The Associated Press article that leads with: Typo on your college application may get you in may sound like a very poor piece of advice, but if you read it, it makes a lot of sense. The article is not really about making typos on your college application, but it is about being authentic.
The perception is colleges want perfect students, so students deliver. They show their stuff and package themselves to look ideal. But, what colleges say they want is honesty, and because everyone is imperfect, colleges want to see flaws. Flaws reveal the real person.
Sometimes it’s as hard for students to be genuinely flawed as it is for them to be super-students. This article suggests two ways to be more authentic, consistency and writing about disappointments and doubts. College Basics offers several more strategies in Writing the College Essay. We also have a great new e-book about writing all the different college application essays. Check it out.
