50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays

  What are some of the most common mistakes that students 
make when writing their essays?
A:
 Some students simply don’t spend any time on their essays. A lot 
of bright students think, “I’m number one so I don’t need to take any 
time on the application.” The result is that it looks rushed. You want 
to show some reflection, that you thought about your application. You 
don’t want to have the appearance that you spent only five minutes on 
it. Some of the more obvious errors have been not spell checking or 
putting the wrong school down, but more often, it’s that the essays are 
not interesting.
Another mistake is the admissions officer doesn’t learn anything. If 
I read an essay and think, “That’s nice but I don’t know anything more 
about this student,” you’ve failed. You have to share something interest-
ing about yourself. remember that it’s not just one essay, but there are 
5 to 6 smaller essays. It’s not as limited as you think.
Q: