This is a tough thing to self-diagnose but it’s really important to understand if you’re going to present essays of authenticity.
If your essay starts getting very flowery — if you are introducing metaphors about life and your writing sounds earnest — it’s likely suffering from being overwritten.
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The schools want to admit YOU — not some persona you are trying to construct on the page. Yes, essays are about crafting a message, but that message needs to be founded on reality. Don’t try so hard to sound fancy or smart. Simple sentences — often, shorter ones — these are the main tricks, if there are any, to writing good essays.
Don’t overcomplicate.
Don’t overthink your answers.
No overwriting, please.
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