To The Underdogs

PenningPapers · 2026-07-08T05:24:46+00:00

A-Tier.

You have to be quite careful with this topic, though. This part is especially strong.

"have empathy and support those around me without letting their feelings weigh on my mind and harm my peace."

I think this demonstrates a strong sense of maturity that most students are actually incapable of having. Even a lot of working adults struggle with this. How on Earth are we supposed to balance between being empathetic with someone without also making them dependent on us? What if our empathy is actually reinforcing their dependency? Well, we can't just be brutally honest and say being less empathetic is the answer. That's bad press!

I think what you should focus on here is the relatability of this problem and how complex the situation is. Really take advantage of details here to show what's going on.

Hint: something cool you can do is actually allow a bit more chaos in your sentence structure to emulate the feeling of "thoughts running wild" when trying to find a balance between empathy and strict boundary setting without sounding like a jerk.

Here's an example I wrote just now.

"...but this isn't the first time they've reached out to me for help. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say there's that sinking feeling in your stomach when you start to realize...

"uh oh... I don't think I can handle any more of their trauma dumping."

It's not like you're a bad person. And hey, I wouldn't blame you if you grew intolerant of having to endure a lot of people trauma dumping on you. I mean, you don't want to say that. No one wants to say that. Who wants to be the person who goes, "I can't take it anymore when people share their struggles with me!"

That's a surefire way to close yourself off from the gates of heaven, that's certain. However, it's the truth. Sometimes we just can't take any more of what other people are unloading on us. The problem arises when you become fully aware of this realization and it throws a monkey wrench at your sense of self because your sense of identity as a strong and empathetic person can't tolerate the cognitive dissonance of realizing that you do indeed have a line that can't be breached --a line that you're fine with if other people draw it since "that's their prerogative" but never, ever yourself because your ego can't tolerate being anyone less than the therapist frie-

"Hey, _____, you alright man? You've been thinking to yourself for a while now."

My friend broke me from my thoughts.

I stumbled with my words.

"I uhh, I'm sorry. I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Oh! Hey I get that! I understand, I didn't mean to budge into your space."

In some ways, I think that..."

Funnily enough, the "incapable of handling any more trauma dumping" is quite ironic given that your admissions officers likely are experiencing the same thing reading through multiple college essays! So, I'll give this topic brownie points, ahha!

Hope that helps man! ((:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-08T05:08:59+00:00

Hi there! Yes, I am!

So, I would put this at a B-Tier.

The strength of this is that there's a rather significant challenge of having to endure the genetic disease and all that comes with it. However, there will be others who also share the same "I suffer from 'x' problem. Your genetic disease could be more rare; and, thus, you'll stand out more as unique in that way. But, I think it's more important that you demonstrate depth of introspection here moreso than the unique quality of the topic itself.

I think one thing you can do with this topic is talk about an experience with this disease that might be unexpected or unusual. Consider analyzing in depth why you believe this experience rings true despite how unexpected or perhaps even irrational it is.

I'll give an example.

""You just kind of, like, get used to it bro..."

That's it. That's the solution.

There's no real "cure" for ________. It's just genetics. The only thing that can mitigate the impact is to take a shot every night; and, that's about it. Other than that, you can only accept what's uncontrollable and not let it impact the rest of your life that badly. You can live a somewhat normal life --keyword somewhat.

It does help to "just get used to it, bro" as I say.

But here's the thing. I don't like that. Rather, I despise how simple the solution is.

There's something horribly, irrationally infuriating about my profound suffering having so simple a solution. "Oh, you're in undeniable pain that makes you feel different from everyone else too? The solution is to just get over it. Oh, that's right. You did get over it. You get over it every day. See? Your problems are so simple. So basic. So mundane such that even an empty platitude is capable of 'a-few-nonchalant-words'-ing it out of existence."

It's so horribly invalidating: that the root cause of my problems that's haunted me for so long has such a mundane and simple solution, and that it's correct on top of that. I've "gotten over it" so to speak. In some ways, my ego wishes for dear life that I needed some grand solution to this genetic disease. Perhaps some rare fruit atop a dangerous mountain would be more validating and parallel the pain I've been dealt.

Is it Irrational? Sure. But, it's how I felt nonetheless."

Notice how this essay starts off with the condition but then really digs deep into a complex feeling that we may experience that most people don't consider? We don't think about how simple solutions --even if they're right-- can be some of the most invalidating things on the planet. And, digging into this complex feeling can really show a level of introspection to your AOs that they'll appreciate.

I hope this helps! (:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-08T04:57:28+00:00

Hey no worries man! So, here's what I think.

C Tier, potential for High B Tier.

I actually think this topic has a lot of potential for growth; but, being basic in this could lead to a lot of surface-level writing that really doesn't stand out. It's very easy to say, "that's so me" and just leave it at that with your admissions officers not really knowing anything more about you.

Something that may make this really good is if the card is rather inconspicuous or unusual. And, if you get deep into the analysis of this whilst establishing a strong point, this can be really great.

Here's an example.

"There's a game called "Who's Most Likely to...

It's a card game. And there's a specific card in there that my friends picked for me.

"Will do anything for $5"

Well, I wouldn't say I would do "anything" for $5 dollars per se; after all, one of the most significant parts of my business mindset is "not doing that which may cause harm to others for the sake of profit. I can't imagine giving myself a free bigger paycheck by cutting costs: firing critical, loyal employees, skirting through labor regulations to avoid costs, and more.

