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Trite phrases. Most admissions officers are near nausea
with applicants who 'want to help people.' Think of something
that is unique about you.
Slickness.
An essay that reads as if it had been churned out by Dad's
public relations firm will not impress. Let the real you shine
through.
Cynicism.
Colleges want bright, active people--not wet blankets. A positive
approach to life, and to the essay, will score points.
Life
histories. Make sure your essay has a point. An endless
stream of phrases like 'then I did this, and then I did this'
is sleep-inducing and doesn't say anything meaningful.
Essays
that go on forever. More is not better. The colleges want
a concise, well-reasoned essay--not the sequel to War and
Peace. Try not to exceed the amount of space allotted for
each essay.
The
thesaurus syndrome. Don't overutilize ostentatiously pretentious
language to delineate the thematic observations you are endeavoring
to articulate. Big words aren't impressive; a clear, direct
style is.
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