The essay you are writing is a way to make your personality stand out. While other applicants may have similar profiles, your task is to turn boring, clichéd phrases into something that is going to capture the attention of your future tutors. A college admission essay that will be winning the points contains something original and will definitely be noticed in the sea of lookalike texts.

We encourage the learners to go beyond the usual concept of grades, recommendations, and scores. They need something extraordinary to be picked out and selected as candidates. Be sure to include your most prominent personality traits and features that show you are an important contribution to the world of education. This is a clever way to emphasize the meaning of educational advantages and separate your resume from other papers without being offensive. We do not want to diminish the accomplishments of other applicants, but rather highlight your own traits. This is the reason we have collected a list of clichés that are commonly used while writing an admission essay.

• A complete list of your achievements. Instead of taking your time to compose an entire list of achievements, think of something that makes you special. Focus on a single event that helped shape your personality and make sure you stay on track. This may have a gripping backstory, an unexpected outcome, or something that will draw the attention of the admission officer in no time. For example, you might mention the fact that you were focused on studying the Chinese language while most of your peers did not consider this to be a hobby. Your hopes and dreams have finally come true, and now you have a great command of the language. Another good point in the narrative would be to reveal the circumstances that led you to making a particular decision. We know it sounds a little tedious, but we guarantee that the following essay will produce an astonishing effect on the admission officer. Do not be afraid to share your quirks and preferences, even if they seem out of place to most people that you know.

• A story of overcoming obstacles on the way to success. We have no doubt that coaches tell their favorite athletes that it is essential to have a career passion in order to succeed. Unfortunately, the same stories have been repeatedly explored in pop culture. Exploited by Hollywood movies and shows, a similar theme will do nothing but tire the admission officer in charge. Make sure you know how to avoid stereotypical phrases about being a go-getter and a goal-oriented personality. Though these traits may mean a lot to you, they can’t always be translated to text and therefore will fall flat the second you put them on paper. We recommend trying an approach that won’t paint you as someone who has no quit in them. Point out your flaws, but highlight the importance of learning from the challenges as you are facing them.

• A story of immigration and everything related to it. We know that it may seem unfair, but we have to deal with the reality of the admission process. America is a country of immigrants, and the officers are reading the same stories about your dreams and goals over and over again. One way to make an immigration tale truly worth it is to address it from an unusual perspective. Make it more personal and therefore more relatable. For example, you may write about the incident that happened to you in your childhood and how you were made to feel unwelcome by the people who live in the country. However, we do not recommend making it a highlight of your essay. The colleges are suffering from overcrowding, and drawing attention to your historical background may not play in your favor. Stick to facts and proceed with telling about your achievements.

• An essay that is centered on the universal theme. We won’t deny that the story of a breakup or substance abuse may capture the attention of the committee. This is a part of a forming experience as an individual and therefore is highly important. However, due to the topic being so vague and generic you may fall into the trap of making your essay sound clichéd. To avoid this and make the story compelling, try accentuating the lessons you have learned from the past. For example, if you have known someone who had mental health issues, it could have triggered you into studying psychology and the way the human mind works. This way, you are narrowing down the experience to a personal one and making sure the audience understands your point. Personalized essays are generally valued more since they are allowing us to take a peek into the applicant’s life. Surely, you do not want to spill all the guts at once and overload your audience with information. However, customizing the text so it is more like a personal story is appealing. Also, try to avoid writing about working hard to get a promotion. Most of the applicants have probably faced the same situation not so long ago and are not asking for the same treatment. We suggest staying on point and highlighting the traits in a more positive, optimistic way.