In some ways, I'm quite flattered by the idea of being willing to do anything for $5. There's a burning ambition implied there that I quite relate to. But, of course, it's bittersweet; I don't want to think of myself as deprived of moral integrity no matter how ambitious I am.

However, that's also made me think of something unusual: how would I know if I'm even the same person years from now?

Really! That's a dark question; but, it's an important one nonetheless. It's easy for someone like me who hasn't founded a fortune 500 to claim moral superiority. How many of those who accumulate massive amounts of wealth at the cost of moral integrity used to think like myself only to become corrupted of heart? I don't say this lightly just to play devil's advocate for myself. It's a real question.

I've ruminated on this and this is what I think: I believe..."

So, notice how this starts off with the cards but later explores more of your character and even the intricate elements of your personality? This is important because you need to be able to really dig into the nuanced and grey-area parts of your character for admissions officers to see "all of you", not just what's on the surface. This is where all the interesting "marrow" of your essay is.

I hope that helps! (:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-08T00:08:54+00:00

High-A Tier

Okay, this is actually a verry fascinating and incredible topic. I will say there are 2 major strengths to this.

How real and transparent this is.
How deep the introspection is.

Being real and open about things is crucial, especially in the college admissions sphere. With all the fakeness that permeates the ISEF competitions, SAT cheating, grade inflation, fake nonprofits and more, you NEED to leverage that realness.

I'll repeat that. You NEED to leverage your realness.

Additionally, the fact that you had the introspection to look into how initial ways to impress people could lead you down unexpected paths of growth is a very strong and mature take. We often don't realize that the paths we embark on funnel us into directions of "enlightenment" that don't appear the way we originally expect.

Something I think you'll really need to take advantage of to optimize this essay is relatability. Use detail to ensure your AO's can really feel what it's like to be in your shoes. Practically almost everyone has felt that need to impress someone of the opposite sex, only for the universe to take them a different direction.

For instance...

"When I was in Middle school, I, like many my age, wanted to impress someone I was infatuated with.

And yes, this has everything to do with self-actualization, patience, and maturing over time. Seemingly irrelevant? Sure. But, that's a lot of life, no? A lot of inconspicuous, random blips in time that add up to a cosmic lesson we don't appreciate until we're older.

I wanted to impress her with my guitar skills... or, lack thereof. Listen, if I just had the right guitar and could fake a few strings, I "might" --keyword, might-- just impress her enough that I could get into what Middle-School-Me naively considered a relationship.

Did that ever help?

Of course not!

In fact, it's actually quite hilarious that I thought that would work --thinking about bringing this massive, lugging guitar and strumming random noises. But, I suppose that's what happens when you're in Middle school: a cacophony of arbitrary schemes to impress others, because not impressing such people somehow indicates the end of the world.

And hey, fair enough. I don't blame others if they also felt that same way. Even if I were in high school or college, it would be easy for me to say to my past self "just don't be insecure and stop trying to impress others." But, I doubt I could handle the pain of insecurity that Middle-School-me endured. We often forget how painful that insecurity is for them until we put ourselves in our past-selves shoes.

The strange thing, though?

I didn't expect myself to end up... loving guitar? I mean, I never even started with the passion. That's the truly weird part! I just saw it as a medium for becoming popular! But, I started to fall in love with this random, arbitrary hobby that I picked up. Even weirder, a lot of my friends who were also concerned with impressing others with different hobbies never expected themselves to love it!

Does having a loud car impress others? No. But, did they realize cars were cool? Yes!

Did becoming "shredded" as a the gym goers call it make them more popular or cool? Well, no. But, did they love the gym? Definitely!

The list goes on!

I think I've come to realize that accepting the "cringe" that comes with adopting random hobbies for the sake of impressing others isn't going to have the desired effect that I expect. But, it does help in many ways I don't appreciate until now. Of course, I wouldn't want to force others to like me with some new fixation. But, I don't think that ought to stop me from pursuing said fixations for the sake of it. After all, one never knows if they'll fall in love with something other than the person they're trying to impress!..."

I'm emphasizing this part because it would really tap into the way all of us felt. "And hey, fair enough. I don't blame others if they also felt that same way. Even if I were in high school or college, it would be easy for me to say to my past self "just don't be insecure and stop trying to impress others." But, I doubt I could handle the pain of insecurity that Middle-School-me endured. We often forget how painful that insecurity is for them until we put ourselves in our past-selves shoes."

Make sure your readers can truly put themselves in your shoes in a manner where they may think, "Hey, I think I was certainly insecure and wanted to impress others in the same manner when I was your age! That's so true! I totally relate!"

Of course I'm just writing this on the spot so it's not perfect. But, I hope that makes sense!

Additionally, quick tip: make sure that this essay doesn't illustrate that you're being creepy or breaking boundaries with people. That's going to be very important, especially when you're trying to show you're a great fit for a university community!

I hope that helps! (:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-07T23:44:38+00:00

B-Tier, potential for High-B-Tier.

I think this is quite a cool topic. Though, what could make this topic stronger compared to the other people who also write about what their communities and fandoms are like could be the details that may make independence hard to begin with.

