Crafting a College Essay That Stands Out From the Crowd
The Common Application essay is your 650-word opportunity to speak directly to the admissions committee. It’s the one place where your voice, personality, and character can shine through beyond your grades and test scores. However, thousands of students are vying for the same spots, and after reading hundreds of essays, admissions officers develop a keen sense for overused topics and predictable narratives. Falling into a cliché can make your unique story feel generic and forgettable.
Avoiding these common traps is the first step toward writing a personal statement that is memorable, authentic, and compelling. This guide will walk you through 10 of the most common essay clichés and offer fresh, impactful alternatives to help you tell your story in a way that only you can.
Why Clichés Weaken Your College Application Essay
Before we dive into the list, it’s important to understand why clichés are so detrimental. An essay cliché isn’t necessarily a “bad” topic; it’s a predictable approach to a topic that has been used countless times. They often follow a simple, formulaic arc that reveals very little genuine insight about the writer.
Admissions officers are looking for:
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- Authenticity: They want to meet the real you.
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- Self-reflection: They want to see that you can think critically about your experiences.
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- Originality: They want a story that stands out and is memorable.
Clichés fail on all three fronts. They mask your true voice behind a predictable story, offer superficial reflections, and blend into a sea of similar essays. Now, let’s look at what to avoid.
The Top 10 Common Application Essay Clichés to Avoid
Cliché #1: The Championship-Winning Goal
This essay describes the final moments of a big game. The clock is ticking down, the pressure is on, and the writer scores the winning point, learning the value of hard work and teamwork. While sports are a huge part of many students’ lives, this narrative is one of the most overused in college admissions.
What to Write Instead
Focus on a less obvious moment. The real story isn’t always in the victory. Instead, explore:
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- A time you were benched and what you learned from the sidelines.
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- A difficult conversation you had with a teammate or coach.
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- The quiet, grueling monotony of practice and what kept you motivated.
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- A significant failure or loss and how you processed it.
These stories reveal more about your character, resilience, and maturity than a simple victory ever could.
Cliché #2: The Life-Changing Service Trip
The writer travels to a developing country for a week, builds part of a school, and has an epiphany about their own privilege. This essay can often sound condescending and can minimize the complex issues of the community they visited. The “revelation” often feels unearned and superficial.
What to Write Instead
If community service is central to your life, focus on local, long-term engagement. Write about the sustained relationships you built at a local soup kitchen or the specific, tangible problem you worked to solve in your own neighborhood over months or years. This demonstrates genuine commitment and deeper understanding.
Cliché #3: The “My Grandparent is My Hero” Essay
This essay spends 600 words beautifully describing a beloved grandparent’s inspiring life, struggles, and wisdom. The problem? The college is admitting you, not your grandparent. The essay ends up being a biography of someone else, with only a brief mention of how they inspired you.
What to Write Instead
Use your relationship with a role model as a starting point, not the entire subject. Focus on a specific, small moment or a single piece of advice from them. How did that moment change your perspective, actions, or goals? The essay should be 80% about you and 20% about them.
Cliché #4: The List of Accomplishments
This essay reads like a narrative version of the activities section. “First, I became president of the Debate Club, then I was first-chair violin, and finally, I won the state science fair.” It tells the reader what you did, but it doesn’t show them who you are.
What to Write Instead
Pick one experience from your list and go deep. Don’t talk about becoming president; talk about the time you had to mediate a major disagreement within the club and what you learned about leadership. It’s the “how” and “why,” not the “what,” that makes for a powerful story.
Cliché #5: The “Defining Quote” Introduction
Starting your essay with a famous quote from Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, or Nelson Mandela is a red flag. It uses someone else’s words to set the stage for your own story and suggests you couldn’t find an original way to begin.
What to Write Instead
Start in the middle of a moment. Use a vivid description, a snippet of dialogue, or an intriguing question. Your opening line should be your own. Hook the reader with a personal detail that makes them want to know more about your unique experience.
