How to Write About a "Boring" Topic and Still Get Into Your Dream School

You're staring at the Common App essay prompt. Again.

Your college counselor told you to "write about something meaningful." Your parents keep asking if you've started yet. Your friend is writing about founding a nonprofit in Ecuador. Another classmate is writing about immigrating from Syria. Someone else started a company that made $50,000.

And you? You have... nothing.

No dramatic backstory. No life-changing tragedy. No impressive achievement that sounds good in a college brochure. You haven't cured cancer, climbed Everest, or overcome extraordinary adversity.

You're just... you. With your regular life, regular family, and regular experiences.

Here's what I need you to understand: that's not a problem. That's an opportunity.

After reading thousands of college essays—both as a former admissions officer and through working with students at Zyra—I can tell you something that might surprise you: the "boring" essays are often the best ones.

Not in spite of being ordinary. Because of it.

Let me show you why, and more importantly, how to write one.

Here's the truth that nobody tells high school students: admissions officers are exhausted by trauma and achievement essays.

By the time they're reading your application, they've already read 50 essays that day. Twenty of them were about dead grandparents. Fifteen were about depression or anxiety. Ten were humble-brags disguised as personal statements. Five were about starting nonprofits.

And then they get to yours. About learning to cook. Or your part-time job at Target. Or your weird obsession with organizing your bookshelf.

That reader just sat up a little straighter.

Why? Because your essay is different. It's specific. It's honest. And most importantly—it's actually about you, not about trying to impress them.

Dr. Sarah Clapp, former admissions officer at Tufts University, said it perfectly in a 2024 interview: "The best essay I ever read was about a student's morning routine. Not because the routine was special, but because by the end of it, I felt like I knew exactly who this person was. I could picture them on our campus. That's what we're looking for."

The "boring" topic isn't your weakness. It's your advantage.

Here's why:

The goal of your college essay isn't to prove you're special. It's to show who you are.

And guess what? The best way to show who you are is through the ordinary moments that made you... you.

Before we get into how to write about ordinary things, let's be clear about what actually makes an essay boring.

Boring isn't about the topic. It's about the writing.

I've read amazing essays about:

I've also read terrible, boring essays about:

The difference? The first group had specific details, honest reflection, and clear insight into who the writer was as a person. The second group just listed accomplishments and expected me to be impressed.

Your essay is boring if:

Your essay is interesting if:

The topic is irrelevant. The writing is everything.

Okay, enough theory. Let's get practical.

Here's the exact formula I teach students through Zyra's essay coaching. It works for literally any topic, no matter how "boring" it seems.

Don't start with "what will impress them." Start with "what's actually true about my life."

Good starting points:

The test: Does this experience feel deeply familiar to you? Do you remember specific details without trying? If yes, that's your topic.

Example: One student I worked with wrote about being the slowest person on her cross country team. She never won. She never even came close. But she kept showing up. That essay got her into Stanford.

Another wrote about his job at Chick-fil-A and how he learned to read people's moods by the way they ordered food. That got him into Vanderbilt.

The topic doesn't matter. What you do with it matters.

This is where most students get stuck.

You've picked your topic (let's say: your part-time job at a grocery store). Now you're thinking: "Okay, but... so what? Why does this matter?"

Here's the secret: You don't need a big, dramatic "so what." You need a specific, personal "so what."

Wrong approach: "Working at the grocery store taught me the value of hard work and customer service."

That's generic. That's what everyone learns from a retail job.

Right approach: Ask yourself: "What did I learn about MYSELF from this experience? What did I notice that other people might not? What surprised me?"

Example: "I learned I'm the kind of person who needs to understand the 'why' behind every rule. When my manager told me to rotate the milk so older cartons were in front, I didn't just do it—I needed to know why it mattered. Turns out, I do that with everything. I'm not satisfied with 'just follow the instructions.' I need to understand the system."

See the difference? The second one reveals something specific about how you think, not just what you learned.

Your "so what" should answer:

This is the magic ingredient. This is what turns boring into unforgettable.

Generic details kill essays. Specific details bring them to life.

Don't write: "I like to cook" Write: "I burn garlic at least once a week because I always get distracted watching it brown and forget it's still on the heat"

Don't write: "My morning routine helps me start the day" Write: "I can't think straight until I've rearranged my desk. Same setup every morning: phone left corner, water bottle right, notebook perfectly centered"

Don't write: "I work at a coffee shop" Write: "I can guess someone's order by what time they arrive. 7am people want dark roast, black. 2pm people need something cold and sweet"

The rule: If another person could have noticed the same thing, it's not specific enough. Find the detail that only YOU would include.

This is where Zyra helps: Upload your draft and ask: "Which details are too generic? What specific observations could I add?" You'll get targeted feedback on exactly where to add specificity.

Most boring essays happen because students summarize instead of showing.

Summarizing sounds like: "I learned a lot from my summer job. It taught me responsibility and time management. I became a better person."

Showing sounds like: "It was 6:47am when the opening manager called. Could I cover the 7am shift? I was supposed to study for my calc exam. I looked at my textbook, looked at my phone, and said yes. Three hours later, I was restocking shelves and running derivative problems in my head between customers. I failed that exam. I also realized I'm the kind of person who can't say no when someone needs help, even when I should."

See how the second version drops you into a specific moment? You're there with them. You can feel the tension.

The technique:

Every good essay needs reflection—the "what I learned" part. But here's where most students go wrong: they try to sound deep.

