10 College Essay Mistakes You're Making and How To Avoid Them

Your college essay plays a pretty critical role in the admissions process. It offers an authentic and personal impression into your character, voice, and values. Your test scores and grades showcase your academic rankings, but your college essay offers something much more deeper than what the numbers and resume can. Your essay helps distinguish the difference between college applicants who have similar academic profiles. Because your essay is so important to your application, it’s crucial to know what college essay mistakes you should avoid. Many students commonly make several mistakes without even knowing that they are in fact, mistakes. In this blog, you will read about 10 common college essay mistakes and how to avoid them when writing your college essay. Preparation is key and by learning these common essay mistakes, you can ensure that you are better prepared to write a successful essay. 

1. Turning Your Essay Into a Resume

One of the most common college essay mistakes many students make is listing off their accomplishments as if they are filling out a form. The better approach to this is to share a story that reveals who you are. Admissions officers can already see your leadership roles, GPA, and volunteer hours in other parts of your school application, so there is no need to repeat things such as, “I was president of…. I was the captain of…. I led the debate team…. or I volunteered at…..” Just listing off your achievements can feel impersonal, which is the opposite direction of where we are trying to go when writing your college essay. This is your chance to make an even deeper impression and to be vulnerable, reflect, and let your personality and your voice come through. It is best to focus on one specific moment, experience, or story that has shaped you into who you are today when writing your essay. Of course, you can mention the time when you were the team captain or when you organized a food drive, but rather than just listing the activity yourself, you are taking a deep dive into this specific time in your life that left a mark on your life and helped contribute to who you are today. Your college essay isn’t about just showing what you have done. It is about showing who you are because of what you have done. That’s the key to writing a successful essay. 

2. Picking a Topic That Isn’t Really You

Choosing a topic just because you think it will impress the admissions is often a common college essay mistake students make. Even though it may not be your personal story that you're writing about, you might consider writing about curing world hunger because you think it will blow the reader away! But these kinds of essays come off as generic, forced, and inauthentic. The truth is that college admissions don’t want a perfect essay. They want YOUR essay and they want it to be real, meaningful, and personal. You don’t have to be inauthentic to stand out. You just have to be reflective and honest. For example, if animation is your passion, but you write about climate policy instead because you think it will be more “college worthy,” your essay won’t reflect your voice. When writing your college essay, choose a topic that genuinely reflects your values, interests, and experiences. Ask yourself if someone else could have written this essay or if it could be uniquely yours. If your college essay sounds like you and only you could have written it, then you are right on track. 

3: Telling a Story That’s Been Told a Thousand Times

We know that it might be tempting to write about winning the big game or that time that you bounced back from a challenging time. Of course these experiences shape you and they do matter. But here’s the problem. Admissions officers read so many college essays every year and after so many, they all start to sound the same. One of the most common college essay mistakes is choosing a theme that has been told countless times without adding anything new and specific to you. It's hard to stand out when your story sounds like everyone else’s. The key here is to be specific. When you are telling your story, include unique details, internal dialogue, or a moment of when you had internal conflict. For example, instead of just saying that a specific trip changed your life, paint a picture for the reader of how this trip specifically changed your perspective through an unanticipated realization or vivid moment. 

4. Trying Too Hard to Stand Out

Pushing too hard to stand out is a common college essay mistake that students make. This often happens when someone is trying to be forcefully funny, go into too much detail on something personal, or use over the top vocabulary. This usually backfires because it isn’t really you. Maybe you thought including a joke would win the reader over, but then the joke doesn’t land. Maybe you think by swapping out words for more fancier ones might do the trick, but instead, your essay starts to sound more like a thesaurus. Also, being vulnerable and opening up about a personal experience is great, but you have to find a happy medium. Exposing too much about something that is deeply personal can come across as trauma dumping rather than personal reflection. You don’t want to come off as performative or insincere in your college essay. You are not expected to be a stand up comedian or a genius. A good rule of thumb is: If the tone of your essay doesn't feel appropriate for a job interview, then it isn’t appropriate for your college essay either. Authenticity wins every time. 

5. Missing the Point of the Prompt

You might think sticking to the prompt would be an obvious requirement in your college essay, right? Well, a very common college essay mistake that students make is not answering the question that was asked in the prompt. This is especially true for supplemental essays. If you are someone juggling multiple applications, you might consider copying and pasting a personal story that you wrote for one school into another essay for a different school and not even realizing that that story doesn’t fit the new prompt. For example, if a school’s prompt is, “Why do you want to attend our college?”, and your response includes a story about your grandma teaching you resilience at a young age, you are completely missing the mark. It doesn’t matter how well the story is written if the story isn’t focused on the given prompt. Not sticking to the prompt can result in you coming off as self-centered, careless, and uninterested in that particular school. Pay attention to the key words in the prompt such as “Why,” “How,” “Explain,” or “Describe.” When writing your college essay, check those keywords off as you write to help you stay on track. Then after you write, read it out loud and ask yourself, “Did I actually answer the question that was asked?” Being focused and intentional with each essay shows respect and effort, and that goes a long way. 

