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Most applicants read their essays like applicants.

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But admissions officers don’t! They read quickly. They read tired. They read between meetings, between interviews, between decisions that actually affect people’s lives.

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When students learn to read their application from the other side of the desk, everything changes.

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Here’s how to step into the admissions officer’s chair, and why it transforms applications:

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1. Admissions Officers Are Human (and Very, Very Tired)

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No one reads your essay in a quiet room with a cup of tea and unlimited time.

Recently, one of my college applicants, Sophie, submitted an essay with a long, abstract introduction. It wasn’t bad; it was just slow.

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When I asked her to imagine reading it as the 43rd essay of the day, she immediately rewrote the opening. The new version started in the middle of action. It worked much better.

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Think of it this way: Your job is to wake the reader up, not warm them up.

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2. Clarity Beats Cleverness Every Time

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Admissions officers shouldn’t have to work to understand what you’re saying.

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One of my med school applicants was a gifted writer who loved using lots of metaphors. His personal statement was beautifully written, but confusing.

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We stripped it back, clarified the timeline, simplified the language, and suddenly the message landed. This let us find a compromise where his message was preserved, but required way less effort from the reader. 

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Think of it this way: If your essay requires re-reading to understand, it’s not helping you.

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3. Admissions Officers Are Asking One Question on Every Page

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Hint: the question isn’t “Is this impressive?”

Instead, it’s “What does this tell me about this person?”

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Many of my students struggle with writing their activity descriptions in an effective way. Recently, one of my PA students took an anything-and-everything approach, listing dozens of accomplishments in her activities section without much personal reflection.

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When we reworked it, we focused on why each activity mattered to her. The content didn’t change, but we streamlined how the admissions officer would interpret it.

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Think of it this way: Don’t just report. Interpret.

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4. Tone Matters More Than You Think

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On a backpacking trip, my father (a retired physician) said something quite insightful: “Confidence is good. Arrogance is deadly. But forced humility is the worst of all.”

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I was able to pass this along to one of my MBA candidates recently. He’s a great guy, but he ended up sounding unintentionally arrogant in his first essay draft. When I tactfully brought this up, the second draft was even worse… because he overcorrected and the writing lost all sense of confidence and individuality.

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The key was to maintain elements of pride while also adding context, gratitude, and learning moments to soften the tone and strengthen the essay. Remember that great people accomplish great things, but they almost never do it alone. Count your blessings, and make them known.

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Read your essay by asking, How am I coming across?

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5. The Best Applications Are Easy to Read, Yet Hard to Forget

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Admissions officers remember flow. They remember clarity. They remember stories that unfold naturally.

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This arises with many residency applications, where clarity, precision, and conciseness are especially important.

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One of my sharpest residency applicants went through several revisions until she felt certain that it presented a clear, unmistakable arc: from her initial confusion on rotations, to growth through hands-on uncomfortable moments, to clarity about what specialty best suits her passions and skills. Sequencing made her convincing and compelling.

Think of it this way: Structure is invisible when it works, but glaring when it doesn’t.

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✅ The Admissions Officer Lens Checklist

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How to Read Your Application from the Other Side of the Desk

Before you submit, read your application as if you’re an admissions officer at 4:47 p.m. on a Friday.

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First Impressions

🔲 Does my opening paragraph immediately place the reader somewhere concrete?

🔲 Would a tired reader want to keep going after the first page?

Clarity & Flow

🔲 Is it obvious what this essay is about within the first few paragraphs?

🔲 Could someone summarize my main message in one sentence after reading it once?

🔲 Are there any sections where the reader might feel confused or lost?

Tone Check

🔲 Do I sound confident without sounding arrogant?

🔲 Do I acknowledge growth, learning, or uncertainty where appropriate?

🔲 Would I want to sit next to this person in a small seminar or on a hospital team?

Reader Effort

🔲 Am I making the reader work to understand metaphors, timelines, or motivations?

🔲 Have I cut anything that feels clever but unnecessary?

Narrative & Structure

🔲 Does my story have a clear arc (beginning → tension → insight)?

🔲 Does each paragraph move the story or reflection forward?

Final Reader Test

🔲 After reading this, does the admissions officer know who I am, not just what I’ve done?

🔲 Is it easy for the reader to say, “I remember this applicant”?

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If the application feels easy to read—you’re doing it right. If it feels heavy—simplify.

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