<p>I've been straining myself all weekend trying to get my essays done by the SCEA deadline [this Saturday! Arghh!] but, after coming on here and reading various topics, freaked out. What are some taboo essay topics, or things that an applicant should NEVER mention in their essay?</p>
<p>Um... logically speaking... try to look at it from their eyes. </p>
<p>It wouldn't be a nice idea to write about your involvement as a drum leader in a KKK parade march through a predominately Jewish neighborhood last summer. </p>
<p>They're people just like you or me. Just keep it clean and relevant. Controversy is alright to an extent, but not for the sake of it alone. It must really support your views and beliefs. Always remember that, "tolerance" does not mean their "acceptance".</p>
<p>blue: I've been recommending this good article (IMHO). Good luck to you.</p>
<p>religion is general taboo as well just because it gets too complicated. i've read some essays where it has worked out well before. friend from c/o 2006 wrote on religion and got into harvard with a personal call from dean of admissions saying it was one of the greatest essays he's read.</p>
<p>Don't write an essay that is critical of other people. Don't write one about an obstacle you faced unless you have overcome the obstacle.</p>
<p>T2ge4: Great link. Thank you.
I have also read and heard directly from admissions people that they do not think highly of essays about the college application process.</p>
<p>Don't write an essay that any one of thousands of other applicants could have written. If your essay could describe anyone else who had a similar experience, it's probably not personal enough. </p>
<p>Don't write an essay that risks offending the reader.</p>
<p>Religion is fine as long as you don't pontificate. Religion is a pivotal piece of who my son is, and the theme of religion was woven into several of his essays. His admissions results were outstanding.</p>
<p>In addition to the link T2 provided, if you're still stuck you might want to read the discussion on essay writing in the book Admission Matters, by Springer and Franck. The section is under 10 pages, and really useful. Remember, your essay does not have to be perfect! It just needs to give the reader a snapshot of who you are.</p>
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Religion is fine as long as you don't pontificate. Religion is a pivotal piece of who my son is, and the theme of religion was woven into several of his essays.
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<p>It was the same for my D, who was accepted EA. The key is to write about something that illuminates who you are in a way that your grades and scores can't. For some students this will involve religion, and if done well, can produce excellent and memorable essays.</p>
<p>i'm guessing that losing my virginity probably isn't the most appropriate topic for a personal narrative essay. i actually had to talk myself down from that idea because i felt like it does show a lot about me as a person. but yeah, clearly taboo</p>
<p>^Whoa. I was not expecting to read that just then.</p>
<p>One of the essays that MIT accepted from class of 08 (2012) that my friend wrote was about how he got involved with starting a safe sex program at our school and what fueled him to do it... And he was the only kid that year from our school to go to MIT. If its about sex, don't rule it out completely - although the losing your virginity probably wouldnt be the best idea.</p>
<p>There's a big difference between talking about instituting a safe sex program and talking about how you lost your virginity. If it might embarrass the reader, it's a bad topic.</p>
<p>There is a thread on CC by a student who talks about Admit Weekend at Stanford. She and fellow profros had a picnic lunch with their admissions person who quoted parts of their essays to them. I'm sure an extremely personal essay would not be quoted in public, but that is something to think about when writing your essay.</p>
<p>This is the topic curious77 is talking about.</p>
<p>*Second, we asked him what the biggest turn off in an application would be. He said if he ever read any essay that seemed closed minded or bigoted in any way he just threw it out. I know this seems like common sense, but I've read essays where this came across completely unintentionally. I had a friend that was an Irish step dancer write about how much she loved being Irish, but it came across as though she thought Irish people were better than everyone else. Luckily we fixed it before she sent it off and she got into her dream school. The admissions officer's example was if someone was a Democrat and in their roommate essay made it clear that they wouldn't want a Republican roommate because they care so much about Democratic values that they couldn't live in the same room. I'm sure that student was trying to show passion, but also ended up sounding like he was not tolerant of Republicans. Basically, have someone read your essay before you send it off so you don't have any unintended meaning in your essay that you don't want.
*</p>
<p>Also, a lot of people think it's brilliant and shows emotional depth to talk about how they went to a third world country and it really opened their eyes to poverty, blah, blah, blah. They hate this. Not only is it not original, it reeks of privilege and self-congratulation.
Also, sports are cliched. About the offending bit, ask yourself, "is it possible someone could find this offensive?" Even if it's unlikely, you probably shouldn't do it. For example, one kid last year wrote about how the Beatles were overrated. Pretty harmless, but if you happen to get a die-hard Beatles fan as your reader, you could have just kept yourself out of your dream school.</p>
<p>^ There can still be amazing essays about third world countries, though. One of my best friends lived in Ghana for six months and wrote an incredible essay about being caned for the first time.</p>
<p>Unless offensive, there's no essay to be avoided. There are really amazing essays written on really mundane topic.</p>
<p>Yeah... I hate it when people go to third world countries in a manner that's almost a vacation, and call it volunteering... Just screams out "I have money and overbearing parents!!!" </p>
<p>but the genuine ones are really admirable.</p>
<p>True, my friend is really frustrated by that too. She'll start talking about actually <em>living</em> in Africa and somebody will go, "OMG I WENT 2 AFRICA 4 A WEEK WIT CHURCH CAMP" or something like that. Not to invalidate their journeys or anything, but it just pales in comparison to the stuff she lived.</p>
<p>One topic that has been taboo at Yale for ages: "Why I really like Harvard more".</p>
<p>I heard that they hate, HATE the typical immigration story -- how one has had to adjust to the language, culture, and how he/she are now proud to have knowledge of two different cultures, blah blah blah. I mean I think it can be a really great topic, but it's just that so many people have written about it that it gets tiring to read for the adcoms. :/ that's why I'M not doing an immigration story even though I only moved here in 6th grade. </p>
<p>ALso, quick question -- I'm sort of alarmed; is criticizing others completely out of the question? The thing is, I do criticize a group in my essay, but it's because they were criticizing a minority group and being totally bigoted. Do you think criticizing a bigoted/critical group is still problematic? :P</p>