• Laundry-list. We mentioned this already, but we¡¯ll mention it again: the essay is not simply an extended resume in prose form. Personality, not necessarily accomplishment, is what you should be concentrating on communicating in your essay.
• A negative attitude. This is a surprising one, but it happens frequently. Applicants will sometimes write about a teacher they hated, throwing in at the end that they managed to get an A in the class anyway through "hard work and determination" (breaking the Originality Rule of Essay Writing in the process). Whininess, complaints, cynicism, or a negative attitude will get you precisely nowhere (even if you think you¡¯re being funny at the same time). While you don¡¯t have to be Little Miss Sunshine in your essay, try to be positive and avoid being negative at all costs.
• Mistaken focus or not answering the question. If you write one good essay and adjust it to fit all your application questions, you¡¯re likely to strike out on at least one of them. Don¡¯t be lazy?this is your college application we¡¯re talking about! And by mistaken focus we mean that you might start out writing about your special friendship with a favorite coach or musical director, but end up writing an essay that has too much coach and not enough you. Remember, your goal is to reveal a positive picture of you and your personality. (As long as you can remember that, it¡¯s fine to include others in your essay.)

Other Topics

What do colleges want to see, anyway?

Where do I start?

What are some different things an admissions board would be happy to see in an application essay?