"Shift + F7" is the keyboard shortcut in Microsoft Word for accessing the thesaurus. As a college essay writing coach, it’s easy to spot the writers who use it too much.
A sentence that probably started out like this:
"The best part about volunteering with the local food bank was getting to know the people I worked with there."
Ends up like this:
"The paramount portion about volunteering with the food bank adjacent to my community that I luxuriated in were the rendezvous with the employees I was employed with."
This example may seem a little extreme, but it’s not far from some of the first drafts of essays that I’ve read.
Getting trigger happy with the "Shift+F7" tool is tempting. Colleges want you to sound smart, right?
Right. But yanking words from a list of synonyms doesn’t always make you seem smart – especially if you use them incorrectly.
The best way to illustrate your intelligence is not by plunking words you find in the thesaurus into your essay. Don’t be afraid of using a conversational tone.
That’s not to say that correct grammar, spelling and punctuation aren’t important. They are. But sounding like a cookie cutter, five paragraph AP English essay isn’t the best way for a college admissions officer to get to know you.
The essay is the one place in your application where you get a chance to show some personality. Use your own voice.