College Essay Sabotage: Don't Copy-Paste! #shorts
In this YouTube short, A.I. COUNSELOR warns college applicants about a common mistake in the “why us” supplemental essay: copying a generic paragraph and merely swapping the school’s name for each application. The counselor likens this to calling a new girlfriend by an ex’s name, emphasizing how obvious the error is to admissions officers. The video explains that such generic, interchangeable content signals a lack of genuine interest, as admissions officers read these essays to gauge true enthusiasm for the institution. To avoid this pitfall, the counselor advises students to identify something unique to each school—such as a specific professor, research center, or distinctive tradition—and explain why that element matters personally, turning the essay into a sincere expression of interest rather than a boilerplate.
