We've served on college admission committees and know how daunting the admission process is. The admission committee has a difficult job, too. They must select a talented, well-balanced class from an exceptional pool of applicants. Each application usually gets only a brief review from a committee member. Frankly, after several hours of reading applications, many students start to look alike.
Applicants have their best chance to impress an admission officer with their application essay.
Yet few applicants realize the importance of their essays in the evaluation process. They miss a golden opportunity to sell themselves as a delightful, unique person. Many simply rehash their achievements in a boring, laundry-list style, leaving the impression that they are dull academic machines. Others don't know what the committee is seeking, and decide to play it safe. Rather than reveal their true self and risk rejection, they produce safe, generic essays that could be written by anyone.