How to Choose Good Essay Topics for High School (+65 Topics for Inspiration)

You’ve just been assigned an essay.

Usually, your professor assigns a specific topic, but this time, you’ve been asked to pick a topic.

At the outset, choosing your topic might seem like a blessing, but it’s not as straightforward as it seems.

Although there could be millions of topics to write about, there’s no appropriate knowledge. Like it or not, most poorly-graded essays result from an incorrect choice of topic.

So yes, the pressure is on.

This article will teach you how to choose good essay topics for your high school essay.

6 Strategies to Choose Good Essay Topics for High School

From not abiding by the essay prompt and picking a topic you know nothing about to choosing one that’s too narrow or broad -- there are several mistakes high school students make when choosing essay topics.

This is crucial because the topic selection can make or break your essay. Here are some valuable tips to remember while choosing essay topics for high school.

1. Brainstorm topic ideas

The first thing to do before looking for the perfect topic for your high school essay is to brainstorm.

Think about ideas -- write down whatever comes to your mind. You don't have to use all the ideas you write down, but it is helpful to have choices.

Look for topics that you are interested in. These topics will make your entire essay process a lot more enjoyable and thorough.

There are many methods for successful brainstorming -- list the pros and cons for each topic or create a mind map. Write your topic in the center and branch your ideas into sub-topics connected to the main topic. This will help you to organize your thoughts and ideas visually.

Here’s an interesting video by Edraw on using ming-maps for brainstorming essay topics

2. Choose something that interests you

As you brainstorm ideas for your essay topics, make sure you opt for topics that you find exciting or ones you’re passionate about.

Don't go for boring, played-out topics that have been written by people multiple times. If you write an unenthusiastic essay on a boring topic, you will never be able to write a stellar essay and get the grades you desire.

Try to expand your writing horizons by exploring something new, something different. Only then can you put your heart and soul into crafting an essay that will stand out amongst all the others.

3. Do preliminary research

Always remember that just because the topic is attractive doesn't mean that you will find enough information to start your research on it.

Before you lock your topic, have a good amount of knowledge on what you’re planning to write your essay on and research, research, research!

Go through various websites and journals to see whether there is enough background material on the topic you’re considering.

The last thing you want is to be left with a topic that hardly gives you scope to research and build your essay.

4. Read the prompt carefully

Understand the writing prompt of your essay well so that you can do justice to it.

Evaluate what kind of essay your professor would like to see through the given prompt and ask yourself questions -- does the essay want you to compare and contrast or find differences and similarities? Does it want you to take a stand on an issue? Is it supposed to be a reflective essay, or is it supposed to be a cause-and-effect essay that focuses on the consequences that are derived through specific actions, decisions, or events?

Figure out how to express your opinions clearly, keeping in mind that you must adhere to the fast outline and submit a quality essay.

5. Consider the word count

One of the essential points to remember while writing your high school essay is the length.

If the topic is too broad, it will lead you to overgeneralize since you may have so much material in your hands that it would never fit into a 4-page high school essay. You’ll find yourself going in too many directions, and your essay will lack focus.

At the same time, your chosen topic should also not be too narrow because you need to have enough information related to your topic to write a quality, well-researched essay.

A topic that’s too specific will leave you with a minimal research scope, making it impossible to write an in-depth essay about it.

So, make it a point to look at sources from which you can retrieve information on the topic of your choice and ensure you stay true to the word count.

6. Take a different approach

If there are no interesting topic ideas that come to mind after brainstorming, it is okay to reuse a topic that you have previously written on.

The trick is to approach the same subject with a completely different perspective. There is no reason to write the same essay on the same topic twice.

For example, if you had previously written about the history of capital punishment in the USA, you can now approach your topic from a cause-and-effect angle. It’s like old wine in a new bottle if packaged correctly.

65 Good Essay Topics for High School Students

Topics on humanity

1. Gay partners and child adoption.

2. Surrogate mothers and societal worldview.

3. Violence in media content.

4. Sex education in middle school.

5. Should homework be abolished?

6. Children's exposure to media.

7. Why domestic gender violence is on the rise?

8. Using animals to conduct research experiments is wrong.

9. Parents should monitor the website their children visit.

10. Should women be allowed into extreme sports?

11. The state of feminism in American society.

12. Exploring unfair child labor in the workplace.

Topics on technology

13. Cyber security.

14. How can technology help in preventing terrorist attacks?

15. How did Bill Gates and Steve Jobs change the world?

16. How close did we get to artificial intelligence?

17. How do regular people influence technological progress?

18. The future of the internet.

Topics on environment

19. The climatic change in the last 30 years.

20. Why do some believe that global warming is a hoax?

21. What are the best ways to reduce global warming?

22. How does global warming alter wildlife?

23. Ocean pollution.

24. Ways of reducing air pollution.

25. How can alternative types of energy help to preserve the Earth’s natural resources?

26. Recycling to make the world better.

27. Recycling to make the world a better place.

28. Endangered species.

29. Drinking water for all and how to achieve it.

Topics on legal issues

30. Should marijuana be legalized at the national level?

31. Are punishments for sex crimes fair?

32. Should there be a law preventing cyberbullying?

33. Various laws on abortion around the world.

34. How do prostitution laws differ around the world?

Topics on business

35. How can one turn a business idea into a successful startup?

36. Influence of creative marketing on your sales.

37. Effect of taxation on small businesses.

38. Effective time management for big and small teams.

39. Multitasking as a productive method of work.

40. Sexual harassment in the working environment.

41. How can benefits make your employees happy?

42. The most successful businesses in the first two decades of the 21st century.

Topics on World politics

43. How did Angela Markel change Europe?

44. The consequences of Brexit for European values.

45. How can world politicians unite against the threat that Russia poses?

46. Can North and South Korea unite again?

47. How can we eliminate dictatorial regimes in the 21st century?

48. Conflict in Africa.

49. How can the world unit fight racism.

Topics on religion

50. Is Christianity at its dusk?

51. Can any religion justify crimes against humanity?

52. The most popular new age religion.

53. Sexual abuse in the church.

54. Should religious beliefs influence health matters?

55. Oppression of women by various religions.

56. The political context of the global religions throughout time.

57. Myths of creation through global religion.

58. Formation of new religions.

Topics on health

59. Impacts of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana on the human body.

60. Vaccination in the 21st century.

61. Controversial issues of birth control.

62. How can research help cure AIDs.

63. The importance of mental health.

64. Anorexia and obesity.

65. Effects of fats on the human body and mind.

Conclusion: Choose Good Essay Topics for High School

Essay writing in high school is an integral part of academic life, and a good topic can create a favorable impression in the minds of the faculty. Besides fetching good grades, it also enhances developmental skills and intellectual growth.

After all, when you know what to say, it is so much more likely that you will say it well. Choose the right topic for your essay, and you’re sure to write a winning essay.

If you are stuck, don’t hesitate to contact Writers Per Hour. Whether you’ve been assigned a topic or not, our writers can help you with it all.

From picking the right topic to submitting an original high-school essay, Writers Per Hour is here to help you with all your essay writing woes.