These days, students applying to colleges of their choice face stiff competition. To help narrow the selection of applicants, some universities have come up with out-of-the-box college essay topics to see who stands out from the crowd.
From the student’s point of view, application essay prompts are often boring, but clever topics like these inspire creativity. So whether you’re brushing up your college essay skills or are simply on the lookout for fun or unusual writing topics, one of these quirky writing prompts has your name on it!
1. Seen Through Their Eyes
If any of these three inanimate objects could talk, how would your room, computer, or car describe you?
Source: Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley
2. Just As I Am
Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are.
Source: University of Virginia
3. Ablaze
What sets your heart on fire?
Source: Villanova University
4. 280 Characters
Some say social media is superficial, with no room for expressing deep or complex ideas. We challenge you to defy these skeptics by describing yourself as fully and accurately as possible in the 280-character limit of a Twitter tweet.
Source: Wake Forest University
5. Back to the Future
You are required to spend the next year of your life in either the past or the future. What year would you travel to and why?
Source Brandeis University
6. The Man in the Red-Striped Shirt
So where is Waldo, really?
Source: University of Chicago
7. Just Say No
What invention would the world be better off without, and why?
Source: Kalamazoo College
8. Pot of Gold
What do you hope to find over the rainbow?
Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
