6 Mistakes to Avoid on Your College Application Essay

Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser](. [Shmoop University Inc.]( Hi Shmoopers, College application season is in full swing, and the stress of it all can sometimes lead to silly mistakes—including the dreaded missed deadline. We can't set a cal reminder for you to submit those apps, but we can help you get through your [personal statements]( without any hitches. Start with the list below, and then head over to Shmoop's [College Essay Lab]( to start crafting the perfect essay. 6 Mistakes to Avoid on Your College Application Essay 1. Don't be offensive. Listen. We love pushing people's buttons. But be careful not to overstep the bounds of good taste in your essay when ruminating on faith, race, politics, or anything else that can turn a dinner party into a food fight. 2. Don't be negative. Don't talk about your dead dog in your college essay, unless Fido's death spurred you into caring about the plight of homeless animals so much that you felt compelled to start your city's first animal shelter. 3. Beware the overshare. Sob stories can be a win, but there are some things that the admissions office does not need—or want—to know. Remember, there is such a thing as TMI. 4. Don't get too creative. The admissions office at Vanderbilt is looking for a solid, well-written piece of prose—not a Shakespearean sonnet. We can say for sure that those 14 lines would get you noticed, but we can't promise it'd be in a good way. 5. Keep your eye on the prize—er, prompt. Answer the prompt, for crying out loud. Sound familiar? That's because it goes for all kinds of essays. They asked you the question for a reason, so answer it. 6. Don't spell the name of the college wrong. It's Berkeley, not Berkley. Columbia, not Colombia. Rensselaer, not...however else we tried spelling it before resorting to Google. Good luck if you're applying to any of the state schools in Massach—uh, sorry, we have to go. Good luck with those apps, and don't forget to [let us help](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Quote of the Week "Do you believe in miracles?" ~ [Al Michaels]( That's what [reach schools]( are for. Copyright © 2017 Shmoop University Inc., All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you registered as a user with good ol' Shmoop. Our mailing address is: Shmoop University Inc. P.O. Box 0935Los Altos, CA 94023 [Add us to your address book](//shmoop.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=373fbcef003d1c710e10416c5&id=affa322785) This email was sent by Shmoop. [Unsubscribe]( | [Update Preferences](