This is What Admissions Officers See When You Use a Thesaurus in Your Personal Statement

When writing the essay that *may* determine the rest of your life, you may be tempted to embellish a little. You're competing with SO MANY OTHER KIDS that you think you need to sound that much smarter and well-read. The best writers use big words, right?

Wrong.

Take a deep breath, put the thesaurus down, and no one will get hurt.

The most important part of the personal essay is for the admissions officers to get a sense of the real you--not the you that dresses up all formal and looks uncomfortable. Getting to know you means getting to know your real voice, without the fake frills.

Also, real talk: it's totally obvious when you use a thesaurus and admissions officers can see right through it. You seem fake and untrustworthy. Don't play yourself like that.