12 Common App Essay Mistakes to Avoid in 2025
Learn the most common mistakes that hurt applications — and exactly how to fix them before submitting. Based on analysis of thousands of essays reviewed by Ivy League admissions professionals.
Why Your Essay Matters More Than You Think
With over 1 million Common App submissions each year, your essay is often the deciding factor between acceptance and rejection — especially when grades and test scores are similar.
After reviewing thousands of essays that were accepted and rejected at top universities, we've identified the 12 most common mistakes that hurt applications. The good news? All of them are fixable.
💡 How to Use This Guide:
Each mistake includes: (1) Why it fails, (2) Real examples we've seen, and (3) How to fix it. Read through all 12, then review your essay to see which ones apply to you.
The 12 Fatal Essay Mistakes
Writing About an Overused Topic (Without a Unique Angle)
🚨 EXTREMELY COMMON
Accounts for ~40% of weak essays we review
Why it fails: Sports injuries, mission trips, immigrant grandparents, "I love learning" — these topics dominate application pools. Unless you have an extraordinary angle, your essay will blend in with thousands of others.
❌ WEAK EXAMPLE:
"Tearing my ACL was devastating, but it taught me perseverance. I worked hard in physical therapy and came back stronger. This experience will help me succeed in college."
Problem: Generic narrative with no specific insights or personal growth details.
✅ HOW TO FIX IT:
- Find the unexpected angle: How did being the worst player teach you about supporting roles?
- Go beyond the obvious lesson: Don't stop at "perseverance" — dig deeper
- Choose a less common topic if possible: Small mundane moments often make better essays
- Add specific, sensory details that make your experience unique
Telling Instead of Showing
🚨 VERY COMMON
Found in ~60% of weak essays
Why it fails: Stating "I'm passionate about helping others" doesn't prove anything. Admissions officers want to see your qualities through specific actions and moments, not just read your claims about yourself.
❌ TELLING (Weak):
"I am a curious person who loves learning. I'm always asking questions and exploring new ideas. This curiosity will help me thrive at your university."
✅ SHOWING (Strong):
"At 2 AM, I'm still awake, running Python simulations to model how different proteins fold. When the code finally works — when I see the 3D structure rotate on my screen — I can't help but text my biology teacher, even though I know she's asleep."
✅ HOW TO FIX IT:
- Use specific scenes instead of summaries
- Include dialogue to bring moments to life
- Add sensory details (what you saw, heard, felt)
- Describe actions that demonstrate your qualities
Writing About Someone Else Instead of Yourself
Why it fails: Admissions officers want to learn about you, not your grandmother, mentor, or hero. Essays that spend 80% discussing someone else's life tell them nothing about who you are.
❌ COMMON MISTAKE:
Writing an entire essay about your grandmother's journey from Vietnam, with only the last paragraph mentioning how it "inspired you to work hard."
✅ HOW TO FIX IT:
- Make yourself the protagonist: You should be the main character in every scene
- Use the "80/20 rule": 80% about you, 20% about others (if necessary)
- Focus on YOUR actions and insights: What did YOU do as a result of this influence?
Using Overly Formal or "Thesaurus" Language
🚨 INSTANTLY RECOGNIZABLE
Admissions officers spot this immediately
Why it fails: Writing "I utilized multifarious methodologies to ameliorate my scholastic performance" sounds artificial and try-hard. Natural, authentic voice is far more impressive than fancy vocabulary.
❌ WORDS TO AVOID:
- "Utilize" → Just say "use"
- "Plethora" → Say "many" or "lots of"
- "Ameliorate" → Say "improve"
- "Multifarious" → Say "many different"
- "Aforementioned" → Don't use this at all
✅ HOW TO FIX IT:
- Write like you speak (but more polished)
- Read your essay out loud — if it sounds unnatural, revise it
- Use sophisticated ideas, not sophisticated words
- Be precise rather than pretentious
Not Answering the Prompt
Why it fails: No matter how well-written your essay is, if it doesn't answer the specific question asked, it will hurt your application. This is especially common when students recycle essays across different prompts.
