Is it a good idea to write my college essay about Legos?

Writing about Legos can make for a fantastic college essay if you approach it in a thoughtful and unique way. Admissions officers aren't necessarily turned off by quirky or childhood interests—in fact, a topic like Legos can stand out if it reveals something deeper about you that is relevant to your growth and character.

The key is to make sure your essay is not just a summary of your love for Legos. Instead, use your Lego experiences as a lens to showcase qualities that colleges value: creativity, persistence, problem-solving, or even leadership. For example, don't just describe building castles—focus on a specific moment or challenge. Maybe you spent weeks on an elaborate creation that kept collapsing, and through trial and error, you learned how to break a big problem down into smaller parts, or how to deal with frustration when things didn't work out.

Another effective angle could be connecting your passion for Lego-building to an interest in a field like engineering, design, or architecture—or even how it shaped your thinking outside of STEM completely. For instance, you might share an anecdote about designing a custom neighborhood for your Lego city and how it sparked your interest in urban planning or community building.

One past student wrote about their weekly Lego "mini-challenges," where friends would compete to build the craziest contraption from a random box of pieces. This essay wasn't just about building toys; it demonstrated initiative (organizing the competition), collaboration, and thinking outside the box. The essay was memorable because it was about more than Legos—it was about the student's approach to challenges and their ability to bring people together.

Just be careful to avoid clichés. Don't write a generic essay about how Legos taught you the value of hard work or creativity. Drill down to a specific, personal story—maybe the time a sibling destroyed your model and you learned patience, teamwork, or how to channel frustration into creativity.

In short, Legos aren't too childish if your essay shows how they've genuinely influenced you. What matters is how you use the topic to highlight traits, growth, and insights that aren't obvious elsewhere in your application. A unique, personal take on a hobby can stand out far more than a 'mature' but generic topic.