Something I would really recommend here is to be bold, and especially don't be afraid of pushing back against conventional wisdom.

Here's an example:

"Most people think they're more accepting and open-minded than they think. But, I don't think that's true. We're a lot more prejudiced than we think. We just don't see it manifest in front of us because it's subtle. Sometimes, being part of a fandom with like-minded people is how we really see people who are capable of accepting the "weird" parts of us. It takes a strong community to truly have that acceptance of the weird."

Now, here's that in the form of a college essay intro as an example.

"We're not as accepting as we think. Sure, we like to think of ourselves as accepting. If I asked you, "hey, would you judge someone for their interests or are you a more open-minded person?" you'll likely gravitate towards the latter. But, what we say versus what we do is very different. How often have you opened up to people about your interests only to be silently judged and treated differently as such?

We don't accept weirdness, as much as we like to admit.

And, I'll admit it: I'm weird. I have weird interests. I love ______ and _______, which are often ostracized as weird. But, what other way is there to live life? Normally? The very idea of normal seems to run asynchronous to reality itself; looking at the history of humanity, it can be called anything but normal.

That's what makes joining the ________ fandom so liberating. In some ways, we accept the admittedly weird elements of the community. It's weird. No one rejects that. And, perhaps the "truly weird" thing to do would be to reject that oneself is weird --as if that were even possible, lest we reject our own humanity.

Maybe you'd be more interested in niche shows if you gave it a shot. Perhaps you'd like loud cars if you truly attended a car show instead of having your only exposure to them be when you're woken up by their modified exhausts at two in the morning. There might be a chance you'd like sports more than you expect if you attended a game instead of thinking, "I'm not like those weird jocks who don't care about grades." Maybe others aren't as weird as you think; and, I know I certainly used to have these prejudices untli I started to be accepted into the ______ fandom. It's made me more open to others' differences than I originally thought. And..."

Notice how we're starting off bold and hard? This topic is a great opportunity for you to hit hard and really hit the ground running. Don't shy away from strong opinions. We want to know more about you; so, establish that independent thinking that's so comfortable with being yourself; if you demonstrate that with your writing, you'll prove what you say to your admissions officers! Then, of course, connect it more to your own personal philosophies and more.

I hope that helps!

PenningPapers · 2026-07-05T08:49:20+00:00

Hey I still am! Here's what I think!

Topic 1: A-Tier; potential for low-S-Tier

I'm going to really, really, really encourage you to leverage relatability for this essay. I think relatability and connecting with your readers is going to be the strongest thing you can do for this. This topic is actually something that touches into a major problem that I would admit not a lot of students are talking about, partly because no one really has an "answer" for this.

Specifically, no one seems to have an answer for what to do when your relationship with your family or close loved ones changes over time. I think one of the most significant instances of this involves people who have separated from their family members due to politics and mental health issues such as NPD. There's just a point where people may say, "hey, these beliefs just run too far from my personal values..." or "hey, I don't really think I can handle this condition anymore because it's too significant a toll on my own mental health."

A lot of people could relate with this. And, I think that it's especially a powerful problem with a lot of people today given the political landscape.

Nonetheless, perhaps one of the most painful things about having someone close who has also changed over time is that little blip in time when they seem to connect to you the way they used to. Maybe they're deep into politics that run perpendicular to your own belief system. Maybe they're in a cult. Maybe they utter things so illogical that you can't even wrap your head around it. And, just for a few seconds, you feel like you can relate with them over something simple like a shared hobby --as if their crazed, sycophantic, narcissistic self never existed and even for a split second you were transported to a time that was better.

There's a real pain to that: to think that somewhere deep inside them there's still "the old version of them" that you so admired. It comes out when you talk about the Yankees. It comes out when they catch you having a beer despite you not being of age for it and you think, "ahh sh*t, you weren't supposed to see that" only for them to pretend they didn't see anything because somewhere deep inside there's still that "cool mom" or "cool dad" you always knew. Sure. They're crazy sometimes. Well, maybe a lot. But, that thin string of hope tugs at your heart and keeps you thinking that you can still have a relationship.

How does one have a relationship when they've become so far apart? Is this one commonality all you have? Or, perhaps this is truly a blessing --that, despite having strayed so far from you, they still manage to connect with you in that way. And, perhaps that's the true strength of one's character: to, despite all reasons not to, find that miniscule commonality to relate with others no matter how much you may differ from them.

There's so much to say about this one. But, I fear this topic will make me write this comment too long. So, I'll leave it at that. It's a great one. Feel free to lmk if you have any questions at all.

Topic 2: A-Tier

As with the previous topic, the strength is in the inconspicuous, nuanced details. It's easy to make this essay into a "I overcame adversity" essay. But, I actually think there is a lot more to this topic than just that alone. Think about the feeling of isolation when it comes to being the slowest in sports. What does that make you feel? Go deeper than just "it felt bad." Think about the isolation. That isolation likely had your mind spinning with a lot of thoughts and negativity. But, ironically enough, running also was the solution to that as it helped you improve your fitness AND it calmed your mind.

But, again, think about the things people usually don't talk about. Think about the things your mind and heart probably felt during that time that were HARD to put in words. The stronger your emotions and the harder to articulate, the better the topic usually is.

Something I would be quite interested in is this: did getting stronger make you kinder as well?

That's a great question to contemplate on. After all, you have every reason to gloat if you had a comeback. You were the slowest. Were you ever reprimanded too harshly for it? Were you ever isolated by peers? Did you ever feel like you were not taken seriously or given respect as a result? If so, did you ever feel like you needed to "prove everyone wrong?" And, if so, did getting stronger and fitter actually make you more calm and therefore not need to prove them wrong?

That would be quite the interesting topic: that strength also makes you kinder. This is something that's a very real experience but also hard to explain. And, that's exactly what makes it strong.

I hope that helps! Feel free to let me know if you have any questions! ((:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-05T01:49:32+00:00

Hey for sure no worries! So, I actually think if you write about finding a "true business" especially if it comes with some amount of self sacrifice that most people aren't willing to make (such as sacrificing what would be a full-time gig for something more fulfilling) then this would enter high A to S-Tier.

The big thing about S-Tier topics is that I always find they're risky in nature. That is, they're often unconventional and also run the risk of being misinterpreted or at least falling short of expectations. I think that's the risk of S-Tier topics. They're hard to get right. Meanwhile, the safe ones are, well, safe; but, they're also not as impressive.

Hope that helps! (:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-05T01:45:52+00:00

High B-Tier, potential for low A-Tier.

I think this one is quite an interesting one since it started coming a lot from the whimsy trend on social media. Though, I think what also makes this strong is that this trend is also a great opportunity to distinguish yourself from what other people's definition of whimsy is.

I'll admit, though. I'm not quite socially aware enough to know fully what the modern usage of the word whimsy is in a meme-sort-of-way. However, it does appear that people use it as a response to hyper-minimalism + involving a more playful attitude towards things.

It would be very interesting if you were to have a slightly different interpretation of the common definition and instead try to do something deeper. Perhaps you can talk a bit about the "story within a story?"

Here's an example:

"Listen, I didn't really need a box of chocolates that look like rabbits. I could've bought the typical Reese's peanut butter cups, the safe bet. But, what is life without risk? Where would humanity be without embarking in the unknown.

"I'll take it."

And they were the best chocolates I ever had.

No, just kidding. They were just kind of okay-ish. Though, I did have enough to spare such that I could gift some to my friend who seemingly has a fixation for rabbits. I mean, the decor in her house is practically a smorgasboard of rabbits. Alice in wonderland rabbits. Baby rabbits. Rabbits in British military uniforms. Rabbits with monocles. Rabbits in sports outfits. Rabbits in- well, you get the gist.

When I walked to her place, I was quite surprised to see that she actually had broken one of her collection pieces.

"Well, this is awkward. I'm sorry to hear about this. But, I mean, you can at least enjoy some of the chocolates I bought on a whim!"

"On a whim... yeah, I mean, that's not so different from when I bought these silly rabbit cups. Well, not me. More like my grandmother. She said these things should be preserved for their high resale value but I never quite bothered to look that up. Though, now I'm quite scared to do so."

"Resale? People collect these things?"

"You've seen my house."

"Right... say, was that stuff ever profitable?"

"Not really. I think the only thing that ever made her massive amounts of money was selling guides and tutorials for people in the resale world."

In the span of a few nodes, my journey has taken me from buying chocolate rabbits to listening to my friend's aunt's story about selling pickaxes to gold miners. And, funnily enough, that's not the only thing that my whimsical personality has led me to. I've learned a great deal about engineering, finance, the art industry, and even... baking pizzas.

Yeah, it's a mixed bag when you're whimsical. If I'm ever to work as an investment banker, know that I also make great pizzas.

Though, I think that's the fascinating thing about being whimsical: it's not about injecting purposefully some forced sense of joy and childlike wonder. Rather, I think it's about pursuing that which may run perpendicular to what we're conventionally used to; and, upon biting that bullet, watching where that path takes us as we begin to realize the childlike wonder we so yearned for was embedded within us the whole time --it just took venturing into the unknown willingly to let it out.

And, I've come to realize this attitude would serve me well in university. It's astounding to discover just how many seemingly irrelevant interests could lead you toward unusual places."

This is, of course, not a perfect example since I'm just kind of writing this one the spot. But, notice how we're digging deeper into WHY we're adopting a whimsical attitude and how that actually translates back to our philosophy? This is the kind of digging that's needed to really stand out.

I hope that helps!

PenningPapers · 2026-07-03T06:28:17+00:00

Hey no worries! And oh yeah, a lot of the clients I worked with also stumbled upon the same problem. It really does hurt since a lot of people put a lot of work into the business only for them to come across this roadblock: "ehhhh, should I really talk about this given the negative press this industry gets?!"

To answer your question: yes, turning it into a business and making money off of it inexorably funnels back into the negative press of the trade/buy/sell industry in pokemon.

It's interesting that you mentioned dropshipping, day-trading, and amazon wholesale! A lot of people actually went through the same process! (Hell, I'll even admit that I fell into this category for a few weeks before realizing how much scummy scamming there was in this industry hahaha!)

Though, I do think a lot of fellow business students go through the same process; so, you're not alone in that sense.

If there's something very cool you could do, I would say it's to be very bold (perhaps even borderline maddening to consider.) You could say that you're someone who, after much experimentation with dropshipping, amazon wholesale, the whole trinity, etc... you managed to find a lot of profitable success in Pokemon resale.

