High school and college assignments usually come with a set of prescribed topics you should choose from. You are asked specific questions or at least given prompts to ponder over. However, sometimes instructors decide to provide you with creative freedom. "Finally, I can write my paper the way I want, about something that I care about!" Yet wait before you celebrate. Choosing what to write about is a test in itself. Your instructor still has their own idea of what good essay topics for their class should look like and expects you to choose following some written and unwritten rules.
In this post, you will find suggestions for fitting topics grouped by essay type. You can use them as ready-made prompts or as a starting point for your brainstorming. We also give some tips on how to choose the right topic for the assignment. Pencils out!
- How to Brainstorm Ideas for College Essay Topics
- Argumentative Essay Topics
- Persuasive Essay Topics
- Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics
- Compare and Contrast Essay Topics
- Cause and Effect Essay Topics
- Narrative Essay Topics
- Personal Essay Topics
- Proposal Essay Topics
- Problem-Solution Essay Topics
- Research Essay Topics
- Informative Essay Topics
- Expository Essay Topics
- Definition Essay Topics
- Classification Essay Topics
- Evaluation Essay Topics
- Descriptive Essay Topics
How to Brainstorm Ideas for College Essay Topics
"Just choose whatever interests you the most!" is easier said than done. There are many factors to consider when it comes to a college essay and choosing a good topic. Here are some of the basic rules for brainstorming college essay ideas:
1. Consider your course materials
When your instructor gives you carte blanche on the topic, they still expect you to operate within certain constraints. First of all, they want you to show the skills and the knowledge you've acquired thanks to their course. If you don't know what you should write about, go through your course notes. See if there are any topics you've glossed over in class that would be interesting to develop and explore.
2. Take in all the assignment details
Even if you are free to choose your topic, you still have some guidelines, such as length, structure, techniques, or source materials that are mandatory. Look at your assignment sheet and try to figure out whether the sum of these requirements points you in a particular direction.
3. Think about what interests you
Now is the time to pick your brain. Ask yourself if anything in the circle of themes drawn by the course instructions speaks to you and piques your interest. Write down some keywords defining the general direction of your research.
4. Consider the time you have and the scope of your essay
Refine and narrow the topic down to make it fit a 5-page college essay (or however many you have.) Some problems sound exciting but are just too ambitious. It would take a dissertation to explore them exhaustively. Concentrate on one aspect of the phenomenon, smaller area, shorter period, etc.
5. Make sure your topic fits the essay type and answers the prompt question
The last thing you should do is go back to your assignment sheet and make sure the chosen topic fits all the criteria. For example, "Types of handheld weapons" is a good topic for a classification essay, but it doesn't work for an argumentative one.
Argumentative Essay Topics
Argumentative essays are the most common type of essay to write in college. However, it doesn't mean that the task is easy. It requires you to build a strong case in defense of your ideas and present factual evidence to support them.
Choosing an appropriate topic is crucial for a good argumentative essay. It must be relevant and arguable. That means people should care about it, and other opinions different from yours should exist. For example, these topics for argumentative essay fit the description:
- To what extent should a legal guardian of a mentally ill person govern their life?
- Should the USA have mandatory military conscription? Why or why not?
- Is the travel industry helping developing economies or exploits them? How can one travel ethically?
- Do you think a prisoner is entitled to a free education during incarceration?
- Is solitary confinement inhumane?
- Should the responsibility of sorting the waste be placed upon the government or upon citizens? Should it be voluntary or obligatory under the law?
- Do you think that we should aspire to veganism and rely on meat substitutes to respect animal rights as a society? Why or why not?
- Should the state of Texas update its constitution?
- Do you agree with Susan Coulter's statement that "Frankenstein" is a "cautionary tale of bad parenting"? Why or why not?
- Do you believe the US educational system needs updates to resemble the European one?
- Do you think the privatization of prisons proved to be a success? Why or why not?
- Do you think prisoners should maintain or lose their voting rights?
- Do you believe being a responsible consumer is possible in a globalized world?
- Do you think that universal basic income is a viable concept?
- Is sweatshop labor always unethical?
- Should students be encouraged to participate in community service?
- What do you think of internet censorship?
