As we enter the last week of August, school is starting again and the deadlines for your seniors’ college applications are getting closer. With homework from school starting up again, it is important that your senior focus on finishing their essays before life gets too crazy. Let time be your teen’s friend, rather than enemy, so that chances of acceptances soar with well written essays.

Last week, we shared what college admissions counselors look for in college application essays. 

You and your teen may be wondering what to avoid though. What do college admissions counselors NOT want to see in college application essays?

Here are 6 mistakes your teen should avoid to guarantee their admissions essay is what admissions counselors want to read:

1. Predictable or generic response
   1. As we’ve shared before, your senior’s college application essay is an opportunity to stand out from other applicants. Even if your teen writes about a common experience, by including his/her special insight, the essay can help your teen stand out from the crowd.    
2. Inappropriate response (too long, doesn’t answer the prompt): 
   1. Make sure that your senior is sticking to the prompt and word count. For example, if the prompt is “Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve,” your senior’s essay should be a concise answer to only that question. My biggest tip to avoid this mistake is to choose a prompt based on the essay, not vice versa.
3. Lack of logic or unsound progression of ideas
   1. Your senior’s essay should flow and incorporate ideas that are related. Make sure your teen is using explicit but concise detail ensuring that the reader never has to ask for any kind of clarification!

Your teen’s college essay is more important than ever this year as admissions requirements are changing due to COVID-19. If you are looking for stress-free college admissions essay support for your senior, it is not too late to sign your teen up for our College Admissions Essay Writing program.

If you are interested in learning more tips and tricks about the college application essay, don’t miss out on our weekly newsletter to keep you and your teen steps ahead of the competition and closer to college acceptance by scrolling to the bottom of this page and entering your information. You can also visit our Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn for more content including videos and more in-depth looks at tips from our blog posts. 

Enjoy your last few days of August and stay cool!

Moira ♥

 *Moira Ritter is a junior at Georgetown University and looks forward to contributing her writing skills to Total Writing Enrichment this summer!