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Master the Five-Paragraph Essay

5 paragraph essay topics for college

The five-paragraph essay is one of the most common composition assignments out there, whether for high school or college students. It is a classic assignment because it presents an arena in which writers can demonstrate their command of language and punctuation, as well as their logic and rhetorical skills. These skills are useful not only for classroom assignments and college application essays, but even in the business world, as employees have to write memorandums and reports, which draw on the same skills.

Mastering the five-paragraph essay is doable, and here are some tips.

Components of a Good Essay

The five-paragraph essay lives up to its name, because is has five paragraphs, as follows: an introductory paragraph that includes a thesis, three body paragraphs, each which includes support and development, and one concluding paragraph.

Its structure sometimes generates other names for the same essay, including three-tier essay, one-three-one, or a hamburger essay. Whether you are writing a cause-and-effect essay, a persuasive essay, an argumentative essay or a compare-and-contrast essay, you should use this same structure and the following specifics.

Keys to Introductory Paragraphs

Any introductory paragraph contains from three to five sentences and sets up the tone and structure for the whole essay. The first sentence should be a so-called hook sentence and grabs the reader. Examples of hook sentences include a quote, a joke, a rhetorical question or a shocking fact. This is the sentence that will keep your readers reading. Draw them in.

What Makes a Thesis Statement

The last sentence should be your thesis statement, which is the argument you are going to make in the essay. It is the sentence that contains the main point of the essay, or what you are trying to prove. It should be your strongest claim in the whole essay, telling the reader what the paper is about. You should be able to look back at it to keep your argument focused. The other sentences in this paragraph should be general information that links the first sentence and the thesis.

Content of Supporting Paragraphs

Each of the next three paragraphs follows the same general structure of the introductory paragraph. That is, they have one introduction sentence, evidence and arguments in three to five sentences, and a conclusion. Each one of them should define and defend your thesis sentence in the introduction.

The first body paragraph should be dedicated to proving your most powerful point. The second body paragraph can contain your weakest point, because the third body paragraph can, and should, support another strong argument.

Concluding Paragraph Tips

Your concluding paragraph is important, and can be difficult. Ideally, you can begin by restating your thesis. Then you can recall or restate all three to five of your supporting arguments. You should summarize each main point. If you have made similar arguments multiple times, join those together in one sentence.

Essentially, in the concluding or fifth paragraph, you should restate what your preceding paragraphs were about and draw a conclusion. It should answer the question: So what? Even if the answer seems obvious to you, write it down so that your reader can continue to easily follow your thinking process, and hopefully, agree with you.

A Note on Compare and Contrast

Let’s look a little more closely at the compare-and-contrast essay, which is a very common assignment. It can be a confusing one due to the terms used. Comparing two items is to show how they are alike. Contrasting two items is to show how they are different. One way to approach this essay is to make a grid for yourself that compares or contrasts two items before you start writing. Then, write about those characteristics. Do not try to write about both. The name of the essay is actually misleading.

Keep these pointers in mind when you need to write a five-paragraph essay, and your end result will be clear in its argument, leading your reader to the right conclusion. Often, that conclusion is to agree with you, and who doesn’t like to be right?

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5 paragraph essay topics for college

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5 Paragraph Essay topics

155 Five Paragraph Essay Topics: Quick Ideas For You

Before we jump into the “how,” let us first of all attempt to answer the “what is a five paragraph essay?” question. A five paragraph essay is an essay that has five paragraphs and is divided into three segments: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction is one paragraph long, the body is three paragraphs long, while the conclusion is one paragraph long.

This format of writing an essay has been nicknamed many things, including “the hamburger format,” “the one-three-one essay format,” and so on.

Essays, generally, are mostly used by school teachers – including college and middle school teachers- to assess students’ level of consideration for their potential audience. The five paragraph essay format is the standard essay format for many schools and universities for various reasons.

Many times, students in colleges or universities admit that they default to seeking affordable and professional research paper help with some of their essays. Most times, they admit to not being able to meet up deadlines or not having confidence in their writing abilities. However controversial this notion is, it’s every student’s wish to get top grades, so getting help writing a five paragraph essay outline gives them a boost.

Whatever means the student employs, it is a good idea to commit to memory some 5 paragraph essay examples, and how long a 5 paragraph essay should be. That way, they’re prepared enough to write them whenever the need arises. It also ensures that they’re taking the right steps in getting the best grades.

