College Personal Essays: Common Mistakes Students Make
The college personal essay is an opportunity for students to share something about themselves that might not be apparent from their grades, test scores, or extracurricular activities. It’s a chance to tell a story, reflect on an experience, or share a perspective that helps admissions officers get to know them better.
A strong college essay doesn’t require an extraordinary life experience or a dramatic story. What matters is how thoughtfully you communicate your experiences, interests, and perspective.
As you begin brainstorming, drafting, and revising your college application essays, here are five common mistakes to be mindful of and how to avoid them.
1. Choosing a Topic Based on What You Think Admissions Officers Want
One of the first challenges students face is deciding what to write about. It’s tempting to choose a topic that sounds impressive, such as a major accomplishment, a leadership experience, or an important personal challenge.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with these topics. In fact, they can make for great essays! However, choosing a subject solely because you think it will impress admissions officers can make it difficult to write something that feels personal and authentic.
Instead, think about experiences that have shaped your perspective, challenged your assumptions, or helped you discover something about yourself.
Don’t dismiss a topic just because it seems ordinary or because other students might write about something similar. What matters is the perspective you bring to it.
For example, many students might consider writing about a grandparent who has influenced their lives. It’s a meaningful relationship, and there’s no reason to avoid the subject simply because other applicants might write about their grandparents, too.
However, there’s a difference between writing an essay that primarily describes how wonderful your grandmother is and writing one that explores how your relationship with her has influenced who you are.
2. Over-Editing Until Your Essay Loses Your Voice
It’s natural to want feedback on something as important as a college application essay. Parents, teachers, counselors, and tutors can all offer valuable perspectives, especially when students are struggling to organize their ideas or communicate something clearly.
However, incorporating too much feedback can sometimes make an essay feel less like the student who wrote it. For example, a student might write a sentence that feels natural and conversational, only to have someone suggest replacing several words with more sophisticated vocabulary. Another reader might recommend changing the introduction, while someone else thinks the entire essay should take a more formal tone.
Individually, these suggestions might be well-intentioned. But when students try to incorporate everyone’s opinions, they can lose sight of what they originally wanted to say.
Your college essay should still sound like you. That doesn’t mean it needs to be informal or that grammar and clarity aren’t important. It means you shouldn’t feel obligated to use complicated vocabulary or an unfamiliar writing style just to make your essay sound more impressive.
3. Describing an Experience Without Reflecting on Its Meaning
Telling a compelling story is only part of writing a strong personal essay. Students should also consider what the experience reveals about their character, interests, or personal growth.
A student could decide to write their essay about cooking with their grandmother. Let’s say the student spends the entire essay describing the kitchen, the meals they prepared together, and the memories they made. Those details might be engaging, but readers could finish the essay knowing much more about the grandmother than the student applying to college.
Reflection is what gives those memories greater meaning. Why does the student consider cooking with their grandmother important? Did they learn recipes that were significant to their culture and ancestry? Did the student learn patience or gain confidence?
These connections can help readers understand how the student thinks and what they’ve learned from their experiences.
As you review your essay, ask yourself: What do I want someone to understand about me after reading this?
4. Losing Focus or Trying to Include Too Much
College personal essays often have relatively short word limits, which means students need to be intentional about what they include.
One common challenge is trying to fit too many experiences into a single essay. A student might begin by describing a childhood memory, transition into several extracurricular accomplishments, and finish by discussing their future career goals.
While all these experiences might be important, trying to cover too much can prevent students from exploring any one idea in meaningful detail. Instead, identify a central theme or experience then build your essay around it.
5. Forgetting to Answer the Essay Prompt
Even a thoughtful, well-written essay needs to address the question being asked. Some college application prompts are intentionally broad, giving students considerable freedom to choose their subjects. Others ask applicants to reflect on specific experiences, interests, challenges, or goals.
Before writing, take time to understand what the prompt is asking you to communicate.
For example, a prompt about a personal challenge might invite you to discuss not only what happened but also how you responded and what you learned. If your essay focuses entirely on describing the challenge without exploring your response, you may be missing an important part of the question.
It’s also common for students to adapt an essay for multiple college applications. This can be an efficient approach, especially when prompts overlap, but it’s important to review each school’s requirements carefully.
An essay that works well for one prompt may need changes in emphasis, additional reflection, or a different conclusion to answer another. As part of your final review, reread the original prompt alongside your essay. Make sure you’ve addressed the question, followed the word limit, and communicated the ideas you intended to share.
Finding Your Voice in the College Application Process
Remember that you don’t need to have an extraordinary story to write a meaningful essay. Your experiences, relationships, interests, and perspectives are all potential starting points. What matters is taking the time to explore why they’re meaningful to you and communicating those ideas clearly.
It’s also important to give yourself time to brainstorm, write, and revise. Your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect, and you may discover a better direction for your essay as you work through your ideas.
At Hodis Learning & Music, our experienced tutors can help students navigate the college essay writing process, from brainstorming topics and organizing ideas to strengthening their writing and revising drafts. Our individualized approach helps students develop their writing skills while keeping their own perspectives and voices at the center of their essays.
Need help with your college application essays? Call us at (626) 227-1149 or submit a contact form to learn more about college essay support!
