Admissions cliché detector.
Paste a draft and matched phrases are highlighted inline. Hover a highlight to see why it makes a reader skim.
This is a craft-judgement heuristic based on common admissions-reader complaints, not a rule published by AAMC, ADEA, LSAC or any other admissions body. A matched phrase isn't automatically wrong — it's a prompt to check whether it's earning its place.
Categories checked
Origin-story openers
The opener a reader has seen so often that they start skimming for the actual point.
ever since I was a child · ever since I can remember · from a young age · little did I know · …
Unearned passion claims
States a feeling instead of showing the evidence that would make a reader believe it.
passion for helping people · i have always been fascinated by · i am passionate about · my passion for · …
Empty summary closers
Restates that the experience mattered without saying what changed — a placeholder, not an argument.
this experience taught me · it was a truly transformative experience · i realized that · this made me realize · …
Hedges
Soften a claim so much that the reader can't tell if you actually mean it.
i believe · i feel like · in my opinion · sort of · …
Adverb padding
An intensifier standing in for a specific detail that would do the actual work.
truly · really · very · extremely · …
Resume-restating verbs
Repeats what's already on the activities list instead of interpreting it for the reader.
through strong leadership and effective communication · i was responsible for · my responsibilities included · i had the opportunity to · …
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A phrase list can't read your argument
Removing clichés is a start, not a finish. Gradline's full review reads for whether your statement actually makes a case.
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