Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your College Essay

College essays freak students out. And honestly, they should. Essays become the deciding factor about 70% of the time when choosing between similar candidates at top schools. That's a ton of pressure packed into 650 words.

But college essays aren't just another box to check. They're your shot to speak directly to people who are drowning in GPAs and test scores. An essay lets you be an actual human being, not just a bunch of numbers on a page.

Common college essay writing mistakes happen when students misunderstand what colleges are really after. They're not hunting for perfect writers. They want authentic voices that give them a clue about who might show up on their campus next fall. If you're feeling stuck or unsure where to start, you can get a custom essay today to guide your thinking. Many students get a custom essay today not to cheat, but to better understand how to structure and express their own stories.

Starting With Clichés and Overused Topics

If you're thinking about writing about the championship game, that mission trip to Guatemala, or how you learned persistence through your knee injury—pump the brakes. Seriously. Admissions folks read thousands of these every single year.

About 40% of essays fall into these predictable categories. Your experience might have genuinely changed your life, but your essay will blend into the massive pile.

Even worse are those snooze-worthy openings. "Since the beginning of time..." "Webster's Dictionary defines success as..." These make admissions officers' eyes glaze over faster than students in an 8 AM statistics class.

The fix isn't finding completely wild experiences—it's finding fresh angles on your actual life. Instead of writing about scoring the winning goal, write about the conversation with your grandfather after you missed the penalty kick. Instead of broad sweeping statements about your volunteer work, zoom in on the moment a five-year-old at the shelter taught you something unexpected about joy.

Trying to Sound Too Impressive

Students often think fancy words make better essays. This creates monstrosities like: "I endeavored to ameliorate the devastating consequences of socioeconomic disparity through my volunteerism."

Just... don't.

How to avoid essay writing errors like this? Simple—write like you're explaining something to a smart adult, not like you're trying to win a vocabulary contest. Colleges couldn't care less about SAT words. They care about clear thinking and genuine expression. If you're overwhelmed or short on time, you can always order a custom term paper or essay to see what strong writing looks like. Many students choose to order a custom term paper as a reference to help improve their own writing skills.

The best college essays sound like the student's natural voice, just cleaned up a bit. This doesn't mean writing like you text your friends, just being yourself.

Another blunder is cramming essays with achievements already plastered elsewhere in your application. Essays aren't resumes 2.0. They show how you think and what matters to you beyond your laundry list of accomplishments.

Focusing Too Much on Other People

Weirdly, many college essays barely mention the student writing them. Kids craft beautiful tributes to grandparents, coaches, or historical figures—and completely forget to reveal anything about themselves.

About 20% of essays received at top schools focus so much on other people that admissions officers learn zilch about the applicant. These essays might tug at heartstrings, but they flunk their main job.

Think of it this way: your essay should be a mirror reflecting who you are, not a window looking at someone else. Even when writing about your hero, the spotlight needs to swing back to how they shaped YOUR values or goals.

Tips for writing a successful college essay include keeping yourself front and center, even when discussing others. The real question isn't "Who do you admire?" but "What does your admiration reveal about you?"

Neglecting Structure and Flow

Too many essays read like jumbled diary entries. They bounce from thought to thought without clear connections. Famous novelists might get away with this, but college applicants? Not so much.

Good essays don't need rigid five-paragraph formulas, but they do need logical flow. Each paragraph should build on previous ones, creating a coherent story rather than a jumble of random thoughts.

Common pitfalls in college essay writing include clunky transitions. When paragraphs feel like separate islands, readers struggle to follow your thinking—and admissions officers don't have time to solve puzzles.

Reading your essay out loud helps catch flow problems. Your ears spot issues your eyes miss. If you stumble or pause awkwardly between paragraphs, you probably need smoother transitions.

Telling Instead of Showing

"I am passionate about environmental justice."

This sentence tells us something but shows absolutely nothing. Yet essays are stuffed with statements like this—empty claims without a shred of evidence.

Better writing brings experiences to life through specific details. Compare the previous sentence with: "I stood knee-deep in Willow Creek, collecting water samples while factory smokestacks loomed overhead, wondering how the same company could create both our town's jobs and the chemicals turning our water that weird orange color."

Avoiding mistakes in your college essay often means following this golden rule: show, don't just tell. Don't claim qualities—demonstrate them through actual examples.

Signs you're telling instead of showing:

• You use words like passionate, dedicated, or committed
• You state conclusions without providing evidence
• You describe feelings instead of actions that caused them
• You rely heavily on adjectives rather than specific details

By focusing on showing rather than telling, you can create a more engaging and memorable college essay that truly captures your personality and experiences.

Inadequate Editing and Proofreading

About 85% of college admissions officers say grammar goofs and typos affect how they view applicants. Yet tons of students submit essays with totally preventable mistakes because they finish writing right before deadlines.

Careless errors signal that you either don't know better or couldn't be bothered to fix them. Neither impression does you any favors.

Beyond grammar, poor editing often means essays stay flabbier than they should be. Most first drafts can lose 15-30% of their words without losing any meaning.

Steps for effective editing:

• Wait at least 24 hours after writing before editing
• Read your essay aloud to catch awkward phrasing
• Ask someone else to read it for clarity
• Check for overused words and replace them
• Cut any sentence that doesn't add new information

Thorough editing and proofreading are essential for crafting a polished, impactful college essay that effectively communicates your unique voice and ideas.

The "So What?" Test

After reading an essay, admissions officers often ask themselves: "So what? Why should I care?" If they can't answer, the essay has failed.

Too many essays describe experiences without digging into their meaning. They tell stories without extracting insights. They describe what happened without explaining why anyone should give a hoot.

The most important part isn't the experience itself—it's what you learned and how it changed you. Without this reflection, even climbing Mount Everest can sound about as impressive as climbing the stairs.

For every main point in your essay, ask yourself "So what?" until you hit something deeper. This simple question can transform basic stories into thoughtful reflections that actually reveal how your brain works.