I saw an Instagram Reel from a "college admissions expert" last week. The advice they gave was simply misguided.
When I looked up this so-called expert, they had zero college admissions or college counseling experience. Never worked in an admissions office. Never made admissions decisions. Never worked with students directly at a high school as a school counselor.
In an effort to right the ship, here are the five biggest mistakes that inexperienced "experts" are telling students to do that you should not do:
1. Be Spiky!
Having a spiky application means that the student has one singular focus, and this interest is repeated throughout the application, at the expense of other interests and qualities. For example, an engineering applicant might have an activities list dominated by robotics—First Robotics, Vex Robotics, Middle School Robotics Coach, Robotics Camp Counselor, robotics research, etc. The student even writes one of their essays about...you guessed it, robotics! It's a one-note application, and it doesn't work for most colleges. While this type of applicant can be more common for a STEM-focused institution, being common doesn't mean you stand out. And if the student approaches their application just to get into a school like MIT or Caltech, they will be disappointed as they face a 3-4% acceptance rate. This type of one-dimensional approach does not resonate at most colleges.
The opposite of being spiky is being well-rounded. When I applied to college in the 1990s, that was the goal. In 2026, it's better to be somewhere in the middle. Yes, have a few activities that point toward the major choice. But show some range too. Do community service for an organization that exposes you to people outside of your main interest. Get a summer job that is just about getting work experience and earning some money. Join a club at your high school where you can grow in an area that you are not familiar with. When your activities list feels more organic instead of perfectly (and unrealistically) curated, it will resonate in far greater ways than you think.
FREE DOWNLOAD: 10 Things To Do the Summer Before Senior Year
2. Do a Summer Pay-to-Play Program!
Said no one who has worked in a highly selective admissions office. I cannot stress enough how negatively highly selective colleges view pay-to-play summer programs on college campuses, community service trips abroad, or teen trips. I don't care how competitive they are. Don't do them. Spend your summer working at a local pizza shop, caring for your younger siblings while your parents work, or doing community service in your own community.I have to mention a few exceptions, though. Don't come at me for being contradictory. I don't make the rules; I just state them. For a student who plans to major in an arts-related field, attending a prestigious summer program can be helpful. And the fully-funded summer programs are highly regarded, but they make those pay-to-play programs look easy when it comes to admission.
3. Don't Ask a World/Ancient Language Teacher to Write a Recommendation Letter!
Ha! Not true. Colleges that require recommendation letters want to hear from teachers from the five core academic subjects: English, math, science, history, and world/ancient languages. World/ancient languages are one of the five core academic subjects. Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, and, especially Latin teachers write some of the most beautiful letters of recommendation. Even the teachers whose native language is not English write some of the most beautiful letters. They care deeply about doing a great job and end up putting more time into their letter than another teacher would.
4. Do a Passion Project!
If you use the term "passion project" when speaking to an admissions officer or listing your "passion project" on your activities list as such, you will lose all credibility. It will be obvious that you have used an independent college counselor with no experience. This activity can seem inauthentic because many students do "passion projects" just for college applications.Instead of using the term "passion project," just do something that you love, not because you think it's going to get you into college (because it likely won't). One thing on a student's application rarely is the reason they get admitted. And the longer you pursue an activity, the more respect it will get. For example, if you start a podcast your senior year with only one episode, admissions officers might assume that you're doing it for the wrong reasons.
READ MORE: The Essay Topics That Stand Out in the Age of AI
5. Put a Title on That Essay!
This is one of the biggest turn-offs among admissions officers. No college essay should have a title. It's viewed as wasting precious words when there are strict word counts for essays. If you do a good job picking the right topic for every essay you write, you don't need a title.
I lose sleep thinking about all the inaccurate information students and parents consume regarding the college admissions process. I have spent 27 years working in admissions offices, leading admissions offices, leading a college counseling program at a high school, and guiding thousands of students a year. No imposter syndrome here.RELATED READING: Answering My Top College Essay FAQs
