I get questions all the time. Here’s a popular one I receive from applicants…
Q: Why can’t I write about sports?
A: Here’s the thing with writing about sports, inevitably, the essay becomes about the game itself. You either won (“hard work paid off”) or lost (“I learned a lesson”) and either way, it’s a letdown. You CAN write about sports as a jumping off point, or as a way to show who you are. Let the essay focus on qualities you have have are applicable in other areas of your life. I had an applicant a couple of years ago who broke his arm (in the same place!) every May, four years in a row, missing all four years of varsity football. By the end, it just got comical. So go ahead and pitch me that sports story, let’s see if it’s a viable idea. But, be ready to let it go if I think it isn’t.