What’s the #1 piece of advice you wish you knew when you were writing college essays?

"Show them who you really are." It takes most people a while to figure that out, and even once you've found it, you may have doubts. But at every stage that is the best advice: trust your instincts; show people what they can count on you for; what will they miss out on if they don't admit you? Tell the stories only you can tell, and tell them as only you can tell them.