Steps To Writing A 5 Paragraph Essay

Like everything else in the English language, when it comes to how to write a good 5 paragraph essay, there are basic rules you need to know and follow. For one, it is advisable for you to prepare an outline for your 5 paragraph essay. This will help you itemize your points and divide them between the five paragraphs. It also helps you to remember the points you want to add.

Typically, five paragraph essay topics need students to do either of the following:

Whatever the context, the standard outline for 5 paragraph essays is as follows:

Introduction. This is where the writer introduces the topic with an interesting plot line). Body. The three paragraphs in this section each help to drive the writer’s point across and expound on the topic and introduction). Conclusion. At this point, the writer summarizes the points mentioned above and draws the essay to a close.

Five Paragraph Essay Structure

The essay structure for 5 paragraph essays is easy to follow. Below is the structure:

– The introduction or introductory statement that lightly explains the topic, – The body: > Paragraph 1: First argument > Paragraph 2: Second supporting argument > Paragraph 3: Third supporting argument. – The conclusion or summary that brings all the arguments together and shows their relevance to the topic being discussed.

Sometimes, students get confused and ask, “how long should a 5 paragraph essay be?”. Sometimes, the answer is obvious -5 paragraphs. Other times, five paragraphs are not enough to get the point across, especially at the university level. This, however, gives room for the controversial aspect of adding more paragraphs to a 5 paragraph essay. While it is allowed, the key is to remember to tie all the points together in the conclusion.

As a general rule, 5 paragraph essays should be between 450 and 800 words.

Five Paragraph Essay Topics

When choosing 5 paragraph essay topics, make sure that they’re good enough to fall under the typical reasons for writing an essay (or the types of essays).

Depending on the academic level of the student, examples of good 5 paragraph essay topics are:

5 Paragraph Essay Topics For High School Students

5 Paragraph Essay Topics For Middle School Students

Writing an essay doesn’t come naturally to some students, and that’s okay. Thankfully, there are sites online that offer expertly written outlines and essays, and most of their services are cheap. Because they are easy and affordable, they’re easy favorites of lower and higher level students.

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5 paragraph essay topics for college

5 Paragraph Essay Topics - Best Ideas to Write a College Essay

Writing can be exciting but challenging. Depending on the type of assignment, the level of creativity involved will vary, but it will still require some effort to come up with high-quality essays. The higher your educational level, the more advanced your writing is expected to be. But regardless of the assignment type, a common approach to keeping its structure simple and coherent is the use of a five-paragraph strategy.

In our guide, we'll recall the basics of this writing structure, but our main focus will be placed on the 5 paragraph essay topics. To prepare a top-notch school assignment, it is important to understand what your subject matter is. Do you know how to study it appropriately and organize all the information into the paragraphs? But, if you don't know what the main issue of your essay writing is, the odds will be against you. Here, you will get relevant ideas for fiveparagraph essay topics for your middle school or high school academic writings .

Now let's look at the definition for five paragraph essay as earlier mentioned. This paper refers to the writing assignment organized in such a way that it consists of only five paragraphs. Typically, those sections are:

There are five sections listed above, which clearly conveys the idea of what the structure of our paper needs to be. You can work on a persuasive essay, descriptive assignment, cause-effect paper, or any other type of school project. But the thing affecting the content of your writing the most is its topic. That's why we are going to provide you with extensive lists of topics for college and school students.

Good Topics for Five Paragraph Essay

In this section, we will be looking at topics for 5 paragraph essay. The subject matter of your own writing may convey different aspects of our lives:

The topics can also be grouped based on the field of knowledge (sociology, physics, biology, chemistry, history, etc.).

In the world of academia, professors usually ask students to prepare writing on a specific issue. But there's also another option. In that case, you should formulate a relevant 5 paragraph essay topic that will interest the reader and let you divide the study into five coherent sections.

Whenever such freedom of choice is given to students, it can present - to put it figuratively - a double-edged sword. On the positive side, it allows those students who aren't interested in the specific topic or list of topics given to come up with their own preferred subject. Such an absence of constraint can feel very exciting and enabling for students. On the negative side, it can lead to unpleasant situations. Sometimes, students struggle or take too long to settle with a topic that will let them cover all the needed points and present their skills and competence. Frequently, the vast possibilities of 5 paragraph essay topics causing students some confusion on which would be the 'best' to choose. In the end, students become spoiled for choice!

