Nearly every college application asks for at least one personal essay. The trouble is the prompts are vague and don’t give you much direction. For example, part of a prompt for the 2024-2025 Common Application is “Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure.” That’s a pretty broad question inviting a broad range of answers!
The advantage of a vague prompt is that it allows you to write about topics you’re comfortable and familiar with — something critical to writing an essay unique to you. The trouble is, without any guidelines, it’s possible to write about something you shouldn’t.
So what are college essay topics to avoid? And what should you write about instead? This guide tells you everything you need to know to craft a college application essay that shines.
Why Do Colleges Ask for Essays?
The college essay helps admissions officers better understand who you are, why you want to attend their school, and what you’ll bring to the campus. Your transcripts, grades, and test scores show how you might perform academically, and recommendation letters explain what someone else thinks about you. Even the list of your activities only demonstrates your interests and leadership roles.
But your essay is all about you and what makes you tick! And that’s what helps your application stand out from the pile.
17 College Essay Topics to Avoid
You may think that being edgy or writing about something deeply personal will help your college essay stand out. And it will, but maybe not the way you want. Certain college essay topics are inappropriate for your essay and should be avoided.
In some cases, the topic is tired and cliche. College admissions readers and officers have seen X and Y so many times they could write the essay for you! Other topics are just too sticky or delicate and are unlikely to land how you want.
So, what college essay topics should you avoid? And what should you write about instead?
1. Common Topics With a Cliche Conclusion
Many students play sports, sing in choir, play in school band, and volunteer. But admissions officers read hundreds of those stories, and they often blur together. A common story about a common activity risks leaving no impression at all. You may come across as a stereotype rather than an interesting and unique person.
What to do instead: Write about the uncommon and the unexpected or put a surprising twist on the common topic so your story becomes unique.
Share the quirky details that are specific and unique to you. You can write about a common activity if you have something unexpected to say that will surprise or delight your reader while revealing something deeply true about you.
2. Your Hero
Writing about a personal hero who played a significant role in your life or inspired you seems like a slam-dunk college essay topic. But if you spend too much time talking about the amazing things this person has done, the admissions officer may want to admit them instead of you!
What to do instead: Writing about your hero is OK if you frame the essay around you. For example, if Grandma is your hero because she escaped a war-torn country, write about the concrete ways that impacted you. Did it inspire you to volunteer? Has that influenced why you’re choosing this school or major? Make sure the essay focuses on you and what you will do, not your hero and what they’ve done.
3. Bad Grades
A typical essay prompt is to talk about a time you faced a significant challenge and how you overcame it. While this is an excellent opportunity to talk about your strengths and how you handle adversity, writing about a bad grade is a very cliche essay topic.
While this may be a significant challenge for you, it pales in comparison to the challenges other applicants have faced. And a bad grade isn’t something you necessarily want to present to the admissions committee.
What to do instead: You can use bad grades as an essay topic if you frame it positively. Instead of talking about how you did poorly, talk about how you went to the teacher for help, and that experience inspired you to become a teacher.
4. Immigration Stories
Immigrating to a new country is huge, but many admissions officers have read about how difficult it is to learn a new language, navigate new customs, and the struggle to fit in. It’s not a particularly unique experience, especially in America.
What to do instead: You can write about your immigrant experience if you hyper-focus your essay on a unique aspect. Avoid writing about how hard it is to learn a new language and instead write about how that experience inspired you to start a club that teaches others your language.
5. Volunteer Trips
Volunteering has its place on a college application essay, but similar to immigration stories, many students have gone on volunteer or mission trips and write about the experience, meaning it’s something the admissions committee has read about a lot!
What to do instead: Volunteer and mission trips also need a hyper-specific and unique focus. For example, while your job may have been to build housing, you may have noticed a lack of dental care for the village. As a result, you want to become a dentist and one day set up volunteer dental clinics to provide the desperately needed care.
6. Travel
Traveling opens your eyes to the world and introduces you to new experiences and cultures. Many colleges encourage students to travel through their study abroad programs, so you may think writing about your extensive travels is a good fit for the college essay.
The problem is that it could sound very privileged. Not everyone has the same opportunities or resources as you, and discussing your expensive-sounding trips may not land the way you want it to, making this one of the essay topics to avoid.
What to do instead: You can write about your travel, as long as you don’t discuss a whirlwind trip where you visited 14 counties in three weeks. It’s better to focus on what you learned while you were in a specific country than the travel itself. Discuss the cultural differences or how being outside your home country changed your opinion on how you view the world.
