How to Avoid a Boring Essay
by Kathleen M.
One of the main challenges in writing a Common App Essay is writing something that isn’t boring or cliched or overused. How can you avoid writing a boring essay?
Let’s go over some examples that may be more boring or expected.
For example:
My aunt was the one who always babysat me ever since I was five years old. I always remember her love for the outdoors, from tending to her prized azaleas in her backyard garden to her constant weekend hikes. She also had a love for birdwatching and sketching pictures of birds she spotted in parks—from the fierce-eyed prairie falcon to docile turtledoves and noisy bluejays. I greatly admired her.
This may work as an opening paragraph – but really the paragraph isn’t about you.
If you want to introduce yourself more clearly, you might use the Costco essay as an example of what works well. The description of the applicant as a child is indelible and really captures the reader’s attention.
Here is another example:
It took over five months of training, countless evenings with my Fitbit, and over thirty miles of pushing my leg muscles as far as they could go. But I had done it—I had completed my first marathon. I thought of my hundreds of logged practices and felt ecstatic even with all my aching muscles. I had learned that I didn’t need to be naturally talented at athletics to accomplish something. Focusing on hard work made me a better version of myself.
It is difficult to write something new about “hard work,” so avoid this subject unless you have a really good hook and story! This opener is dull and the lesson is too expected. It really is all about defining hard work and offering a spin. Instead, read this Business Insider article about a college app essay written about McDonald’s.
Or lastly:
Being the treasurer of the Arts Club had meant a lot to me, especially seeing how I had been a member of the club since my freshman year. I had always felt the arts was important, but working on the finances side of things helped me understand a different aspect behind the scenes. I worked a lot on detailed and complicated processes with budgeting and money.
Although this topic might work out to be a really interesting essay, this introduction lacks a specific example to help hook the reader into the essay. US News has collected some opening paragraphs that really sizzle!
As you work on trying to convert your brainstorming into an essay, think about what you really like in a story and try to emulate that with your story. If you add specific examples in your own voice, you should be fine!
Remember that the people reading the essay want to know about you but also want to know about how you communicate.
