{"id":15898,"date":"2020-11-09t18:56:53","date_gmt":"2020-11-10t02:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/?p=15898"},"modified":"2021-01-06t15:52:18","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06t23:52:18","slug":"7-college-essay-topics-to-avoid-writing-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/7-college-essay-topics-to-avoid-writing-about\/","title":{"rendered":"7 college essay topics to avoid writing about"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2020\/11\/speaking-blog-headers.png\" alt=\"bubble in air about to hit cactus representing college essay topics to avoid - image by magoosh\" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15899\" srcset=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2020\/11\/speaking-blog-headers.png 1200w, \/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2020\/11\/speaking-blog-headers-300x150.png 300w, \/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2020\/11\/speaking-blog-headers-600x300.png 600w, \/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2020\/11\/speaking-blog-headers-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\na great college essay topic is meaningful and engaging. it tells a story only you can tell, in a way that only you can tell it. it reveals something important about who you are, how you think, or what you believe in and value. but what about a not-so-great college essay topic? are there any college essay topics to avoid entirely?\n<\/p>\n<p>\nthe short answer is: yes. for example, you don\u2019t want to write anything that casts you in a negative light, risks upsetting the person reading your essay, or touches on a clich\u00e9 and overused topic. keep reading to learn more about the seven topics you should <em>never<\/em> write about in your college essay.\n<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #c5168c\">top 7 college essay topics to avoid<\/h2>\n<h3>1. illegal\/inappropriate behavior<\/h3>\n<p>\nin <em>very<\/em> rare cases, it might be appropriate to tell a story that shows how much you\u2019ve changed and grown as a person. for the most part, however, it\u2019s better to avoid discussing any illegal, immoral, or inappropriate behavior in your essay. and when in doubt, it\u2019s best to leave it out.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nso, don\u2019t write about underage drinking, drugs, trespassing, stealing, risky behaviors with your friends, or any major personality flaws. don\u2019t glorify violence or write about experiences that might make your reader uncomfortable. similarly, avoid profanity and graphic language.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nyou don\u2019t know who\u2019s reading your essay or how they might feel about these topics. there\u2019s a good chance they might question your character, along with the wisdom of offering you a place on campus.\n<\/p>\n<h3>2. overused ideas <\/h3>\n<p>\nwhen applicants write about clich\u00e9 or overdone topics, it\u2019s hard to offer anything new to your reader. and when you don\u2019t offer anything new, admissions officers don\u2019t get a chance to learn more about you. it also means that your essay won\u2019t be particularly memorable.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nhere are common topics that you should avoid:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>highlights of a sports career<\/li>\n<li>a sports injury<\/li>\n<li>family history in a career field<\/li>\n<li>performing well in a challenging class<\/li>\n<li>overcoming divorce or the death of a pet<\/li>\n<li>starting your essay with a famous quote<\/li>\n<li>moving to a different part of the country<\/li>\n<li>volunteering <\/li>\n<li>volunteer trips\/traveling (especially how you realized everything you have to be grateful for)<\/li>\n<li>religious background<\/li>\n<li>romantic relationships <\/li>\n<li>using a common object as a metaphor for you or your life\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nthat\u2019s not to say that none of these topics can be done well. you might be able to find a really creative approach to some of the topics listed here. for instance, the experience of divorced parents is common, but maybe you dealt with it in a unique way. to stay on the safe side, it\u2019s still better to explore a different idea that will seem fresh to admissions officers and give deeper insight into your personality and individuality.\n<\/p>\n<h3>3. hot-button issues<\/h3>\n<p>\ncontroversial topics like politics, religion, and other hotly debated subjects and current events are not ideal for your college essay. for example, don\u2019t get into your views on abortion, guns, immigration, police officers and the justice system, or the current president.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nif you\u2019re deeply passionate about or personally affected by some of these topics, it makes sense that you might feel compelled to write about them\u2014but it\u2019s still safer not to.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nagain, you don\u2019t know who is reading your essay or where they stand on these hot-button issues. you simply don\u2019t want to risk offending or alienating the person who decides whether you get into the college of your choice.