5 Topics to Avoid in Your CommonApp Essay

The Importance of the Essay

Though your test scores, grades, and resume give college admissions a zoomed-out summary of you as an applicant, the essay allows the officers to learn more about you as an individual. In fact, your personal statement is one of the only places on a college application to let your unique voice shine. So, the summer before your senior year, prioritize the writing process.

Your essay has the power to set you apart from other students, especially when your grades and resume may be similar to others applying to the same schools. Even if writing isn’t your strong suit, you can create an honest, unique, and well-constructed personal statement with proper planning and guidance.

A strong guiding idea can define your essay — and paint a detailed picture of you.

Whether your head is full of ideas or you’re not sure where to start, this blog will help you choose a topic to distinguish you from the competition (and avoid topics that won’t).

Overdone Topics — and What to Consider Instead

Though your personal statement is a place to share your story, some experiences are more common than others. These essay topics have become overdone and often lack nuance and originality.

Even if you don’t think you’ve lived many original experiences, you can still write a one-of–a-kind essay. As a general rule, your essay should show a change in your perspective. Don’t merely retell a moment in your life. Instead, re-examine it.

Not sure where to start? We’ll kick off the writing process by helping you find a topic that will help you shine — and avoid the ones that won’t.

The Divorce/The Big Move

Though a divorce or move may have been a big moment in your life, your parents’ marital status — and your family situation as a whole — does not define you.

Divorce and moving are common essay prompts because they can illuminate how you respond to change. However, this topic may lead to a passive and cliche essay.

Alternatively, think about a time in which you created change. Consider:

• A time in which you brought your community together. What did you learn from that experience?

If you feel connected to the story of your family’s divorce or move, consider writing about it from a different perspective. Think about:

• Something you’ve carried with you throughout the stages of your life. What does that say about you?
• How you navigate contrasting aspects of your identity. How do you examine your past as you look toward the future?

The Mission Trip

Mission trips are excursions in which a Western religious group travels to another part of the world — usually one in extreme need — and spends time aiding local people and educating them about the group’s religious beliefs.

Though mission trips can be learning experiences, they may actually do more harm than good.

The history of these trips is complex, and language used to describe them is often steeped in white saviorism and xenophobia. College admissions essays should, like personal vocabularies, be free of harmful rhetoric, even that which may have been learned unintentionally.

Additionally, mission trips often bring “voluntourists” for a short period of time to provide a service — and visibility for the volunteers themselves — but leave the community without a long-term plan for their project. Read more about voluntourism in this article from the New York Times Magazine.

Long story short — don’t use a mission trip as the focus of your admissions essay.

If you were leaning toward writing about a mission trip, it’s safe to assume that you’re a leader who cares deeply about others. Therefore, consider:

• A time in which you advocated for someone else. What did that experience teach you about the power of your voice?
• A moment in which you thought you were helping someone when really you were hurting them. How did you remedy the situation, and how did that experience change your perspective?

The Hero

We all have someone we look up to, whether it be a parent, a peer, or a public figure. However, an essay about your personal hero shifts its focus from you.

Even the most well-written essay about a special person in your life may not be the strongest choice because it doesn’t place you at the center. Similar to the topics of divorce and moving, you are not an active participant.

If you want to pay homage to your personal hero, don’t just describe them and their importance to you. Share the active changes you’ve made as a result of their guidance.

For a unique twist on this topic, consider:

• A specific habit or skill that your hero taught you and how you’ve employed it to address modern challenges. How will you carry this teaching or mentoring into your future?
• Words of wisdom that you took to heart as a child but later realized were incorrect or outdated. How has what you learned changed your outlook on this advice, and what advice would you give to your younger self?

The Big Game/Injury

The topic of season-defining sports games or performances is one of the most common essay topics, as it shows dedication to — and passion for — a craft. Additionally, stories of sports and performance injuries show resilience and the ability to accept change.

However, these essays often follow the exact same structure and offer little room for originality. There’s very little new and insightful this topic can convey to an admissions officer. They’ve seen (and read) it all. Choose a different topic.

Sports and theatre, especially beyond the school level, can absolutely be defining experiences in your life. However, you can highlight your passion without resorting to that tired, basic formula. For example, consider:

• A moment in which you used advice from a coach in an academic or personal moment, and how that changed your outlook on the importance of your passion.

Illegal Activity/Substance Use

Though you might think this topic choice is a no-brainer to avoid, casual mentions of drug and alcohol use do appear in college admissions essays. In general, try avoid writing about anything against the policy at colleges you’d like to attend.

However, some teens are at high risk for addiction, and some have already gone through sobriety journeys by the time they apply to college.

If your experience with addiction has played a part in shaping who you are, you can weave your story into your college application. Honesty and vulnerability will strengthen an essay as long as your chosen topic has a purpose.

For a positive example, read this sample essay. The writer, who was raised by an alcoholic mother, examines her own relationship with alcohol as she looks toward her future. This personal statement is powerful because, in retelling her experience, she proves her own strength, resilience, and readiness for the next phase of her life.

If you’ve struggled with substance abuse, you might be better served in explaining its impact in the Common App’s Additional Information section rather than your essay. That section gives you the space to provide more insight that may explain any dips in your grades or gaps in your extracurricular involvement.

If this topic absolutely speaks to you, take time to craft a well-written response that thoroughly explains your commitment to change. Bluntly: only write about your journey with alcohol and substance use if you plan to stay sober.

For an alternate prompt, consider this one: Discuss a time when you gave a difficult “yes” or “no” in any aspect of your life. How has that experience shaped the way you advocate for yourself and others?

The Perfect Idea

Some college applicants say that finding the right topic for their college admissions essay is one of the most difficult parts of the process. However, it’s an opportunity to let your individuality and personality shine.

If you’re feeling stuck, use your resources!

• Ask your friends and family about their favorite memories with you.
• If you keep a diary or journal, look back at your entries.
• Try writing exercises like the ones listed in this essay guide.
• Take an online course such as Write the World.

No matter what topic you choose, be intentional about your process. If you need to write multiple drafts to see what works best, give yourself time to do so. If you feel out of practice, spend your junior year — and especially the summer before 12th grade — trying different topics or styles.

For additional resources, search TeenLife’s catalog of admissions advisors who can work with you to create the perfect prompt.