Let’s talk about what not to write about in your college essay!
At Wordvice, we know college admissions essays. Every year, we receive tens of millions of words to edit from students applying to college. Therefore, we know what good college essays, bad college essays, and great college essays look like–and what students should do in their essays to get the attention of admissions officers.
If writing about yourself feels like a daunting task, you should select an essay prompt that allows you to write about something important to you. Writing an essay based on what you think your reader wants to hear will be obvious. Be genuine about the things that matter to you! Writing a great college application essay requires you to be honest.
There are several key topics that students should avoid when writing a college application essay. Here is a breakdown of some subjects that may be taboo for your personal essay or weaken your first impression to the college admissions board reviewing your application.
Another college essay topic to avoid is “School was hard.”
The college application essay is your opportunity to insert your voice into the application and give the reader an introduction to who you are. Significant space on the page should be dedicated to talking about how an event shaped you, or what core values you live by, or how a person, place, or thing has shaped the way you live your life.
My next “do”: Do give the school an idea of how you will fit in. This is kind of what I was talking about. Does the college want to know what type of student you will be on their campus? And a great way to do this is by talking about what kind of clubs you're going to join or, here's a club I want to start, they can see that you're going to be a leader; here's a sports team, a club team that I want to try out with; I want to take these classes.
Before looking at some essay mistakes to avoid (or “bad college essays” to be a bit more blunt), let’s discuss what a good admissions essay does. Effective college personal statements give broad, comprehensive insights into your personal and academic background, provide college admissions counselors with an overview of your goals, and answer the college prompt directly and clearly.
Still, I would say the most common one I see in these like ***Why are x college essays saying the whole essay and then closing with like, and I can't wait to be a Quaker for Stanford, and I can't wait to be a Cardinal. Like those, you know, every essay says them. So again, let me know if you guys want a whole video about clichés, but don't wait for your precious words based on those clichés.
College essay topics to avoid include anything illegal or unethical.
To write a great college application essay, you need to talk about yourself. Many students will err by recounting an event, telling a story about their hero, writing about their struggles, and discussing their accomplishments, without taking time to reflect on how these things have changed who they are as a person.
Cliché college essays typically include topics such as:
Those are the five most common traps I see students fall into when writing their college essays. Before I finish, I want to mention one other trap. I hinted at it above, but I want to state it plainly before I send you on your way. There is no such thing as a "perfect" essay. It doesn't matter how many sample essays or how-to books you've read, you can't write an essay that will make admissions officers swoon if all you're doing is pretending to be the person you think they want at their school. The person they really want you to be in your essay is the person you already are.
College Application Essays: What NOT To Include
If you write an entire essay about the lessons you have learned without reflecting on how the “challenge, setback, or failure” affected you, then you will have failed to answer the full prompt. Do not just tell a story about an obstacle you faced. You need to answer the two questions: how did it affect you and what did you learn?
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Check out a few powerful so you can recognize what a great college application essay looks like. Reading examples of college essays can help you to understand exactly what college admissions officers are looking for.
What Not to Write About in a College Essay
Because again, not only do they want to accept students that want to go there. They want to accept students that are excited to go there and are going to be excited to be there. They want to know what kind of student you're going to be once you get on campus, and they want that type of student to be someone excited to be there, seeking out opportunities and looking to make friends and excited about the community. I feel it's really important to show enthusiasm in your personal voice in these essays.