Trite
phrases.
Most admissions officers are near nausea with applicants who "want
to help people." Think of something that is unique about you.
Slickness.
An essay that reads as if it has been churned out by Dad's public-relations
firm will not impress. Let the real you shine through.
Cynicism.
Colleges want bright, active people-not wet blankets. A positive
approach to life, and to the essay, will score points.
Life histories.
Make sure your essay has a point. An endless stream of phrases like
"then I did this, and then I did this" is sleep-inducing
and doesn't say anything meaningful.
Essay that goes on forever.
More is not better. The colleges want a concise, well-reasoned essay-not
the sequel to War and Peace. Try not to exceed the amount of space
allotted for each essay.
The thesaurus syndrome.
Don't overutilize ostentatiously pretentious language to delineate
the thematic observations you are endeavoring to articulate. Big
words aren't impressive; a clear, direct style is.
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