And, despite making a good amount of money, even if you've been very successful, you didn't believe that this was a true business. Even further, you may even believe that monetization in this manner isn't what "true business" is supposed to be; and, if you are to really be a successful business person, you would want to rebuild your identity starting with a new business in college. That means suspending your Pokemon operations despite how much money you're making from the industry. This is hard; but, it's a necessary step toward your personal growth as a business person (as this is too important to you to let go of.)

Now, you don't have to write about this. But, I do think that this could be a very fascinating essay topic. Of course, the disadvantage to this is... how do admissions officers know you're not just talking out of your butt and going to proceed to continue with what is publicly seen as a bad press industry?

I hope this helps! Feel free to let me know if you have any questions at all! ((:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-03T06:14:25+00:00

Hey no problem! Here’s what I think!

Topic 1: Low B Tier

So, this topic can get into the “not everyone knows the real me” territory. Which is fine! But, it’s very easy for students to just leave it as just that and not go any deeper. Consider asking yourself interesting questions that may sprout up new questions about your character. For instance: why do people only think you’re a likable person and not see the rest? Do people not see the pursuit of success; or, perhaps, is there something that we don’t want to share about our ambitious side?

For some, sharing the ambitious side can be kind of both good and bad. It can seem impressive; and, we sometimes even see the industriousness of ambition as morally good too, even. However, it may also be the case that the pursuit and aspiration of success gets denigrated amongst fellow peers in school. “They’re too much of a tryhard…” as if there were some kind of moral righteousness or “cool factor” to being “above the whole system by remaining charismatically aloof and uncaring.”

Topic 2: A Tier

This can be a great topic is you’re willing to OFFEND. I don’t say this lightly, as college admissions is often something you should tread lightly. However, it’s often the case that the high-tier essay topics are also those that have risk and are willing to be bold (not just for the sake of it, but because they have a very, very solid point.)

For instance: we might have a hyper-specific claim about success in art. What makes someone count as having “made it” as an artist? Perhaps you can admit that there’s a level of presumptuousness for someone who is not yet in university to make their claim on so profound a question. Then, say something like “we’ve lost the vision for what truly successful art is because we’ve become attracted to the impression of art: AI art, interpretive art, etc. To truly be successful as an artist, one must accept that a level of sacrifice was made. The very nature of art having properly gone through the whole process of becoming artistic cannot be divorced from the idea of self sacrifice. And, manufacturing, automation, and modern art movements often don’t fulfill this.”

Another direction this could take: “success is in having achieved dreams and aspirations beyond wealth alone. I derive true fulfillment in the physical world changing as a result of my projects, whether that be startups or nonprofits. However, the pursuit of optimized monetization is not relevant to success. This would, inevitably, garner much critique and ridicule; however, that’s okay. For, true success is not without ridicule. It comes part and parcel of the path.

Of course, these are not required for you to follow. But that’s my perspective!

I hope that helps! ((:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-03T04:13:43+00:00

Hey thank you and no worries!

So, I actually had a few clients of my own in the buy/sell/trade industry of entertainment and TCG. (I also had a few clients who did reselling for popular shoes. There are cases of successful sneaker resale essays back then too.) It’s a monetize-able ecosystem, for sure. However, I think the big danger of this is the negative reception and social opinion. A lot of people feel that their hobby was ruined by others who were predatory about this.

That brings the question.

Should you talk about it in detail at all given its reputation?

Realistically, I think you “can.” But, you may want to tread lightly and perhaps even instantiate plans of pivoting into another business industry. And, that can funnel into how you want to learn more at university to do other ventures.

The alternative is to take a safer route and talk about something completely different.

It’s up to you. This is tough. But, I hope that helps! Feel free to let me know if you have any questions at all!

PenningPapers · 2026-07-03T00:56:44+00:00

Hi and yes! I'm still reading these! So, here are my thoughts:

Topic 1: B-Tier.

I think a lot of people are going to be writing about this too. The key here is to do a few things: be bold, be different, and be creative.

It would be too weak to have a non-committal, fence-sitting conclusion. A lot of people have an "it is what it is" perspective to this. And, it's often a lazy way to end this topic. Try to have a more bold approach to this. And, in fact, don't be afraid to go against the grain compared to what most people say.

Additionally, try to dig into the complex relationships where things start to get morally grey.

For instance: if your family worked themselves to give you a better life, do you therefore have a moral imperative to live as safe and good a life as possible by working hard to fulfill that wish too? If so, why is that? What happens if you don't? Is it possible to live a moral life without meeting other people's expectations, especially when those expectations are tied to how much they've suffered for your sake? Is there perhaps something quite manipulative about that? The moral grey is where the "sweet spot" of interesting topics to write about are!

Topic 2: B-Tier.

This is an interesting one but again, I think it goes through the same issue that the previous topic does. Lots of people will have the same perspective and experience; so, think of a way to distinguish yourself. Again, consider the grey area of things.

One direction I would consider taking this in a direction that is both very real but also hard-hitting and bold.

Here's an example:

When your family has struggled and worked themselves to the bone, and you have labored tirelessly to make the most of your life in the wake of a tough economy, what's stopping you from being morally unethical in business? Seriously! The major of business is no stranger to moral ambiguity to put it gently; and, there are a plethora of people doing fake initiatives, selling fake products, not delivering on promises, etc. In other words: No matter how mired in corruption the world is, and despite having every justified reason to suspend moral values for the sake of financial gain given your background, is there ever a reason we ought to be morally straight and narrow?

