When writing for a college application, follow the three steps of essay composition: prewrite, draft and edit. Prewriting is when you brainstorm ideas for the essay. Think about your character traits that are favorable to admissions personnel. Put these highlights to paper, identify connections or patterns, and create an outline that pulls it all together. With an outline completed, draft the actual essay. Narrative essays typically don't have an introduction. Write two engaging paragraphs that pull the reader in, and conclude with an explanation of how the story relates to your strengths. Finally, begin the editing process. Ensure the main idea is clear, seek others' feedback and proofread the draft multiple times.
Think of a momentous occasion from your childhood and tell the story of its importance. Make the event personal and specific to your experience. Perhaps a transition affected your childhood. The shift may be environmental changes, such as an urbanizing town, or something more personal like a family member moving away. If the event changed your perception, create a story arc describing previous beliefs, the experience of epiphany and its impact on your life.
Write a narrative detailing a time when you fought in support of your beliefs. Maybe you stood up against an unjust decision. This could have been a new classroom policy, a local ordinance or anything else that spurred you to action. Perhaps you disagreed with your parents and made a reasoned argument that convinced them to change their thinking. Ensure the narrative clearly relates why you felt the need to defend your convictions, the actions taken and their consequences.
Contemplate a time when you set a difficult goal for yourself and write about the experience of achieving it. Learning a new academic or athletic skill is a popular topic. You may have had to work diligently at the goal, only accomplishing it after taking a specific course of action. Perhaps you had a sudden realization that allowed you to achieve the goal. Either way, explain why the goal was the important, your actions in pursuit of it and the experience of accomplishment.
Some of the most vivid memories come from unexpected events. You think something is going to happen in a routine way, yet it unfolds in an unforeseen manner with surprising consequences. Perhaps you were unprepared for an important event and expecting a bad outcome, the relative success of your actions was surprising. Your writing should reveal the roller coaster of emotions that accompany unexpected experiences. Clearly describe why the event was surprising, your assumptions regarding consequences and the feelings you have in retrospection.