College Admissions Essay

The college admissions essay can be one of the toughest pieces of the college admissions application. Most information that you find on the web will give you advice on how to write your college admissions essay, however in this post, we’re going to talk about what you should avoid doing in your college admissions essay.


1. Don’t Lie. I know this may seem like a no-brainer, but it can be easy to get too focused on just telling the admissions committee what you think they want to hear. Given that they read hundreds of applications each year, it’s unlikely that they haven’t heard some version of the story that you made up. Besides, can you really predict what the admissions committee is thinking? Probably not. Honesty is the best policy here.

2. Don’t Be Someone Else. Just be yourself. The college admissions essay is supposed to be a reflection of your personality and a way for the admissions committee to get to know you better. If your friends or family would characterize you as light-hearted, then your essay should reflect this. Conversely, if your friends would characterize you as being very serious, then your essay should reflect this. Simple right?

3. Don’t Let Someone Else Do It. Write the essay yourself. Again, the college admissions essay is a chance for the admissions committee to get to know YOU, not someone else’s perception of you. Don’t push off the assignment on your parents, older siblings, or friends. Even though they may be willing to do it for, it is likely that the admissions officer will know when the essay is not written by you. An essay written by a true high school student, as opposed to an older, more experienced adult, will probably sound a lot different from each other.

4. Don’t Give ‘Em Too Much. If they tell you not to exceed 2 pages, then don’t exceed 2 pages. If they tell you don’t write more than 500 words, then don’t write more than 500 words. Got it? Good. You want to make sure that you follow their directions. You don’t want their first impression of you to be that you can’t follow directions, do you?

5. Don’t Use Crazy Fonts. A standard, professional font – such as Arial or Times New Roman, will be sufficient. You want to make sure that your college admissions essay looks neat and professional. Having a crazy font will distract the reader from your core message. You want to make sure that the admissions committee can focus on the content of the essay without distractions.

If you avoid these 5 things in your college admissions essay, then you will be stepping foot on campus in no time!