Not as in word limits, but what are the rules regarding profanity or controversial topics in essays? Is it ok if used at a minimum? Or should it just be excluded altogether?
I can’t really see a circumstance in which profanity would add value to an essay–did you have something in mind? As for controversial topics, it would depend on which topic specifically and the context in which you’re discussing it; the important thing is that the essay needs to give the reader a favorable impression and understanding of you, so don’t spend the essay simply debating a controversial point.
No, do not use profanity, it never looks good or impresses. Do not write about sex, a sports achievement, your trip to help people in a poor country, being gay, being a feminist, being a minority, your expesnive cruise and what it taught you about the world, or your childhood trauma. Having said all that, it is possible to write about those things, but you need to be an exceptional writer in order to write about those things in a way the colleges haven’t already seen a million times.
I love this advice from a Columbia admissions officer. Your essay should be about you and what you want the adcoms to know about you. If it fell on the floor and a friend picked it up, they should know it is your essay without even seeing your name on it. So in all those listed examples of what not to write about, the problem is that often those essays are about the event or the trauma, and not about the person.