<p>Just wondering what topics you consider to be overdone or controversial for college essays.
I know of some people who chose to write their app essay to a large, liberal state school about their anti abortion stance. To me, that's a huge no-no regardless of being pro-life or pro-choice. Agree or disagree? And what other essays should applicants try to stay away from?</p>
<p>Please visit the essay section of the forum. There is a thread going on about tired topics right now.
<a href=“College Essays - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/</a></p>
<p>However the examples you give are strange to me. Usually the college essay is a personal essay. It isn’t supposed to be a position paper on a topic unless that is the specific prompt. But yes, I’d stay away from that one.</p>
<p>Google 'Essay Topics to Stay Away From"</p>
<p>I strongly recommend one avoids subjects that are unquestionably trite to the institution’s admissions readers and officers. To illustrate: Cameron Crazies and Men’s Basketball at Duke, “outdoorsiness” at Dartmouth, peerless STEM and MIT/Cal Tech, global mecca for intellectual pursuits at Harvard, uber liberalism at Berkeley, Mr. Jefferson at UVa, and so forth. The foregoing list is far more extensive . . . and I am not at all sure I’ve fairly represented the outstanding institutions cited as examples.</p>
<p>However, the critical fact is such topics are doubtless essay-focuses THOUSANDS of times annually. While they are accurate – and sometime are core elements of the university’s ethos – folks in the heart of the admissions process simply have to the sick of them. Creativity and ingenuity count; make sure your essays receive credit for originality.</p>
<p>
I used to see my students fall into this trap all the time (before I learned how to assign better topics). Writers start by discussing how they got interested in Issue X. Then they move to the life-changing experience: a research paper, a protest, some sort of volunteerism – and within a few sentences, they move from discussing why Issue X is important to them to why it should be important to everyone. That’s where the harangue begins.</p>
<p>Almost Always A Bad Idea:</p>
<ol>
<li>Any “My Struggles With Any Mental Health Issue”</li>
<li>“Mission-Trip” Essays</li>
<li>Any Essay That Is a Humblebrag</li>
<li>Any Essay That Is Basically a Demonstration Of How Much Money My Parents Have</li>
<li>Any Essay That Mentions Your Personal Substance Abuse or Lawbreaking Behavior</li>
<li>Essays That Blame Someone or Something Other Than Yourself For Your Failures</li>
</ol>