What makes a good college essay? This is a common question among high school seniors during the application process. A successful college essay captivates admissions officers and reveals the student’s identity and personality, creating a vivid picture that extends beyond grades and test scores, ultimately compelling the reader to advocate for the student’s admission. Thus, students must know which college essay topics to avoid.
Essays play a crucial role in the college admissions process. A well-crafted essay can significantly boost your chances of acceptance, while a poorly written one can jeopardize your prospects.
How can you ensure your college essays stand out? Sometimes, understanding the pitfalls to avoid is the best strategy. In this guide, we’ll explore the college essay topics to steer clear of and offer helpful tips to make your essays shine in the competitive admissions landscape.
Topics To Avoid In Your College Essays
Summary of Your Achievements and Transcripts
Why avoid it
- Redundant Information: Admissions officers already have access to your activities list and transcripts. Rehashing this information in your essay is redundant and doesn’t add any new insight into who you are as a person.
- Missed Opportunity: The essay is your chance to showcase your personality, values, and unique experiences. Repeating what’s already documented in your application wastes an opportunity to present a deeper, more personal narrative.
- Lack of Depth: This approach often results in a superficial essay that lacks depth and fails to provide a compelling story or insight.
Admissions officers may view this as a sign of laziness or a lack of creativity which is why this is one of the most common college essay topics to avoid. They might think you didn’t put in the effort to craft a meaningful essay. Is it so wrong to focus on what you have achieved during high school? It is not, but the main problem is that it misses the essay’s purpose—they won’t get a true sense of who you are.
With limited words, a long list of achievements will feel cramped and lack depth. In fact, it is considered one of the most overused college essay topics. There won’t be enough room to provide context or to showcase your personality. You already have the Activities List and Additional Info sections for these details. Ultimately, it’s far more effective to craft your essay around a single impactful experience rather than turning it into a resume.
Romantic Relationships and First Heartbreak
Why avoid it
- Overly Personal: These topics can be very personal and may make the reader uncomfortable. They can also come off as immature if not handled with extreme care and maturity.
- Risk of TMI (Too Much Information): There is a fine line between sharing personal growth and oversharing. Admissions officers are looking for a professional, insightful narrative, not the details of your romantic life.
- Limited Universality: These experiences may not resonate with all readers, and they might be perceived as trivial compared to other potential topics.
Admissions officers might see essays on these topics as lacking maturity or relevance to your academic and personal development. Your love life isn’t relevant to the admissions committee. This makes it one of the Common App essay topics to avoid. Additionally, love is a vast and complex topic, making it unsuitable for a college application essay.
Another issue with this topic is that it shifts the focus away from you and onto someone else. Your essay should be centered on you, as you are the person the admissions committee wants to learn about. Make sure to put yourself first in your essay.
Your Life Hero
Why avoid it
- Focus on Someone Else: This topic often results in an essay that focuses more on the hero than on you. Admissions officers want to learn about you, not someone you admire.
- Common Theme: Many students write about their heroes, making it a very common and less original topic.
- Lack of Personal Insight: These essays often fail to show how the hero’s influence has directly shaped your character, decisions, or future goals.
Admissions officers may see this as a missed opportunity to learn about you. They’re looking for essays that reflect your own experiences and perspectives. It’s a cliché college essay topic to avoid and not one of those good topics to write about. Much like writing about a romantic relationship, writing about your hero shifts the focus away from you and onto someone who isn’t applying to college.
That One Big Sports Challenge
Why avoid it
- Overdone: Many students write about their sports experiences, making it one of the most common and clichéd topics.
- Predictable Plot: Sports stories often follow a predictable narrative arc (e.g., facing challenges, overcoming them, winning or losing a game), which doesn’t stand out.
- Focus on Events, Not Personal Growth: These essays can sometimes focus more on the events of the game rather than personal growth, lessons learned, or deeper reflections.
These essays may be viewed as generic unless the story offers a unique angle or deep personal insight that is rarely seen which is why this is one of the college essay topics to avoid.
Another major reason to avoid writing a college essay about a sports challenge is that it requires a lot of words to explain the context of the game, key plays, and the outcome. This leaves little room for personal reflection or stylistic writing, resulting in an essay that may label you as a “generic athlete” to the admissions committee.
Instead, think critically about your experiences to find a unique and compelling topic. For example, Laura Stratton, Director of Admission at Scripps College in California, recalls an exceptionally well-written sports essay about a student who was benched during a final game.
“The self-awareness the student showed by being a good team member, supporting her teammates, and staying positive despite not having the personal experience she wanted, spoke volumes about her character and the kind of roommate or classmate she would be.”