Cliché #6: Overcoming a Minor Setback
The story of how you studied really hard to turn a B+ into an A- in a difficult class might feel significant to you, but in the grand scheme of life challenges, it lacks the weight to be a compelling personal statement. It can come across as a “humble brag” and doesn’t reveal deep character.
What to Write Instead
If you want to write about a challenge, choose one with real stakes. This doesn’t have to be a major trauma, but it should be a genuine moment of struggle that forced you to grow. It could be a moral dilemma, a conflict of values, or a time you truly failed at something you cared about.
Cliché #7: My Entire Life Story
Trying to cram 17 years of life into 650 words is impossible. These “and then this happened…” essays lack focus and depth. They jump from one milestone to the next without any meaningful reflection.
What to Write Instead
Focus on a single, pivotal moment or a concise theme that connects a few different experiences. Think small. A powerful essay can be built around a single conversation, a car ride, a family dinner, or a specific object that holds meaning for you.
Cliché #8: The “Quirky” Essay
This essay tries too hard to be different, often using a thesaurus to insert obscure words or focusing on a collection of “quirky” interests without a central point. It can feel forced and inauthentic, and the message gets lost in the attempt to sound clever.
What to Write Instead
Authenticity is more interesting than forced quirkiness. If you have a unique hobby, connect it to a larger quality. How does your passion for collecting antique maps connect to your desire to study urban planning? Show the reader how your interests have shaped your perspective on the world.
Cliché #9: The Moving to a New Place Story
The story of moving to a new city or country and experiencing “culture shock” before eventually adapting is another well-trodden path. The narrative arc is predictable and often relies on broad generalizations.
What to Write Instead
Drill down into a highly specific detail of your transition. Don’t write about the general feeling of being an outsider. Write about your struggle to understand a specific joke, navigate the grocery store, or the first real conversation you had where you felt you truly belonged. Specificity is the antidote to cliché.
Cliché #10: The Tragic Story Without Reflection
Writing about a tragedy or significant hardship can be incredibly powerful, but only if it’s handled with care. A common mistake is to spend the entire essay describing the tragic event itself, leaving no room to discuss its impact on you.
What to Write Instead
The event itself is the context, not the story. The real story is about your response. Dedicate most of the essay to exploring how you changed, what you learned, and how your perspective on life shifted. The focus should be on your resilience, growth, and newfound understanding.
Conclusion: Your Authentic Voice is Your Greatest Asset
The goal of avoiding clichés isn’t to find a topic no one has ever written about. It’s about finding an approach that is uniquely yours. The most compelling college application essays are born from genuine self-reflection. Don’t ask, “What do admissions officers want to hear?” Instead, ask yourself, “What story reveals the most about who I am and who I want to become?” Dig deep, be honest, and tell a small story that says something big about you. Your authentic voice is your superpower—use it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: My most important experience is a service trip. Does that mean I absolutely can’t write about it?
A: No, you can still write about it, but you must avoid the cliché approach. Instead of a broad story about your “epiphany,” focus on a single, specific interaction with one person or a complex, unexpected problem you encountered. Discuss your own limitations and what you failed to accomplish, rather than just what you succeeded at. The key is deep, humble reflection.
Q2: How do I know if my essay is a cliché?
A: A great test is to give your essay to a teacher or trusted adult and ask them, “What did you learn about me from this essay that you didn’t already know?” If they can only repeat facts (you’re hard-working, you’re a team player), it might be too generic. If they can point to a specific quality of your character, a unique way you think, or a new understanding of your personality, you’re on the right track.
Q3: Can I write about challenges like mental health or a learning disability?
A: Yes, but with caution. These topics are deeply personal and can make for powerful essays. However, the focus must be on growth, coping strategies, and what you’ve learned. The essay should convey maturity and resilience, not simply be a story of struggle. It’s often a good idea to have a college counselor or trusted mentor read it to ensure the tone is one of strength and self-awareness.
