What Not to Write About in a College Application Essay

Updated on August 19th, 2021

When your student starts applying to college, writing essays usually comes with the territory. Your student may have to respond to the Common App essay prompts or questions created by specific colleges. In either case, they usually have some flexibility about what they discuss. That's why it's so important to know what not to write about in a college application essay.

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Making a misstep with a college admissions essay can mean missing out on their dream school. Luckily, many of the mistakes are easy to avoid once your student knows what they are and why they matter. If your student needs some insights, here's a look at what not to write in a college application essay.

What Not to Write About in a College Application Essay

Sensitive, Controversial, or Taboo Subjects

Certain topics are naturally polarizing. While politics and religion are two of the most obvious subjects that can fall into that category, they certainly aren't the only ones.

Even if your student is very passionate about the topic, that doesn't mean it's good essay material. After all, your student can't predict who will read their essay. If the admissions committee disagrees with your student's perspective, they may not accept them into the incoming class even if the content is well-written.

In general, when it comes to college essay topics to avoid, it's best to steer clear of anything sensitive, controversial, or taboo. While your student may perceive this as playing it safe, it's crucial to remember that their goal is to gain admission. As a result, they need to focus on subjects that increase their odds of making that happen.

It is important to note that what qualifies as sensitive may vary depending on the school your student wants to attend. For example, while discussing a religious topic may not be recommended for most colleges, if your student is applying to a university with a religious affiliation, discussing faith may be acceptable, depending on the angle they take.

A Rehash of Your School-Related Achievements

Usually, your student's college applications and transcripts have a great overview of their academic and extracurricular achievements. As a result, rehashing those accomplishments in their essay makes the content a bit redundant.

Even if a question asks about school-related achievements, your student shouldn't just restate what they've already shared. If they are going to discuss any of the same events again, they need to add extra depth. That way, they are adding something new to the story and not just retelling what is already known.

A Summary of a Volunteer Experience or Trip

While it may seem like talking about a lengthy volunteer experience or a trip to another country would be a good idea, summaries of the broader experience fall into the "what not to write in a college admissions essay" category. Often, the resulting story lacks uniqueness. Additionally, it doesn't leave much space for showcasing why the experience was impactful.

If your student wants to talk about a volunteering experience or trip, they need to drill down into a single moment from that time. Individual people or single events that had a difference in their lives or how they view the world can be great topics for an essay and are far more unique than the summary approach.

Cliché Sports Stories

While student-athletes may want to discuss a sport-related event from their lives, if the story feels cliché, it may be better to skip it. Many students tell tales about their victories and defeats, as well as the lessons learned that got them there or what they learned from the experience.

The issue isn't that those moments aren't formative. Instead, it's that many students will share very similar stories. It isn't a great option for standing out. So, unless your student has a genuinely unique angle on the sports story narrative, they may be better off discussing something else.

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Illegal Activities

While drug addiction, alcohol use, arrests, jail stints, and similar activities may seem intriguing, they are usually college essay topics to avoid. There is a chance the admissions committee won't view those actions favorably, regardless of the lessons they learned along the way.

Even talking about how they got off a less-than-ideal path might not be a smart move. In the end, it's risky to admit their participation in those activities, as the admissions committee may question your student's judgment even if they've moved forward.

Anything Too Private

While a college admissions essay is supposed to help the committee get to know your student, that doesn't mean they should reveal overly personal details. It may lead the committee to assume your student doesn't understand boundaries, which isn't ideal.

Exactly what qualifies as too private can vary. However, topics like bodily functions, romantic relationships, and sex are usually no-nos.

Now, this doesn't mean students can't discuss sexual orientation, gender identity, or topics in those veins. As long as they are staying away from discussing sexual activities, those subjects can be fine, depending on the kind of school your student wants to attend.

An Ode to Privilege

While many students who grew up with a degree of privilege are likely appreciative of that fact, discussing why they are thankful for it isn't ideal for a college essay. The likelihood that the topic will resonate with the admissions committee may be pretty low, and there's even a chance some will resent what they perceive as a cushier upbringing.

This doesn't automatically mean that fortunate students can't mention that they came from that position. However, there needs to be more to the essay than just being appreciative of that kind of upbringing.

Forcing Humor

Telling a funny story can be a great way to engage the reader. However, actively trying to be funny doesn't always work out. Forced humor isn't always as amusing as your student may think, so that approach can work against them. It can come across as disingenuous and overly efforted, neither of which is great when writing a college application essay.

If they are sharing an experience and it happens to be funny, that's fine. Sometimes humorous things happen. When it was genuinely amusing, forcing it isn't necessary. The humor will emerge authentically.

Being Your Own Hero

If your student is given an essay prompt that asks them to discuss their "hero," making themselves the star of that story is a horrible idea. It comes across as self-centered bragging, which isn't likely to impress the admissions committee.

Plus, it leads the committee to think that your student lacks a necessary amount of awareness about being other than themselves. Since teamwork and collaboration are a big part of the college experience, there's a good chance they'll view that as a red flag.

10. Off-Topic or Not-an-Essay Essays

Some students want to break free of the mold and get a bit creative. They might think it'll help them stand out. The truth is, it very well may, but not necessarily how they expect.

There is a reason that essay topics are set in advance. Choosing to write about a subject that doesn't fall in line with the question or prompt either makes it seem like your student can't follow directions or that they view themselves as above the requirements, neither of which is good.

Additionally, deviating from the traditional essay format may not be ideal. Turning their answer into a poem or free-writing exercise is incredibly risky. The same can go for using an overly literary approach.

In the end, your student should create an essay that's going to connect with the admissions committee and follow the directions. That way, they can increase their odds of being invited to join the incoming class.

If your student is preparing college application essays, why not add scholarship essays to the mix? Scholarships are a great way to make any college more affordable. If you and your student want to learn about how to find and land scholarships,sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a quick trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve a spot today.

What Not to Write About in a College Application Essay

Source: https://thescholarshipsystem.com/blog-for-students-families/what-not-to-write-about-in-your-college-application-essay/

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