The Top 5 Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them) When Applying to College
Avoid these 5 common college application mistakes! From generic essays to neglecting supplemental prompts, learn how to stand out and get noticed by admissions officers.
Avoid These Common College Application Mistakes to Boost Your Chances of Admission
The college application process can be both exciting and overwhelming. After all, this is your chance to showcase who you are to admissions committees and make a compelling case for why you belong at their institution. However, I often see students make common mistakes that can hinder their chances of acceptance, even when they have the qualifications and potential. Here’s a breakdown of these pitfalls and, more importantly, how you can avoid them.
Submitting Generic Supplemental Essays
The Mistake: Many students fall into the trap of submitting generic, one-size-fits-all essays for the supplemental that could apply to any college. While it’s easy to assume that telling schools what they want to hear will help your chances, the opposite is true. Admissions officers want to know the real you, not a version of you molded to fit their institution’s perceived ideals.
This mistake typically happens when answering the prompts such as these:
Why are you interested in attending our University?
Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to our diverse and collaborative community.
Tell us about any academic interests that excite you, and how you might pursue them at here.
Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to our community
How to Avoid It: Instead of writing an essay that could be sent to any school, take the time to reflect on what makes you unique and the time to research what makes attending their university important to you. Share personal stories that highlight your passions, values, and growth, and then take it a step further by applying it to their unique programs and offerings. If the prompt asks about a challenge you faced, don’t just discuss the challenge—talk about what you learned from it, how it has shaped your outlook or actions moving forward, and how you might use it to better their community. This will set your essay apart and give the admissions committee a clearer picture of who you are as a person.
Pro Tip: Mention specifics about the college that resonate with you. For example, if you’re interested in studying biology, reference a particular research opportunity or professor whose work you admire. This demonstrates that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in what the school has to offer.
Ignoring Optional Essays
The Mistake: Many students mistakenly think of supplemental or optional essays as secondary and put less effort into them (or simply don’t do them at all). But make no mistake—these essays are a key part of the application. Ignoring them or giving generic responses is a missed opportunity to highlight different aspects of yourself that didn’t fit into your main essay.
How to Avoid It: Treat every optional and supplemental essay with the same importance as your personal statement. These essays are an opportunity to showcase other dimensions of who you are, such as your passion for community service, your interest in specific academic programs, or your personal values. Make sure you address each prompt thoughtfully and uniquely.
Pro Tip: Make a list of all of the things you want the admission committee to know about you, and then use the supplemental essays to communicate as much of that as you can. This is particularly helpful if you share something new about you that they wouldn’t know from other parts of your application. If your main essay focused on your leadership in student government, use a supplemental essay to discuss your love for creative writing or how a specific course at that college will help you explore a new interest.
Focusing Too Much on Achievements (In Your Essays)
The Mistake: It’s natural to want to highlight your achievements in your application, but there is a great way to do that and an unimpressive way to do that. If your essay reads like a laundry list of awards, accolades, or name-drops won’t show who you are beyond that. Admissions officers don’t just want to see what you’ve done—they want to understand how you’ve grown from those experiences.
How to Avoid It: Balance your application by sharing personal insights and growth in your personal statement and other essays and your achievements in the activities list and honors/awards section. Use your essays to convey how your experiences shaped your perspective or influenced your future goals or about the collaboration, communication, or resilience experience you gained.
Pro Tip: Use the space in your activities section wisely. Instead of just stating that you were captain of the debate team, explain what this role taught you, the impact you made, or the leadership experiences you gained.
Writing About Your Intended Major in Your Personal Statement, Then Not Having Content for Certain Supplemental Questions
The Mistake: Some students get caught up in sharing their passion for their intended major in their main personal statement and then find themselves repeating the same information when answering supplemental essay prompts like, “Why did you choose this major?” or “Why do you want to study this subject at our college?” This lack of varied content can make your application appear repetitive and redundant (and trust me, that’s not a good thing).
How to Avoid It: Plan your essays strategically. Use your personal statement to share more about your personal journey, values, and experiences that shaped you overall, not just your interest in a particular major. Save specific information about why you chose your intended field of study for the supplemental essay. For example, instead of dedicating your entire personal statement to discussing your love for engineering, use it to explore how problem-solving has been a consistent theme in your life and then expand on your interest in engineering in the supplemental essay.
Pro Tip: If you do touch on your academic interests in your personal statement, make sure to approach it from a different angle in the supplemental essays. This will ensure that your content is complementary, not repetitive.
Pitfall: Not Maintaining a Professional and Polished Tone
The Mistake: Many students mistakenly think that being too casual or using slang in their essays will make them more relatable. While it’s important to use your authentic voice, using language that is too informal can undermine your credibility and give the wrong impression to admissions officers. Even worse, failing to proofread your application for typos, grammatical errors, or awkward phrasing can signal to colleges that you rushed through your application or didn’t pay attention to detail.
How to Avoid It: Keep your tone professional yet personal. Remember, your application is a formal document that should reflect your maturity and readiness for college. Avoid using slang, emojis, or humor that could be misinterpreted. At the same time, always proofread your application thoroughly—more than once! Take a break and return to it with fresh eyes, or use tools like Grammarly to catch overlooked errors. It’s also a good idea to ask a trusted teacher, mentor, or counselor to review your application and provide feedback.
Pro Tip: Read your essay out loud to hear how it flows. If you wouldn’t use certain language in an interview setting, it probably doesn’t belong in your application essay either. When you think your essay is finished, print it out and read it on paper. Seeing it in a different format can help you catch mistakes that might not be obvious on a screen. A polished, error-free essay is a reflection of your effort and professionalism, so don’t skip this crucial step!
Final Thoughts
The college application process is about more than listing achievements and checking boxes. It’s your chance to share your story, your goals, and what makes you a unique addition to the campus community. Avoid these common pitfalls, and you’ll be well on your way to crafting an application that stands out for all the right reasons.
Remember: it’s not about being perfect—it’s about being authentic and intentional in what you share. Best of luck!
If you're looking for more info, head over to my website, Higher & Hire. And if you need help, just drop me a message here.
Many Thanks!
Valerie Palmer
