Though college admissions staff receive many travel narratives about worn topics like poverty and differences in food, a well-written travel experience can show the staff you are worldly and open to new experiences. Tie your travels abroad and interactions with the locals into a wider theme, like American consumerism or military involvement overseas.
Perhaps you could focus on how your experience lends itself to your desired major or the culture of the university. If applying as a biology major in a school known for sustainability, explain how your scuba diving adventure on the barrier reefs instilled in you a desire to study and work toward the preservation of natural habitats.
Instead of boasting about winning a state championship in debate already indicated on your resume, write about an inner challenge you overcame. Explain how volunteer work brought about a sense of appreciation for your home town, or how you came to love your big nose. Admitting such insecurities to the admissions committee shows them self-awareness, inner-confidence and maturity.
When writing about personal achievement, inject as many details that reflect your background and identity as possible. Transport the admissions officer to an experience no other student could have experienced because it's so integral to your background. For instance, writing how you mastered your Vietnamese grandmother's recipe once she passed away expresses your cultural heritage and family loyalty.
Schools desire students who want to impact the world in a positive way. When writing about an act of compassion, avoid reciting numerous examples of volunteering in a soup kitchen, cleaning up a highway and reading to elementary school students. Instead, take one isolated event and describe it in vivid detail. Write about a conversation with a homeless family of five or what you learned from the five-year-old student you mentored. Narrate the experience of standing up to a group of students abusing an animal. Writing heartfelt, personalized instances of compassion show the admissions team that you volunteered for reasons other than padding your college admissions portfolio.