What is the biggest mistake a student can make on a college application?

Answer 1

This is a great question! I'll go with a common mistake I see on the common app personal statement. When advising students, I emphasize that you should write about your authentic self and spend the majority of the essay discussing you and not the context or other person related to the question.

Let me give you an example and let's say the topic you choose for your personal statement is "Select someone you admire and how they impacted your values and perspective." I often see students write as much or more about the person they admire, how great they are and their impact. However, the essay is not about the person you admire, as much as it is about YOU. The college wants to know how that person impacted you and most importantly how you are as a result. After all, you are the person applying to the college, not the person you chose as that profound influence.

Along the same lines, I often see students write too much about the context or imagery/details instead of talking about themselves more deeply. They sacrifice context for character insight and voice.

Answer 2

The BIGGEST mistake–and I mean an absolute dealbreaker–is dishonesty. That can include exaggerating accomplishments or using AI when you’ve said otherwise. 

The best strategy, as others have noted, is the opposite: honesty and authenticity that comes from deep reflection about who you are. Achieving that level of honesty can really take some work!

Your application should make a strong statement about who you are and what you value. All of this is ideally backed up by evidence in your transcripts, activity list, and recommendations. The best way to do this is to have a clear sense of your application narrative and how all the pieces of the application support it. Your personal statement is one of the strongest tools you have to craft the narrative, but the way you describe your activities and prepare your recommenders to write letters can also make a big impact. 

A college counselor like me can help you tie all of the pieces together for a truthful, unique, and successful application.

Answer 3

The biggest mistake a student can make is redundant storytelling. Many students feel they have to repeat their greatest hits (like a high GPA or a leadership position) in every section to prove they’re worthy of an admit, but this actually wastes valuable space. In the world of college admissions today, the majority of schools are using holistic review in some aspect. Holistic review takes a deep look at the whole student through different lenses: the transcript shows your academic growth, your school’s “school profile” (provided by your counselor or registrar) gives context of your offerings and curriculum to colleges that are not familiar with your high school, the activity list shows your engagement and commitment, and letters of recommendation show your character. By the time you get to the essays and interviews, the data is already set. Don't use that space to tell them you’re a great student—your transcript has already made that case for clear. Instead, use those pieces to humanize your application (and realize that actual humans are reading your application, and they aren’t that much different than you.) Share how your mind works, what you’re curious about, or a part of your personality that doesn't show up in a grade book. Colleges aren't looking for a perfect applicant who checks every box; they are building a community and simply want to see the person behind the stats. They want to see not only the person who will be asking questions in the classroom or publishing papers, but who will be living in their dorms, working jobs in the community or representing them abroad in internships and study opportunities. Your goal isn't to be a repetitive list of achievements, but a multi-dimensional person they can picture on their campus.

Answer 4

Harvard interviewer and college consultant here.

The biggest mistake? Doing things you don't like just because you think colleges want to see them.

I know what you're thinking: "Okay, well I won't like high school, but at least I'll get into my dream college." Here's the thing—that's not even true.

Students who chase what they genuinely care about discover new interests, try unexpected things, and write compelling essays because they're drawing from real passion. When you're not aligned with what you're doing, you'll check the boxes because you have to, but you won't explore. You won't try new things. You won't make associative leaps between different areas. And yes, you won't enjoy what you're doing—but colleges also won't be impressed.

One of my students started learning Spanish because he worked at a food pantry and wanted to speak to more people there. That became a powerful essay story and a genuinely meaningful experience for him. Another student reconnected with his Jewish heritage through his love for Romantic literature, exploring how those ideas pioneered new paradigms for faith and observance. These weren't strategic moves—they were authentic connections that emerged from following what excited them.

Passion comes through in applications. Admissions officers read thousands of essays; they can tell the difference between someone going through the motions and someone who's genuinely curious, excited, and engaged. The irony is that the students who stop trying to game the system and instead pursue what they actually care about are the ones who end up with the most compelling applications—and who enjoy the process along the way.

Answer 5

The college application essay is your one shot to show admissions counselors who you are... and only you can tell your own story!

Students often want to sound intelligent or say whatever a college might want to hear, yet what universities truly want to know is who you are as a human being, an individual, and a young adult. No template, tutor, or AI tool can actually accomplish this for you. Therefore, the biggest mistake that is made is students fail to be reflective and intentional in discovering and sharing this.

By freshman year, one should start evaluating interests, strengths, experiences, challenges, etc. By sophomore year, one should be brainstorming and writing lists of all of these attributes, plus activities and achievements - students should be assessing the questions of "who am I now" and "who do I want to be".

By junior year, prompts and ideas should be narrowed down with organizing, drafting, and editing beginning, so that by senior year, the student is ready for some final revisions and to hit SUBMIT.

The entire four years should be a journey into understanding who the student is as an individual in order to share it clearly and proudly on the college application.

You've got this!

-Michelle U.

[High School Writing Teacher/Essay Coach]

Answer 6

I agree with what my colleagues have shared so far. It’s easy to worry about things like missing a deadline or making a typo, and those details do matter. But the bigger mistake is turning in an application that doesn’t sound like you. When your answers feel generic or could apply to any college (particularly with the "Why Us?" question), admissions officers don’t get a true sense of who you are.

Personalization is key. Whether it’s your main essay, your activities list, or a short answer about why a particular school is the right fit, admissions officers want to see a real connection between you and the college, and they want to hear your authentic voice.

And most importantly, don’t be tempted to rely on AI to write your essay. Admissions officers are pretty good at figuring out when an essay was written by ChatGPT or other AI, and it prevents your real self from coming through.

My role is to help you make sure your application shines by bringing forward your strengths, experiences, and perspective in a way that feels specific, genuine, and memorable.

I hope we get a chance to work together to make the process feel less overwhelming and to help your application truly reflect who you are.

Answer 7

Greetings!

The issue with college application writing is the student not diving deep enough to SHOW who they really are. Paragraphs telling the reader, "I did this, I did that," has no weight. The student needs to look into who they are and discuss in detail their experiences following by reflecting on what they took from that experience and/or learned. I can definitely help you in creating and brainstorming the ideal essay that will help get you admitted into your college of choice!

Answer 8

Among the most important college admissions questions is what mistakes to avoid. One of the biggest is submitting an application that feels generic—one that could have been written by anyone. Admissions officers want to see your unique story, personality, and fit for the school, not just a list of activities or a standard essay.

Students should also work to minimize errors throughout the application, especially in essays and the extracurricular section. While admissions officers don’t expect perfection (they rarely see it), several typos, grammar mistakes, or formatting issues can distract from your message and draw negative attention. Having a parent, teacher, or mentor proofread your application can make a big difference.

I work closely with students to avoid these pitfalls—helping them create applications that are authentic, polished, and memorable, so they stand out for the right reasons.