Writing the Common App essay can feel like trying to compress your entire personality, life story, and future ambitions into just 650 words, while still needing to be authentic, insightful, and unforgettable. It’s a tough ask!
But here’s the catch: most students don’t stumble because they’re bad writers. They stumble because they’re too busy “performing”: trying to impress admissions officers instead of simply being themselves.
So if you’re staring at a blinking cursor, wondering what admissions officers really want, this blog is for you.
Let’s walk through how you can avoid the 10 most common mistakes while making your case with clarity, confidence, and a touch of soul.
1. Turning Your Essay Into a Resume
It’s easy to fall into this trap, especially when you’ve done a lot. You sit down to write, and suddenly your essay becomes a highlight reel. Club president, Olympiad finalist, research project, etc. Amazing. But your Common App essay isn’t the place to list them all.
Admissions officers already have your resume. What they’re looking for is your why?What drives you? What moment cracked you open and made you see the world differently?
Admissions officers already have your resume. What they’re looking for is your why?What drives you? What moment cracked you open and made you see the world differently?
So, instead of listing accomplishments, tell a story. Start with a moment, a conversation, a failure, a quiet realization. Let the reader walk beside you. Let them feel what you felt.
2. Choosing a Cliched Topic
Some stories show up so often in applications that they begin to sound like templates. For example, the “big game,” the “volunteer trip,” and the “moving to a new school” essay. These aren’t bad topics, but they’re overdone. And unless you bring a fresh lens, they’ll blend into the pile.
The key isn’t what happened. It’s how you experienced it. Did the game teach you about failure more than victory? Did the trip make you question your privilege? Did the move reveal something about your identity? These questions need to be addressed.
3. Playing It Too Safe
Nothing undermines an essay faster than a voice that doesn’t sound like you. You want to impress. You want to sound mature. So you write what you think they want to hear. But…. in doing so, you lose your voice.
Admissions officers aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for honesty. Be vulnerable. Share your doubts. Talk about the time you messed up and what you learned. That’s what makes you human. That’s what makes you memorable.
Here are a few schools doing this right (we’re not sponsored, of course);
4. Ignoring the Prompt
It’s easy to get swept up in a compelling story and lose sight of what the question is actually asking. But prompts aren’t just formalities; they’re invitations to reflect in a specific direction.
Every year, admissions officers flag the same issue: strong writing that completely misses the point. A well-told story that never answers the question is still an off-target essay.
So, before you write, pause and dissect the prompt. Is it asking about growth? Identity? A moment of challenge? Make sure every paragraph you write pulls back to that core theme. The best essays don’t just sound good; they respond with clarity and purpose.
Tip: Print out the prompt. Circle the keywords. Build your outline around them.
5. Overthinking the Language
You don’t need to sound like a poet laureate. You need to sound like you, the best version of you.
Big words don’t make a big impact. Clarity does. If you wouldn’t say “ameliorate” in a conversation, don’t write it. Instead, focus on rhythm, tone, and flow. Let your personality shine through your sentence structure.
6. Hiding Behind Generalizations
“I learned a lot.” “It was a great experience.” You’ve heard these lines a hundred times, and so have admissions officers. They’re safe, vague, and instantly forgettable.
Specificity is your superpower. Don’t just say you learned resilience, show us the exact moment you nearly quit, and what pulled you back. Don’t call it a “great experience”, bring us into the scene. What did it sound like? Smell like? Feel like?
7. Writing Without Structure
Even the most powerful story can fall flat if it’s hard to follow. Some essays read like a stream of consciousness, raw but scattered. Others drift like diary entries, full of feeling but lacking direction.
What your essay needs is shape. A spine. A frame that helps your reader move with you. Think of your essay as a journey. Where did you start, what shifted along the way, and where did you end up? Make that arc clear, and you’ll take your reader somewhere worth remembering.
8. Forgetting the “So What?”
You told a story. Great. But now what?
Anecdotes alone won’t carry your essay. What matters is how you make sense of them. Reflection is everything. After each moment you describe, pause and ask yourself: So what? Why does this matter? What does it reveal about who I am, or who I’m becoming?
This helps admission officers understand how you think, not just what happened.
9. Skipping the Editing Process
You finished your draft. It sounds pretty good. You’re tempted to hit submit. Don’t !.
First drafts are never final drafts. Even strong writing gets sharper with revision. Let it sit for a day or two, then come back with fresh eyes. You’ll be surprised by what no longer works, and what could work better.
10. Writing Alone
Yes, it’s your story, but that doesn’t mean you have to figure it out alone.
Some of the most meaningful breakthroughs come when you share your draft with others. Someone who knows you can tell if it sounds like you. Someone who doesn’t know can point out what’s unclear or missing. Ask both. Pay attention to what confused them, what moved them, and what stayed with them.
Your voice is the anchor. But feedback, that’s your compass. It helps you find the version of your story that lands.
Final Thought
The Common App essay isn’t a test; it’s a conversation. A rare chance to speak directly to the people behind the decision. To say: This is who I am. This is what’s shaped me. This is what matters to me.
So write with courage. Be clear, but don’t be afraid to go deep. Because when you do, you’re not just avoiding mistakes, you’re creating something that stays with the reader long after the page ends.
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