College Specific: These may include questions about why you would like to study your intended major or why you're interested in that college.
Personal/CommonApp general: This is a longer general essay that you can re-use for all colleges.
Show don't tell
Give LOTS of specific examples. Don't just say you're a good leader- talk about a time when you demonstrated that trait
Get as many people as possible to proofread your essay!
This could include your Next Step Adviser, English Teacher, or anyone else you trust
Rely solely on ChatGPT
Even if you think we can't tell... we can tell. You want to tell your authentic story, so why would you trust AI to know you better than you know yourself?
Write about someone else
You are the one applying to college, not your family member or friend. They are important, but they're not the ones the admissions committee wants to hear about
Use big words and phrases that you don't understand
Keep it simple!
Use risky jokes or hot topic political issues
You have no idea who is going to be reading your essay, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
Make common spelling errors
Your/You're
To/Too/Two
Their/There/They're
Were/We're
Not indenting/using paragraphs
It's very hard to read one long wall of text. Break it up!
Tell a story without reflecting on your experiences
Make sure to talk about what you learned, how you grew as a person, or how you plan to use that experience in the future
College Essay Guy: Lots of free resources avaliable on his website
Grammarly: Can connect directly into your document
Hemingway Editor: Write or copy/paste into the website to get an overview of spelling, grammar, phrases that may be unclear, wordcount, and readability!
Tutor.com: Have someone look over and proofread your essay