When given such liberty, you should consider the following factors to help you quickly figure out what writing topics you prefer. They are listed in no order of importance.

How you make use of the above factors would be ultimately dependent on your specific situation. Furthermore, such freedom of generating your own topic is never to be used without care. Always make sure to run your self-chosen subject matter by your professor. If you fail to do so, you may end up writing an essay on an unacceptable topic. So, asking questions is better than just hoping for the best.

Back to the issue of topic ideas, look through the lists below. There, we've gathered 24 interesting prompts relevant to different academic levels.

5 Paragraph Essay Topics for High School - A Dozen Options

Just beneath the tertiary level of education (college, university), high school is the highest level of secondary education. This section presents a list of 5 paragraph essay topics for high school. They are as follows:

If you find any of those topics interesting, you can dwell on it in your essay. Or, use one of the statements above to formulate an original idea that will be the focus of your writing.

5 Paragraph Essay Topics for Middle School - Twelve Ideas

Middle school is just a level beneath the high school. Here, we present a list of 5 paragraph essay topics for this educational stage.

There you have them! Hopefully, at this time, you - after reading our guide - you have a strong idea about what topic to write on for your 5 paragraph essay. What's more? Looking for any assistance with writing your essay or any other academic work such as research reports, term papers, and so on? You should contact us as early as possible. With a strong track record and operating history, we're sure you will be thrilled with the quality of our custom papers . Our writers are carefully selected for their experience, skills, and professionalism. We always look forward to making a significant impact on your academic results.

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255 Unique Essay Topics for College Students [2023 Update]

The success of any college essay depends on the topic choice. If you want to impress your instructors, your essay needs to be interesting and unique. Don’t know what to write about? We are here to help you!

Our specialists will write a custom essay on any topic for 13.00 10.40/page

In this article by our Custom-Writing.org team, you will find 255 interesting essay topics for college students. We’ve also included some helpful tips on choosing a topic that will make your essay stand out.

🔗 References

🔝 top 10 essay topics for college students, 📋 how to pick a college essay topic.

There is no universal advice on picking a great essay topic. However, the tips below will surely help you avoid choosing a mediocre one. Just follow these steps:

The picture shows the steps in choosing a college essay topic.

STEP #1: Start with brainstorming.

Relax and write down everything that comes to mind. It can be related to your personal life or areas of interest.

STEP#2: Use outside sources.

If you need additional inspiration, find a list of essay topic suggestions. Pick several options that appeal to you.

STEP#3: Select a topic.

Once you have your list of possible topics, do the following:

College Essay Topics: Fields & Disciplines

Now that you know how to choose a theme for your assignment, let’s examine this list of college essay ideas. These exceptional topics are arranged by subject, so you can go right to the section that interests you the most.

🧑 Personal Essay Topics for College

🖌️ Descriptive Essay Topics for College Students

🏺 Narrative Essay Topics for College Students: History

🔮 Creative Writing Topics for College Students

The picture shows 6 types of creative writing.

🎓 College Essay Topics for Various Fields

College life essay topics.

Health Topics for College Students

The picture shows a fact about tobacco-related deaths.

Ideas for College Essay on Ethics and Society

Environmental Issues Essay Topics for College

Topics for Funny College Essays

Best College Essay Topics on Gender Issues

Titles for College Essays on Diversity

Short Essay Topics for College

Great College Essay Ideas in Visual Arts

Conspiracy-Related College Essay Topics That Stand Out

✍️ Topics for Different College Essay Types

Below you’ll find writing prompts for problem solution, cause and effect, and definition essays. There’s also a section with personal statement essay topics. Check them out!

Problem Solution Essay Topics for College Students

Cause and Effect Essay Topics for College Students

Definition Essay Topics for College

Themes for Your Personal Statement Essay

🚫 College Essay Topics to Avoid

When it comes to college essays, some topics might produce a wrong impression or offend your audience. That is why you need to know what kind of content is not suitable for your academic writing.

Here are the most common examples of the topics that you should avoid:

We hope these college essay topics helped you make a great choice. If you need more proposal argument essay topics, feel free to use our topic generator . Let us know in the comments what topic you’ve chosen!

This might be interesting for you:

✏️ College Essay Topic FAQ

Think about something that makes you genuinely interested. You will need to research the subject. So if you are bored from the outset, you won’t be able to do a good job and impress your readers.

