An essay is not a call to action, and a reader is more interested in what makes you unique as opposed to being chided about issues that they already have an opinion on. Avoid These 9 Topics When Writing Your College Essay 1. They want to help you, so while you should make it clear that you’re someone of value that they’ll want to support their mascot, you’re not applying for a job. The reader doesn’t know you well enough to infer any details, so provide them with a moment of reflection that explores why you’ve evolved into the person you are today. They don’t expect you to have everything mapped out, and it’s easy to come off as pretentious or condescending if you act like you don’t need their help. Athletic topics, such as winning a championship game as the underdog team or training hard for a competition, shouldn’t be used as a college essay topic. … Great writers can take the most mundane, banal, and generic topic and transform it into a captivating composition. More College Essay Topics. College Admissions Essay Topics to Avoid 1. When you choose to write about this kind of topic, you might end up focusing too much on that person or place and not enough on yourself. The mission trip epiphany – is a regularly … By clicking the button above, Post University has your consent to use automated technology to call, text and email you at the information above, including your wireless number, regarding educational services. Travel Experience If you’re a well-traveled person, you might want to write all about a vacation or even a volunteer trip you took. Tragic events can provide an opportunity to explore personal growth, but they’re usually very hard to write about. Worst of the worst The sports game. 7 Cliché College Application Essays You Should Avoid 10/18/2014 12:19 pm ET Updated Dec 18, 2014 "Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment or experience that is important … Sports is a common topic, though, which can make it much harder for you to stand apart from the competition. Even if this is your strongest area of interest, it’s better to choose a different topic. To avoid sounding over-privileged, students should look for essay topics that focus on everyday subjects, often called “mundane topics.” Every time, the essay about a summer job where a … Submitting an essay that mainly talks about a place you find inspiring or someone you consider a role model doesn’t tell the school enough about you as a person. College essay topics to avoid also include anything that’s highly personal or a delicate subject. Student athletes especially might be tempted to choose sports as the topic of their essay, since it’s something they know well. 9. While you can still consider choosing a personal challenge as a topic, it’s better to avoid writing about anything graphic or too personal, such as going into detail about a serious injury. He enjoys finding creative solutions to challenges that today’s students and young people faced. Simply put, essays help the admissions … Doing so doesn’t mean your essay will automatically be boring or dry. Some students might consider doing a negative topic as a way to stand out or get credit for taking a risk on their essay. To make a travel topic really stand out, you would need to focus on a particular part of that vacation or trip, such as meeting someone who affected your life in some way or an unexpected event or challenge that occurred. 6 Essay Topics To Avoid for Your College Admissions Essays 1. For example, use the essay to explore how the event affected you or what your thoughts were when it occurred. A political belief paper might come off as polarizing. Personal Achievements and Accomplishments. Avoid … Thank you for reading! Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Site Map. Maybe you’re a top athlete with a lot of high scoring games, but pick one that meant something to you. While your hard work to earn a great class rank and high test scores are important, those are for a different time and place. Make smarter college financial decisions. Please reply to the initial welcome text message HELP for help. But trying to figure out what college essay topics you should choose is a tricky process. Colleges do want you to have strong beliefs that you’re willing to stand for, and some essay questions give you the opportunity to do just that. Spending your college essay criticizing the school you’re applying to or focusing on negative aspects of it is a surefire way to make a bad impression. There’s no need to make these the focus of your college essay. Before you begin brainstorming, make sure you know which college essay topics to avoid and why. If you’ve had a lot of luck or privilege in life, such as growing up in a wealthy community, avoid using this as a college essay topic. When you’re brainstorming ideas, you can narrow down your options right away by knowing what not to write in college essays. Unless a student personalizes the sports essay with a meaningful anecdote, it is likely to focus on the importance of team work and sound cliché. Writing your entire college essay in a humorous tone or including a few jokes might seem like a way to make sure it’s entertaining to read, but keep in mind that humor and jokes are highly subjective. (Prompt was to discuss a significant place.) On occasion, students write essays on illegal or illicit topics that they may... 2. What Should You Not Write Your College Essay About? 