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nhere\u2019s a helpful rule of thumb: <strong>if posting about it on social media would start an argument, <em>don\u2019t <\/em>write about it in your college essay.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<h3>4. list of accomplishments <\/h3>\n<p>\nthe person reading your essay has already seen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transizion.com\/weighted-vs-unweighted-gpa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">your gpa<\/a>, test scores, and your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transizion.com\/high-school-resume\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">resume of activities<\/a> and achievements. your essay is your chance to reveal something <em>new<\/em> about who you are as a person. so, don\u2019t rehash a list of your accomplishments or bore the admissions officer with something they already know about you.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nplus, admissions officers don\u2019t want to read an essay full of bragging and overconfidence. it\u2019s better to focus on an obstacle, a moment of doubt, or a mistake that you learned from. <strong>stories of overcoming and growth tell a lot more about you than a story in which you\u2019re the flawless hero.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<p>\nremember, too, that most applicants have a similar list of accomplishments. they have also scored winning goals, starred in plays, aced the hard class, and volunteered to tutor younger kids or serve meals at a soup kitchen. this doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t be proud of your accomplishments, but it means that your accomplishments do not make you who you are. and <em>who you are<\/em> is what admissions officers want to learn about in your essay.\n<\/p>\n<h3>5. anything untrue\/inauthentic  <\/h3>\n<p>\nsince admissions officers want to get to know you, the last thing you should do in a college essay is lie or try too hard to impress. your real, authentic voice should shine through. you should be honest, vulnerable, and memorable.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nyou might think your reader won\u2019t notice if you lie, but it\u2019s often more obvious than you might expect. and they will definitely pick up on it if you try too hard to use impressive vocabulary words or say what you think they\u2019d like to hear. after all, you\u2019ll end up sounding like a lot of other applicants, and your essay will be stiff and dull instead of interesting and authentic.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nif you feel like you don\u2019t have anything exciting to write about, don\u2019t worry. some of the best and <a href=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/college-admissions-essay-top-tips-for-making-a-statement-colleges-will-remember-in-a-good-way\/\">most memorable college essays<\/a> are about small moments that held significance to the writer\u2014like essays about fly fishing, a family\u2019s dining room table, or a student\u2019s commute to and from school each day. <strong>write about something true that matters to you, in your own voice. it\u2019s really that simple!<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<h3>6. over-the-top humor <\/h3>\n<p>\nif being humorous is naturally part of your personality, it\u2019s fine to include a well-placed joke or two in your essay. but <em>natural<\/em> is the key here. don\u2019t try to force humor, and don\u2019t make humor the main theme of your college essay.\n<\/p>\n<p>\noften, humor doesn\u2019t come across well in writing, especially to a reader who doesn\u2019t know you. admissions officers might find your \u201cfunny\u201d essay forced and unamusing. satire and sarcasm are also best avoided.\n<\/p>\n<h3>7. topics that don\u2019t focus on you<\/h3>\n<p>\nfinally, your essay is supposed to give deeper insight into you\u2014your personality, your beliefs and values, and what has shaped you into the person you are today. it\u2019s ok to briefly talk about other people or places in the context of how they have influenced you, but try not to overly focus on:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>your hero<\/li>\n<li>a relative who has inspired or influenced you<\/li>\n<li>a famous book, painting, or quote that you love<\/li>\n<li>an issue or current event and how you would fix it<\/li>\n<li>the work, performance, or life of another person\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nsince you are the topic of your college essay, writing too much about the subjects above feels off topic and irrelevant. again, you can briefly touch on these subjects, but quickly segue into what you have learned or how you have been impacted as a result. it\u2019s your college essay, and you\u2019re the star of the show!\n<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #c5168c\">bonus: a few other college essay topics to avoid<\/h2>\n<p>\nhere are a few other miscellaneous topics and errors to avoid as you begin writing:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>poetry:<\/em> like humor, it often falls flat. <\/li>\n<li><em>going too out-of-the box:<\/em> writing something super creative and experimental, or a meta essay along the lines of \u201cyou\u2019re reading my essay right now,\u201d is risky. <\/li>\n<li><em>whining or making excuses:<\/em> if you write about a challenge, focus on how you overcame it and what you learned as a result. avoid sounding whiny or making excuses. you also don\u2019t want to sound pessimistic or cynical.