Words and Phrases to Cut From Your College Essay

The words you choose for your college essay are a big deal. They're your chance to make a great first impression and show the admissions committee that you're a smart, thoughtful writer. Knowing which words and phrases to cut is just as important as knowing which ones to use. It can be the difference between an essay that stands out and one that gets lost in the pile.

Cutting weak words and phrases from your college essay will make your writing stronger, more professional, and more memorable.

Admissions counselors and writing experts agree that the quality of your language has a direct impact on your application. Weak word choices can make you seem unprepared, while a strong vocabulary shows that you're ready for college-level work. Cutting the fluff and filler makes room for more powerful and precise language.

The best college essays make a big impact by being deliberate with every word. They avoid the common traps that make writing sound generic or unprofessional. This guide will walk you through the words and phrases you should eliminate from your college essay and give you some powerful alternatives.

The Big Picture: Professionalism and Authenticity

Your college essay needs to strike a balance between sounding professional and sounding like you.

Meet Their Expectations

Colleges are academic institutions, and they expect you to write in a formal, academic style.

Keep It Formal: Avoid slang, contractions, and overly casual language.

Know Your Audience: You're writing for admissions officers, who are educated professionals. Show them you understand how to communicate in a professional context.

Show Your Smarts: Your word choice is a reflection of your thinking. Precise language shows that you're a clear and sophisticated thinker.

Be Yourself

While you need to be professional, you also need to be authentic.

Let Your Personality Shine: Your essay should sound like a real person wrote it—you.

Find the Balance: The goal is to be your authentic self within the constraints of a formal essay.

Be Consistent: Your tone should be consistent throughout the essay.

Show Your Maturity: Your language should show that you're ready for the challenges of college.

A great college essay is both professional and authentic. It shows you're ready for college while still sounding like you.

Informal Language to Cut

Your college essay is a formal piece of writing. Cut the casual language.

Contractions and Abbreviations

Using contractions like "don't" and "can't" can make your essay sound too casual.

Write It Out: Use the full forms: "do not," "cannot," "will not," "it is."

Be Clear: This also helps you avoid confusion between contractions (it's) and possessives (its).

Sound Professional: Using the full forms shows that you understand the conventions of formal writing.

Examples:

• Instead of "I don't understand," write "I do not understand."
• Instead of "It's important," write "It is important."

Slang and Colloquialisms

Slang can make your essay sound dated and unprofessional.

Avoid Trendy Words: What's cool today might be cringe-worthy tomorrow. Stick to timeless language.

Be Universal: Avoid regional slang that your reader might not understand.

Use a Professional Vocabulary: Replace casual phrases with more sophisticated alternatives.

Examples:

• Instead of "That's fire," write "That experience was transformative."
• Instead of "I'm lowkey excited," write "I am genuinely enthusiastic."

Text-Speak

Abbreviations from texting and social media have no place in your college essay.

Spell It Out: Use the full words. It shows you're willing to put in the effort.

Be Professional: Using "u" instead of "you" can make you seem lazy or disrespectful.

Be Clear: Full words ensure that everyone understands your meaning.

Examples:

• "you" (not "u")
• "with" (not "w/")
• "because" (not "b/c")
• "through" (not "thru")

Overused and Generic Language

Your essay needs to stand out. Cut the clichés and vague language.

Clichés

Overused phrases show a lack of originality.

Sports Clichés: Avoid phrases like "gave 110%" or "hit it out of the park."

Life Journey Clichés: Instead of saying "life is a journey," use a more original metaphor.

Challenge Clichés: Don't say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Show it with a specific story.

Examples:

• Instead of "gave 110%," write "I was completely committed to the project."
• Instead of "every cloud has a silver lining," describe the specific positive outcome of a difficult situation.

Vague Words

Imprecise language makes your writing weak and unmemorable.

Kill the Weak Adjectives: Replace words like "good," "bad," "nice," and "great" with more specific and powerful alternatives.

Be Specific: Show your reader what you mean instead of telling them.

Use Strong Verbs: Strong action verbs make your writing more vivid and engaging.

Examples:

• Instead of a "good experience," try a "transformative opportunity."
• Instead of a "bad situation," try a "challenging circumstance."
• Instead of a "nice person," try a "compassionate mentor."

Filler Words

Filler words take up space without adding any meaning.

Cut the Qualifiers: Words like "very," "really," and "quite" often weaken your writing. Choose a stronger base word instead.

Eliminate Empty Phrases: Cut phrases that don't add any real information.

Be Concise: Make every word count.

Examples:

• Instead of "very important," write "crucial" or "essential."
• Instead of "really excited," write "thrilled" or "enthusiastic."

Cutting clichés and vague language will make your essay more original, powerful, and memorable.

Problematic Sentence Structures

How you build your sentences is just as important as the words you use.

The Passive Voice

The passive voice can make your writing sound weak and indirect.

Use the Active Voice: It's more direct, engaging, and shows that you are the one taking action.

Show Your Agency: The active voice demonstrates that you are a doer, not just someone who things happen to.

Be Clear: The active voice is usually clearer and less wordy.

Examples:

• Instead of "The project was completed by me," write "I completed the project."
• Instead of "Mistakes were made," write "I made mistakes."

Run-On Sentences

Overly long and complex sentences can be hard to follow.

Keep It Clear: Break up long sentences into shorter, more manageable ones.

Vary Your Sentence Length: A mix of short and long sentences creates a more engaging rhythm.

Sentence Fragments

Fragments are incomplete thoughts that can make your writing seem careless.

Write in Complete Sentences: Make sure every sentence has a subject and a verb.

Check Your Punctuation: Sometimes a fragment is just a punctuation error in disguise.

Advanced Tips for Polishing Your Language

Cut the Hedging

Words like "I think," "maybe," and "perhaps" can make you sound unsure of yourself.

Be Confident: Present your experiences and insights with conviction.

Be Direct: Strong, direct language is more persuasive.

Examples:

• Instead of "I think I learned," write "I learned."
• Instead of "Perhaps this showed," write "This demonstrated."

Avoid Redundancy

Don't say the same thing twice.

Be Concise: Cut repetitive words and phrases.

Vary Your Vocabulary: Use a thesaurus to find different ways to say the same thing.

Keep Your Tone Consistent

Your tone should be consistent throughout your essay.

Find Your Voice: Establish a tone in your introduction and stick with it.

Balance Formality and Authenticity: Be professional, but still sound like yourself.

Your Final Checklist

Do a Systematic Review: Read through your essay multiple times, looking for a different type of error each time.

Get a Second Opinion: Ask a teacher, counselor, or parent to read your essay and give you feedback.

Use Digital Tools (Wisely): A grammar checker can be helpful, but it's not a substitute for careful proofreading.

Cutting these common words and phrases from your college essay will make your writing stronger, clearer, and more memorable. It's a key step in crafting an application that will show the admissions committee that you're ready for the challenges of college and that you'll be a valuable addition to their campus community.