What to avoid putting in your college application essay

When you start brainstorming subjects, themes, and topics for your college application essay, it is simply too easy to bang out an emotional piece describing or implying your awesomeness as a person. This is a banal take on a college application essay, and is an example of what exactly you should avoid when writing it. Here are more examples of topics of which you should steer clear to improve your chances of acceptance in your dream university.

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Writing about your family. Students usually fall into the emotional trap of writing about how their family shaped their personality. While this is a heartwarming topic, the admissions board doesn’t necessarily care so much about your family. They want to know more about you than your relatives.

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Niche topics. Writing about sports, art, culture, or any topic that are not common knowledge might include a heavy dose of jargon. These topics might not be relatable for general readership, unless you explain your terms thoroughly and connect them to the suitability of your candidacy for admission.

Writing about the ideas of others. A lot of students quote famous philosophers or icons, and this a common mistake. While it might make you seem smart and scholarly, your paraphrased opinion will only come across as disingenuous.






Andrew Curran, Ph.D. is the William Armstrong Professor of the Humanities and Professor of French at Wesleyan University, where he also served as the Dean of the Arts and Humanities from 2009 to 2013. He specializes in the history, culture, and thought of 18th century France, with key interests in the history of race, the history of medicine, and the life and works of Enlightenment polymath and philosopher Denis Diderot. For more articles like this, visit this page .