You Common App College Application Personal Statement is Not an English Essay
The common app personal statement isn’t an English essay, and grading it like one is the single most common mistake I see families make with it.
What the essay is actually evidence of
Parents constantly ask me to fix grammar and make the vocabulary more impressive. That’s not the job. The personal statement exists to show an admissions officer who this specific kid is — how they think, what they notice, how they’ve grown. It’s evidence of character and self-awareness, not a literary performance.
The test I run on every draft
My test for every draft: could only this student have written this sentence? If someone else could have written it, it isn’t doing its job yet. That’s a completely different skill than five-paragraph essay writing, and it’s the one most families get zero coaching on before senior year.
Do's & Don'ts
DO | DON'T |
✓ Judge a draft by specificity and self-awareness, not polish. | ✗ Don’t hand the draft to someone focused only on grammar and vocabulary. |
✓ Ask whether only this student could have written each key sentence. | ✗ Don’t reward generic language that could belong to any applicant. |
✓ Let the essay show growth and reflection, not just achievement. | ✗ Don’t confuse a sophisticated vocabulary with a strong essay. |
✓ Revise for voice first, then for grammar — not the other way around. | ✗ Don’t start editing before the real story is even on the page. |
DR. HURWITZ'S TAKE That’s a completely different skill than five-paragraph essay writing, and it’s the one most families get zero coaching on. My job in a session is almost never to fix sentences — it’s to find the sentence that only this kid could have written and build outward from there. |
Ready for a clear, honest read on where your student stands? Want real feedback on your student’s draft? Grab the free Essay Brief, or book a $250 / 55-minute session with Dr. Nathan Hurwitz — no long-term package required. hurwitzadmissions.com | nathan@hurwitzadmissions.com | (203) 613-9262 |
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