- Cancel culture: advocacy or cyberbullying?
- Is it ethical to create conscious robots?
- Do you think that sex education should happen in school or left at the discretion of individual families?
- Should businesses constantly expand to be considered successful?
- Do you think that the age rating ascribed to videogames and other visual content is adequate?
- Should women be allowed in the clergy?
- Do you think leather and furs should be made illegal?
- Do we have a responsibility to protect endangered species?
- Are sports like boxing too violent, and should they be allowed? Why or why not?
- Should uniforms be worn in schools? Why or why not?
- Should children under 13 be allowed on social media? Why or why not?
- Is there a film you believe to be underrated by the audience and critics? Why do you think it should be more appreciated?
- Is there such a thing as "guilty pleasure"? Should we feel bad about enjoying "lower genres" of film and literature?
- We all know that having enough sleep is crucial, yet neglect it for ostensibly more important things. Persuade your classmates to sleep more
- Horror films: yay or nay?
- Pole dancing: sexual objectification or freedom of expression?
- Do you think the drinking age should be lowered?
- Multitasking needs to stop
- Do you think that busking should be seen as begging or as street art?
- Do you think graffiti is public art or vandalism? Where do you draw the line?
- Should we restrict fast-food and put a legal age on it as we do with alcohol and tobacco?
- Should we all have sports in school, or should PE be an elective?
- Do you think family and children-oriented places should bar childless adults from entering to accommodate their target audience and vice versa?
- Does legal age for tattooing and piercing exist in your state? Do you think it should exist?
- Do you think family morals are declining?
- Do you think online dating created as many problems, if not more, than it has solved? Why or why not?
- Is there a place for single-sex schools in the modern world? Why or why not? What are the major benefits/downsides of such a model?
- What is the best game (card, board, video, sports, etc.) that everyone should play? Prove your point
- Which is better, city life or country life?
- Do you think TikTok incites creativity or promotes passive consumption of content?
- Do you think child beauty pageants are a beneficial or harmful practice?
- Do you think that summer break should be canceled in favor of year-round school?
- Over the years, some books were removed from the school curriculum for different reasons. Pick one that you believe should not have been banned and defend it
- Adolescent sexuality in media and teenage self-confidence
- Criminalizing abortion hurts everyone: agree or disagree?
- Should same-sex marriage be legal in your state?
- Is revenge porn a violation of consent, and should it be seen as a felony?
- Is there such a thing as positive discrimination?
- Do you think makeup is oppressive or empowering? What do you think about men using makeup?
- Where do you stand on euthanasia? Why should it or shouldn't it be allowed?
- The benefits of breastfeeding are overwhelming. However, do you think it can be advocated too aggressively? Aren't women sometimes shamed into breastfeeding?
- Should sex work be legalized and treated like any other profession?
- Should churches pay taxes?
- Should gender transition be allowed for the underage?
- Should anonymity online be allowed given all the harm that conspiracy groups like QAnon can do?
- Is virginity test a form of abuse? Should Ob-Gyn report parents who demand the test for their underage children?
- Should some drugs be legalized and taken under state control akin to alcohol and tobacco?
- Is Scientology a cult or a religious movement?
- If legal immigration were made more accessible, do you think it would reduce the number of illegal immigrants?
- Would you continue to do a lucrative business with a person if it turned out they do things you deem unethical (but which aren't illegal per se)?
- Would you report a drunk driver who is your friend?
- Should we treat medical malpractice allegations more skeptically?
- If there is such a thing as Just War, which war in human history can be an example? Why?
- Should photojournalists intervene and step in to help?
- Do you think athletes should compete with other people based on their biological sex or their gender identity?
- What do you think of legislation prescribing drug tests among welfare recipients?
- Do you believe colorblind casting in a historical setting is empowerment or erasure?
- Two wrongs do not make a right or an eye for an eye? What are your views on the death penalty?
- Compare and contrast dystopian visions by Orwell and Huxley
- Compare and contrast the characters of Della from "The Gift of Magi" and Madame Loisel from "The Necklace"
- Compare and contrast the characters of Gatsby from "The Great Gatsby" and Fantine from "Le Misérables"
- Compare and contrast "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Crucible"
- Compare and contrast Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley's Lover" and Nabokov's "Lolita"
- Compare and contrast any book/book series of your choosing and a film adaptation of it
- Compare and contrast two poems by different authors that share the same theme. How do authors approach their subject?
