10 Topics to Avoid in College Essays
We have read numerous essays in the past. These are some overused phrases, topics, or tendencies that we have seen in our previous students’ essays. Although staying true to who you are is important, presenting yourself as a ‘learner’ and a ‘student’ is important. So try to stay away from the following:
Mention ‘Broaden Horizons’ – any trips made to third world countries where it was an eye opening experience for you sounds shallow and cliché
Fabricate experiences or episodes to make it heartfelt and poignant – admission officers will sniff made up stories. Also, if something doesn’t align or make sense in the application, admission officers can call your counselor to verify. Mention how playing computer games is a great way to learn teamwork and think strategically. Talk about family separation, deaths, & mental issues in the main personal statement. Such big events might take away attention from you as a student. You’re likely to dwell and explain the situation extensively, instead of showing how you have overcome/dealt with the situation. Talk about accumulation of pricey items– Collection of colognes from traveling abroad, collection of limited editions of Nike Jordans, collection of Apple products from Mac, iPad, Airpod Max – they’re all a no-no. They’re all irrelevant to showing who you are as a “learner”. Have a wishy-washy, vague, and humble tone that makes you sound insecure and incompetent. “I may not be the best at this but...” “I am not fully sure, but I know I take an interest in...” “Even if I don’t know what’s going on...”– If you don’t believe in yourself, who would? How cooking and baking is a creative outlet for you to experiment with different ingredients and how the possibilities are endless – No more cookies, cakes, and fried rice essays. Mentioning Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok. Remember that the admission officers are people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Unless it’s related to your sports, art, or student club account that you are considering pasting the URL in the application, avoid writing about social media. Talk about how you studied so hard and put in effort to salvage yourself from a “D” in math – This sort of testimonial does not make you look attractive as a prospective student in a university. Talk about sports – a sports essay always deals with teamwork, dedication, injuries, sacrifices, overcoming your limits, etc... It is very predictable how the sports essay is going to end.
