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Choosing a wrong topic or subject: picking an easy essay that does not show who you are.
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Overselling yourself. Being confident is good. Being too confident is bad.
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Not researching the colleges before writing your essays.
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Not being specific and personal.
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Not answering the question directly.
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A weak opening.
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Writing over the word limit.
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A negative tone: If the student writes an essay full of complaints, or sounds sarcastic, lazy, or spoiled, he or she might be rejected.
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Lying.
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Using large, pretentious words.
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Making excuses for any blemishes on your record, such as missing an important volunteer activity or performing poorly without a legitimate reason.
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Using a passive voice.
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Twisting the sentence structure.
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Overusing humor: A little well-placed humor is ok, but don't be a clown.
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Relying on your computer’s spell checker.
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Not proofreading enough.
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Writing at the last minute and not spending enough time writing.
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Asking an adult or professional to write the essay.