- Compare and contrast Classicism and Romanticism
- Compare and contrast your personal philosophy with one of the contemporary philosophical movements
- Compare and contrast Rene Descartes and John Locke's philosophy
- Compare and contrast the concept of the afterlife in two world religions of your choice
- Compare and contrast the concept of rebirth in Paganism and Buddhism
- Compare and contrast two leadership styles you have witnessed as a team member
- Compare and contrast two similar brands with different positioning
- Compare and contrast how capitalism is viewed and explained in the works of Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes
- Compare and contrast the Great Depression and the 2008-2009 recession
- Compare and contrast Disney and Studio Ghibli creative approaches
- Compare and contrast two paintings by different painters addressing one theme/subject
- Compare and contrast Gun Regulation Laws in USA and Australia
- Compare the roles of plastic in the modern world and pottery in ancient times. How are they similar and different?
- Compare and contrast Freud and Jung
- Compare and contrast ecotourism and cultural tourism
- Compare and contrast the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution
- Compare and contrast the American and the French Revolution
- Compare and contrast Hitler and Stalin
- How alcohol abuse causes domestic violence
- How musical education influences academic achievement
- The causes of divorces
- How childhood adversity affects mental health
- The causes and the effects of obesity
- How stereotypes are formed and perpetuated in pop culture
- The leading causes of crime in your area
- The causes of semantic change in English
- How and why teenage slang is developing and changing
- The causes of global warming
- The causes and the effects of deforestation
- The causes of inflation
- The causes of World War 1
- What contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire?
- The causes of the Civil War
- The causes and the effects of the Renaissance
- Causes and effects of the Great Potato Famine in Ireland
- The causes and the results of the Cold War
- The correlation between culture and personality
- Nature vs. nurture in social and emotional development
- Causes and effects of peer pressure
- Causes and effects of gun violence in the USA
- Causes and effects of body dysmorphic disorders
- Sex and violence in media: a cause or a remedy to real-life violence?
- Looking into causes of higher rates of mental health issues in the LGBTQ+ community
- Tell a story of a big disappointment
- The perfect summer vacation
- The most exciting trip you've ever taken so far
- Tell about the time you had to move (schools/houses/cities/etc.)
- Retell a story that exists in your family: how your parents or grandparents met, how one of your ancestors came to America, how someone persevered hardship, etc.
- Retell a fairy tale stylized as horror, romance, detective story, feature story journalism, or any other modern genre
- Tell a scary story with a twist
- One kind gesture that made the world a better place
- Tell a story from the point of view of an object (a rock in the forest, a ring, an old hat, a vehicle)
- Retell a famous tale from the point of view of the antagonist
- Tell about the time the power went out
- Your first night away from home
- Tell about a funny misunderstanding you were involved in
- The first money you've earned
- Tell about the first time you saw the sea/the desert/the forest/the mountains
- Tell about the time you have first come in contact with an animal
- Tell a story about a dangerous encounter
- Tell a story about a sacrifice
- Tell a story about making a friendship
- Tell a story about something lost and found
- Tell a story about a serendipitous event
- Tell a story about finding a precious object
- The hero's journey in one day
- Do you have a family heirloom? Tell its story
- If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be? Describe the day
- Tell about the time you felt blessed/lucky
- Is there something you regret doing or saying?
- Tell about the time you did something kind
- Tell about the time you have experienced envy
- The time you felt proud about something
- Tell about the time you discovered you are naturally good at something
- Tell about the time you were embarrassed
- We all experience loss at some point in our life. What was the biggest loss in yours? Which is the loss you dread the most as a possibility?
- The time you realized you were wrong about someone you judged
- The most horrifying moment of your life
- That time you stood up for someone else
- The time when your deeply ingrained belief was challenged
- Is there a moment in your life that you can call a turning point?
- Tell about the time you have learned from a mistake
- Have you ever believed in magic as a child? Tell about a magical moment in your life
- Have you ever experienced being treated differently because of your looks? (either negative discrimination or preference count)
- Tell about an epiphany you've experienced
- Was there a time when something you've worked hard for wasn't worth it or disappointed you in the end?
