Cliché College Essay Topics, and How to Handle Them If You Must
EssaysNo topic is truly banned, but some are so common that they start at a disadvantage. Here is how to know the difference and how to make a tired topic fresh.
Every year admissions readers see thousands of essays about the same handful of experiences. The topics are not bad. They are just crowded, which means an average version blends into a stack of near-identical ones. Knowing which topics are crowded helps you decide how hard you will have to work to stand out.
The usual suspects
- The winning or losing sports game and the lesson it taught.
- The service trip that opened my eyes to how much I have.
- The immigrant grandparent story told as a highlight reel.
- The injury that kept me off the field.
- Moving to a new school and learning to fit in.
If your topic is on a list like this, do not panic and do not necessarily abandon it. The problem is almost never the topic. It is the generic version of the topic that most people write.
How to make a common topic yours
The fix is specificity and angle. Instead of the lesson everyone draws, find the odd, particular detail only you noticed. Zoom in on one small moment rather than narrating the whole arc. Write the version that could only have happened to you, and a crowded topic becomes a personal one.
A good test: if a classmate with a similar experience could have written your essay word for word, it is too generic. Add the details that make it unmistakably yours.
When to switch topics
If, after honest effort, your only angle is the same one thousands of others use, it may be worth choosing a smaller, stranger topic instead. A quiet essay about something specific and true almost always beats a familiar essay about something big and expected.
This article is general guidance, not professional counseling, and it does not guarantee any outcome. Requirements, deadlines, and prompts change, so always confirm the details on each school's official website before you rely on them.
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