Updated: Monday, July 20, 2026
With so much confusion about how colleges read applications and panic about dropping admission rates, it’s easy for parents and students to take any advice or admission rumors to heart, no matter the reliability of the source. There’s a lot of misinformation out there about what colleges are looking for, what students need to include in their applications, and what it takes to stand out.
The Common App essay prompts have been out for months now, and colleges have started releasing their supplements — allowing students to get a head start on their essays before the Common App opens on August 1. At IvyWise, we want to make the college admissions process as simple as possible for families, so we’re here to dispel some common college essay myths and reveal the truth behind what students need to do to write great college essays.
Fact: Your personal statement should focus on one detail or life event.
It’s almost impossible to tell a college everything they need to know about you in 650 words or less. This is why students should pick a significant event or story that either shaped them or offers some insight into who they are today and write only about that.
Choose a topic that will help admissions officers learn something new about you that they can’t learn from any other part of your application. Be detailed, set the scene, and clearly articulate why this topic is important and how it relates to who you are as a student and a person.
Fact: Colleges want to hear from you, so write in your own voice.
It’s easy to see the college application essay as an opportunity to sound extremely intelligent and perspicacious (see what we did there?), but you don’t have to break out a thesaurus to do so. Write in your own voice, using your own vocabulary to convey your message. Admissions officers value authenticity and can tell when an applicant’s writing isn’t reflective of their unique voice.
It’s okay to look up some alternative words here and there to avoid sounding too repetitive, but don’t overdo it — and don’t use words that you’ve never heard before. Be genuine, not ersatz.
Fact: Gimmicks will often make your essay memorable for the wrong reasons.
With so many students applying to college, it can be tempting to want to find a unique way to “stand out” from the tens of thousands of other applicants. However, you don’t need a dramatic topic to write a strong essay. Avoid:
Doing any of these things will help you stand out for sure — but as an example of what not to do on your college application. Colleges want a genuine, thoughtful essay, so give them that.
Fact: Just like any other application component, the essay is just one piece of the admissions puzzle.
Don’t think your admissions chances, good or bad, hinge solely on the essay. Just like with anything else colleges consider – grades, test scores, recommendation letters, and more – one component isn’t going to be deciding factor that gets you in or keeps you out.
This is why it’s important to do thorough college research for all the schools on your list and consult with your college counselor on a course of action. An outstanding essay won’t make up for poor grades or recommendations, the same way an average essay won’t negate excellent test scores, grades, or extracurricular involvement.
Fact: You should tailor your application essays to each school you’re applying to.
While the main Common Application essay is meant to stay the same, many colleges have their own school-specific supplements with prompts meant to gauge a student’s knowledge of the institution and their motivations for applying. While many supplemental prompts can be very similar, it’s important to make sure you tailor your essays for each school. Don’t copy and paste your “Why Columbia?” essay into your Penn application.
Repurposing parts of some essays, like an activities essay, can be okay if the point you’re trying to make is the same. But overall, avoid using the same essay on more than one application – and make sure if you do that you don’t accidentally mention Harvard in your Stanford application.
Remember that the most important thing you can do when writing your college application essays is to be yourself! Colleges want to get to you know you, so craft an essay that showcases the best version of yourself and helps admissions officers gain some insight into who you are.
If you want to ensure your entire application stands out, especially your essays, IvyWise can help. We offer our signature Roundtable service — a simulated admissions committee evaluation that brings our team of counselors together to review every component of your application. All our counselors are former admissions officers at top schools, so they know exactly what colleges are looking for and how to position you for success.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2015 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Stay Calm Throughout Application Season with These Top Tips
For many high school seniors, the fall semester can feel particularly stressful. Between maintaining top grades, putting the finishing touches on personal statements, and applying to colleges, there are a lot of important items on students’ agendas.
Regular Decision deadlines are around the corner, which means it’s time for students to put the finishing touches on their applications. It’s a good idea to carefully review your applications before submitting, but what should you be mindful of when proofreading your college apps?
As a former high school English teacher, I always tout the importance of reading as a means to improve one’s writing, especially when it comes to the college essay.
Author Annie Proulx perhaps sums it up best: “Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.” Reading exposes you to different writing styles, diction, and sentence syntax which can influence, improve, and even inspire your own writing style.