- Tell about the time you've antagonized something but came to appreciate it later
- Have you ever been too late to help, to participate in something meaningful, etc.?
- What inspires you to move ahead when you feel down?
- Was there a time when you felt completely abandoned, alone against the world?
- How does your typical day look like?
- Growing up on a farm/on a block/in a small town – shar
- Tell about a family tradition you love the most
- How to promote public participation in politics?
- How can we help people to acknowledge their unconscious biases?
- What strategies should be employed to accommodate young athletes and promote their studies?
- Propose changes to school cafeteria menu to make it more healthy and varied on the same budget
- Propose a program for freshmen to help them integrate into the student body
- What would you like to improve on campus grounds? Propose and outline a program of implementation
- Suggest a course that should be added as an elective for your major
- Propose an event that would raise awareness of a problem you believe doesn't get enough attention
- Do you think the cybersecurity of your school could be better? How?
- Analyze a local business. How can it improve its services?
- How can you interest more young people in reading?
- Propose a zero-waste initiative in your community
- How can you make your neighborhood more inclusive? Suggest scalable programs
- Suggest programs that would help young people explore their career interests
- What can schools do to promote musical education?
- Suggest ways to make more people involved in charity
- Suggest an artistic project that would turn garbage into beautiful and practical things
- How can you make car sharing more prevalent in your area?
- How can the community help children on the ASD spectrum socialize comfortably on their own terms?
- Suggest a program that would benefit the elderly in your town
- Suggest a course of action that would instill healthy user habits in children entering social media and prevent possible adverse effects
- Select and analyze a local business. How can it become more sustainable?
- Suggest a program that would make people in your community show more interest in the history and culture of your town
- Analyze employer-employee communication in your place of work or internship. How can it be improved? Suggest steps towards better communication.
- How can you encourage people in your community to go through regular medical checkups?
- What are the most viable solutions to climate change? What can be done in your community?
- How can schools collaborate with parents to reduce school dropout rates?
- What policies could you propose to address the problem of child abuse in families?
- Suggest programs to prevent animal abandonment and neglect
- What solutions can be applied to curb obesity in your community?
- What can youth do to prevent vandalism in your neighborhood?
- What can be done to make dining out a safer experience for people with rare food allergies?
- How can traditional media change their content and marketing to survive and find a new niche in the 21st century? Suggest a course of action for a local newspaper or magazine
- What can the community do to bring down the rates of juvenile delinquency?
- What can be done to lower the number of teenage pregnancies?
- What can be done to prevent sleep deprivation in schools and college students?
- What can schools and students themselves do to counteract bullying?
- How can we prevent children from being negatively affected by violence, coarse language, and explicit content on the internet?
- American healthcare is the most expensive in the world, being riddled with inflated prices, waste, and inefficiency. Choose one problem and propose a solution applicable to a hospital in your area.
- Robotization will lead to the loss of jobs – both unskilled and low-skill. How can this problem be solved?
- Disruptive behavior in school children and how it can be addressed in therapy
- Plan an AI task distribution system for a network of interconnected machines
- Propose a rehabilitation technique for a sports injury of your choice
- Take a company in your area and propose a solution for better employee retention
- Propose a water supply solution for an area suffering from a water shortage
- Propose a solution to prevent malaria in affected regions
- Analyze a piece of software you are regularly using. Are there any issues/missing features? Suggest your solution.
- What can be done to bring divorce figures down (in your area or nationally)?
- Suggest a program addressing students' mental health and stress levels
- Propose a solution managing invasive species problem in your area
- Human trafficking and slavery in the modern world
- School discipline and its evolution through the ages
- Korean Wave phenomenon and its influence on culture globally
- How does online communication influence offline-networking practices?
- The tie between social media and narcissism
- Gender-determined linguistic variation
- If morality is relative to the norms of one's culture, how can we define universal moral principles to govern international issues?
- Fanfiction and copyright: to what extent should each be protected?
- The patterns of data spreading through social networks
- What does Hollywood fascination with the end-of-the-world scenarios tell about us as a society?