A good topic doesn’t have to be very serious. It means that the subject under study should fascinate you. Then you would be able to make it enjoyable for others, too. Study something connected with your hobby, favorite author, or even a country.

To choose a good topic, you need to think about your assignment. Different issues are appropriate for argumentative, persuasive, and other types of essays. The main thing is that the subject should interest you. Your essay would be more exciting for the readers if you have fun writing it.

If you are lucky enough to choose a topic for yourself, you can have fun writing the essay. Don’t waste this opportunity! To figure out the best subject, think about your favorite things. If you want to share something with others, write an essay about it.

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5 paragraph essay topics for college

5-Paragraph Essay Topics for Middle School: 20 Ideas of the Hottest Issues to Discuss

In middle school, 5-paragraph essays are one of the most common types of papers to write. This structure is pretty straightforward and easy to follow. Most students are somewhat successful with it and can adapt to the organization easily.

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What’s not so easy is coming up with essay topics. Some teachers are going to be rather strict about what students can and cannot write about. Other times, students are given quite a bit of freedom to choose their own 5-paragraph essay topics.

5-paragraph essays typically consist of an introduction, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. For example, if someone was writing a 5 paragraph essay on why basketball is the best sport ever, their essay structure might look like this:

Introduction Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Conclusion

The introduction should give a preview of what’s to come without giving it away. Each paragraph should have supporting information, such as stories, facts, statistics, and more. The conclusion should summarize the key points.

You can use this list to help you to come up with a topic. Keep in mind that it can be helpful to choose a topic that is truly meaningful to you. Then, your research and writing will not feel as difficult. Of course, your teachers will give you some restrictions. This might mean that you don’t enjoy the writing. Still, try to choose relevant topics when you can.

It’s good to have a topic list available when you’re getting started. It can also be helpful to use a cheap essay writing service to help to ensure that you’re on the right track. To do this, search for companies where you can buy essay cheap services. A professional writer will create a paper for you to use as a guide.

For example, you will be able to see the structure and the organization of a 5-paragraph essay. It’s very important that you do the work on your own and don’t turn in the professionally written one.

With a combination of these essay topics and the help of a professional writer, you’ll be on the right track in no time!

5 Paragraph Essay Topics to Begin Working on Your Next Essay

As you can see, there are plenty of topics to choose from for your 5-paragraph essay. Be sure to use these suggestions! You might also want to search for “ write my essay for cheap ” to find someone to help you learn the structure.

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19 College Essay Topics and Prompts

Not sure what to write for your college essay? We've got you covered with a number of topics and prompts to help shape your unique story.

[Featured image] A woman works on her college essay with a pen, notebook, and laptop computer.

As part of your college application materials, you'll likely be asked to submit a college essay. These tend to be between 250 and 650 words , and are a unique opportunity to showcase your personality. Admissions panels are typically looking for students who will positively represent the school as a whole. In the end, your goal is to show them that you and the college are a good match. 

When drafting your college essay, you may be expected to answer a prompt or come up with a topic on your own. In this article, we've rounded up several ideas to get you thinking—and writing.

19 college essay topics

Each school sets different requirements around the college essay, so it's important to review the expectations around every application you intend to submit. Some give you creative freedom, while others expect you to respond to a pre-developed prompt. Either way, a strong college essay conveys to the admissions team who you are, why you want to attend that particular school, and what matters to you. It's a way to personalize an application that often focuses on quantitative data, such as GPA and SAT scores.

If you're given the creative freedom to write about whatever you want, consider a college essay topic that allows you to be honest and original. We've compiled the following ideas to help you brainstorm:

What's an important issue you care about? How have you gotten involved?

Have you changed your mind about something in recent years? What was it and why?

What's a situation that caused you to grow?

Explain a time when you failed. What did you learn from that moment?

Share a surprising pastime or hobby and what interested you about it.

What extracurricular activity are you involved in that speaks to your personality?

Detail a meaningful volunteer experience.

Dive into a meaningful travel experience.

Who do you most admire and why?

If you have a unique background, share a bit about it. How did you get where you are?

What's the best advice you've ever received?

Was there ever a time when you had to stand up for something—or someone?

What's something you might change about the world to make it better?

What do you hope to accomplish by attending college?

Is there something you want to do after graduating college?

Have you ever made or created something? Talk about it.

Do you have a big idea that could potentially impact your community?

What is most valuable to you? Dive into your values and share an example.

What are you most passionate about? Why?

