The Wall Street Journal turned the tables on ten college presidents for an article appearing today, asking them to complete one of the essays from their respective schools’ applications:

The “applicants” were told not to exceed 500 words (though most did), and to accept no help from public-relations people or speechwriters.* Friends and family could advise but not rewrite. The Journal selected the question from each application so presidents wouldn’t pick the easy ones. They had about three weeks to write their essays.

The exercise showed just how challenging it is to write a college essay that stands out from the pack, yet doesn’t sound overly self-promotional or phony. Even some presidents say they grappled with the challenge and had second thoughts about the topics they chose. Several shared tips about writing a good essay: Stop trying to come up with the perfect topic, write about personally meaningful themes rather than flashy ones, and don’t force a subject to be dramatic when it isn’t.

Not bad advice for speeches, either.

See the whole story, including all ten essay responses, here.

* This requirement was specific to the Journal’s task and should not be considered general advice.