High school seniors across the globe are invading the Internet with their SAT/ACT orders, transcript requests and resume uploads, while working to write the ultimate college application essay. It's the time of year when they will either get into the college of their dreams, or realize that they may have to attend another school.

Currently, my brother and his friends are amongst the college application madness. After reading through their essays, I've thought of 10 tips that every high school senior needs to know while writing their college essays.

1. Stay away from general nouns.

Using words such as "things" or "stuff" are very general and show that you are avoiding detail. The vagueness in your essay can make you sound like everyone else. Details are what make you stand out.

Example: We did many things on our mission trip.

Revised example: We helped build a house, play with the children and serve food on our mission trip.

2. Adjectives need to be specific.

Adjectives such as "good" or "bad" are vague and boring. These words shouldn't be used in a formal essay. When you're drawing a blank, pick up a thesaurus.

Example: The children at the shelter were so good.

Revised example: The children at the shelter were well-behaved.

3. Avoid extensive, general adverbs such as "so," "very" or "really."

These are words that are commonly used in conversation, but are not suitable for a formal essay. If something was "so life-changing," write about why, not how life-changing it was.

Example: I really think that students should be evaluated on their success in the classroom and not by standardized tests.

Revised example: I believe that students should be evaluated on their success in the classroom, and not by standardized tests.

4. Remember your basic grammar rules.

Everything you have ever learned in your high school English classes is suddenly relevant:

- Subject-verb agreement

- Comma rules

- Differences between similar words like "accept" vs. "except" and "affect" vs. "effect"

- Differences between "then" and "than"************

- Subjects vs. Objects: "who" and "whom"'***********

These are just a few of the many mistakes that can make you look less educated.

5. Use sugar-coated adjectives.

If you are writing about an experience which involves people who are "rich" or "poor," make sure you sugarcoat to avoid being offensive.

"Rich" - wealthy, fortunate, economically stable, etc.

"Poor" - underprivileged, less fortunate, economically insufficient, etc.

6. Incorporate personal narratives or interesting stories into your essay that captivate the reader.

Very general essays about how you have learned about the importance of certain skills can be repeated by any other student applying for college. If you really want to stand out as an applicant, tell a story that specifically fits your prompt.

7. Have at least one other person look over your essay or read it out loud.

There will always be mistakes you won't catch while writing it. Reading it to yourself will make you want to speed through it. Read it out loud and make sure the essay flows and has proper grammar. Having someone else read it will also help with grammar or spelling errors you may have missed. The people you choose to help you with your essay need to be of higher intelligence than you are.

Examples: teachers, tutors, college students, your smart friend from English class

8. Do not write the essay in one night.

I was never a fan of outlines, but I've always been a fan of brainstorming. Taking time to write down ideas or write random paragraphs to eventually construct into an essay is okay. Don't start with the introduction, the body paragraphs or even a conclusion. Give yourself days to look over and construct the perfect essay.

9. DO NOT USE THE WORD "PRETTY" AS AN ADVERB!

Saying something went "pretty good" or was "pretty cool" is not proper grammar. "Pretty" is an adjective, which describes a noun. If you want, say "fairly well." "Fairly" is an adverb which can take the place of what we normally use "pretty" for. However, I hope you use neither in your college essay.

10. Be passionate.

This is your future. If you don't care about the college you are applying to, they will know. If you are truly passionate that this is the home you want for the next four years, do your best to convey it.

Play music, go to your favorite coffee shop, order a pizza, make a milkshake or do whatever it takes to set the mood for writing an essay that can determine your next four years!

Happy writing, seniors! Good luck!