Which college essay topics should I avoid writing about?

A lot of students run into the same dilemma when brainstorming college essay topics. There are definitely certain topics that pop up so often that they’ve become clichés in the admissions world. That doesn’t mean these stories are never successful, but if you choose one, you have to work twice as hard to make it fresh or deeply personal.

Some of the most overused topics include:
- Sports injuries or victories (like a comeback after getting hurt or winning the ‘big game’)
- A moving or new school adjustment story
- Generic community service or mission trip reflections that focus just on how lucky you are or how other communities have less
- "Immigrant story" essays that are only about moving to a new country and adapting, without a more specific or unique lens
- Overcoming a challenging class by working harder
- The loss of a relative, with the essay focusing mainly on the person who passed away instead of your growth

Admissions readers see hundreds of these, and they usually don’t teach much about what makes you unique. The key is to find your ‘angle’ or specific moment that hasn’t been done to death—focusing on details and your personal reflection that only you could write about.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you really want to talk about a sports injury. Instead of telling the standard story about getting back on the field, what if you wrote about how being sidelined allowed you to start commentating for your school’s games? Or maybe you started a support group for injured student athletes? Those specifics make the story stand out.

One student I worked with wanted to write about his time volunteering at a food pantry, but he worried it sounded generic. He ended up focusing on a single conversation he had with a regular visitor—a moment that changed his views on life and privilege. Focusing on that story, rather than the big-picture volunteering, made it unique and personal.

When considering your topic, ask: Could anyone else write this exact essay, or is it something only I could describe? If it’s the latter, you’re probably on the right track!

If you have a typical or overdone idea but a unique personal story or insight, don’t automatically rule it out—just make sure your individual voice shines through.