How to Avoid Sounding Like AI Wrote Your College Essay
By Jacqueline Leppla
Background: In my past professional experience, I worked with AI frequently, including an eight-month project where I used various AI models extensively to develop personal finance content. As a result, I am very familiar with AI writing patterns.
College applications need to sound like you, authentic and reflective. Yet many students unknowingly write in ways that resemble AI-generated text. They may not be using AI, but they’re following writing patterns that feel “academic.” The result risks sounding polished but generic.
It helps to recognize these common AI-style conventions and learn how to replace them with genuine, specific writing.
1. The “It’s not X, it’s Y” Construction
This is one of the most overused sentence patterns in AI writing. It looks like:
“What matters most isn’t perfection, it’s showing up when things get hard.”
“Meaning doesn’t come from grand gestures; it comes from quiet consistency.”
“It’s not only the science; it’s the judgment that gives science direction.”
These phrases create rhythm but when this construct appears multiple times in an essay, it feels robotic.
Direct Writing Examples:
A better approach is to explain why something matters to you, or what something is, rather than defining it by contrast.
A. “What matters most is showing up when things get hard.”
B. “Meaningful support comes from showing up day after day.
C. “Judgment gives science direction.”
2. The Triad (Lists of Three)
AI loves balance and rhythm, so it often produces neat groups of three:
“I’ve grown academically, emotionally, and personally.”
“This experience taught me resilience, adaptability, and leadership.”
“That internship taught me leadership, adaptability, and empathy.”
The “rule of three” sounds smooth and can work well if not overdone. Consider whether you could do away with one of the items in a triad or move it to a separate sentence and list two genuine characteristics.
Instead of:
“That summer taught me independence, teamwork, and communication.”
Try:
“That summer, I learned how to ask for help when I needed it, and how to offer it when someone else did.”
Specific moments communicate more than perfect symmetry.
3. “Nice but Nothing” Phrases
Some expressions sound eloquent yet say very little. Here are examples often found in essays that could be mistaken for AI writing:
“This experience changed my perspective.”
“I’m especially drawn to this major because it combines my passions.”
“I learned the value of perseverance.”
These statements sound okay if you are scanning but they appear so frequently in so many essays that they raise suspicion that AI helped with the writing.
Ask yourself: What did you actually do, feel, or notice? Then show it.
Instead of:
“This project showed me the power of teamwork.”
Try:
“When our robotics design failed mid-competition, I focused on rebuilding the arm while my teammate recalibrated the code. When the robot finally moved again, we high-fived like it had just won first place.”
4. Predictable Openings and Endings
AI and human writers both have a tendency to start and end essays with clichés:
Openings like “Ever since I was a child…” or “From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by…”
Endings like “This experience will help me succeed in college and beyond.”
These are used so often that they blend together. Try opening with a vivid experience, a sound, smell, or quick scene. Then, close with reflection rather than summary.
Instead of:
“Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved science.”
Try:
“Blue-green liquid swirled in the beaker as I dropped in a strip of aluminum. A moment later, the metal began to fizz and change color; I grinned, completely hooked.”
5. Watch for “AI Connectors”
Certain words and transitions appear often in AI writing because they link ideas: furthermore, additionally, however. They’re grammatically fine, but overuse makes writing sound mechanical.
Try replacing them with more natural transitions like at the same time, what surprised me was, from there, or later. Or ask yourself whether you need a transition phrase at all.
Bring Your Real Voice Forward
Your essay doesn’t need to sound formal. The goal is honesty and self-reflection. Ask yourself:
Could someone else write this same paragraph, or could this fit into another essay?
Does this sentence reveal something specific about me?
Am I showing what I learned or how I grew?
AI can’t replicate your humor or the way you connect ideas, so lean into those qualities.
You don’t have to write perfectly to sound authentic. A little imperfection can make your essay more human. Focus on real experiences and insights and use your real voice.
If you’d like personalized feedback on your essay language or help refining your message, book an appointment at HigherEdAdvice.com.
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