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Pre-developed college essay prompts

Some colleges and universities will give you a series of prompts to choose from. These will vary from school to school, and can either be questions or statements. Here are a few examples of both.

Sample question prompts:

What excites your intellectual curiosity?

How has your upbringing shaped the person you are today?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Sample statement prompts:

Talk about an unusual circumstance in your life

Share how you hope to use your college education

Discuss a list of books you have read in the last year

Common App essay prompts

Common App is an online platform designed to simplify the college application process. Over 900 colleges use Common App, making it possible for you to fill out one application that's then submitted to multiple schools.

If you choose to complete the Common App, you'll have a choice of several distinctive prompts that change every academic year. Here's a sample of the 2022-2023 essay prompts [ 1 ]:

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Stick to the prompt.

No matter what type of prompt you receive, it's your job to stick to it. The admissions team has a lot of essays to read, so you'll have a better chance of standing out if you develop a cohesive response that stays on topic.

Start by identifying the prompt's main topic, then spend some time brainstorming to find the idea that resonates most with you. For many people, it's the topic that makes them feel some sort of emotion or reminds them of an entertaining story. Understanding what you're being asked to write about should make staying on topic throughout the entire composition easier.

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5 additional college essay tips

Once you decide what you'd like to write, follow the tips below to craft a standout essay. You can also find more advice about college essays in our article College Essay Format: Writing and Editing Tips .

1. Be considerate with humor.

Showing off your sense of humor lets your personality show through your words and can make reading the essay more entertaining. Try including a few sentences that you think will bring a smile to the reader's face, or use adjectives to insert some colorful comedy.

2. Offer insight.

Beyond recounting an event, experience, or memory, a great essay shows insight aka an ability to highlight meaningful takeaways. For example, if you choose to write about your unique hobby, try to discuss what you've learned from that pastime—or how you've grown as a result of it.

3. Add details

Great essays also invite the reader to connect with the story on an emotional level. With that in mind, it can help to recount a specific memory rather than answer a prompt without those colorful details. More than discussing something on a surface level—or vaguely—you want to provide enough particulars to keep your readers engaged. For example, if you choose to write about the best advice you ever received, set the scene and take the reader back to that moment.

4. Have an editor.

Your essay should ideally be error-free. Ask a trusted friend or family member to review your essay and suggest edits. An editor can help you catch grammatical errors or points out ways to better develop your response.

Avoid passing your paper along to too many people, though, so you don't lose your own voice amid all of the edits and suggestions. The admissions team wants to get to know you through your writing and not your sister or best friend who edited your paper.

5. Revise your essay.

Your first draft is just that: a draft. Give yourself plenty of time to read and revise your first pass and make sure you fully developed your response, stayed on topic, and shared your personality.

When revising your essay, you may find it helpful to read it aloud so you hear the words as you're saying them. Some people prefer to print a copy on paper and write notes by hand. Both options give your brain a new way to process the information to catch details you may miss if you keep everything in your head and on the computer.

Watch to find out why the essay many admission counselor's favorite part of the application:

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Article sources

Common App. " First-year essay prompts , https://www.commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts." Accessed February 8, 2023.

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By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., popular college application essay topics (and how to answer them).

Get help writing your college application essays. Find this year's Common App writing prompts and popular essay questions used by individual colleges.

The college essay is your opportunity to show admissions officers who you are apart from your grades and test scores (and to distinguish yourself from the rest of a very talented applicant pool).

brainstorming college application essay topics

2019–20 Common App Essays

Nearly 700 colleges accept the The Common Application , which makes it easy to apply to multiple schools with just one form. If you are using the Common App to apply for college admission in 2019, you will have 250–650 words to respond to ONE of the following prompts:

Read More: Get Expert Essay Advice From Former Admissions Officers!

Tackling the Common App Essay Prompts

Prompt #1: share your story..

Answer this prompt by reflecting on a hobby, facet of your personality, or experience that is genuinely meaningful and unique to you. Admissions officers want to feel connected to you and an honest, personal statement about who you are draws them in. Your love of superheroes, baking chops, or family history are all fair game if you can tie it back to who you are or what you believe in. Avoid a rehash of the accomplishments on your high school résumé and choose something that the admissions committee will not discover when reading the rest of your application.

Prompt #2: Learning from obstacles.

You're trying to show colleges your best self, so it might seem counterintuitive to willingly acknowledge a time you struggled. But overcoming challenges demonstrates courage, grit, and perseverance! That’s why the last piece of this prompt is essential. The obstacle you write about can be large or small, but you must show the admissions committee how your perspective changed as a result.

