How to Tackle College Essays About Decision Making?

I'm trying to write my college essays, and I'm feeling a bit stuck on the ones that ask about the decision-making process. How should I approach these prompts to show my thought process effectively? Any advice on making them stand out?

When writing about decision making, the key element to convey is the process you underwent to reach a conclusion. It's a careful balance of demonstrating analytical skills, personal values, and potential growth from the experience. In other words, your essay needs to tell a story that both engages your reader and indicates something meaningful about your character and mindset.

Firstly, when choosing a topic, ensure it showcases significant judgment beyond a simple, straightforward choice. This could be something like deciding what subject to major in, handling a conflict or choosing between two commitments. You need to pick an example that portrays conflict, internal or external, to make the narrative compelling.

In your essay, you might want to start by setting up the background – what was the decision that had to be made, and what made it significant? After providing the context, elaborate on the factors that made it challenging. This part can involve detailing the various pros and cons, implications, or contradictions you had to wrestle with.

Then, show how you approached this challenge. Did you create a pros-and-cons list? Did you seek advice from others? Did you carry out research? By describing your active steps towards a solution, you demonstrate your problem-solving skills.

Lastly, make sure to comment on the outcome and reflect on what you learned. Did your decision turn out well? If it didn't, what did you learn from the experience? Remember the best essays are not always about making the 'right' choice, but about how you handled the process and learned from it.

In order to stand out, consider weaving in unique analogies, vivid descriptions, or engaging dialogues. Also, focus on demonstrating aspects of your personality or experiences that colleges might not find elsewhere in your application.

Remember, the way you make decisions can tell colleges a lot about who you are, so be authentic and sincere in your writing.