This week, I want to talk about the most common college essay mistakes. All of these pitfalls are easily avoided if you understand the true purpose of the core common app essay – to help the schools get to know you, beyond what they can see in the rest of your application.
- Thinking You Need to Be Unique
Let me help you out right now – let go of the idea that you need to, or even can, write a unique essay. Admissions officers have heard it all, and that’s not even the point of the exercise. You DO want to be authentic, which often (appropriately!) means writing about common age-appropriate topics and problems.
- Confusing the Essay With a Resume
They already know that you are awesome at guitar, lead the debate club and take 49 AP classes. Don’t just recap your accomplishments in the essay. The key is to help them understand who you are as a person, including your value system and how you relate to people.
- Stilted Writing
If your essay sounds like it was written by an adult or a robot it won’t work. You need to connect with the committee, not impress them with your ability to use AI or a thesaurus. Parents: Please don’t write or rewrite your student’s essay. It does far more harm than good.
- Too Much Description
Especially if you are writing your essays in English class, be very careful not to get carried away with descriptive writing. This is not the time to spend a third of the essay describing the moonlight on the lake at your sleepaway camp. There are MUCH better uses for that space. Again, you want them to hear your voice and understand your personality. You don’t need to sell them on your creative writing talents.
- Dramatic Hooks
This is such a pervasive myth, and one of the most common college essay mistakes. Nevertheless, YOU DON’T NEED A HOOK. Much less a dramatic one. Some of the very best essays are clear and direct, and start by simply answering the question up front.
- Being Too Superficial
It’s really important to be honest in your essays, and to talk about yourself with depth. It’s not enough to say, “I am a kind person.” You need to explain what you mean by that, why it’s a significant part of your value system, how you developed this trait, times when you have been both kind and unkind … you get the idea. Go deeper, or the essay will fall flat.
- Being Too Grandiose
However, arrogance does not help. Be careful not to put other people down, and make sure that you are selling yourself with humility. Schools want to admit people who will get along with each other.
- Asking Everyone You Know to Read It
Seriously, do NOT solicit too much feedback. Most people, no matter how well-meaning, have absolutely no idea how you, personally, should position yourself in your college applications. Or what colleges are actually looking for. Plus, if you incorporate too many voices, your own thoughts and perspective will be diluted.
- Waiting Until the Last Minute
Most of my clients have been done with their main common application essay since July 1st. It’s super important to create and stick to a schedule – the whole process, including supplemental essays, takes much longer than you think.
The good news is that the main common application essay is a great opportunity to help the schools understand why you, personally, are worth admitting. Done correctly, it can make all the difference in your college application process.
