College Essay Organizer

Below is a list of pitfalls to avoid when writing your essays.

• Don't announce what you're writing about or state your theme
• Don't use the standard 5-paragraph essay with thesis, body, and conclusion
• Don't use clichés
  • Seriously, they’re a dime a dozen. Avoid them like the plague.
• Don't litter your essay with quotes from others
  • This is like sending a Hallmark card to your mother on her birthday and trying to take full credit for what’s inside.
• Don't go thesaurus-happy
  • If you pulled a 310 verbal on your SAT and are whipping out words like “extemporaneous” and “abecedarian,” it’ll come off as forced and phony.
• Don't overdo adjectives and adverbs
  • Nouns and verbs are the heart of the American language.
• Don't be gimmicky
  • Writing your essay in crayons because the topic was about your childhood years is like embracing communism—it sounds good in theory but doesn’t play out so well in practice.
• Don't generalize or stereotype
• Don’t use profanity or crass humor
• Don't use stuffy language
  • Dry: “I have come to the understanding according to certain factors that have influenced my life…”
  • Lively: “During the summer of 2002, I was stalked by my literary hero.”
• Don't be overly sentimental
• Don't come off as arrogant
  • This is tricky. After all, you want to shine, but you don’t want to come off as too cocky. So what’s the middle ground? It’s somewhere around the difference between stating that you’re just so fantastic because of all the great things you’ve done and letting your unique accomplishments speak for themselves through a well-told story.
• Don't preach your wisdom
  • Colleges want people who are open to discovering the wisdom of the world, not those who claim to already have it. (Note: If you do, in fact, know the meaning of life, please feel free to forward it to College Essay Organizer via email.)
• Don't try to be someone else
• Don't get advice from too many others, as your own voice will get lost
• Don't wait until the last minute
  • If you’re already too late to benefit from this tip, don’t worry. You’ll get done what you need to and will hopefully know better for next time, or the time after that. Using College Essay Organizer will certainly help you now that you're short on time.
• Don't have someone else write your essay
  • If you consistently receive Ds on all your papers and suddenly turn in an essay written in iambic pentameter that also happens to be a palindrome, you’re going to raise eyebrows. It’s important to get useful feedback from others and receive proper support from trusted teachers or counselors who know how to help you organize and express your own thoughts in your own voice.