Is writing my college essay about cooking too cliché?

You’re right to be thinking critically about whether your essay topic stands out, since food and cooking do pop up regularly as essay themes. That said, no topic—including cooking—is automatically off-limits. What matters most is your unique perspective and the depth of personal reflection you bring to it.

Cooking essays become cliché when they stick to the generic: "I love making food," "it relaxes me," or "I learned patience in the kitchen." Admissions teams see those essays a lot. But if you zoom in on a specific, meaningful story tied to your experience, you can absolutely write an essay that’s original and memorable.

Ask yourself: Is there a single moment involving cooking that changed something for you? Maybe recreating a traditional family dish for a cultural holiday brought three generations together, and you learned something surprising about your identity. Or was there a time a kitchen experiment totally failed and sparked a new tradition or relationship? Focusing on a distinct memory—rather than a general love of food—will help your voice and story stand out.

For example, instead of simply writing, “I learned patience from baking,” you could write about the time you nervously baked your grandma’s signature bread alone for the first time when she was sick, and how following her handwritten notes made you feel close to her and helped you handle uncertainty. That’s personal, concrete, and shows who you are beyond being a ‘kid who cooks.’

If cooking is truly important to you and there’s a particular story or insight only you could share, it’s a fine essay topic. The biggest mistake is to write a generic summary; the biggest win is to reveal a side of yourself that's genuine, nuanced, and memorable. So go ahead—just make sure your specific story rises above the usual recipe!