I just want to see what you all think are some cliché topics students should ‘try’ to avoid.
mission trips
Almost any topic can work as long as you make it your own.
How I Suffered Hardship, But Prevailed.
But some are very difficult to use without coming across either as cliche, or as simply a description of a bad time in the applicant’s life. There are also some topics for which “show, don’t tell” is impossible except for an especially skilled writer.
A great writer can do something with any topic, but the vast majority of applicants, including the ones with the best stats and ECs, are only so-so writers.
My first kiss.
What I learned from a mistake made in the big game.
What I learned getting a B+ because I had always had As.
There are only so many different types of topics out there. The AO will probably have read your topic before. So making it unique, personal and interesting helps make it stand out. This is harder then you think.
But… habitat for humanity, going to an orphanage while on vacation with my family. Struggling with xxxxx… Overcoming xxxxxx…