The college application essay is a difficult genre to capture. Try too hard to demonstrate your vocabulary and you come off as verbose and conceited. Play it too understated and you won’t make an impression. We don’t blame ambitious high schoolers for turning to their English teachers to get some extra help with striking this difficult balance between direct communication and compelling language, but we would caution against taking the feedback your teacher gives you to heart. 

The Pitfalls of English Teacher Feedback on College Essays

English teachers are taught to teach to an exam and develop their students’ ability to analyze texts. This approach does not always translate to giving appropriate feedback on college essays. The problem is that English teachers often struggle to write colloquially, in the voice of their students. They might suggest that you switch out the word “excited” with “piqued.” They might encourage you to start your sentences with phrases like “nevertheless” or “however.” They might not understand the particularities of a college’s programs, culture, or traditions, and encourage you to direct the focus of your essay back to yourself. In short, English teachers do not always make great editors when it comes to this specific assignment.

Why are expanded vocabulary and literary flourishes the wrong move on a college application essay? Because they reek of privilege and outside essay help! Admissions officers can tell when an applicant’s writing does not come from the heart (or from their own words, for that matter!). They have a responsibility to create socioeconomically diverse cohorts of students, so if an applicant appears to have received adult help on their essays, or flexes an unwieldy vocabulary, that’s just another reason for them to be denied.

Why a Singular Hook is Crucial for Successful Application Essays

English teachers miss the mark in more ways than one. The most competitive applicants to elite universities are experts and specialists at their one unique passion. We at Ivy Coach term this a “singular hook” — that one thing that makes you a budding future changemaker and sets you apart from your peers. English teachers, along with anyone else who is not well-versed in the specificities of elite college admissions, often seek to play down their student’s ambition to change the world in favor of a personal approach that appeals to the emotional sides of admissions officers. Unfortunately, this approach so often backfires.

Admissions officers would much rather hear about how you want to change the world, and how their institution will enable you to do so, than about the trials and tribulations that have molded your character. Turning the focus of the essays away from your singular hook will only serve to water down your point. Of course, if you are a student of the humanities who has performed well in your high school English classes, your natural affinity for writing should shine through in the essays! But trust your own gut when it comes to content and style, not that of an adult in your life who doesn’t necessarily understand what makes kids these days tick. Robust vocabulary is the most effective when it comes from the heart and is used correctly!

How Ivy Coach Helps Students Craft the Most Competitive College Essays Possible

Ivy Coach is superior to your child’s English teacher in another critical way: our subtle editorial touch leaves zero fingerprint. When an essay appears to have been written with outside help, admissions officers are signaled to the privileged status of the applicant. Turning to a teacher or other local professional might seem convenient at first, but it will surely backfire.

We collaborate with our clients to craft essays that are about as far from the English teacher approach as possible: simple, direct, natural, and oriented around a singular hook. Unlike the well-meaning professionals at your child’s school, we understand what plays well with elite college admissions officers in 2024. The emotional/traumatic essay just doesn’t cut it these days!

If you’re interested in optimizing your child’s college admissions essays, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.