- History of female portrayals in horror movies and what it reveals about fears and taboos associated with womanhood
- Witches in modern pop culture and the origins of the concept in European culture
- Factors influencing young consumer purchasing decisions
- Globalization in the consumer electronics market
- Main types of conflicts common in the workplace
- Benefits of community colleges and their role in postsecondary success
- Age vs. ability in student placement and grade system in K12
- The history of grade inflation
- Effects of screen time on physical health and emotional wellbeing in children
- Memes and internet culture in marketing
- Zoonoses and their potential to disrupt global society
- Sustainable farming initiatives and their effectiveness in your area
- Accessibility and quality of tap water in your area
- Does legalization of recreational marijuana influence crime rates? Analyze any state that has legalized marijuana
- Online education challenges and benefits
- The scale of buying on credit in modern society
- Taxation in the United States
- Caffeine consumption in the modern world and its impact on society
- Poverty in the developed countries
- Social media, body image, and plastic surgery in young people
- Anorexia, bulimia, overeating, and other eating disorders
- ADHD in young children: diagnosis and treatment
- Body positivity: the good, the bad, and the ugly
- Briefly outline the life of your favorite author, their main works, and their place in the literature
- Prosody and rules of versification in English
- Origins and evolution of realism in literature
- Benefits of handwriting for students in K12
- Food insecurity among college students
- Thomas More's views on society
- Content creators as a new class
- Plato's theory of forms
- Developmental stages of human life
- Hypnosis in psychotherapy
- Microeconomic issues in the US
- Native American language families
- The history of added sugar consumption and its effects on culture
- Dystopian genre in literature and film
- Ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica
- The history of writing
- Megastructures of the Ancient world
- Tell about one of the technological inventions and its impact on human society
- What were the reasons for the English Civil War?
- The frontier culture and its impact on contemporary media
- How did World War I started?
- The lessons for humanity from the catastrophes of the 20th century
- Write about a historical period you find the most fascinating
- The effects of illegal immigration on the US economy
- Bretton Woods agreements and their impact on the US economy
- Traditional and postmodern perspectives on psychological therapy
- What are the main conflicts of gun control legislation in the USA?
- Factors contributing to teenage suicides
- Effects of structured environment on child development
- Sudden infant death syndrome: possible causes, risk factors, and prevention
- Alzheimer's disease: causes, treatment, prognosis
- Ethical problems of organ donation
- Child marriages in the USA
- Views of transgender identity and intersexuality in different cultures
- Cultural appropriation, appreciation, and cross-pollination: the criteria of ethical cultural exchange
- The remnants of sympathetic magic in modern-day traditions and everyday objects
- Ways humans might outlive the Earth
- Bilingualism and multilingualism in the USA
- What are the advantages and challenges of the student-led curriculum?
- Evolution of the Gothic in modern pop-culture
- The psychological underpinnings of the fantasy genre and its popularity
- Videogames as an expressive medium: artistic use of interactivity
- What does it mean to be human?
- Define life
- Define consciousness. Do you think that machines can ever develop consciousness, as you understand it?
- What is race?
- Define singularity
- How did the concept of privacy change in the digital era?
- How the US Constitution defined freedom of speech? What does it mean for you?
- How do we decide what is and what isn't art?
- Define Romanticism in music
- What qualifies as serious literature? Is it a question of genre, authorial intent, mastery level? Where do you draw the line?
- How would you define success?
- What is a legacy? How has the concept changed through the years?
- Are freedom and independence completely synonymous? If not, what the difference?
- What is toxic positivity? Find examples in literature and media to illustrate
- What is beauty? How we judge if someone or something is beautiful?
- What is progress? Do you think that history of humanity is continuous, uninterrupted progress?
- Define norm. Is it a constant or dynamic concept?
- What is an archetype?
- How do we decide if something is moral or immoral?
- Define courage. How has the idea of courage changed through time?
- What is fate? How we see fate as opposed to our ancestors?
- What is charisma? How has the concept changed in recent times?
- Define acceptance. How is it different from passivity?
- What is virtue? How did Plato define it, and how do we see it now?
- What is inspiration? How did the concept evolve since Antiquity?