6. Waiting Too Long to Start

In high school, procrastination is a rite of passage. But we can’t say the same when it comes to your college essay. Waiting until the last minute is one of the biggest and most avoidable college essay mistakes made. No matter how good you think you work under pressure, writing your essay the night before the deadline almost always ends up resulting in a shallow, rushed, unauthentic draft. When you don’t give yourself time to revise and reflect or even proofread your college essay properly, your writing can come off as careless and unfinished. The last thing you want is your essay to lack clarity, depth, and be polished for admissions. Ideally, you should begin brainstorming and creating an essay outline during the summer or even the spring before senior year. This way, you have enough space to discover the right story and write from a calm place, rather than a chaotic rushed one. Through revisions and feedback, you can make real improvements over time and craft the perfectly written essay for your chosen school. This is your story and you should give it the time that it deserves. 

7. Telling Someone Else’s Story Instead of Your Own

When writing your story, don’t lose focus on making it about you. One of the most common college essay mistakes is writing too much about someone else and not enough about you. While your grandma, friend, or coach may have played a major role in your journey, admissions officers aren’t reading your college essay to learn about them. They want to know who you are, your growth, your values, and your unique perspective. It’s natural to want to talk about someone that has inspired you such as your grandmother, friend, or coach. It is fine to mention them in your story, but don’t let them take center stage. Instead, set the scene, then pivot. Answer the questions: What did you learn? How did the experience shape your character, worldview, or goals? 

8. Being Too Vague Instead of Vivid In Your Details

A very common overlooked college essay mistake is writing in generic or vague terms. Using phrases like, “I learned a lot” or “It changed my life” might sound meaningful, but they don’t go into specifics. Admissions officers want to know How?, Why?, and What really happened? For example, saying “I learned perseverance through that experience” is incomplete. Explain what the experience was and how it challenged you. What kept you going through when you felt like giving up? The best college essays are built on real emotions, concrete moments, and vivid details. Paint a picture with your words. Something like, “I felt nervous” can be described as “The nervousness took over my body. My hands started to tremble, I started to sweat, and when I tried to speak, no words would come out. I completely froze in fear.” After writing a sentence, ask yourself, “Can I show this instead of just stating it?” If the answer is yes, dive even deeper. The extra details can make a difference in between an essay that admissions has seen hundreds of times and forgotten about and one that leaves a lasting impression. 

9. Skipping Flow and Structure

If your story is not organized, it can fall flat no matter how compelling it is. One of the most common college essay mistakes students make is overlooking flow and structure in their essay. Whether it's a format that lacks clarity or a series of disconnected thoughts, poor organization can confuse the reader. The result: Your main message gets buried. What if you were reading an essay that starts talking about childhood then jumps to senior year and then back in time to middle school, without clear transitions. The lack of structure would make it hard for you to follow even if the content itself is meaningful. In a story, usually there is a beginning that is the hook and brings the reader in. After the hook is the middle where the writer builds depth, an insight, or a turning point, and a reflection that ties everything together at the end. Treat your college essay like a story. Use strong transitions, purposeful paragraphs, and a thought out conclusion and your essay will be intentional, elevated, and polished. 

10. Submitting Without Revising

Once you finish your first or second draft, you are probably eager to push that “submit” button after hours of writing. Not so fast! This is a very overlooked college essay mistake. We know it's tempting to finally call it done. But the truth is, the magic happens during revision. Without thorough editing, you could miss out on making stronger word choices, catching grammar mistakes, or making stronger word choices. When a college essay hasn’t gone through multiple revisions, it can feel vague, underdeveloped, and rushed. At times the revision process can feel overwhelming, and that’s normal. In between drafts, give yourself space and step away for a couple days. Then you can return to your essay with fresh eyes. Reading your essay out loud can also catch awkward repetition or phrasing. You can also ask your mentor, friend, or teacher to read over your essay and give you their honest feedback. If possible, consider getting some professional input to take your college essay to the next level and making it reflect the very best version of you. 

Wrapping Up - Crafting An Essay That Reflects You

Using fancy words, listing over the top accomplishments, and telling dramatic stories isn't what makes your essay strong. Telling your story with intention, clarity, and honesty is. Your essay isn’t just another assignment. It’s a personal narrative where what matters most is your voice, growth, and your values. Avoiding the college essay mistakes that were discussed in this blog will make your application stand out, in a good way. 

Feeling stuck or overwhelmed? You’re not alone and you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself. 

I’ve helped hundreds of students write powerful, authentic college essays that led to admissions at top-tier schools.

Ready to start strong? You can schedule a free consultation at www.CollegeAdmissionsExperts.com to start your draft with clarity and confidence.

Dennis Vidach, a graduate of MIT and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, is the founder, CEO, and Chief Advisor of the College Admissions Essay Expert, which helps students craft phenomenal admissions essays. Through a combination of strategy, experience, and expertise, they deliver exceptional results to students seeking admission to top-tier universities. Visit their website - CollegeAdmissionsEssayExpert.com - to learn more and to sign up for a free consultation.

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