Hey everyone! I just finished college apps, but am wondering what people view as “too personal” to write about in college applications. I struggled with this for my Common App essay- everything I could write strongly about was probably too much information for anyone reading it. Please let me know your thoughts on this!
hard to knwo without knowing what you’re talking about.
I personally would say covid, mental health, sexuality are all probably taboo and / or overused.
I think if you are “selling yourself” and your argument does that, it’s great - even if personal. If you’re giving a sorrowful situation, that could back fire.
In the end, you’re a salesman. The product is…you. Make it shine.
Best of luck.
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People have posted here about writing about pretty much every variety of personal and family trauma. There are students who are sure that the best trauma story wins (and some who plaintively ask what to do if your life hasn’t had any terrible trauma). There are students who take the 'we want to know you stuff from the admissions office to heart, and do essays that are deep dives into their psyches.
As @tsbna44 points out: your whole app is a sales pitch, in which you present all the strongest reasons why you are a good fit for their university. If your personal story shows that well, and you are happy to share it, fine. But ime (and I have been reading college essays for a long time now!), in the strongest essays the ‘personal’ info is merely the catalyst for the main point. It is very hard to have perspective on something that is deeply personal and close in time. Often students get lost in the telling of the story, and don’t spend enough time on the what they have done with the experience so far and what they are going to do next, instead falling back on a pat summary line.
tl;dr- if you are worried that it is too personal, it probably is.
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Just want to say one thing about the “sales pitch” idea. Too often students put accomplishments in an essay that are already listed. You do not have to feel you are “selling” yourself, whether through activities or through challenges you have faced. Instead, you are letting a college get to know you in an authentic way.
Yes that implies getting personal, but there are boundaries. And some of the best essays I have seen were about childhood toys and muffins 
Style of writing can matter as well as content.
So I would always say, regarding questions like this on esssays: “it depends.”
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IMO, the AOs are looking at the essays to see your personality and whether you can write an essay. They don’t really want to be your therapist.
I liked the essay this year where the applicant included every overused theme found in college essays. He’d done it all from curing cancer to rescuing a baby from a burning building to starting a hedge fund while playing 5 sports. It was funny.
A few years ago a girl wrote about shopping at Costco and was accepted to several Ivies.
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