美国名校申请essay指任何一种非小说性的，篇幅不长、结构简练的文章，如议论文、报道、评论、讽刺性杂文等。大学申请需要提交的全套申请材料里，申请essay是重要的关键点，很大程度直接或间接地决定学生的申请录取结果，同时也是学生和家长最难把控的申请难点。
the Common Application Essays 通用申请文书 (6选1), 附加文书additional essay，此外,不同学校也有不同的补充文书题目supplementary Essays
一. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.评述一次重要的经历、成就、冒险或面临的道德困境，及其对你的影响
1. “Evaluate” -- Make Sure Your Response is Analytical(分析逻辑性的)
2. A "Significant" Experience Can Be Small
3. Don‘t Brag(夸大,吹牛) About an "Achievement"
4. An “Ethical Dilemma“(道德两难) Doesn‘t Need to be Newsworthy(有新闻价值的)
5. Reveal(显示,展示) Your Character
二.Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.讨论一个你个人、地区、国家或国际事件及其对你的重要性
1. Be Sure to "Discuss"
2. Focusing Close to Home is Often Better
3. Don‘t Lecture(演讲) Your Audience
4. Give Emphasis to "The Importance to You"
5. Show Why You'd Be a Good Choice for the College
三. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.说明一个曾经对你有重要影响的人，并描述他/她对你产生了怎样的影响
1. Push the Language in This Option
2. Think Twice About Essays on Mom or Dad
3. Don‘t Be Star Struck (追星族)
4. Obscure Subject Matter is Fine
5. The "Significant Influence" Need Not Be Positive
6. You Are Also Writing About Yourself
四. Describe a character in fiction , a historical figure, or a creative work(as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.描述一个曾经对你产生过重要影响的小说人物、历史人物、或者艺术、音乐、科学等创作性作品。同时描述他/她对你产生了怎样的影响
1. Don't Do Too Much "Describing"
2. Keep the Focus on the Word "Explain"
3. Watch Out for Predictable(可预见或预知的) Choices
4. Be Careful with Fictional(虚构的,小说的) Characters
5. Don‘t Write About Your Favorite Contemporary(当代的) Song
6. Approach the Word "Creative" in Broad Terms
7. Keep Much of the Focus on You
五. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you. 学术兴趣、个人观点、生活经验都能有效增加教育群体多样性。说明你的个人背景，描述一个个人经验，由此说明你能增添大学的多样性，或者说明一个文化多样性的校园对你的重要性
1. Diversity Isn‘t Just About Race(种族)
2. Understand Why Colleges Want "Diversity"
3. Be Careful Describing Third-World Encounters
4. Be Careful Describing Racial Encounters(遭遇)
5. Keep Much of the Focus on You
六. Topic of your choice.你的自选主题(题目)
1. Make Sure Options 1 Through 5 Aren't Appropriate
2. Don't Try Too Hard To Be Clever
3. Make Sure Your Essay Is An Essay (No Poems, Drawings, etc.)
4. Reveal Yourself
以上就是美国名校申请essay写作常见的六种题材，大家在写作的时候根据自己的生活和学习经历，选择最适合自己发挥的来写申请essay.