42: Are Any College Essay Topics Off Limits? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 16, 2026 · 15 MIN

42: Are Any College Essay Topics Off Limits?

from The College Essay Advisors Podcast · host College Essay Advisors

Students often hear that topics like mental health, loss, service trips, injuries, or family challenges are “too risky” for college essays—but is that actually true? Join Stacey and Becca as they unpack what makes a topic risky, what makes it work, and how to tell the difference before you start writing.Order your copy of Stacey's new book:https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/the-uncommon-college-essay-book/Work with an Advisor one-on-one:https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/one-on-one-advising/CEA's Common Application Essay Prompt Guide:https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/portfolio-items/common-application-essay-prompts-guide/CEA's Expert Supplemental Essay Guides:https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/supplemental-essay-guide/Watch some of our YouTube videos:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MaLsIu1vdEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6VxiKDeqQcFollow us on social:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeEssayAdvisorsTwitter: https://twitter.com/CollegeEssayAdvInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegeessayadvisors/Website: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/*Details have been changed as it relates to any and all essay and letter examples mentioned in the podcast to protect the privacy of our clients.Don't forget to subscribe so you can be notified when we release new episodes!

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 16, 2026

Students often hear that topics like mental health, loss, service trips, injuries, or family challenges are “too risky” for college essays—but is that actually true? Join Stacey and Becca as they unpack what makes a topic risky, what makes it work, and how to tell the difference before you start writing. Order your copy of Stacey's new book: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/the-uncommon-college-essay-book/ Work with an Advisor one-on-one: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/one-on-one-...

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42: Are Any College Essay Topics Off Limits?

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This episode was published on July 16, 2026.

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Students often hear that topics like mental health, loss, service trips, injuries, or family challenges are “too risky” for college essays—but is that actually true? Join Stacey and Becca as they unpack what makes a topic risky, what makes it work,...

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