Private Confessions
Why avoid it
- Inappropriate Content: Confessional essays can include sensitive or controversial topics that might not be appropriate for a college application.
- Risky Content: Sharing deeply personal issues or past mistakes might not portray you in the best light and can make readers uncomfortable.
- Lack of Positivity: These essays can sometimes come across as overly negative or self-pitying, which is not the tone you want to set.
Admissions officers might see these essays as risky and may question your judgment or maturity. If you feel guilty about something you’ve done that no one else knows about, it’s best not to share these confessions with the admissions committee. Such revelations likely won’t present you in the light you were hoping for.
Instead, focus on an experience that changed your perspective or how you navigated a challenging situation to the best of your ability. These anecdotes demonstrate growth, adaptability, and a willingness to change your viewpoint when presented with new information. These should be the topics to write about for college essay.
Unethical and Illegal Activities
Why avoid it
- Negative Impression: Writing about illegal or unethical activities, even if you learned from them, can create a negative impression.
- Judgment Issues: Such topics can raise questions about your judgment and values.
- Inappropriate for Application: This content is generally considered inappropriate for a college application essay.
This topic will be viewed as a red flag, questioning your suitability for their institution making it one of the college essay topics to avoid. Even if it’s not an outright crime, you should avoid writing about unethical activities that reflect poorly on you. For instance, some students have written college essays about being caught cheating on a test and learning from the experience. While learning from mistakes is important, such an essay might lead the admissions committee to question your integrity and wonder if you’ll cheat on college tests and assignments.
The ideal essay topic should build trust with the committee and demonstrate that you’ll add value to the college. Writing about illegal or unethical activities makes this difficult to achieve.
Your Luck and Privilege
Why avoid it
- Tone-Deafness: Essays that focus on how fortunate or blessed you are can come across as tone-deaf, especially if you do not acknowledge your privilege.
- Lack of Hardship or Growth: These essays often fail to show personal growth or resilience since they emphasize luck rather than effort or overcoming challenges.
- Perceived Superficiality: They can seem superficial and may not provide the depth of insight admissions officers are looking for.
Admissions officers might perceive you as lacking awareness or depth in your reflections which makes this one of the Common App essay topics to avoid. If you want to discuss your privilege or blessings, focus on the experience that made you aware of your life circumstances.
Describe how this realization changed you—not just in terms of perspective, but also in your actions. Explain what you did in response to this awakening, ensuring you convey it without coming across as a savior. Admissions committees appreciate vulnerability and honesty.
Your Experience in Volunteering and Educational Trips
Why avoid it
- Overdone Topic: Many students write about volunteer experiences, making it one of the most cliche college essays.
- Savior Complex: These essays can sometimes come across as having a savior complex or as condescending towards the people you helped.
- Superficial Reflection: They often fail to move beyond the surface level of the experience to offer deeper personal insights or growth.
These essays are often viewed as unoriginal and lacking depth unless you can provide a unique perspective or profound personal growth making it one of the college essay topics to avoid.
If you’re determined to share an experience from a trip, choose one meaningful moment to focus on. Did you meet someone who significantly impacted your character or beliefs? Did you encounter an unexpected challenge that required you to rise to the occasion?
The Senior Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Student Aid at Bowdoin College, Whitney Soule, noted, “Overuse of a topic doesn’t make it a bad topic.” By honing in on one specific aspect of your trip, you can differentiate your essay and provide more depth than simply summarizing your entire excursion.
Destroying the ‘Box’
Why avoid it
- Trying Too Hard to Be Different: Essays that try too hard to be unconventional can come across as forced or insincere. Good topics to write about always allow you to appear sincere and honest.
- Lack of Substance: Sometimes, these essays focus more on the format or the attempt to be different rather than the content and personal insight.
- Confusion: Unconventional essays can confuse or alienate the reader if not executed well.
These essays can be viewed as gimmicky and lacking in genuine reflection or substance. Being creative doesn’t require reinventing or destroying the wheel with your essay. Instead, focus on describing an anecdote or situation with detailed descriptions and vibrant imagery. Channel your creativity into your word choice and scene-setting. This approach will resonate more effectively with the admissions committee than a poem or song ever could (pun intended).
An Experience From Way Before High School
Why avoid it
- Irrelevance: Admissions officers are more interested in your recent experiences and growth, particularly during high school.
- Lack of Current Reflection: Events from early childhood or before high school may not reflect your current maturity, skills, or perspectives.