- Genres of digital art
- Genres of videogames
- Types of eating habits
- Annoying stereotypes in TV ads
- Most overused tropes in movies (you can choose a specific genre)
- Types of monsters in fiction and how they are coded to represent humanity
- Marketing strategies used in soft drinks promotion
- Genres of YA books
- Types of conspiracy theories that most often gain traction
- Stress-coping strategies
- Types of tourist attractions
- Leadership styles
- Stages of computer technology advancement
- Types of celebrities
- Types of social media users
- Most common forms of government in the contemporary world
- Genres of musical theater
- Types of popular book and film franchises
- Types of animals in relation to human civilization
- Types of circus performers
- Types of verses in sounding languages
- Most popular podcast genres
- Types of conlangs
- Classify the most popular foods available at the restaurants in your area
- Studying strategies popular in your class
- Evaluate a music album. Pick your favorite or any that is at the top of the charts at the moment
- Ask your friend or family member about their favorite music band/singer and evaluate their latest album
- Evaluate a music genre (RnB, rock, jazz, electronic, country, pop, world music, etc.)
- Evaluate a blockbuster movie with a broad appeal
- Evaluate an independent movie production
- Evaluate an actor's work in several film productions through the years
- Evaluate a movie adaptation of a novel or a play
- Re-evaluate a children's book you liked/disliked when you were younger
- Read and evaluate a book in a genre you never appreciated before (romance, horror, detective story, YA dystopia, etc.)
- Evaluate the book that you've read recently
- Evaluate a stage production (a play, a musical, a dance show)
- Evaluate one of your local restaurants
- Evaluate a live performance you've attended last
- Evaluate a sporting event you've attended or watched a broadcast of
- Evaluate the impact that social media are having on your life
- Evaluate a videogame you have recently played
- Evaluate a textbook or an online course
- Evaluate your distant learning experience
- Evaluate a venue for a party/prom/wedding reception
- Evaluate a phone you are using now. Would you recommend it to a friend? Why or why not?
- Evaluate a computer you are currently using. What features do you think it is lacking? Are there any redundant features you are not taking advantage of?
- Evaluate a piece of software you are using daily (e.g., a photo editing app, a word processor, a messenger, etc.)
- Evaluate a renowned artist's lesser-known picture (for example, Landscape by Moonlight by Rubens, La Bella Principessa by da Vinci, The Magpie by Monet, etc.)
- Evaluate an artistic movement and its historical impact
- Evaluate a piece of architecture in your city
- Describe a cataclysmic event you have witnessed
- The hottest (or the coldest) day of your life
- Have you ever explored ruins or abandoned property? Describe what you saw
- The most beautiful outfit you have ever seen
- Describe a place that is special for you
- Describe an important person in your life
- Describe your first teacher
- Paint a portrait of your best friend
- Describe your pet. If you don't have one, imagine a perfect pet you would like to have
- Describe your favorite smell.
- Describe how fear feels
- Describe the feeling of falling in love
- Describe your most treasured possession
- Describe a view from your window
- Describe your favorite dish (how it's cooked, how it smells, looks, tastes)
- Describe the most impressive structure you have ever seen (building, memorial, bridge, etc.)
- Describe a memorable thunderstorm
- Describe a spooky place
- Do you or someone you know own a lucky charm? Describe it
- Describe your first sleepover party
- Describe your room
- Describe a car you or someone you know drives
- Describe a route you regularly take
- Describe a perfect college (either real or imaginary)
- Describe your favorite natural landscape (national park, beach, mountains, etc.)
Persuasive Essay Topics
Persuasive essays are very similar to argumentative ones. The only difference is that they are allowed to be more emotional and can rely heavily on rhetorical devices. You still must use evidence to support your claims, but you are not restricted to stats and factoids. If something is purely a matter of opinion, you can try and change it with brilliant persuasive writing. These are some suitable topics for a persuasive essay:
Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics
When it comes to sensitive topics that are particularly divisive or touch taboo subjects, keeping an objective, level-headed tone of an argumentative essay is crucial. Only this way can a solution to a controversial problem be found. For example, do you think you could win over your opponents in disputes about these topics?
