We've edited hundreds of personal statements at this point, and the #1 killer isn't grammar or vocabulary — it's writing about the event instead of the reflection.

Most drafts spend 400 words describing what happened (the game, the trip, the diagnosis, the move) and 150 words on what it actually changed about how the writer thinks or acts. Admissions officers already know what a losing season or a family move looks like from the outside. What they're actually evaluating is whether you can sit with an experience and pull something specific out of it — not "I learned to work hard," but the actual, weird, specific thing you now do differently because of it.

Quick test: cover the last third of your essay. If someone could guess what you're about to say, it's too generic. If they'd be surprised, you're onto something real.

We started AdmitBros on TikTok because we went through this ourselves and got tired of generic advice. Now we do 1:1 editing and UC/Common App counseling. Happy to answer essay questions in the comments if anyone's stuck.