What DOESN'T work in college applications?

Kevin McMullin at Collegewise's terrific Wise Like Us blog asks former Cornell, Sweet Briar, and Harvard admissions counselors about what qualities are less than desireable in student applications:

When you read applications, what qualities were always an immediate turn-off?

1. Arrogance

When confidence goes too far and a student is entirely too self-impressed, it’s not a likeable quality.

2. Dishonesty. 

Nobody likes to be lied to. One of the trainees said that she would count up the total number of weekly hours a student listed for activity involvement. If the total number exceeded the total number of hours that exist in a week, she knew that something was amiss.

3. Trying too hard to be impressive.

Tell the truth and be proud of what you’ve done. But don’t try to add marketing oomph to your messages.

Read the rest of the post here...