Dear Application Essay Doctor,

Are there any particular keywords or red flags that count against you when you’re writing your personal statement? Any biases – good or bad?

Sincerely,

Careful

Dear Careful,

Yes – as an essay editing doctor, there are some admissions essays that are absolute horrors – and those include typos, poor structure, irrelevant or silly stories, and applicants who apply to programs for which they’re clearly not qualified. We see these same issues with job applications: applicants who have backgrounds in say, tapestry, applying for legal jobs, for example. The key with personal statements is simply: articulate your brand and demonstrate your fit with the college’s, program’s, or university’s brand!