Perfect your college essay video

Prompt #3: Challenging a belief.

Your answer to this question could focus on a time you stood up to others or an experience when your own preconceived view was challenged. Choose this prompt if you have a relevant—and specific!—experience to recount (and reflect on). A vague essay about a hot button issue doesn’t tell the admissions committee anything useful about YOU.

Prompt #4: Solving a problem.

This essay is designed to get at the heart of how you think and what makes you tick. Present a situation or quandary and show steps toward the solution. Admissions officers want insight into your thought process and the issues you grapple with, so explain how you became aware of the dilemma and how you tackled solving it. Don’t forget to explain why the problem is important to you!

Prompt #5: Personal growth.

Just like Prompt #2, the accomplishment or event you write about can be anything from a major milestone to a smaller "aha" moment. Describe the event or accomplishment that shaped you but take care to also show what you learned or how you changed. Colleges are looking for a sense of maturity and introspection—pinpoint the transformation and demonstrate your personal growth. 

Prompt #6: What captivates you?

This prompt is an invitation to write about something you care about. (So avoid the pitfall of writing about what you think will impress the admission office versus what truly matters to you). Colleges are looking for curious students, who are thoughtful about the world around them. The "what or who do you turn to when you want to learn more” bit isn't an afterthought—it's a key piece of the prompt. Make sure you explain how you pursue your interest, as well.

Read More: QUIZ: Test Your College Knowledge!

Prompt #7: Topic of your choice.

This question might be for you if you have a dynamo personal essay from English class to share or were really inspired by a question from another college’s application. You can even write your own question! Whatever topic you land on, the essentials of a standout college essay still stand: 1.) Show the admissions committee who you are beyond grades and test scores and 2.) Dig into your topic by asking yourself how and why. There isn’t a prompt to guide you, so you must ask yourself the questions that will get at the heart of the story you want to tell.

More College Essay Topics

Individual schools sometimes require supplemental essays. Here are a few popular application essay topics and some tips for how to approach them:

Describe a person you admire.

Avoid the urge to pen an ode to a beloved figure like Gandhi or Abraham Lincoln. The admissions committee doesn't need to be convinced they are influential people. Focus on yourself: Choose someone who has actually caused you to change your behavior or your worldview, and write about how this person influenced you .

Why do you want to attend this school?

Be honest and specific when you respond to this question. Avoid generalities like "to get a good liberal arts education” or “to develop career skills," and use details that show your interests: "I'm an aspiring doctor and your science department has a terrific reputation." Colleges are more likely to admit students who can articulate specific reasons why the school is a good fit for them beyond its reputation or ranking on any list. Use the college's website and literature to do your research about programs, professors, and other opportunities that appeal to you.

Read More: 5 Ways College Application Essays and High School Essays Are Different

What is a book you love?

Your answer should not be a book report. Don't just summarize the plot; detail why you enjoyed this particular text and what it meant to you. What does your favorite book reveal about you? How do you identify with it, and how has it become personal to you?

Again, be honest in answering this question—don't choose a classic from your literature class or a piece of philosophy just because you think it will make you seem smarter. Writing fluently and passionately about a book close to you is always better than writing shakily or generally about a book that doesn't inspire you.

What is an extracurricular activity that has been meaningful to you?

Avoid slipping into clichés or generalities. Take this opportunity to really examine an experience that taught you something you didn't previously know about yourself, got you out of your comfort zone, or forced you to grow. Sometimes it's better to write about something that was hard for you because you learned something than it is to write about something that was easy for you because you think it sounds admirable. As with all essay questions, the most important thing is to tell a great story: how you discovered this activity, what drew you to it, and what it's shown you about yourself.

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Literacy Ideas

Top 25 Essay Topics for 2023

Essay Topics for 2022

Wow, 2022, was another challenging year for many parts of the world, but let’s all put our optimistic goggles on for 2023 and explore some great topics to write about for an essay sure to engage and inspire your students.

Writing an essay can be a daunting task for both teachers and students in terms of creating and crafting a high-quality essay,  and finally editing and grading them.

It seems as though we may have overlooked one of the toughest steps in writing an essay and that is actually selecting appropriate interesting essay topics for your students.

Thankfully we have compiled a list of 25 fun essay topics for 2023 that might just make that process a little easier.  Enjoy.  And remember to add any other great suggestions in the comment section below.

