This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

There's Still Time -- Avoid These College Application Faux Pas!!

After reading 2,500 applications it is the only one that I remember.  The applicant wrote about how difficult it was to convince his girlfriend to accept his marriage proposal.  He laid it out in perfect detail.  First her denial followed by his elaborate strategy and finally after months and months of work, success.

As I look back on this particular application, one thing is clear.  While it can be done, it is hard to deny an applicant you like but it is much harder to admit applicants who don’t make a great impression. I asked my AdmissionsCheckup.com group of former admissions officers to tell me the most common mistakes students make on their essays. Be sure to avoid making these faux pas:

1.    Over-using the word I:  There is no “I” in team….so overusing it simply comes across as arrogant.  Vary your sentences choose another topic or make sure you are attributing your success more broadly, beyond “I.”

Find out what's happening in Ridgefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

2.    Boring:  Admissions officers can and do skim.  If you had 2,000 applications to read who would you prefer to admit -- someone who almost put you to sleep, someone who made you realize that you read the same paragraph seven times or someone who captivated and held your interest while showing you his experiences?  Boring is an uphill battle and the kiss of death combined.

3.    SAT Words:  Consider the fact that your reader has not taken the SAT in the last 5 (or more) years.  Keep the erudite vocabulary accessible. You don’t need a bunch of long, complicated words to get your point across.

Find out what's happening in Ridgefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

4.    Bragging:   One student boasted that he had seen five of the Seven Wonders of the World.  Impressive right?  No, not impressive.  It said more about his parents’ bank account than his actual accomplishments.  Bragging really just doesn’t come off well.

5.    Another School’s Name:  This one is obvious, but here is a trick.  Before you send your college essay, read it from the last word on the page forward to the first.  It will make catching the wrong name much easier.

6.    Regurgitating your Resume:  The application provides your activities.  If you list them in your essays you are wasting a valuable opportunity to show them who you are.  The whole point of the essay is to tell the admissions officer something they would not get by just reading your resume. Wow them with a well-written and thought out essay.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?