Many college admissions departments want to know what your goals are. They may ask what you plan to do in the next five years and what you see yourself doing after that. They want to know how your career plans align with your desire to attend that particular school. If you have a strong desire to attend a certain school because it has a degree plan that will enable you to obtain your dream job, mention this in the essay.
You may have role models who helped you develop into the person you are today. With their help, you may have learned how to develop goals, or they mentored you as you learned a new skill. A college essay question might ask you about your role models and what they have done in your life. You may also be asked about other influential people in your life, such as parents, siblings or friends. College admissions departments want to know how certain factors, such as education or work, have shaped you.
If you participated in extracurricular activities at school or have been named employee of the month at work, this is an ideal essay question for you. If you are asked to name your proudest achievement at school, for instance, you might mention how you changed a school rule by introducing a petition to the student council. If you work, write about something you did to save your company money or improve productivity. Your responses let the admissions department know you're a hard and intelligent worker.
Some colleges may use creative topics to get to know you better. These topics let you show the admissions department a bit of your personality. You may be asked about the importance of community service, for example, or what you believe is the biggest challenge your generation will face. Other questions include what you think the world will be like in 20 years, what book has influenced you most and how you handle great success and failure.