10 Great Reasons to Get Your College Degree, How You Can Write Your Way to Success in Any College Course, The Ultimate Guide to College for Veterans. For example, avoid doing an essay that provides too much detail on an illness, disability, or injury, … Keep in mind that you have no way to know whether or not the person who ends up reading your essay agrees with your views. Handling a tragic topic in this way helps the school learn more about you rather than just reading about the details of the event. Maybe you lost a parent or overcame a disability. Controversial topics, such as current political hot buttons, should be avoided at all costs. Creative writing is one of the most common examples of what not to write in college essays. Aug 23, 2020. These... 2. If you do choose the inspirational route for your college essay, make sure you focus more on how this place or person had an impact on you. These topics might provide you with a subject you feel strongly about, but your college essay isn’t the time to focus on something that’s highly sensitive or polarizing. The views and information provided in this post do not reflect Post University programs and/or outcomes directly. No one likes a complainer. Here are a few popular application essay topics and some tips for how to approach them: Describe a person you admire. Too Overconfident. The person reading your essay might not get your humor, or they might find attempts at jokes or humor inappropriate or unprofessional. Sign up and get informed. Think about an … Avoiding the topics above and keeping your essay fresh and focused will enhance your chances of having it placed in the “yes” pile. The problem with the overly personal essay topic is that revealing something very private can show that you don't really understand ... Too Revealing of Bad Judgment. Box 2540 Waterbury, CT 06723, © 2021 Post University. If you’re thinking of writing about a place or person who has inspired you, this probably won’t work well as a college essay topic. Maybe you lost a parent or overcame a disability. While it’s important to prove your thesis (ie, why you should be admitted to this school) by explaining learning moments and personal growth, telling a neat story on its own isn’t enough. Explore our exclusive 100 best college essay topics and find the ones that work really well, including the assignments for college and university students. However, travel-related college essays are another common type that might not give you a good chance to be noticed. That’s why it is important to know what college application essay topics to avoid. You might also come across as bragging or boasting about your achievements. No matter what you end up choosing for your college essay, make sure you take your time writing it. Too Off-Topic. Liam Gaughan is a writer and journalist who has been published in Dallas Observer and Dallas Morning News. You want to sell yourself and explain why you are going to be valuable to this school, and this won’t be possible if you’ve framed yourself as the product of someone else’s achievements. … A reader is only going to be annoyed if you start telling them what they should do or how they should feel; ultimately, it’s their time that you’re taking up. © 2020 Road2College. If you took inspiration from a historical figure, family member, fictional character, or community leader, minimize the references to their words and use your own instead. Similarly, avoid controversial or hot-button topics… Writing about what you’ve achieved might seem like a great way to impress the school you’re applying to, but it can have the opposite effect. 1. However, the school isn’t likely to see it this way. But before plunging into the writing process, you’ll need to decide what topic to explore in your essay. This might not seem difficult, but it’s important to know which college essay topics to avoid. Too Clichéd or Boring. You don’t know who will read your college application essay or what they believe. A great college admission essay makes the reader say something along the lines of, “Wow, I’ve never heard of someone who did/experienced … You can certainly write an excellent and thoughtful essay on any of … While it’s important to explore your own personal growth, you also don’t want to make it seem like you’ve figured everything out already. The Grudge Essay Don’t use the essay to vent your frustrations about anything. It's important to feel confident in the top reasons to go to college long before…, Review these writing tips for students and you will be uniquely prepared to take on…, A comprehensive guide for veterans interested in going to college to earn a degree or…, 800 Country Club Road P.O. Be careful to avoid the "hero" essay—admissions offices are often overrun with essays about the season-winning touchdown or brilliant performance in the school play (see the list of bad … Despite the hours of research and preparation it takes to craft a positive image for the school of their dreams, a student is unlikely to meet any of the people making these decisions. This is a student’s chance to highlight something that’s not on their applications, show how they’ve grown, and explain how they’d be a good representative of their school’s next graduating class. Become an educated consumer of higher ed. You can work on impressing the school by making sure you provide engaging content in a thoughtful and well-written essay. There are so many potential things you could write about! While success stories, family tragedies, exciting sports moments, or breakups may feel exciting on paper, an essay is not a structured narrative story with a beginning, middle, and end. College Essay Topics To Avoid. Before you write about your church missions trip to Guatemala or your weekend spent... 