If you are still struggling with the essay writing process and need further guidance be sure to check out our definitive guide to writing a great essay. 

FREE interesting essay topics FOR STUDENTS

essay topics | Screenshot 2021 08 25 at 19 58 00 Top 25 Essay topics for 2021 — Literacy Ideas | Top 25 Essay Topics for 2023 | literacyideas.com

FOR STUDENTS NEEDING A VISUAL PROMPT TO WRITE A GREAT ESSAY

essay topics | Screenshot 2021 08 25 at 20 03 42 FREE essay writing prompts for students — Innovative Teaching Ideas Teaching Resources | Top 25 Essay Topics for 2023 | literacyideas.com

ESSAY TOPICS YOUR STUDENTS WILL LOVE TO WRITE ABOUT

A great video guide on how to write an essay

Visual Writing Prompts

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5 paragraph essay topics for college

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100+ Informative Essay Topics for Top Students

What is an informative essay .

As this task is encountered even among middle school students these days, it is basically a creative assignment that includes writing, correct structuring, researching, and even analysis as it is being written. In simple terms, it stands for a type of paper where your purpose is to tell your target audience about something. It can be an object, some personality, an event, or a phenomenon like northern lights. 

You have to collect as much information dealing with your topic as you can. Therefore, finding informative topics to write about often becomes challenging as things must be narrowed down. You have to explain how something works or why it happens. The younger students may have to discuss something with a teacher first while college students will have to start with independent research and provide good sources to support their findings. 

Informative Essay Topics

How To Choose Informative Essay Topics? 

This part can easily seem difficult, especially if you have never dealt with choosing a subject for your informative essay. You should not let it frighten you as there are several things to follow: 

Remember to double-check your grading rubric to ensure that every minor rule is followed! 

Good Informative Essay Topics

When you are starting with informative essay ideas, it is important to narrow things down and provide all the necessary sources for ideas that are not originally yours. Even if you talk about baking bread or discuss yoga practices in Thailand, you may still require an essay plagiarism fixer to get things right as you must include your sources in the final paper bibliography. Of course, things become much easier when you have good examples. Keeping the possible challenges in time, we provide you with various categories based on academic level and complexity to help you get into creative mode! 

- Informative Essay Topics For Middle School

Without a doubt, middle school is the best place and time to get creative. The trick here is to be a great narrator who can explain something by offering examples. For example, you can talk about your experience at summer camp and tell about what you have learned. You can generalize your impressions and tell about why it is important and how it can be helpful for others. 

- Informative Essay Topics For High School

As a rule, high school will deal with more important topics that are more serious and will require doing some research. You can talk about social issues or volunteering, the dangers of video games, or bullying. Your purpose is to inform others about some issues that can be explored and discussed with your teacher and the other students. 

Here are informative essay topics to consider that will work well: 

- Informative Essay Topics For College

The majority of college students get their share of informative essays, which is why it is essential to narrow things down as you choose a competitive topic. Remember to provide sources if you use any information that has been quoted or an idea that is not yours. It will help you to avoid plagiarism while keeping things reliable regardless of informative writing topics that will always deal with some sort of external information. 

- Interesting Informative Essay Topics

Remember that informative essay topics must be interesting and inspiring. Below are twenty great ideas to keep your creativity up and running: 

- Informative Process Analysis Essay Topics

The trick with topics for informative essays that deal with some process is to describe some routine by providing as much information as you can. For example, you can tell how to feed a baby with the bottle or talk about how to install Windows. Almost any topic will fit here as long as it includes and describes some process! 

- Easy Informative Essay Topics

Here are some easy topics that are mostly entertaining and will appeal to the younger generation as this kind of exploration will be interesting. Remember to get your facts and citations first as it will help to save some precious time and outline things in a better way. 

Most importantly, remember that if you are choosing something contradictory and sensitive for your informational essay topics, always show respect and provide information that would either explain or balance the main points. 

Getting That Extra Bit of Assistance 

Remember that it is only natural to get stuck with your topic as you may not know how to continue with an introduction or believe that your informative essay thesis is too weak. Have no worries as you can always approach college essay help that will not cost a fortune and will follow all the guidelines of your grading rubric. The experts will also help you come up with a great research summary for your assignment or any other task like explanatory writing. Just get in touch and we shall provide you with the most efficient, reliable, and timely solutions! 

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