Topics to avoid for admissions essays

[Anonymous]

With the admissions season nearly upon us, I thought I'd pose this question to the 'seasoned' admissions parents, or those who are familiar with this processes.

What are some essay topics to avoid? I hear that 'mission trip' essays should be avoided. Why? What are some other ones?

[Anonymous]

If the essay is well-written, I say there's no topic that's off limits.

[Anonymous]

An admissions director from BU warned against writing about "How I overcame my ACL injury", apparently that was completely overdone for several years. Probably the forbidden topics change year to year. Avoid anything cliche, is my advice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the essay is well-written, I say there's no topic that's off limits.

I agree. Well-written and capturing the attention or imagination of the reader is what makes the writer stand out and could, ultimately, be a tie-breaker. Note this UChicago essay equating the school to a lover. The writer was accepted.

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/a-college-essay-inspires-controversy/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

[Anonymous]

It's not so much the topic, but the tendency to fall into certain cliches within the topics. As someone who reads college essays (I'm not an admissions person, but an English teacher) I cannot tell you how many 'mission trip' essays I've read that follow the exact same structure: I went to Africa with my church. At first it was hard because I couldn't communicate with the people and wasn't used to manual labor. But after awhile, I was able to make connections with the residents and realized that despite the obvious differences, deep down most people aren't that different at all. And plus, I got to help out poor people!!!

It is in your child's best interest to avoid essays like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not so much the topic, but the tendency to fall into certain cliches within the topics. As someone who reads college essays (I'm not an admissions person, but an English teacher) I cannot tell you how many 'mission trip' essays I've read that follow the exact same structure: I went to Africa with my church. At first it was hard because I couldn't communicate with the people and wasn't used to manual labor. But after awhile, I was able to make connections with the residents and realized that despite the obvious differences, deep down most people aren't that different at all. And plus, I got to help out poor people!!!

It is in your child's best interest to avoid essays like that.

They don't sound very well written but if approached differently, it might work. For instance, the connections with the residents could focus on the ability to find the common interest, say, something unusual. I'm not an English teacher (I tip my hat to you...how to you make them say you're instead of your) but I would think that if it is different and unusual enough, it could work.

But I agree, the run of the mill 'I got to help poor people' would probably be redundant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not so much the topic, but the tendency to fall into certain cliches within the topics. As someone who reads college essays (I'm not an admissions person, but an English teacher) I cannot tell you how many 'mission trip' essays I've read that follow the exact same structure: I went to Africa with my church. At first it was hard because I couldn't communicate with the people and wasn't used to manual labor. But after awhile, I was able to make connections with the residents and realized that despite the obvious differences, deep down most people aren't that different at all. And plus, I got to help out poor people!!!

It is in your child's best interest to avoid essays like that.

"And in the end I realized they helped me more than I helped them."

[Anonymous]

No, seriously, no mission trips. Unless something funny happened and that's the topic of the essay. But they're a joke among admissions officers - pp got the sentiment right.

I got into an Ivy by writing about my favorite pop band.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, seriously, no mission trips. Unless something funny happened and that's the topic of the essay. But they're a joke among admissions officers - pp got the sentiment right.

I got into an Ivy by writing about my favorite pop band.

OK. So my daughter went to Panama for a school trip and the trip had a homestay component (four nights) where they were living with a Panaman (?), non-English speaking family. Would it be appropriate to write about that and the communication thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, seriously, no mission trips. Unless something funny happened and that's the topic of the essay. But they're a joke among admissions officers - pp got the sentiment right.

I got into an Ivy by writing about my favorite pop band.

It's such a slippery slope. Suppose the reviewer had been a classical music lover only? Not saying s/he wouldn't rise to the occasion but there could be some bias there. Such a crap shoot pandering to admissions personnel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, seriously, no mission trips. Unless something funny happened and that's the topic of the essay. But they're a joke among admissions officers - pp got the sentiment right.

I got into an Ivy by writing about my favorite pop band.

OK. So my daughter went to Panama for a school trip and the trip had a homestay component (four nights) where they were living with a Panaman (?), non-English speaking family. Would it be appropriate to write about that and the communication thing?

Let her give it a go and see how it writes up. But most people here are saying "probably not."

[Anonymous]

IMO her essay should be based on more than 4 nights of her life. We're those 4 days really that life changing that they're the only thing worth telling them about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, seriously, no mission trips. Unless something funny happened and that's the topic of the essay. But they're a joke among admissions officers - pp got the sentiment right.

I got into an Ivy by writing about my favorite pop band.

OK. So my daughter went to Panama for a school trip and the trip had a homestay component (four nights) where they were living with a Panaman (?), non-English speaking family. Would it be appropriate to write about that and the communication thing?

Let her give it a go and see how it writes up. But most people here are saying "probably not."

I agree. Give it a go and see how it turns out. You never know. It could be a winner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IMO her essay should be based on more than 4 nights of her life. We're those 4 days really that life changing that they're the only thing worth telling them about?

Actually, lots of "winning" essays are about something much shorter than 4 nights -- a funny story, a family dinner, a photograph, something granny used to say, the house in the 'ole country, etc., etc. The essay is not meant to be a resume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO her essay should be based on more than 4 nights of her life. We're those 4 days really that life changing that they're the only thing worth telling them about?

Actually, lots of "winning" essays are about something much shorter than 4 nights -- a funny story, a family dinner, a photograph, something granny used to say, the house in the 'ole country, etc., etc. The essay is not meant to be a resume.

True, but the best essays give a sense of the person. I think what people are saying here is that the struggle to communicate in a foreign language is actually not all that different an experience from person to person, and it's the rare kid/experience that stands out with this kind of topic.

I do think it's much better to write about your favorite band--something relatively few kids will write about--than the mission/travel. And I think it's silly to worry about whether the admissions officer prefers classical music to pop. They aren't looking for people who share their interests, they're looking for interesting, well written, essays that stand out from the others.