Five College Application Essay Mistakes To Avoid

If there is one piece of advice I could impart on all students who are working on their college application essays it would be this sage bit of wisdom: Don’t make any dumb mistakes! While there is no magic formula for writing the perfect application essay, there are dozens of blunders you can make that will hurt your chances of admission. Here are five important ones to avoid.

Not Approaching the Essay Strategically: Your essay should be customized for your personal situation. You need to consider what an admissions officer is going to think about you (based on the contents of the rest of your application) before he or she starts reading your essay. What type of personal qualities does this particular school look for in its students? How do your grades and test scores stack up to other applicants? Can you afford to play it safe with this essay or do you need to be aggressive in order to get noticed? Is there some deficiency you need to address? These are only a few of the questions you should ask yourself. Ask them before you begin writing your essay and again when you are finished writing.

Submitting an Essay that Contains Grammar and Spelling Mistakes: Sending an essay you didn’t take the time to proofread will not endear you to a college. Proofread your essay at least twice and ask a friend, relative or teacher to do the same. You may even want to hire a professional for this. Whatever you decide to do, make sure the essay you send to the college of your choice is mistake-free.

Using the Essay to List Your Accomplishments: Your high school transcript will tell admissions officers about your academic accomplishments and extra-curricular activities. Use the essay/personal statement to highlight positive qualities that may not come across in the rest of your application.

Using an Inappropriate Tone: The tone of your essay is at least as important as its content. You want to portray yourself as someone who will contribute positively to campus life and to the reputation of the university. You also want to portray yourself as someone who will benefit from the type of education the institution you are applying to offers. Some good tones are: introspective, inquisitive and lightly humorous. Tones you should avoid include: arrogant, judgmental , argumentative and self-pitying.

Using Inappropriate Language: This should go without saying, but every year students submit essays that contain profanity and language that is very politically incorrect. Keep that type of language out of your essay! It reflects poorly on you as an applicant and a writer. Also, keep slang to a minimum. Always keep your image in mind when writing. If an admissions officer is offended by the language in your essay, it’s a safe bet it will end up on the rejection pile.

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