❌ EXAMPLE OF MISSING THE PROMPT:
Prompt: "Describe a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea."
Weak Response: Writing about starting a robotics club (which doesn't involve questioning beliefs)
✅ HOW TO FIX IT:
- Underline key words in the prompt before writing
- Check that your essay addresses ALL parts of the question
- Reference the prompt in your opening or conclusion to show you're on topic
- Don't recycle essays without ensuring they fit the new prompt
Repeating Your Resume
Why it fails: "I'm president of 3 clubs, captain of the soccer team, and have a 4.0 GPA..." Your activities are already listed elsewhere. The essay should reveal something NOT captured by resume bullets.
✅ HOW TO FIX IT:
- Pick ONE activity and go deep — show the behind-the-scenes moments
- Focus on failure, vulnerability, or growth — not accomplishments
- Reveal your personality and values, not your achievements
Starting with a Generic Hook
Why it fails: Opening with a quote, definition, or rhetorical question ("Have you ever wondered...?") is overused and immediately signals that your essay will be generic.
❌ WEAK OPENINGS:
- "Webster's dictionary defines leadership as..."
- "As Martin Luther King Jr. once said..."
- "Have you ever wondered what it's like to...?"
- "Ever since I was young, I've always loved..."
✅ HOW TO FIX IT:
- Start with a specific moment: "The email arrived at 2:47 AM."
- Use dialogue: "'You're going to fail,' she said matter-of-factly."
- Set a scene: Describe where you are and what you're doing
- Jump right into the action — no preamble needed
Being Vague Instead of Specific
Why it fails: "I learned a lot from volunteering" could apply to anyone. Specific details are what make essays memorable and prove you're genuine.
❌ VAGUE:
"I volunteered at a hospital and learned about medicine. It was a meaningful experience that taught me compassion."
✅ SPECIFIC:
"Mrs. Chen in Room 412 taught me more about medicine than any textbook. When she explained how her dialysis machine worked — pointing to each tube, her voice steady despite the pain — I realized that being a doctor isn't about memorizing anatomy. It's about sitting with someone at 6 AM when they're scared."
✅ HOW TO ADD SPECIFICITY:
- Use names: Not "a patient" but "Mrs. Chen"
- Include numbers: "$3,200 raised" not "money raised"
- Describe exact locations: "Room 412" not "the hospital"
- Add small details: The squeaky third stair, the smell of coffee
Ending with a Weak Conclusion
Why it fails: Conclusions that simply restate what you already said ("In conclusion, this experience taught me...") or make vague promises about the future waste valuable space.
❌ WEAK CONCLUSIONS:
- "This experience taught me to never give up, and I will bring this attitude to college."
- "I know I will succeed at [University Name] because of what I learned."
- "In conclusion, I am a better person because of this."
✅ HOW TO WRITE A STRONG CONCLUSION:
- Look forward with specificity: Connect to your academic/career goals
- Reveal a final insight: What do you understand now that you didn't before?
- Circle back to the opening: Create a narrative arc
- Keep it brief: 2-3 sentences is often enough
Not Showing Personal Growth
Why it fails: Essays that describe an experience but don't show how you changed as a result miss the entire point. Admissions officers want to see self-awareness and development.
✅ HOW TO DEMONSTRATE GROWTH:
- Show "before and after": How you thought then vs. how you think now
- Admit you were wrong: Changing your mind shows maturity
- Describe specific behaviors that changed: Not just "I learned X" but "Now I do Y"
- Reflect deeply: Go beyond surface-level lessons
Grammar, Spelling, and Formatting Errors
Why it fails: Typos signal carelessness. If you can't proofread a 650-word essay, why should they believe you'll excel in college coursework?
🚨 MOST COMMON ERRORS:
- Using the wrong school name (e.g., mentioning "Yale" in your Harvard essay)
- Its vs. it's, your vs. you're, their vs. they're
- Inconsistent verb tense (switching between past and present)
- Exceeding the word limit (Common App: 650 words)
- Weird formatting when copying from Word/Google Docs
✅ HOW TO CATCH ERRORS:
- Read out loud: Catches awkward phrasing and typos
- Use Grammarly or Hemingway Editor
- Have 2-3 people proofread
- Print it out: Errors stand out more on paper
- Check school names carefully — do a Ctrl+F search
Not Getting Feedback Before Submitting
⚠️ CRITICAL
The #1 preventable mistake
Why it fails: You can't see your own blind spots. What seems clear to you might be confusing to readers. What you think is unique might actually be a cliché. Every successful applicant gets feedback — it's not optional.
🎯 Get Expert Feedback with Ascend Ivy
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✅ WHO SHOULD REVIEW YOUR ESSAY:
- English teacher or counselor (free, but may not be essay experts)
- Professional essay service like Ascend Ivy (best feedback quality)
- Parent or older sibling (for basic proofreading only)
- NOT your friend — they'll say it's great even if it's not
Quick Self-Check: Is Your Essay Ready?
Answer these questions honestly. If you answer "no" to ANY of them, your essay needs more work:
Does my essay tell a specific story (not a summary)?
Is MY voice authentic and natural (not overly formal)?
Did I show my qualities through actions (not just state them)?
Is my essay about ME (not someone else)?
Did I include specific, vivid details?
Does my essay reveal personal growth or insight?
Did I directly answer the prompt?
Is my opening strong (not a generic hook)?
Is my conclusion insightful (not just a summary)?
Have I proofread multiple times?
Have at least 2 people given me feedback?
Could only I have written this essay (is it unique to me)?
Don't Let Avoidable Mistakes Hurt Your Application
Our Ivy League reviewers catch these mistakes instantly and show you exactly how to fix them. Get feedback while you still have time to revise.
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Common Questions
How do I know if my essay topic is overused?
If it's on our "15 Topics to Avoid" list or sounds similar to topics your classmates are writing about, it's likely overused. The test: Could 100 other students write basically the same essay? If yes, find a more unique angle or choose a different topic. Our Expert Review ($249) identifies overused topics and gives you actionable feedback.
Is it too late to completely rewrite my essay if I find major issues?
No — it's better to submit a strong essay late than a weak essay on time. If you're 2+ weeks from your deadline and your essay has fundamental problems (wrong topic, doesn't answer prompt, no personal growth), start over. A well-executed essay written in 3-5 days beats a mediocre essay you worked on for months.
Can I submit the same essay to multiple colleges?
Yes for your main Common App essay — it goes to all Common App schools. However, never recycle supplemental essays without heavy customization. "Why This School" essays must be specific to each institution. Admissions officers can tell when you've copied and pasted.
How many people should review my essay?
Quality over quantity. One expert review (teacher, counselor, or professional service) is better than 10 friends saying "it's great!" We recommend: (1) One professional/expert review for content and strategy, (2) One person for proofreading. Too many reviewers can lead to conflicting advice that confuses your voice.
What's the difference between Ascend Ivy and asking my English teacher?
Your English teacher is excellent for grammar and writing mechanics. However, they may not be familiar with current admissions trends, overused topics, or what specific schools are looking for. Our reviewers are graduates from top universities who were accepted with their own essays — they know exactly what works. Use both if possible: teacher for basics, us for admissions strategy.
Final Thoughts
These 12 mistakes are all completely fixable — but only if you identify them before you submit. The difference between an average essay and an exceptional one often comes down to awareness: knowing what doesn't work and having the tools to fix it.
The students who get into their dream schools aren't necessarily the ones with the most impressive accomplishments. They're the ones who tell their stories effectively, avoid common pitfalls, and get expert feedback to refine their work.
Don't let preventable mistakes cost you admission. Get feedback, revise strategically, and submit your strongest work.