College Essay Mistakes

College Essay Mistakes Our Senior Counselors have years of experience guiding students in writing essays that make admissions officers take notice. Our veteran admissions counselors are frequently asked to share expert advice about writing compelling college essays. We asked our admissions counselors to share their perspectives on why the college essay matters and what matters most. Don't too closely follow the pattern of essays you find on the internet or in essay books. Use these for inspiration but start with a completely blank page when you compose your own. I haven't read a lot of good essays in those books anyway. The essays that make up The Common Application & supplements are not just typical pieces of writing, nor are they just another step in the application process. College essays are an uncommon genre that must catch the attention of admissions officers and illuminate students’ intellect, personality, and potential. The best essays sound like they were written by someone your age. They have a 20 - something voice, or a 30 - something voice that is yours alone. They aren't so polished and smooth that they read like the work of a pro. After years of practice reading essays the admissions officers and faculty who make admission decisions are quite astute in picking out the student voice. School-based counselors have a lot of students to advise and are very busy, so seek guidance early and often. While it’s important to put considerable effort into all college application components, essays are often the finishing touch and should be treated with great care and consideration. Many of the prompts on the Common Application are left open-ended for a reason. They serve as starting points while giving you freedom to show colleges who you are. A common mistake that students make while writing their essays is focusing completely on an event that took place. College Essay Workshop programs are only available to students who are high school juniors or seniors. Personal Essay/Pre-College Essay Workshops are available for freshmen and sophomores. Students can receive Writopia Lab college essay writing instruction at our labs through a College Essay Workshop or Private Sessions. Workshops at our labs have a maximum of seven participants. We trust you’ll find this information useful as you prepare your college applications. Feel free to contact our admissions staff with additional questions. For more insights into how we work with students on college essays and applications, check out this TEDx Talk from our co-founder, Eric Karlan. Your college counselors are there to help, but they can’t if you don’t ask or wait until the last minute to seek guidance and feedback. Make a plan to meet with your college counselor and go over your college list and essays, and ask for feedback on your writing. Your college counselor can provide valuable insight into how to improve your college application essays, so seek feedback on your drafts as soon as possible.