Choosing to write your college essays about sports, the most common Personal Statement essay topic of all, surely must be the correct move, right? After all, if so many students do it every year, there has to be some logic behind it, right? Wrong! While it’s true that sports are the most common Personal Statement topic, the most common application outcome at elite universities is rejection. Don’t follow the lead of your teammates and write about how you scored the winning goal or learned an important lesson from a major loss. We at Ivy Coach do not even allow our clients to consider this “third-rail” essay topic because it never fares well at the admissions offices of highly selective colleges. Steer clear of the sports essay at all costs! Here’s why:

Sports-Themed Essays Are Cliché and Don’t Say Anything About You

Your essay about the big goal that changed your life may have worked in the 1980s, but admissions officers are tired of reading about it these days! Nothing makes them glaze over faster than an essay that begins, “We were down by two points with five minutes to go, and it all came down to me.” Yawn! You might think you can subvert this cliché by writing instead about how a loss showed you to value the non-competitive aspects of athletics, like teamwork, dedication, and resilience, but this is just as trite as the last. You might think that experimenting with a stream of consciousness to reflect your fractured mind as you stare blankly ahead at the black line while swimming monotonous laps will really wow admissions officers with a new perspective on sports, but believe us, it’s been done before (even if your intended major is physics and you talk about the dynamics of the water)!

Many students and families have difficulty accepting this truth because they feel their college essays should reflect all the time, resources, and effort put into this one particular extracurricular. If this describes you, and you think your college application won’t be complete without a sincere reflection on your athletic career in the form of a Personal Statement, by all means, write away! But don’t expect to get into a highly selective school. Your tired approach will be one of countless indistinguishable essays reflecting on the same few themes, earning you a rejection letter from the nation’s top schools.

Your Singular Hook is More Important Than Your Sport

The cardinal sin of the sports-themed essay is that it takes what should be an essay all about how you intend to change the world in a highly specific, often small, and incredibly unique way through your singular admissions hook into an essay about a secondary extracurricular that you may or may not continue to do in college. It doesn’t matter if your sport is more meaningful, enjoyable, or time-intensive than your hook — if you’re not a recruited athlete, your sport is not getting you into an elite school (and even if you are a recruited athlete, you shouldn’t write about it). Your hook gets you in!

College admissions officers want to be assured that you’re worth taking the risk of admission on. How do you give them this reassurance? By highlighting how you will take advantage of the ample resources and opportunities on campus by expressing your passion for your discipline, cause, or pursuit. Unless you’re a recruited athlete, your dedication to a particular sport does not tell admissions officers how resourceful you will be once on campus.  If you won’t be helping their athletic team, they simply don’t care about your participation.

Moreover, despite what you may believe, admissions officers don’t want to admit hard-workers. They want students who can do any task with ease. Sports essays often focus on how your hard work and dedication paid off in the end, which signals that you may struggle to stay afloat once on campus.

Ivy Coach Will Help Your Child Steer Clear of College Essay Pitfalls

Our team of former elite college admissions officers at Ivy Coach will work with your child to optimize their odds of admission to a highly selective college through competitive essays that avoid common clichés. So, fill out our complimentary consultation form and we’ll be in touch.