Fake-deep reflection: "This experience taught me that every individual has inherent worth and that we must cherish the diverse tapestry of human experience."

Nobody talks like this. You don't think like this. Don't write like this.

Real reflection: "I used to think the quiet kids in class were boring. Then I spent a summer shelving books at the library next to Marcus, who never said more than five words per shift. One day he handed me a post-it note with a book recommendation. I read it. It changed how I think about loneliness. Now I know quiet doesn't mean empty."

See the difference? The second one is specific, personal, and actually sounds like a real thought a real person had.

Your reflection should:

Let me show you exactly how this plays out. These are all real essay topics from students who got into top schools:

The "boring" topic: Working as a cashier at Safeway

What made it work:

Result: Accepted to UC Berkeley

Why it worked: The topic wasn't impressive. The observation was. It showed empathy, awareness, and a specific way of seeing the world that only this student had.

The "boring" topic: Solving Rubik's cubes as a hobby

What made it work:

Result: Accepted to MIT

Why it worked: It wasn't about the cubes. It was about how this student thinks—methodical, analytical, always looking for better systems. MIT wants students who think like that.

The "boring" topic: Washing dishes every night after dinner

What made it work:

Result: Accepted to Yale

Why it worked: This essay revealed the student's relationship with her mom, her values around family, and her understanding that important things often happen in ordinary moments. That's mature thinking. That's interesting.

Even with a good "boring" topic, you can still write a boring essay. Here's what to avoid:

Don't write: "I know this isn't as impressive as other people's essays, but I'm going to write about my part-time job."

Why it's wrong: You just told the reader your essay isn't worth their time. You undermined yourself before you even started.

Fix it: Just start the story. No apology. No disclaimer. Dive in.

Don't write: "My grandmother is the most amazing person I know. She taught me everything about perseverance and strength..."

Why it's wrong: This is a college essay about YOU. Not your grandmother. If she's in the essay, she should reveal something about you, not be the main character.

Fix it: Make sure every paragraph answers: "What does this reveal about ME?"

Don't write: "And that's when I learned that hard work pays off and you should never give up on your dreams."

Why it's wrong: This could be the ending to literally any essay. It's not specific to your experience.

Fix it: End with a specific action, choice, or realization that shows how you've changed. Show the lesson through what you do now, don't just state it.

Don't write: "This small experience made me realize the interconnectedness of all human beings and the fundamental nature of existence."

Why it's wrong: You're stretching. We can tell. It sounds fake.

Fix it: Keep your reflection proportional to your topic. A small topic can have a small-but-meaningful insight. That's enough.

Don't write: In a voice that doesn't sound like you

Why it's wrong: The point is for them to know YOU. If you sound like a 45-year-old philosophy professor, that's not you.

Fix it: Read your essay out loud. If you wouldn't say it to a friend, rewrite it.

Before you submit, run through this checklist:

✅ Specificity Check:

✅ Voice Check:

✅ Insight Check:

✅ Story Check:

✅ Unique Check:

Okay, you've read all this and you're still thinking: "I genuinely have nothing to write about. My life is just... normal."

First: that's not true. You do have something. You're just not seeing it yet.

Try this exercise:

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write down:

Pick the one that you have the most specific memories about. That's your topic.

Still stuck? Upload your ideas to Zyra and ask: "Which of these topics has the most potential for a college essay?" You'll get immediate feedback on which direction to go and why.

Here's what admissions officers have told me (and this is from actual conversations, not guessing):

They don't care about:

They care about:

You don't need an extraordinary life to answer those questions. You just need to be honest and specific about your ordinary one.

The student who writes about washing dishes and reveals a close relationship with their mom? Admissions officers can picture them building community in the dorms.

The student who writes about solving Rubik's cubes and shows they're obsessed with optimization? Admissions officers know they'll contribute to class discussions.

The student who writes about working at a grocery store and demonstrates awareness of class differences? Admissions officers see someone who'll bring perspective to campus conversations.

Your boring topic isn't a disadvantage. It's an opportunity to show who you really are.

And that's exactly what they're looking for.

Let me tell you something that might change how you think about this whole process:

The best college essay I ever read was about a student's daily walk home from school. Same route every day. Same 23 minutes. Nothing happened. No big revelation. Just a kid walking home.

But by the end of that essay, I knew:

That student got into Princeton.

Not because their life was impressive. Because their essay made me want to know them.

That's what your "boring" topic can do. If you write it right.

So stop waiting for something dramatic to happen. Stop comparing yourself to the student writing about their nonprofit or their trauma or their accomplishments.

Start writing about your actual life. The small stuff. The ordinary stuff. The stuff you think doesn't matter.

Because here's the secret: the ordinary stuff is where you actually live. It's where your real personality shows up. It's where you're most yourself.

And "most yourself" is exactly what colleges want to see.

Your boring topic isn't the problem. Thinking you need an impressive topic is the problem.

Fix that, and suddenly you have an essay worth reading.

Ready to write your essay? Zyra's AI gives you real-time feedback on your drafts—helping you find the specific details, authentic voice, and meaningful insights that make "boring" topics unforgettable. Get expert-level essay coaching 24/7 for $20/month. No expensive private counselor required.

Start your free trial →

Related Reading:

Writing your college essay and need help? Upload your draft to Zyra for instant feedback, or DM us on Instagram @join.zyra with your questions.