their work. The essay is the student’s own work, and it should be presented in their voice and style.

One final tip is to have your student set their essay aside for a few days before they submit it. When they return to it, they often have a fresh perspective that can help them improve their essay.

Finally, it’s important for students to consider the school they are applying to when writing their school essay. This means that they should think about how their personality and experiences fit with the school’s mission and purpose. For example, this student writes about how their experiences will prepare them for the nursing program at UPenn. They are able to highlight their values of caring, leadership, and creativity. This allows them to show admissions officers that they would be a great fit for the school. The student also makes sure to include specific courses, research opportunities, technology and student groups that match their interests.