- Missed Opportunity: Focusing on distant past events might cause you to miss the opportunity to showcase your more recent and relevant experiences and achievements.
Admissions officers may view these essays as irrelevant or uninformative about your current self, which is what they are most interested in.
What do admissions officers look for in college essays?
Overall, colleges aim to understand who you are through your essays, focusing on your perspective, values, and unique voice. However, there’s a paradox in the essay prompts: they are often quite broad. For instance, a prompt might ask you to describe a time you overcame a challenge.
Many students assume the admissions committee is primarily interested in the challenge itself. In reality, what the committee truly wants to learn is more about you, and these prompts were created to reveal your character in an insightful manner.
Admissions officers look for several key elements in college essays to understand applicants better and determine their fit for the institution. Here are some important aspects they consider:
1. Authenticity
- Genuine Voice: They want to hear your unique voice and see your true self. Authenticity stands out and makes your essay memorable. The best topics to write about for college essay should bring out your unique and honest voice.
- Personal Stories: Sharing personal anecdotes and reflections helps convey who you are beyond your grades and test scores.
2. Self-Reflection
- Insights: Demonstrating self-awareness and the ability to reflect on your experiences is crucial. Admissions officers are interested in how you interpret and learn from your experiences.
- Growth: They look for evidence of personal growth and development over time.
3. Clear and Engaging Writing
- Clarity: Your essay should be well-written and easy to follow. Clear, concise writing is important.
- Engagement: The essay should capture and hold the reader’s interest from start to finish.
4. Specificity
- Details: Use specific details and examples to illustrate your points. Vivid descriptions make your story more compelling.
- Focus: Rather than covering too many topics, focus on one or two key experiences that highlight your strengths and personality.
5. Originality
- Unique Perspective: Offering a unique perspective or angle can make your essay stand out. Avoid clichés and overused topics unless you can present them in an original way.
- Creative Expression: Creativity in how you express your ideas can make your essay more memorable.
6. Relevance to the College
- Fit: Show why you are a good fit for the college and how the college is a good fit for you. Mention specific programs, opportunities, or values that attract you to the school.
- Contribution: Highlight how you plan to contribute to the college community and what you bring to the table.
7. Values and Character
- Integrity and Ethics: Admissions officers look for students who demonstrate strong moral character and integrity.
- Passion and Commitment: Showing passion for your interests and commitment to your goals is important.
8. Resilience and Problem-Solving
- Overcoming Challenges: Discussing how you’ve faced and overcome challenges can demonstrate resilience and problem-solving skills. The best topics to write about for college essay should demonstrate how you have overcome challenges and what you learned from them.
- Adaptability: Showing how you adapt to new situations and learn from them is valuable.
9. Impact
- Community Involvement: Essays that highlight your involvement in and impact on your community can be very compelling.
- Making a Difference: Demonstrating how you have made a positive difference, whether large or small, can be impactful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are personal experiences I should not talk about in my college essays?
Avoid discussing overused college essay topics and sensitive personal experiences such as illegal activities, romantic relationships, deeply personal confessions, traumatic events, or controversial topics in your college application. Instead, focus on experiences that showcase your growth, character, and suitability for the college. We also highlighted the college essay topics to avoid to help you write great college admissions essays.
What topics might come across as arrogant or boastful in my college essays?
Topics that might come across as arrogant or boastful in college essays include excessive bragging about achievements, highlighting privilege without self-awareness, and focusing too much on personal success without acknowledging others’ contributions or showing humility.
How do I know if an essay topic is overdone or unoriginal?
An essay topic is likely overdone or unoriginal if it frequently appears in common advice articles, feels generic, or lacks a unique personal angle. Researching overused college essay topics and common essay themes and seeking feedback can help determine their originality. To stand out, try to find a unique perspective or a more personal approach to these topics.
What are considered cliche college essays?
Cliché college essays typically include topics such as:
- Overcoming a sports injury
- The “big game” sports story
- Mission trips or volunteer experiences abroad
- Essays about a hero or influential person
- Generic reflections on personal growth
- Descriptions of a family member’s illness or death
- Essays centered around romantic relationships or breakups
- Stories of achieving academic success or winning awards without deeper personal insight
These topics are often overused and can lack the personal, unique touch that admissions officers seek.
Do I steer clear from writing about controversial and polarizing political or religious beliefs in my college essays?
Yes, it’s generally advisable to steer clear of writing about controversial and polarizing political or religious beliefs in your college essays. Such topics can be divisive and may detract from the primary goal of showcasing your personality, values, and potential fit with the college. Instead, focus on experiences and perspectives that highlight your growth, character, and individuality.