7. Illegal or Unethical Activities (Even Lying)
While you probably learned something from your illegal or unethical actions, admitting to the admissions committee that you’ve engaged in this kind of activity could demonstrate a lack of judgment and maturity. The same is true for lying — even little white lies.
What to do instead: It’s best to choose another essay topic.
8. Tragedy
Tragedy is an unfortunate part of life for many, even college applicants. Writing about your tragedies or hardships can make college essay topics as long as you don’t go overboard. For example, if you cared for a loved one with cancer, don’t focus on the gory details or explain how living through that interfered with your life. It could sound like you’re writing about this tragedy for the sake of scoring points.
What to do instead: Write about a tragedy you’ve experienced, but talk about what you learned or how you overcame it. This helps describe how you face challenges and move forward in the face of adversity instead of pulling heartstrings or trying to get someone’s pity.
9. Working Hard in School
Working hard in school is another cliche essay topic that should be avoided. You’re supposed to work hard in school because you’re learning the material for the first time! Struggling is normal and even expected. Ultimately, your grades demonstrate your effort.
What to do instead: Write about a different topic. This one will not score you any points with the admissions committee.
10. Romance and Breakups
Love and romance can play a significant role in your life, and young love or first love is special. However, love, romance, and breakups aren’t the best college essay topics. It’s deeply personal and often too personal for an admissions essay. While admissions officers want to know more about you, this topic is a bit over the line.
What to do instead: Outside of using a romance or breakup as a jumping-off point for an essay, it’s best to avoid this essay topic.
11. Family Pressure
Whether it’s attending a certain college, pursuing a particular major, or even getting the right grades, family pressure is real. You may think the college essay is an excellent place to discuss your family’s expectations, but exploring your family’s deep dark secrets can fall into the “too personal” category.
What to do instead: This can be a difficult topic to write about, so it’s generally best to skip it.
12. Humor
Since admissions officers spend a lot of time reading serious college essays about serious topics, you may think you can stand out if you write a humorous or even satirical essay. The problem is that the college essay is supposed to be serious, not funny. That’s not to say it has to be dramatic, but it’s more like writing for the school paper, not a stand-up comic.
What to do instead: You can use bits of humor throughout your college essay, but only in ways that feel natural. Don’t try to force the jokes or “be” funny. Stick to the topic and write about it in a serious manner.
13. Privilege, Luck, or Being Blessed
Acknowledging your life circumstances is a significant sign of maturity — especially when you can acknowledge you have it better than others. However, talking about this in a college admissions essay can misfire. Your essay may read more as an accounting of what you have instead of how fortunate you are to have it.
What to do instead: Unless you’ve used your privilege, luck, or the fact that you are blessed to help others and can explain it in a way that sounds humble, you may want to steer clear of this essay topic.
14. What You Hate About Your School
You probably didn’t get to choose your high school, and it may not be the best fit for you for a variety of reasons. That’s unfortunate, but it’s not something for a college essay. It’s OK to be dissatisfied with things, but it could seem like you’re listing a bunch of problems without offering solutions, and that’s not the kind of thing admissions committees look for.
What to do instead: If you did something concrete to try and improve your school — like presenting to the school board about why something needs to change — you should steer clear of this topic.
15. Controversial or Inappropriate Topics
Being edgy will probably help your college application essay stand out, just not in the way that you want. Controversial, inappropriate, or taboo topics should be avoided. You don’t want to risk upsetting or even offending the admissions officer.
What to do instead: Choose another topic.
16. Being Too Creative
Creativity and risk-taking can help your essay stand out. But the admissions committee is checking to see if you followed the instructions on the prompt. Submitting a haiku instead of a more traditional college essay is creative but may not be what the school wants.
What to do instead: You can take some risks and be a little creative in your admissions essay, but don’t go over the top. Instead of submitting a haiku, consider starting or ending with one that ties into the larger theme you’re writing about.
17. Going Too Far Back in Time
Our earliest experiences can shape who we are. While these are important events, talking about something that happened when you were five may be too far back in time for a college admissions essay. Admissions officers are looking for more recent events and experiences that describe who you are now and how they’ve shaped you.
What to do instead: Choose events and experiences that have occurred during your high school years. The exception is if you can draw a compelling link from an early event to more recent ones.
6 More Things To Avoid In College Essays
In addition to avoiding the above essay topics, here are six more things you should avoid to ensure your college essay shines.
1. Repeat Information
While it is tempting to focus your essay on your academic successes and your key hobbies, don’t do it! Admissions officers have read your transcript and your activities list. Repeating that information will bore them and waste the chance to “come to life” in your essay.
What to do instead: Share something about yourself they don’t already know.