2. Keep reading to find out what to avoid and what to approach in your college essay writing journey. Reply STOP to cancel. The following topics should go in your pile of discarded ideas for your college essay. To a degree, this mystery person holds your future in their hands, and you don’t want to risk offending the… The ones that will stand out to them will be the ones where they’ve experienced a work of individuality. You never know who’s going to be reading your essay and what their values are, and even if their political opinions align with yours, they don’t want to be preached to. Yes, you’ll be trying to persuade them to consider you, but you need to show why you’re desirable without directly telling them. Gimmicks Avoid anything gimmicky, such as directions to the college from Mapquest. Controversial Opinion Pieces In college, you’ll have plenty of … 3. Your college essay gives schools a chance to assess you based on your writing. This is a straight-up first person essay that should speak to a personal truth, and you won’t be able to do that if you’re working at it from someone else’s perspective. Students preparing to get into college are naturally going to be pitted against each other in a game of stats. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, you can find a complete list of our programs on our website or reach out directly! Leave this kind of content out of your essay altogether and avoid trying to achieve a humorous or sarcastic tone. Message frequency may vary. The person who reads your essay might not find it engaging or informative enough. In this guide, we go over the essential qualities that make for a great college essay topic and give you 50+ college essay topics … Avoid Inappropriate or Risky Topics It is not a requirement to provide this consent to receive education services.Standard text message & data rates may apply. This might seem obvious, but it’s best to avoid writing about anything that portrays the school you’re applying to in a negative way. Your essay isn’t a resume. This is their chance to sell themselves, and do it in their own words. The admissions committee reads countless essays, and a lot of them cover the same prompts- here are some of the common topics to avoid. To help you stand out from other applicants, we asked admissions officers to shed light on … College Admission Topics to Avoid Posted on July 30, 2015 in Admission Essay When students are selecting an essay topic , often times they will select a topic that will land their … If you want to enter one of the best universities in your country, your essay … Give yourself plenty of time to come up with a well-written essay that reflects who you are. Double check when it’s due. Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing College Essay Topics. From picking a topic to writing the actual paper, to editing (and editing, and editing…), there are plenty of dos and don’ts to consider. You can use a similar approach when talking about any extracurricular activities. An essay … Instead of impressing them with your writing skills and knowledge, you could alienate them and hurt your chance of being accepted. Avoid Controversial Topics Are you, your spouse or parent (if you are 24 or younger) associated with the U.S. Military? However, in our experience reading thousands of college essays, we are able to say with confidence that students are wise to steer clear of the following topics… John P. Burke School of Public Service and Education, Financial Literacy & Responsible Borrowing, Center for Career & Professional Development. The challenge is to create an essay that’s enjoyable and informative to read without relying on humor. Individual schools sometimes require supplemental essays. Explain, Maybe you’re a top athlete with a lot of high scoring games, but pick, If you want to write about a mentor or friend, make sure that, College essay readers will be going through, College Planning Checklist for 9th & 10th Grade, Junior Year in High School: College Planning Guide, College Planning Checklist for 12th Grade, Early Decision 2: What it Means and Why You Might Want to Consider it. If you want to write about a mentor or friend, make sure that you are the driving force in the essay and that your realizations are a direct result of your own actions. College essay topics to avoid also include anything that’s highly personal or a delicate subject. I'd say avoid this topic unless you can write an amazing essay … Avoid anything controversial or purposefully inflammatory While picking a divisive political topic may seem like a great way to grab a reader’s attention, fiery language is only going to alienate admissions committees who hear about these topics … Handing in what amounts to a list of your accomplishments doesn’t allow you to let your own voice and personality shine through your writing. An argument essay is an essay that seeks to persuade an audience to see the writer’s point.Thus, an argumentative essay requires the student to investigate a topic, collect evidence, and evaluate evidence in order to clearly establish a point of view on the topic … You might want to write about this kind of experience in order to emphasize how you were able to deal with it or overcome challenges related to it. Topics to avoid in college essays also include jokes or humor. Try to avoid writing an essay that a school will most likely get a million different times — for example, an essay about your talent playing a sport or your early love of learning. A story is only as good as what you’ve taken away from it. A Summary of Your Accomplishments While it’s understandable that you want your essay to stand out from the rest, adopting a creative style rather than sticking to straightforward prose isn’t the best way to do this. 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