The first step in your child’s process of writing the college application essay is usually brainstorming what they will write. And then there may be some outlining and eventually they’ll start putting pen to paper or fingers to keys.
What I would like to share in this post is some of the common mistakes that students make when writing the essay.
I’ve already talked about the 3 things that an essay should have here: “College Essay Must-Haves” and today I’d like to share some of the pitfalls.
At this point in my career, I’ve read thousands of college application essays. And I’ve seen many of the same mistakes popping up over and over again.
By sharing them with you here (to share with you kid), I hope to get them thinking about how to approach writing the essay and give them an even stronger essay writing foundation.
Remember that it’s a fine balance to allow them to own the essay writing process and not get too involved ourselves as parents.
ALSO SEE: How to Avoid Taking Over Your Child’s College Essay
Here are 5 Common College Essay Mistakes Students Should Avoid:
1. Being Too Vague or General
Many students write broad statements like, “I am a hard worker” or “I am passionate about helping others” without offering specific examples to back up these statements.
What to do instead: Be specific! Encourage your teen to tell a personal anecdote and use vivid details including engaging at least two of the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell). This specificity makes the essay more engaging and memorable.
2. Trying to Impress Rather Than Express
Students often fall into the trap of writing what they think admissions officers want to hear. They start sounding like a thesaurus instead of sounding like themselves.
Admissions officers value authenticity. They want to get to know your teen through their own voice – something that test scores and other stats can’t convey.
What to do instead: Encourage them to write in a natural voice and focus on being honest and self-reflective. The goal is for your child to present an accurate and sincere picture of who they are.
3. Lack of Self-Reflection
A strong college essay isn’t just about describing an experience or simply stating the lesson learned. It’s about reflecting on how that experience shaped them.
What to do instead: Focus on reflection and growth. What was the lesson they learned and how will this lesson impact them in the future? Remember to write with specificity and not broad statements.
4. Forgetting the Importance of Structure
Sometimes students write an essay that jumps from one idea to the next, without a clear structure, making it hard for the reader to follow.
What to do instead: Create a strong structure with an intro that hooks the reader, the middle that goes into their story and reflections, and a conclusion that ties everything together.
Here’s a top tip: Most of the time, the structure (and especially the hook!) doesn’t reveal itself until the story has been re-written and edited a few times. So don’t worry about getting it right with the first draft. Encourage your teen to draft, re-write, and tease out the structure afterwards.
5. Poor Proofreading and Editing
Typos and grammatical errors can detract from an otherwise strong essay, signaling a lack of attention to detail to admissions officers.
What to do instead: Impress on your student the importance of proofreading and editing their essay. We recommend setting each draft aside for a few days and then come back to it with fresh eyes. What often helps is reading it out loud to catch any awkward sentences. And be sure that they ask someone (whether a teacher, parent, or trusted friend) to proofread it and catch any editing errors they may have missed.
Final Thoughts
Writing a strong college essay is no easy task. Which is why it’s important to take the time to brainstorm, write and rewrite a couple of drafts, edit and proofread carefully, and have a second set of eyes review it.
By avoiding these 5 common essay mistakes, your student will be on the right path to creating a strong essay that engages the reader, and that’s authentic – one that tells a story only they can tell.
If you feel that your teen needs extra help with their college application essay, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can best support you: Whether it’s brainstorming ideas, choosing the perfect topic, refining their writing, or editing and proofreading, our essay specialist can guide your child through the process while ensuring their voice remains front and center.
Also, when you’re ready, here are three ways we can help your teen find their best-fit college:
At Stodghill College Consulting, we help each high schooler showcase their unique skills and talents, discover their own brilliant voice, and find a college that will enable them to reach their full potential as young adults.
- Schedule a free discovery call to discuss how we can create an action plan to help your child keep on top of deadlines and create a college list that is personalized to their strengths and talents.
- Get college essay writing support from our essay expert, who will guide your teen through brainstorming and revising until they have a polished final product.
- Hang out in our free Facebook Group for parents where you can ask your burning questions, get answers from myself and the community, and access our extensive video library on college application topics.
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