College Essay Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Student's Application
FREE LIVE WEBINAR
October 1, 2026 | 5 PM PT
Ford T.
Former Admissions Officer at Johns Hopkins University
5,000+ Applications Read
Help your child avoid common essay mistakes and write in a way that is authentic, memorable, and distinctly their own.
Ford T.
Former Johns Hopkins Admissions Officer
5,000+ Applications Read
of our recent students gained acceptance to a top 100 school
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students and parents served with admissions guidance
Your student may have the grades, activities, and experiences to build a strong application. But if their essays sound generic, repeat what admissions officers already know, or lose their authentic voice, they can miss the opportunity to show who they are beyond their accomplishments.
Ford reviewed 1,200+ applications annually at Johns Hopkins and knows what helps an essay reveal something meaningful about a student. Learn what to avoid and how to help your student’s story come through clearly and authentically.
Spot topics that sound like everyone else
Learn why seemingly “safe” essay ideas can become predictable and what helps a familiar topic feel personal and memorable.
Avoid turning the essay into a résumé
Understand what admissions officers want to learn from an essay that grades, activities, and accomplishments can't already tell them.
Protect your student’s authentic voice
See how too much editing and outside input can make a polished essay feel less like the student who actually wrote it.
Know what makes an essay stand out
Learn what admissions readers notice in effective essays and how your student can reveal something meaningful without needing an extraordinary story.
College Counselor
Former Johns Hopkins Admissions Officer | 5,000+ Applications Reviewed
Ford T.
Meet Your Host
Ford brings over 5 years of experience in admissions at Johns Hopkins University, where he supported 1,200+ applicants annually from the Pacific Northwest and Canada. As a committee member and Assistant Director, he led scholarship selection, revamped the reading process, and launched a Humanities Overnight Program. He holds a BA in Theater from the University of Mary Washington and has helped students gain admission to top schools including NYU, Duke, JHU, Georgetown, and the UCs—specializing in STEM and CS applicants.
In this session, Ford will break down the essay mistakes admissions officers see again and again. You’ll leave knowing what to avoid and how to help your child’s authentic voice come through.
College Counselor
Former Johns Hopkins Admissions Officer
5,000+ Applications Reviewed
About 60 minutes, including the live Q&A.