11 Terrible College Essay Topics To Avoid

11 Terrible College Essay Topics To Avoid

Over the past 10 years of brainstorming and editing college essays for Ivy Leagues/Top-tier applications, I’ve read thousands of essays that made me want to cringe.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a straight A student or a student with a list of accomplishments from MUN and Robotics Club. If you can’t demonstrate who you are in a compelling way, college admission officers will move onto the next applicant. Remember, on average, college admission officers spend about 5-8 minutes reviewing YOUR application and essays.

In other words, you need to catch their attention quickly.

In other words, your essay topic is going to play a SIGNIFICANT role in getting accepted or rejected.

To help you out, I’ve listed out 11 terrible college essay topics that you should avoid at all costs.

Enjoy the video!

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LET’S CONNECT:

[jillian]

*What not to write about:*
1. Accomplishments that are already listed in your resume
2. How awesome your mom/dad//other relative is. Focus on yourself!
3. A narrative story that doesn't really relate to yourself (ex: a story of how you went to the dentist)
4. Complaints about school or any other excuse as to why you didn't succeed in something
5. An essay that's too creative/funny/something you're not
6. Only one extracurricular. Try to connect it to yourself
7. Self-pitying or any major depressive moments
8. Clichés you'd find in movies (ex: rags to riches)
9. Controversial/political topics
10. Anything that doesn't relate to your interests/goals/values
11. Hypothetical situations that you *want* to do in the future, or things you did in middle school

[itscarolina]

I’m sure u hear this a lot





But I really have nothing to write about

[aminaa]

yes I'm the main character in a really bad movie

[bigfatcarrot]

With all due respect human rights are not i politics and if a college won’t accept you for speaking about what you believe in than that’s not the college for you.

[marianaalvarez]

When ur essay Lowkey falls into 4 of the topics 👁💧👄💧👁

[wenufoop]

4:05 Honestly it was sort od the opposite for me. I struggled with writing my essay because I was given an amazing education, I just haven't experienced any trauma or blatent disadvantages in my life (which typically make for a very compelling essay). The most traumatic experienced I faced was moving from Connecticut to Massachussetts between 8th and 9th grade, but that type struggle happens to millions each year, which makes it a topic to avoid. I just feel like I didn't get the chance to have the specific moment of massive personal growth, it just kind of happened gradually in an uninspiring way.

[carsoncomplains]

Basic note you should keep in my mind while watching this video: these topics aren’t completely null and void. The main thing is that you tie the topic to how it represents your identity.

[moirawu]

I'm writing about how I am learning and discovering more about my father through his books and speeches. (He passed away, and he was a professor.) And how i am learning from him despite not having a typical Father-daughter relationship. Thoughts? xxxx

[jimmysteinbeck]

what if my entire passion and what sets me apart is rooted in a controversial subject.

[raghavdembla]

Me scrolling thru comments to find a generous person who has made a list so I can skip the video.
Hard luck ;)

[Majestic]

For number 6, there’s nothing wrong about writing about only one activity. The right suggestion should be about connecting it to your values and who you are.

[nathanrock]

My topic is hugely depressive. It’s about my experiences with cutting, suicidal friends (alive and passed), and an emotionally and physically abusive relationship that lasted over a year and a half. More than that though I want it to be about how I persevered through those challenges and how they’ve shaped me for the better. Would this be too depressing or should I continue on with it? Any feedback would be hugely appreciated.

[davidmorales]

I wrote my essay on the American Dream mainly about how everyone has their own version and how I’m still developing mine for the future

[sydneypowell]

My topic is about writing a eulogy for my grandfather's funeral and how I grew from that experience. Is that cliche?

[carolinelloyd]

I am writing about how every year in high school something traumatic happened to me and how I grew into a stronger and more independent person. Freshman year my house was foreclosed upon. Sophmore year my mom was hit by a drunk driver and is still recovering. Junior year I was admitted into the hospital for Acute Pancreatitis and lost 20 pounds. Is this cliche?? Somebody please help?

[joseescalona]

I want to talk about overcoming adversity, and how I was able to now in high school join the drama club, dance team, and gay-straight alliance. I moved here from venezuela when I was 11, and I would always be shamed for liking things boys there usually don’t like, things that are more “feminine” or things girls would usually do. I was able to begin pursuing my passion of musical theatre and activism, after moving to the U.S even though I faced many challenges as a kid that always tried to bring me down.

[hararazzaq]

This is one of the best videos I've watched in a long tine about college essays. When you said that the college essay shouldn't have just narrative components and that it's actually made of persuasive, argumentative, opinionated, and narrative components all in one, that was very much a wake up call. That cleared it up so much and you were the only person who could find a simple way to say what this essay is supposed to have.

[katesaltel]

Hi! I want to write about a specific situation where I had to push through my anxiety to follow through. Is that a bad idea? Do you recommend not talking about anxiety? Is anxiety a red flag to admissions officers?

[adikkya]

write about YOU. It doesn't matter if it's a topic in this video, just write about YOU. ( for example, if you're genuinely funny, or creative, then make your essay creative/funny.) Write in a compelling way, and make sure it's actually MEANINGFUL to your life though.

[alexawermuth]

What if the prompt is "describe your greatest challenge and how you overcame it" then you can obviously complain abiut your challenge right? Before explaining how you overcame it?