Students in high school and college are often required to write a personal essay. Whether it is for admissions or for a particular course, this assignment is always challenging because you have to use both narrative and descriptive styles of writing, and double-check your grammar as well as the usage of tenses. More importantly, you can’t simply tell a story or describe a person or an event. You have to connect what’s happened to you to a broader idea. Here is a selection of 100 personal essay topics to help you get a head start with this writing assignment. They are all interesting and give you an opportunity to create an impressive piece of writing. Let’s start.
- The most fascinating adventure you’ve ever had
- A recent stressful situation
- How you managed to overcome a great obstacle on your way to achieving something
- The most motivating thing for you
- How you coped during a difficult time in your life
- Your greatest fear
- A time when you reacted without thinking
- The most annoying thing for you
- An event that has brought you closer to your parents
- If you were an animal, what would you be?
- A time when you failed but learned something from the experience
- The last time you left your “comfort zone”
- A time when you were alone and felt good about it
- How you relax
- A major change that has occurred in your life
- A person that you want to write a thank-you message to
- How you made a difficult decision
- A public figure that you would invite to speak at your college/high school
- The most daring thing that you have done
- A time when you did something heroic
- The family member who has had the most influence on you
- How you work in a team
- Your favorite karaoke song
- A time when you competed for something
- A character in a book/movie who shares many personal traits with you
- How did your parents choose your name?
- The school trip which you had the most fun on
- A superpower that you wish you could have
- The historical figure that you admire the most
- The best place to hang out in your local area
- A celebrity that you want to interview
- The sweetest neighbor that you have had
- A family tradition that you carry on
- The most dangerous situation that you have been in
- Which of the latest technologies are you most excited about?
- How your parents react to your report card
- Your favorite cartoon
- A time when a friend helped you out
- The biggest conflict that you have had with a sibling/cousin
- What you like the most about the place where you live
- The most disappointing thing that happened to you at school
- A type of behavior that annoys you
- A time when you changed another person’s mind
- Your favorite place in your house
- The most interesting family story that you have
- A time when you had a lot of fun
- Your dream home
- A time when you made a wrong decision
- Compare yourself to one of your parents
- How a teacher/professor has motivated you to do better
- The most beautiful place on the planet for you
- A time when you explored the great outdoors
- The coolest kid in your previous class/school
- A piece of technology that you cannot live without
- If you were President for a day, what would you do?
- Your favorite TV show when you were younger
- A place in your local area that you try to avoid
- How your life would differ if you lived a century ago
- The last video that you watched online before writing this essay
- The role money plays in your life
- A time when you wanted to run away but stayed
- Your favorite time period in history
- An object that you have kept since childhood
- The last thing you posted on social media
- The thing that has made the biggest impression on you today
- How you decorated your room
- The book with the biggest impact on you so far
- A time when a friend disappointed you
- The most irresistible thing for you
- The last time when you deleted an online chat message
- A historic event you wish you could have witnessed/been a part of
- The last important topic that you discussed with a friend
- The time when you felt the greatest pride
- If you could invent something, what would it be?
- The last time you needed a hug
- The artist or band whose music inspires you the most
- The greatest moment in movie history
- A time when you found something valuable by accident
- A piece of fake news that you read online
- The most impressive building for you
- A time when a close person betrayed your trust
- The most distractive thing in the classroom
- A TV show character that you would like to be friends with
- If you had a million to spend today, what would you buy?
- A time when you lied with a good intention in mind
- A person that you cannot imagine your life without
- The last time when you supported a good cause
- The single item that you have spent the biggest amount of money on in your life
- The mobile app that you use the most
- A song that brings a happy memory to mind
- A celebrity that you want to invite to your graduation party
- The most memorable poem for you
- Your latest act of kindness
- The person who has helped you the most with homework
- A time when you felt very angry
- Your favorite work of art
- What helps you to learn a new language
- How you approach essay writing
- How you find inner peace
- Your dream job
- What makes your parents special
- What your grandparents taught you
- How you managed to avoid a dangerous situation
- How a stranger changed your life
- The longest minute of your life
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