1. College Essay Topics for Class of 2017?

2. Start to Apply for College
Start by July 1st – Summer College Application
Official transcript requests available via Naviance by 3rd week in July
Do college essays over the summer – same for college application and same for scholarship applications
Ask teachers for letters of rec by the 2nd week of school via Naviance.
Provide your resume. You need to have all letters of rec request by Oct 1st and have letters completed by Oct. 15th
Follow-up with your teachers because they have competing deadlines and you want your letter to be a priority.

3. Requesting Transcripts via Naviance
1. Login to Family Connection (
2. Go to the “colleges” tab.
3. Click on “colleges I’m applying to” underneath “my colleges” heading. Then click on “add colleges to this list.”
4. Select the school from the “lookup” list.
5. Select the type – Regular Decision, Early Action, Early Decision, Rolling
• You must select the CORRECT type. If you are unsure, please read your application documents and/or ask your counselor!
6. If you are requesting a transcript, make sure you check the “request” box under the “Transcript” heading then select “Add Colleges.”
7. Click “Add Colleges.”
Requesting Transcripts for Scholarships, Athletics, NCAA
1. Go to the “colleges” tab.
2. Go to “resources” on the left side and select “transcripts”.
3. Select “Request transcripts for scholarships or athletics.”
4. Fill in information as needed (Recipient, Address, Due Date, etc.).
5. Click “Add Transcript Requests.”

4. www.Applytexas.org Application Essays Prompts
Topic A (Freshman and International Freshman): Use this topic if you are applying for admission after the Spring 2017 semester.
What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.
Topic A (Freshman and International Freshman): Use this topic if you are applying for admission before the Summer 2017 semester.
Describe a setting in which you have collaborated or interacted with people whose experiences and/or beliefs differ from yours. Address your initial feelings, and how those feelings were or were not changed by this experience.
Topic B (Freshman and International Freshman): Use this topic if you are applying for admission after the Spring 2017 semester.
Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
Topic B (Freshman and International Freshman): Use this topic if you are applying for admission before the Summer 2017 semester.
Describe a circumstance, obstacle or conflict in your life and the skills and resources you used to resolve it. Did it change you? If so, how?
Topic C (Freshman and International Freshman): Use this topic if you're applying for admission after the Spring 2017 semester.
You've got a ticket in your hand - Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?
Topic C (Freshman and International Freshman): Use this topic if you're applying for admission before the Summer 2017 semester.
Considering your lifetime goals, discuss how your current and future academic and extra-curricular activities might help you achieve your goals.
Topic D
Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept ApplyTexas applications. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture/Interior Design, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education you are not required to write this essay.
Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture/interior design, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area? //

5. Common Application Essays Prompts
Common Application 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. [No change] 2. 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? [Revised] 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? [Revised] 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. [No change] 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. [Revised] 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? [New]
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. [New]

6. Coalition Application Essays Prompts
Coalition Application Essay Prompts
The prompts for the application years are:
Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.
Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?
What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?
Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

7. Video of How to Write A Good College Essay

8. Take SAT & ACT @ least 2 Times