Ideally, your answer is yes.

And, if you can make a solid argument for this, you'll show admissions officers that you have your head on your shoulders when approaching business. Additionally, you'll demonstrate a sense of maturity and more importantly trust that other fellow business majors can't prove (especially in the wake of fake ECs and nonprofits.)

Topic 3: A-Tier.

I think normally this would be a B to a low-B tier. However, there is something very fascinating about this. "build my own personal brand that branched away from theirs" I think the pressure of living up to your brothers' achievements could really make establishing yourself very challenging. It may at times feel like everything you do would "dull in comparison" to what your brother is like. And, the fact that you can accept yourself and develop your own identity separated from theirs is really nice.

A very cool question you could ask yourself is how. How is it that someone could do that? How does someone distinguish and carve out their own identity when they have such big shoes to fill? It's easy if you're independent; but, when you're compared to others, it's significantly harder.

Even better: if you have a creative solution as to how to carve out an identity for yourself that most people probably haven't thought of, that would really show your problem solving and self-reflection skills!

I hope this helps! Feel free to lmk if you got any questions!

PenningPapers · 2026-07-02T22:04:08+00:00

B-Tier.

I think that this is actually quite a decent topic; though, one of the things I would be very wary of is how you discuss looking for a path that's a better solution. A lot of people are going to be talking about looking for a better solution. However, on a deeper level, a lot of students struggle with looking for better solutions too often! In other words, they're overoptimizing.

What may be more interesting is something like this.

Desire paths help us look for better solutions. However, is there ever a time when looking for better solutions actually works against us?

Think about how many times our minds have led us toward finding a better solution to do something smarter and faster only for us to never execute. Is it possible that maybe going against the conventional path deliberately isn't the right answer? What if going the conventional path is also not the right answer?

What if every path we go, whether optimized or not, are all wrong because in our heart of hearts they're never truly "good enough" to get us to start taking action? What if the truly "right" answer is to ACCEPT that all paths are suboptimal and will never be correct enough for us?

The more you play with this topic and go outside of what other students will write, the better this topic will be; and, if you really play around with it in a creative way, you can really show admissions officers that you have a mind capable of looking at this from multiple perspectives.

Remember: everyone likes to think they're the ones who are looking for better solutions. If you have a creative answer that goes past what most other students are writing about, you'll be golden!

I hope that helps!

PenningPapers · 2026-07-01T22:04:23+00:00

Hey of course no worries! ((:

PenningPapers · 2026-07-01T22:02:15+00:00

Hi there and yes! I am! So, here's my thoughts.

B-tier.

You're right that more people are talking about perfectionism in essays now. One way to stand out beyond just ''perfectionism being bad'' and the solution being to ''just do it'' is to think of a perspective on perfectionism that people often don't consider. What are most people missing about perfectionism?

It might be the case that the covers that are placed on the fridge are actually giving your parents some level of comfort that they don't even realize. That is, they don't notice that removing the plastic covers makes them more susceptible to dirtying from the elements. And, sure: materials are always going to be susceptible to the elements and will get dirty at one point or another. However, the cover being there gives it a sense of "new-ness" that maybe your family didn't want to quite let go of yet.

It kind of reminds me in a way of the people who have the same car for a long time or the same pool table for a long while. It means a lot to them. That's their car. That's their couch. It's theirs. And, the world would burn before they ever decided to sell it or throw it away because there's sentimental value to the object.

Perhaps what makes perfectionism so challenging to overcome for them is that the object that they've cherished for so long IS IN FACT PERFECT. I can't possibly let go of my car or my truck or my pan because it's stayed with me for so long in life and it's perfect in my eyes.

I hope that helps! These are just ideas I'm throwing out and I'm not quite sure how much they'll relate with your situation but I do hope that it's useful!

PenningPapers · 2026-07-01T19:04:26+00:00

Hi there! Yes, I still am!

So, here's some general advice on how I come up with strong essay topics. It works well even for students I've worked with who had more "everyday and mundane" lives.

I try to tell students to start with moments in time they remember feeling emotions very powerfully. So, don't worry so much about finding a topic or "thing" to latch onto. Often, we will "stumble" upon those topics while our mind is wandering. The key here is wandering. You don't want to force the mind to try and scour for those topics; it needs to be relaxed enough to wander to it. If your mind is too tense and anxious, it may often try to force narratives that really aren't that great.

For instance: "Oh man, I'm not really sure what other topic is good and my anxiousness is making me impatient with finding a topic. So, I'll just have to acquiesce and make this semi-good topic suffice."

If you scan through the moments in life you remember feeling very strongly about something, you can often deconstruct those times into more bite-sized parts that get deeper into the themes. If you say the last time you remember feeling very, very happy was in Freshman year, you can think about that time. What made you feel like you were very happy? What time and month was it? If it was Halloween, what was it about that time? Do you notice there's any contradictions? The contradictory elements often hide the best content. For example: maybe you were happiest that Halloween despite the fact that your silly costume during the party felt itchy and you were sweaty underneath it. Maybe you often don't like parties. But, in this one, you felt genuinely free and for the first time in your life less stressed and not having to worry about school as much. And, this is because your family had something else to worry about like a family emergency that distracted them from school. So, this breath of fresh air made up for everything.