Compare and Contrast Essay Topics
This essay genre presents its unique difficulty in the amount of preparatory work. After all, you will analyze twice as much as you typically do for an essay because you will write about two or three things in one paper. To make it manageable, you must choose comparable items and find a reason why this comparison is meaningful. For example, people think they are wildly different, when in fact, they share more similarities than meets the eye, or vice versa. Here are some examples of the topics well-chosen:
Cause and Effect Essay Topics
This type of paper looks into reasons why some event or phenomenon occurs and/or the results of it (there are "causes only" and "effects only" essays as well.) The important skill tested in writing this type of paper is critical thinking and analysis needed to discriminate between correlation and causation. Here are some suitable topics to exercise this skill:
Narrative Essay Topics
A narrative essay is probably one of the most creative assignments in high school and college. The objective is to tell a story with a message, and the report can be about anything. However, most often, narrative essay prompts ask you to tap into your personal experience. Here are some of the example topics you might be given for a narrative essay:
Personal Essay Topics
A personal essay should be about yourself. It can center on a meaningful event in your life and rely on a narrative structure. However, it can also be more of a reflection where you ponder over one of your traits or beliefs and how you've developed it. Personal essays are very popular for various contests: admissions, scholarships, research grants, etc. Their objective is to represent you as a human being instead of a mere bundle of stats and data. If you weren't given any prompt, you could start with these suggestions.
Proposal Essay Topics
A proposal essay is a paper where you suggest a specific action, a change to a policy or practice, or a solution to a problem. You must prove your proposal's relevance, highlight the benefits it will bring, and show it is practical and possible to implement. When you need a topic for a proposal, just look around. What at your place of work, your school, your town, or your neighborhood would you like to improve? Here is something to begin with:
Problem-Solution Essay Topics
Problem-solution essays are very like proposal essays. Some schools even use the terms interchangeably. However, while proposals can suggest making something better, solution essays address a particular problem that needs to be solved. For example, in a proposal, you can suggest creating a hobby club, which will benefit your community but doesn't necessarily solve any specific problem. Here are topics that put the problem at the center:
Research Essay Topics
A research paper requires you to engage with various sources, gather data through independent research, analyze and interpret them, and elicit new information. This information should be new, relevant, and meaningful, adding to the understanding of the topic and the overall knowledge in the field. Here are some topic suggestions to spark your interest:
Informative Essay Topics
An informative essay aims to educate the reader on a subject by providing helpful and relevant information. You should not try to persuade your reader or share your opinion – just present a matter as completely as possible within the scope of your essay. The following subjects serve as examples of topics suitable for an informative essay:
Expository Essay Topics
An expository essay is intended to explain, expose, and shine light upon the matter. It doesn't argue any points and should present ideas objectively. The expository essay can deal with controversial topics but must present them in a balanced way, giving different takes on a problem. You may get one of the issues below for an expository essay assignment.
Definition Essay Topics
Definition essay seeks to explain and define a complex phenomenon or an abstract idea that can be interpreted in many ways. For example, "happiness", "evil", "duty", or "respect". Not every term is suitable since the specific challenge of a definition essay is that the concept in question doesn't lend itself easily to defining. Here are some suitable suggestions:
Classification Essay Topics
A classification essay is an academic paper that tests your logical and organizational abilities. You are tasked to organize objects, ideas, or phenomena into groups based on common features, connections, or hierarchical relationships between them. Ultimately, it's an exercise in analysis, pattern recognition, and breaking large complex subjects into smaller, easier-to-understand parts. This will help you to make sense of the world. Here are some ideas to hone this valuable skill:
Evaluation Essay Topics
The evaluation essay should present a detailed analysis of the subject, complete with your evaluation of it. It's not enough just to give your opinion – you must analyze and explain why you feel about something the way you feel. In a world of rampant consumerism where we are constantly bombarded with marketing messages, acquiring this skill is vital for becoming more conscious about our choices. To develop such a skill, try practicing on these topics:
Descriptive Essay Topics
A descriptive essay is a creative task. It tests your ability to use language for conveying a detailed, vivid picture of a place, event, person, or object. Some abstract things can also become a focus of a descriptive essay – for example, a feeling. If you need some inspiration, take a look at these topics:
