Five MORE Words to Cut From Your College Essays

We’re back with five more words to avoid in your college application essays.

The first is “we”. So often students write “we” did this, or “we” did that; but “we” are not applying to college — you are. So focus on your specific contributions by saying I did this or I did that. And let the reader get to meet you and not your whole group.

The second is the word “that”. If you’re cutting for length, you very often don’t need the word “that”. So look at each one in your essay and if the sentence works without it, cut it.

The third are words like “really” or “very” or exclamation points at the end of your sentence. You want to persuade your reader with your words, with your language. So use good vocab, and stop yelling at the reader.

The fourth is the word “anxiety”. Do you want your reader to see you as an anxious person who can’t handle the level of academic rigor or independence that comes with college? Of course not; cut that word.

Fifth, is something spellcheck’s never going to catch. The word “everyday” means typical or ordinary. But if you mean each and every single day, that’s two words; put a space in there. Same thing for high school — two words, guys; stick a space in there.

And if you need help on what words to avoid in your college essays, call us at 732-556-8220. We are here to help.