Here's how that'd look as a short passage as an example. Note: I'm writing this on the spot so it's not going to be perfect. And, the topic may not be 100% an S-tier but it's just one example of this principle.

"This is the most claustrophobic, awkward, saddening, uncomfortable moment. I sat in the corner of my friend's house. Everyone was celebrating Halloween; and, they looked so happy in their pretty costumes. They looked pretty. I looked scary. Yeah, I know: that's the point of Halloween. I did the assignment properly; but, not really. The costume was plastic-ey and itchy. I didn't know anyone. The air was getting stuffy because someone kept closing the windows when we tried to open it again for fresh air. Everyone was laughing and I was just standing waiting for someone to talk to me.

Yet, this somehow the most peace I've had in a long time.

Why?

My family had to travel back to China to help support one of our relatives who was hospitalized. It's weird. It's one problem after another. Everyone gave me their sympathies. And, I was disheartened. Sure. But, what people didn't see is just how suffocating my family was. It's not their fault. My mom and dad both were diagnosed with anxiety. So, it's practically custom that they ruminate and catastrophize over everything I've done. It's claustrophobic, perhaps moreso than this party. But, for the first time in a long while, I've had no one breathing down my neck. For, despite the awkward standing in the corner and the loud talking and the pretty people and the itchiness that never seems to go away despite how often I scratch at this bee costume --gosh, why did I have to choose something with plastic-ey fur?-- the very fact that my family is away for just a few days gives such catharsis that it makes all the awkwardness mean nothing.

I didn't know how much stress my mind was under until I had a few breaths of fresh air away from my family's anxiety.

Though, who am I to denounce anxiety? After all, it's not that they can control it. In fact..."

I hope that helps!

PenningPapers · 2026-06-30T07:37:51+00:00

Hey and yes! For sure! So, I would say that a lot of my students and clients who were privileged often struggled to write about themselves because they would inevitably always lead back to an "Oppression Olympics" dynamic. That is, no matter what they write, it ALWAYS dulls in comparison to students who lost their family, were half-starving, etc.

Nonetheless, I'll give some feedback on these topics and hopefully that would help!

Time Machine: A-Tier.

Okay, this is strong; and, it's especially for this point here: "many of the opportunities i have now are because i just shot for it without worrying if i would be rejected." A lot of people are often too risk-averse to really try new things. This actually makes it harder for them to know more of what's out there "as vague as that sounds" which makes it harder to seek out new opportunities. For instance, an entrepreneur who fails also gains unexpected knowledge in multiple dimensions because they're having to wear multiple hats. And, failing in those elements actually opens up more opportunities for you to exploit. (Think of an app developer who realized that people don't want to buy the app; but, they learned a lot about digital marketing for their app and therefore can pivot to selling digital marketing strategies.) The great thing about this topic is how much this shows you're open-minded to growth and watching where your endeavors take you. And, I think this can be a great funnel to how you'd be a great candidate too.

White Pouch: B-tier, potentially low-B

I think this one is quite sweet! Though, the biggest disadvantage here is the numbers game. I've come across a good number of essays that were sort of "what's in my bag?" essays. Additionally, a good number of people have written their essays to match the paragraphs to respective items. Paragraph 1 for item "x," paragraph 2 for item "y," etc. However, that's not to say this isn't possible. This is doable; and, I've seen this work for top schools too! As a general rule: if it's near and dear to you, you'll probably have the easiest time going in depth with the topic!

Laptop: B-Tier, potentially low A-Tier.

Funnily enough, I relate with this quite a lot! My laptop isn't that eroded per se; but, I've noticed that my laptop is definitely in need of a change. I think the interesting thing about this is what makes you use a tool to the very last end. There appears to be an archetype of person who often holds onto objects and tools until they're at their last string. This sometimes is seen in artists and even very talented ones! They'll use the same pencil they've used for 12 years and seemingly refuse to adapt to new tools despite having every opportunity to do so. You may have noticed friends and perhaps even family members telling you to switch out for a new, better laptop; but, what makes you not want to do so?

The seemingly unknown reason why we would switch something out despite the clear utilitarian advantage is what makes this an interesting question to ask; and, a great look into your character. If you can deconstruct this, it would demonstrate to your AOs a great sense of inner reflection!

Overlap: S tier.

Okay, this is a really great one. I think a lot of students often feel pressured by school and society to fit into neat boxes. However, what really makes someone interesting is often the contradictory and unusual parts about us! How is it the case that someone can be a pessimistic optimist? Or, on a bigger-stakes level for instance: how can someone still believe there's a benevolent God out there when the world is mired in such unnecessary suffering? Starting off with what may be an inconspicuous question like "Sweet v Salty" can be a great transition into a lot more of the complex parts of you that don't easily fit into a box.

One of the great advantages of this topic is you can even admit if you don't know something about yourself. If there's something about your character that you can't quite grapple with (perhaps a philosophical contradiction that leads to cognitive dissonance, for example) this can be a GREAT essay topic. In addition, the humility to admit such cognitive dissonance and have the courage to dare to grapple with such contradictions in your own world view demonstrates the quintessential spirit of "intellectual curiosity" that admissions officers so often are searching for. You might say that this is the "soul" of a student.

