10 College Essay Topics to Avoid

Your college admissions essay is your chance to show colleges who you really are. You could save time by reusing an essay from English class. However, with hundreds -- sometimes thousands -- of applicants competing for the same spots, most high school seniors choose to write a completely new personal statement that showcases their unique story.

Why These College Essay Topics Can Hurt Your Application

Admissions officers read hundreds of essays that sound exactly the same. Eventually, it becomes difficult for them to differentiate candidates—and that could mean trouble for your chances of acceptance. You want to stand out in the applicant pool, not blend into the background with overused themes and clichéd responses. Before you craft your essay, check out this list of common college essay mistakes and topics you should avoid and discover what to write about instead.

College Essay Topics to Avoid: The Complete List

1. A Summary of Your Accomplishments (The "Résumé Repeat")

If you haven't learned this by now, you'll need to learn it before you set foot on a college campus: nobody likes a braggart. Plus, the admissions committee already knows about your achievements. They've reviewed your grades, read about your extracurricular activities, and heard glowing praise from your letters of recommendation. Write this instead: If you want to discuss your accomplishments, focus on a specific moment that challenged or changed you. Show how that experience shaped your perspective or revealed something unexpected about yourself. Go beyond listing achievements. Tell a story that only you can tell.

2. Highly Controversial Topics (Politics & Religion)

Imagine the college admissions committee gathered around your Thanksgiving table. What topics would you avoid? Politics and religion top the list. Everyone brings personal bias to the table, and even though admissions officers work to remain objective when making admissions decisions, strong opinions can influence how they perceive you, especially if your college essay takes a polarizing stance. Remember: your goal is to gain admission to college, not to convince people you're right about controversial beliefs. Unless you're applying to a religious institution where faith is central to the mission, keep deep personal views private and choose a safer, more universally relatable topic. Write this instead: Focus on topics that reveal your values and character without dividing your audience. Write about how you navigate differences, learned from someone with different views, or found common ground in an unexpected situation.

3. Sports Triumphs and Defeats (The "Friday Night Lights" Cliché)

Unless you're a Division 1 recruit headed to the Big Ten, admissions officers don't need another essay about being the high school quarterback. They've read countless stories about "the thrill of victory" and "the agony of defeat" in high school athletics. If they wanted to relive these stories, they could watch Remember the Titans, Bend It Like Beckham, or Friday Night Lights. You get the picture. Write this instead: If sports truly shaped who you are, focus on an unexpected moment or lesson learned. Maybe you discovered leadership by mentoring younger teammates, learned resilience by coming back from an injury differently than you expected, or found community in an unconventional way. Make it about personal growth, not game stats.

4. Humor (Unless You're Genuinely Funny)

The college admissions essay is serious business. Don't try to turn it into a comedy routine. Unless you have a genuinely hilarious story or you're a naturally funny writer, humor throughout your essay can feel forced. Admissions officers will recognize the attempt, and they won't find it amusing. Plus, if it's a "typical funny experience story," they've likely read it multiple times in other essays already. Write this instead: Be authentic. If humor comes naturally to you and fits your story organically, a light touch can work. Prioritize being genuine over trying to make admissions officers laugh.

5. Being Lucky or Blessed (The Privilege Essay)

Here's what admissions officers don't want to read: an essay about your privileged life. No offense: we know you're grateful. If you want to discuss your advantages or blessings, write about the specific moment that awakened you to your circumstances. Talk about how it changed you. Write this instead: Focus on action and awareness. Show how recognizing your privilege inspired you to create opportunities for others, learn from different communities, or challenge systems in meaningful ways.

6. Stories About Volunteering or Mission Trips (The "I Helped Them" Trap)

Volunteer experiences in college essays often sound a lot like #1 and #5 on this list. If you plan to write about volunteer work or a mission trip, don't focus on what you brought to the table. Write this instead: Choose one interesting or unexpected moment from your experience. Write about a person you met who inspired you or changed your understanding. If your volunteer work sparked a passion that connects to your major and career path, discuss the specific instance when everything clicked. Make the essay about what you learned, not what you taught.

7. The "Anti-Essay" or Overly Creative Formats (Poetry, Videos, etc.)

Think your anti-essay is insanely creative and never-before-seen? Think again. Some of the brightest students fall into this trap, but nothing triggers a bigger eye roll from admissions officers than applicants who think they're above the traditional college essay. While poems, stream-of-consciousness pieces, or video essays might feel more creative, they're not your best strategy, unless a college specifically asks for an alternative format. The purpose of your college essay is simple: get into that college. Save your most experimental creative work for after you're admitted. Write this instead: Show your creativity through storytelling, unique perspectives, and vivid details within a traditional essay structure. You can be imaginative and memorable without abandoning the essay format entirely.

8. Illegal or Illicit Behavior (The Fast Track to Rejection)

Unless you're legally required to disclose arrests or criminal history on your college application, avoid writing about illegal or illicit behavior at all costs. Admissions committees do not want to read about your underage drug and alcohol use or sexual exploits. This is the fastest way to land in the "Rejected" pile. You don't want your judgment questioned for past decisions—or for choosing to write about those decisions. Either way, it's risky and not recommended. And while we're on this topic: if your social media contains posts about illegal behavior, delete them or make your accounts private. Admissions officers search for applicants on social media to get a realistic picture of who you are and how you'd fit into their campus community. Write this instead: If you made mistakes and genuinely learned from them, write about personal growth in a way that doesn't raise red flags about your judgment. Focus on the lesson learned and how you've changed—not the illegal activity itself.

The Most Important [Person, Place, Thing] in My Life (The Third-Grade Essay)

Third grade called, and it wants its essay topic back. Admissions officers have read countless essays about inspiring parents, life-changing teachers, and transformative mentors. While these people may be incredibly important in your life, your college essay should be about YOU and your unique experiences, not a tribute to someone else. Write this instead: If someone truly shaped your journey, make yourself the main character. Show how you applied their lessons, challenged their ideas, or grew in unexpected ways through the relationship. The focus should always circle back to your growth and perspective.

10. Personal Trauma or Tragedies (Handle with Care)

Writing about death, divorce, or similar tragedies is emotionally challenging, and it's difficult to communicate these experiences without falling into clichés. You don't have to avoid this topic entirely, but if you choose to write about trauma, focus on how it shaped you, what you felt, and how you grew from the experience. Ask yourself: What makes your experience and response unique? Thousands of high school students have faced similar challenges. Your essay should reveal what you learned, how you've changed, and what strength or insight you gained; not just what happened to you. Write this instead: Focus on resilience, growth, and forward momentum. Show how you moved through difficulty rather than dwelling in it.

How to Choose a Unique College Essay Topic That Works

Your college essay is so much more than a topic: it's meant to showcase YOU. The "topic" you choose could be something as significant as a life-changing diagnosis or as simple as your bedtime routine. What matters is what your college essay topic reveals about who you are: your values, interests, personality traits, qualities, and skills. This is the admissions committee's chance to understand how you would contribute to their campus community. Focus less on what to write about and more on WHO to write about.

Your Next Steps: Write an Essay That Opens Doors

Now that you know which college essay topics to avoid, you're ready to choose a topic that helps you stand out for all the right reasons. Remember: • Be authentic. Write in your own voice about experiences that truly matter to you. • Show, don't tell. Use specific details and vivid storytelling to bring your essay to life. • Focus on growth. Colleges want to see how you've changed, learned, and developed. • Make it about you. Even when writing about others or events, keep yourself at the center of the story.