There are SO MANY people applying to college. When writing your essays, ask yourself: could this story be told by someone else other than me? If the answer is “yes,” then add more details. There are thousands of high school seniors who have played in the school orchestra, but what makes YOUR experience unique? What makes YOU unique?

Your essays are an opportunity to let admissions officers know more about who you are as a person, and how well you may fit in with their college campus. Make sure to write about YOU, and leave the “impressing” to the rest of your application. In other words, your personal statement should NOT be an essay that “covertly disguises” your resume.

Your college essays are meant to help admissions officers understand what means the most to you, what your values are, etc. Don’t repeat information that admissions officers can infer from your activities list or resume. Don’t say, “I went to summer camp and learned the importance of communication,” or “I accomplished this and learned the importance of hard work.” Pick a value or lesson that is more morally inclined. Talk about how you changed someone, or how someone or a piece of information changed you, or something else that makes you come alive on paper.

Do NOT let anyone write your essays for you. It’s tempting, we know. But if we put your application on a table, crossed out your name, and had your favorite teacher read all the essays, they should be able to pick out YOUR application based on the language you used. If you’re having trouble making your writing more conversational, write some bullet points on what you want to say, start a voice memo, and explain your essay as if you were talking to someone. Then play back the voice memo and transcribe, revise, and edit.