The Importance of Easing Up on Topic Choices

The Importance of Easing Up on Topic ChoicesPrivate school admissions essay topics have undergone drastic changes over the past year and a half, as more schools are going to a much higher standard for admissions. Once upon a time, every student had to write an essay about his or her interests and aspirations. The policy was to evaluate each student's attitude and behavior, and a counselor made the final decision about whether a student would be admitted to the school.Today, kids at the middle and elementary school will be judged on their home life, extracurricular activities, the quality of their public records, and other criteria that were not always present in the past. In the process, it is becoming harder to decide what topics to include. Private school admission essays are used to make decisions about kids' futures, so it makes sense to know which topics are important and which ones are not.Grade 7 students will begin writing their first applications to high schools. Since priva te schools tend to be selective, it can be difficult to get into a better private school. Instead of trying to stand out from the crowd, students should use their seventh grade essay topics to put themselves in a positive light.The primary topics for eighth grade essays should include topics that reflect a positive attitude and good behavior. Although these topics may not be considered 'fun' topics by some high school counselors, they do get results. Most high schools will rate a student's attitude as high as possible, and since eighth graders want to show their friends how nice they are, they will take the time to include topics that show off their good behavior.Seventh graders may have trouble finding topics that are focused on their individual interests. They can use those topics as stepping stones toward topic ideas they might not have thought of, or they can brainstorm topics that are related to their interests. Even if the topics don't end up being quiteas interesting as they would like, they can still put forward good written content that shows their worth to the school.Using topics that are more personal, may also help students get into better schools, since private school admissions counselors prefer to have students who seem confident and have a better idea of what they want to do with their life. They can view students who are well behaved and good students as less likely to cause problems with other students. These topics may help prospective students stand out even more.Eighth graders will need to think carefully about what subject to include in their essays for high school. For most kids, personal topics will be too general, while topics that are related to college or career are better options. Getting into a good private school will depend on the school's admissions process, and it is wise to research a number of high schools before deciding on one.Children that are interested in attending their own private high school should check out the many websites that are devoted to college and university admissions. Such sites will provide information about different schools and help students choose among them. Since so many high schools are adopting the same admissions guidelines, these sites will be able to help students make a more informed decision about which school to attend.