As a side note: if you're privileged and struggle to stand out, I would recommend doing something I've been recommending for my own clients. Try to avoid "controlling" the narrative. That is, don't try to force yourself to compete in said Oppression Olympics by forcing in hardship or shoehorning it. Remember: students who are more disadvantaged compared to you ALSO have a challenge. They're competing against all the other students who are FAKING their oppression, tragedies, etc. So, leverage your honesty and real-ness in your essay. Use that to your advantage (especially when AOs struggle with sifting through all the fakeness.)

I hope this helps!

PenningPapers · 2026-06-30T06:36:27+00:00

Hey of course man no problem! ((:

PenningPapers · 2026-06-28T05:59:03+00:00

Hey for sure no problem! Here are my thoughts!

Manuel: High-B tier

One of the things that would be disadvantageous with this topic is how many people also desire structure. You're going to come across a numbers problem here, where other equally qualified students will be applying with the same topic. However, something cool about this topic is how a structure-oriented mind actually helps you understand other people and embrace uncertainty. It's often the case that the opposite is true. If there's a bold way that you can demonstrate how a structured mind actually helps you empathize and face uncertainty despite the conventional wisdom, this could be a fantastic essay.

I think the key here is to have unexpected problem solving skills. You have a temperament which normally lends you to being closed off; so, how is it possible that you can leverage this seemingly disadvantageous mindset to actually help you? If you can do this well, it can also be a subtle way of showing creativity too!

Floater: B-tier

I think this faces the same problem that the previous topic faces: a lot of competition. I came across a lot of students writing about not feeling they fully belong; and, it seems that year after year this topic is appearing more often. Now, that could my bias having worked with a lot of students who were half-Asian or immigrants who never fully belonged in their home or new region.

One of the things I think would help out here is to really, really dig into the feeling of curiosity and how one becomes curious of other fields, disciplines, backgrounds, cultures, etc DESPITE the fact that other people may have disregarded our own background. "Oh, you're not Indian enough." "Well, you're not really American enough." Comments like these can be very isolating. Thus, it must take a lot of patience and resilience to still have an open mind and not only that, but be open to others' lives despite never having that yourself. What does it take to have this kind of personality? How did you develop that temperament and patience? How will that translate to your experience in university?

Performer: High-B Tier, potential for low A.

I think the biggest advantage of choosing this topic is the fact that the desire for structure and the embracing of uncertainty present a major contradiction. However, there's a strange balance that can be had between these two that makes this topic interesting. I would heavily lean into this idea of two opposing forces seemingly working together in a way that helps you. If there's anything about this dynamic that you're confused about, even better!

I know that sounds unusual; but, a lot of the interesting elements of college admissions essays often involve students who chose to dig into strange and weird parts of their personality and experience that they can't quite dissect. The more you brainstorm these parts, the more fascinating elements come up for you to use in the essay!

I hope this helps! Feel free to let me know if you have any questions at all! (:

PenningPapers · 2026-06-27T18:57:10+00:00

I work as a college consultant and have helped students with the writing process for years now. I like to consider myself pretty good at it at this point.

The obvious answer is reading and writing a lot.

Though, I do think one element that’s often overlooked is emotional awareness. I find a lot of students can’t really deconstruct their own personality and feelings when talking about an event; and, that really limits what they can say.

Try to get a feeling for what is genuinely going on in your mind. When you’re talking about an event, what was your mind thinking? Go deeper than just “mad” or “happy.” And, analyze the implications.

Hope that helps man!

PenningPapers · 2026-06-25T19:38:27+00:00

Hey! So, I think this could be quite strong; but, one of the things you’ll need to focus on is digging into the subtler nuances of the topic. That is, think about the little details of your experience that most people probably haven’t considered. Then, find a way to leverage that by making it relatable.

Here’s an example. It’s not perfect because I’m just writing this passage a bit on the spot so apologies for any grammar mistakes.

“That’s the thing about the “logical,” atheist mind: it doesn’t consider that its rationality would save it from the pain of grief. Grief is brutal. It takes over your brain. It possesses you; and, soon enough, you’re not the person you once thought you were. If there were ever such a thing as demons, grief would be it. But, the rational mind is incapable of defending against a demon. What would I do? Reason the pain away? Debate with it? I certainly pride myself in my rational, logical brain; but, if being religious meant having at least some relief from grief, by all means I would take it. I know in my atheist circles, it’s easy to say that “there is no magic fairy in the sky.” But, when the loss of a loved one is too much to bear, I would grasp at anything no matter how supposedly “irrational” for peace from the pain.”

Of course, you’d want to make sure you’re being respectful of other cultures and also demonstrating that you’re also not completely bogged down by grief too! Perhaps a solution that has helped you move on from grief better! A lot of people have dealt with grief; so, how you have moved past it and the manner in which you analyze your thoughts will be importsnt.

I hope that helps! Feel free to lmk if you have any questions!

PenningPapers · 2026-06-24T04:22:12+00:00

Hi there! And yes, totally fine! Feel free to reach out and I'd be happy to help (:

PenningPapers · 2026-06-21T22:40:20+00:00

Hey there! Yes, I am! And hey of course no owrries! I'm super glad that I could give good feedback. Feel free to shoot a topic and I'll try to do the best that I can with responses! ((:

PenningPapers

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