Every year, admissions readers get through thousands of personal statements in a matter of weeks. Although many are grammatically correct, and well organized, they have the fatal flaw of being entirely forgettable. The essays that stop the reader mid-sentence are the ones that get passed around the office, read aloud, and remembered when admissions decisions are being finalized.

Most college essays don't fail because the student has led a boring life. They fail because the essay tells the reader what happened instead of putting them in the moment. Below are three writing problems we constantly see, rewritten to show you how to avoid these mistakes in your own essay.

As college admissions experts, with decades of experience, we have noticed some trends we caution parents to avoid. Every parent wants the best for their children, that’s natural. But there is a fine line between supporting your student and you doing all the work. Students need encouragement and support to stay on track in the college admissions process, but they also need ownership.