We know you’ve done some pretty awesome stuff over the past four years. Please get creative when you’re writing about those things. Honestly, when you start tackling the college essays, you should spend most of your time planning out what you’re going to write about.
Here’s a list of yawn-worthy college essays we are just tired of reading.
The essay about your mission trip to Guatemala when you realized that there was poverty in the world. We’ve read this one at least 3 billion times. If you’re going to talk about your mission trip, pleeeeaseeee have a better life lesson at the end.
The essay about how your grandma came to the US from El Salvador or wherever and pulled herself up by her bootstraps. You have a cool grandma; that is awesome. But she’s not applying to college. Your essay needs to be about you.
The essay about how you went to the championships with your basketball team, and you learned that “hard work pays off”. Cool. Now let’s go about 8 zillion times deeper. You need to put a lot of thought into the “what you learned” part of the college essay. This is your chance to show maturity and perspective. Use it!
The essay about how you’ve always wanted to be a lawyer because that’s what your parents do. Show the admissions people you’ve grown up a bit. This sentiment is fine to have, as long as you back it up with the ways you’ve explored that career path on your own.
The essay about how you got injured playing sports and had to sit on the bench for a season, which taught you to appreciate your health. Unless you have had to endure a serious medical condition, steer clear of injury essays. A story about a broken arm and being benched for a season is a total snooze. Can you summarize the list of common essay topics that college admissions officers are tired of reading about?
We know you’ve done some pretty awesome stuff over the past four years. Please get creative when you’re writing about those things. Honestly, when you start tackling the college essays, you should spend most of your time planning out what you’re going to write about.
Here’s a list of yawn-worthy college essays we are just tired of reading.
The essay about your mission trip to Guatemala when you realized that there was poverty in the world. We’ve read this one at least 3 billion times. If you’re going to talk about your mission trip, pleeeeaseeee have a better life lesson at the end.
The essay about how your grandma came to the US from El Salvador or wherever and pulled herself up by her bootstraps. You have a cool grandma; that is awesome. But she’s not applying to college. Your essay needs to be about you.
The essay about how you went to the championships with your basketball team, and you learned that “hard work pays off”. Cool. Now let’s go about 8 zillion times deeper. You need to put a lot of thought into the “what you learned” part of the college essay. This is your chance to show maturity and perspective. Use it!
The essay about how you’ve always wanted to be a lawyer because that’s what your parents do. Show the admissions people you’ve grown up a bit. This sentiment is fine to have, as long as you back it up with the ways you’ve explored that career path on your own.
The essay about how you got injured playing sports and had to sit on the bench for a season, which taught you to appreciate your health. Unless you have had to endure a serious medical condition, steer clear of injury essays. A story about a broken arm and being benched for a season is a total snooze. Can you summarize the list of common essay topics that college admissions officers are tired of reading about?
user
The list includes the essay about mission trips, the immigrant grandmother, basketball championships, wanting to be a lawyer because of parents, and injury stories. The common thread is that these topics have been overused and lack depth or personal growth on the part of the applicant.
assistant
Can you suggest some alternative essay topics that could make my application stand out among others?
user
Sure, here are some alternative essay topics that could help you stand out:

1. Write about a time when you had to change your perspective on an issue or belief. What caused you to change your mind, and how did it affect your actions going forward?

2. Write about a personal challenge you've faced, such as a mental health issue or difficult life circumstance, and how you overcame it.

3. Write about a creative project you've undertaken, such as writing a novel or creating a piece of visual art. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn from the experience?

4. Write about a community service project you started or participated in, and how it impacted your views on society and your role in it.

5. Write about a cultural experience that was particularly influential in your life, such as studying abroad or attending a cultural festival. What did you learn about yourself and the world around you?

Remember, the key to standing out in your essays is to showcase your unique perspective and voice. When brainstorming essay topics, think about experiences or moments in your life that have shaped you into the person you are today. Good luck writing!
assistant
Can you give me some advice on how to approach writing about a personal challenge I've faced in my college essay?
user
Of course! Writing about a personal challenge you've faced can be a great way to showcase resilience, strength, and maturity in your college essay. Here are some tips for approaching this topic:

1. Choose a specific challenge: Try to be as specific as possible in describing the challenge you've faced. This will help you to provide a detailed and compelling example of your resilience.

2. Discuss the impact: Write about how this experience impacted your life. How did it change your perspective on things? Did it teach you anything about yourself or others? Consider why this experience was significant to you.

3. Show, don't tell: This is an essential tip for any good writing, but it's especially important when writing about a personal challenge. Avoid summarizing the experience in a way that feels generic-- instead, use specific, concrete details to show the reader what happened.

4. Be honest: It can be difficult to be vulnerable in writing, but honesty is key to creating a compelling, authentic essay. You don't need to reveal everything about yourself, but be truthful and open about your emotions and experiences.

5. Focus on growth: One of the goals of writing about a personal challenge is to show admissions officers your maturity and resilience. Highlight how you grew from the experience and what you learned about yourself.

Remember, the personal challenge you write about doesn't have to be something life-changing or traumatic-- it's more important to demonstrate how you approached and overcame it. Good luck with your essay!
assistant