A.I. CounselorA.I. Counselor educates on how to stand out in high school, the college admissions process, and beyond.

Essay Writing Secrets: Sound Like YOU, Not a Robot! #shorts

5 Sept 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

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In this YouTube short, the A.I. Counselor advises college admission essay writers to use their genuine, conversational voice. The key steps are: write as you would speak to a friend, read the essay aloud to ensure it sounds natural, and avoid overly formal or SAT‑level vocabulary. Admissions officers already have test scores, so they prioritize hearing an authentic 17‑year‑old perspective. Simple, clear sentences consistently outperform ornate language in creating memorable essays.

Chapters

Here's the inverse: write in your actual voice. Read your essay out loud. If it doesn't sound like something you'd say to a friend explaining what happened to you, it's not ready. Admissions readers aren't grading your SAT vocab. They have your test scores for that. They're trying to hear an actual 17-year-old human being. The most memorable essays I've read sounded like someone talking to me, not someone performing. Simple, Clear sentences beat ornate ones almost every single time.