Instead of rehashing the facts and figures about yourself, tell a story that reveals your values, voice, and personality. Share an event that shaped you and made you who you are today. Offer a montage of key moments that reveal something core about you and how you move in the world. You can mention a class or activity that is listed elsewhere in your application, but do it in service of the larger point you are making about who you are.
2. Brag or Whine
When writing your essay, it can be tempting to brag, but resist the urge. You want to be seen as worthy, and it’s normal to want to make sure the admissions officers know how much you have accomplished and how skilled you are. But you have already mentioned your awards and recognitions in your activities list. Your transcript speaks for itself, and colleges are not typically excited about blow-hards or people who feel the need to strut and trumpet their victories.
On the other hand, some students share a hardship story, hoping to inspire empathy. But a story about struggle and suffering only works if you can show that you came out of it wiser, stronger, kinder, and with a new and better understanding of how to move in the world. If all you write is how hard life has been for you, you risk sounding like a whiner and someone who can’t cope or rise above difficulties.
What to do instead: Whether writing about success or hardship, offer a thoughtful take-away. Dig for insight. Be honest about your vulnerability. Allow the admissions committee to get a real sense of who you are.
In your essay, colleges are looking for evidence that you are thoughtful, engaged, and engaging. Show that you reflect on your experiences and learn from them.
3. Use a Thesaurus
Don’t use words that aren’t part of your regular vocabulary or abandon your voice in favor of language you think will be more impressive. Filling an essay with obscure language just makes it stilted and hides who you really are behind a veneer of pretentiousness that is off-putting.
What to do instead: Use language that comes naturally to you. Get your voice on the page.
Strive to shed your academic voice, the one you’ve probably spent years perfecting when writing your English and history class papers. Instead, aim for language that is closer to the way you speak. Your goal is to come alive on the page, to sound like yourself and no one else.
Read your college essay aloud. Does it sound like you? Chances are it will take a few tries before your voice comes through. This is a very different writing style, so have patience with yourself. When you get your voice on the page, you’ll recognize it, like a light bulb switching on.
4. Turn In Your First Draft
College essays can take time to write. You may have some false starts, feel stuck, and may even wait as long as possible to get started. So, once you’ve finally finished a complete version (at last. a beginning, middle. and end! Phew!), you’re tempted to be done with it. Understandable.
But this is your one shot to make that famous first impression. You know this first draft will probably have typos and grammar and spelling errors, but more importantly, will have some sloppy language and half-formed thoughts. You know you can do better.
What to do instead: Revise, edit, proofread.
Once you have a first draft that feels like a keeper, set it aside for a day or two. Then come back to it and look at it closely. Ask yourself if you have a strong opening that grabs readers and an ending that will help the admissions committee see you’re ready for college.
Check the word count (the typical personal statement must be between 250-650 words). Do you need to cut words or flesh out the key points of the essay? When you think you’re done, ask someone else to do a final proofread for you.
5. Not Asking For Help
Every year, students turn in essays that someone else has “helped” them write. Apart from the fact that it’s cheating to have someone else write your essay, no one will do a better job getting your voice on the page than you are. Admissions officers are experts at detecting a parental or professional assist.
What to do instead: You have to write your college essay yourself, but you can ask for conceptual help. Ask questions like:
- Can you help me brainstorm possible topics?
- Can you read my essay and tell me where you think it’s most engaging and also where it’s a little boring or confusing?
- Will you do a final proofread for me?
6. Use AI
A college admissions essay helps the admissions committee see who you are as a unique individual and better understand why they should admit you. While AI can create something that effectively answers the question and may even be able to make the essay sound heart-warming, inspiring, or even funny, the reality is no AI can ever effectively explain what makes you you.
What to do instead: While you shouldn’t let AI write your admissions essay, you can use it to help you brainstorm ideas, proofread your essay, and ask for feedback.
For example, you can input your essay and ask AI if it’s clear and makes sense to the reader. If it doesn’t, you can ask AI what’s unclear and even for a suggestion or two on how to rephrase something. You can ask it to look for typos you may have missed or give you suggestions when you’re stuck.
Get Some Guidance
Writing a college admissions essay is a deeply personal experience. It’s written by you, about you, and contains your hopes and dreams. It can be a bit overwhelming, but staying away from certain topics and experiences will help ensure you write an essay that you’re proud of and admissions officers enjoy reading.
And if you’re looking for some assistance writing your college admissions essay, Emergent Education’s college counselors can help. We’ll help you find an essay topic that captures who you are, and help you craft an essay in your voice that explains who you are outside of the classroom. Contact us today for a free consultation.
