The Worst Advice for College Admissions Applications

Writing your Common Application essay and supplemental questions can be a daunting task. You have so many questions. The questions are vague. You feel trapped because you don’t know what the right answer is.

If you’re feeling this way, you are in very good company. Every student I’ve worked with (and their guardians/parents) have felt this way. Why? Because college applications are so much more complicated when compared to their applications a few decades ago. You feel like if you make one wrong move, you’ll be living in your parents’ basement for the rest of your life.

This is a daunting process and I’m here to help.

I want to share two of the worst pieces of advice I’ve heard about college applications.

Bad Advice #1: Don’t show any weaknesses.

Essentially this BAD advice asks you not to be yourself. While this advice is well intentioned, it’s just out of touch with the purpose of college applications. Applications are designed to get to know you. They are designed to allow you to be yourself, the good and the bad. Nobody is perfect and any attempt to show that you are perfect will lead to raised eyebrows.

Think of your college applications like an opportunity to show them what you love, what you’re passionate about, and who you are as a person. Every university has a unique student culture and they are looking for students who will make their student culture better. They want to know that you are a real person, with real struggles, and a real life. They want to get a true sense of who you are, not just the superficial version you only show on a first date. This is why some universities will look at your social media profiles. They want to see who you really are, not just the person you’ve shown on paper.

Sometimes, well-meaning adults will give you this related, yet bad, advice: turn a weakness into a strength. Don’t do this. We all know this trick. We call it the humble brag: I used to not be good at X but now I’m really great. Turning a weakness into a strength is a way to try to show only part of yourself. This always ends badly.

Instead, notice how my example is so much more interesting. Example: I’m a terrible sketch artist but I really love doing it. Then I explain why I love drawing and what it teaches me. First, it teaches me that it’s ok not to be perfect. Second, it has taught me that I don’t have to be good at something to really enjoy doing it. Third, I’ve met really interesting people who also love to draw.

Writing about something like this shows the admissions committee that you are teachable and want to learn things even when you know you aren’t good at them. It also shows that you like to step out of your comfort zone and take risks. That’s the kind of student universities love to welcome on campus.

Perfection leads to a BAD college application.

Bad Advice #2: Tell universities what they want to hear.

I hear this advice more than anything else. I think adults believe universities have a list of secret topics and answers that they expect you to talk about. The same adults think that you have to talk about the most recent social issue or controversy to have any chance of getting that “You’ve been accepted” letter. This simply isn’t true.

There is no secret list of answers and topics. In fact, A LOT of admissions essays are about these big social issues. If you are deeply passionate about one of these big issues, then write about it. But if you aren’t, don’t. There’s nothing worse than reading an essay where it’s clear the person is having a hard time articulating their thoughts. This is a sign you really aren’t passionate about it.

Instead, write about what motivates and moves you. What makes you excited? What makes your eyes light up and your voice tighten with intensity. That’s what you write about. No matter how small, your topic must come from you.

Again, these two pieces of bad advice come from the people who love us. But remember that this is your chance to show your unique personality. This is how you stand out. Be you and don’t be afraid to embrace your weaknesses and strengths.