<\/li>\n<li><em>insulting anyone (e.g., a teacher you didn\u2019t like, a peer who wasn\u2019t your favorite)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>talking down to the reader<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>spelling the college\u2019s name wrong (or using the wrong college\u2019s name)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>saying anything negative about the college<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>vague, generic details<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>lack of personality<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>using too many \u201cfancy\u201d words that don\u2019t sound like you<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>using repetitive words and phrases <\/em>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nthis probably isn\u2019t an exhaustive list, but use common sense as you <a href=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/how-to-brainstorm-your-college-essay-topic\/\">brainstorm your essay topic<\/a>, write, and proofread your essay. put yourself in the shoes of a tired college admissions officer who has read hundreds of essays, maybe even thousands. what would you want to read? what would you <em>not<\/em> want to read?\n<\/p>\n<p>\nremember that you don\u2019t know a lot about this person\u2014their opinions, their values, their beliefs\u2014so don\u2019t risk upsetting them. after all, they have a major say in whether you get into this college. once again: <strong><em>when in doubt, leave it out! <\/em><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: #26b67c\">final thoughts on college essay topics to avoid<\/h2>\n<p>\nwhen it comes to choosing a topic for your college essay, the possibilities are almost endless. but there are a few guidelines you should follow if you don\u2019t want to upset, offend, or bore the reader of your essay:\n<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>don\u2019t write about anything illegal, potentially inappropriate, or overly controversial. <\/li>\n<li>humor is fine, especially if that\u2019s a big part of your personality, but don\u2019t be over the top.  <\/li>\n<li>try not to write the same essay that your admissions officer has already read hundreds of times.<\/li>\n<li>don\u2019t rehash information that appears elsewhere in your application. <\/li>\n<li>make sure that <em>you<\/em> are the focus of your essay, and be honest and authentic.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\navoid these topics in your college essay, and you\u2019ll be well on your way to writing something that admissions officers will love! looking for more tips on how to write a great college admissions essay? check out our previous guide on <a href=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/college-admissions\/how-to-stick-to-the-word-count-on-college-essays\/\">how to stick to the word count on college essays<\/a>!\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/files\/2020\/10\/new-website-header-blue.png\" alt=\"transizion logo\" width=\"155\" height=\"60\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-15893\" \/><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>not sure which college essay topics to avoid? here are 7 main topics you definitely should not include in your admissions essay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":426,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[24940],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- this site is optimized with the yoast seo premium plugin v21.7 (yoast seo v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>7 college essay topics to avoid writing about - magoosh blog | high school<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"not sure which college essay topics to avoid? here are 7 main topics you definitely should not 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patel","image":{"@type":"imageobject","inlanguage":"en-us","@id":"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/hs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/0b13507046a80633470b9f33dd89fc25","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfcd0e9e6b1c731164237d2a28bab3bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contenturl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dfcd0e9e6b1c731164237d2a28bab3bd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"jason patel"},"description":"jason patel is the founder of transizion, a college counseling and career services company that provides mentorship and consulting on college applications, college essays, resumes, cover letters, interviews, and finding jobs and internships. jason\u2019s work has been cited in the washington post, bbc, nbc news, forbes, fast company, bustle, inc., fox business, and other great outlets. transizion donates a portion of profits to underserved students and veterans in of college prep and career development assistance. jason is a brazilian jiujitsu martial artist, outdoorsman, and avid reader. you can find 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