Feedback
Why "Be More Specific" Is Bad College Essay Feedback
Why vague feedback does not help students revise college essays, and what to ask instead when a draft needs more detail.
"Be more specific" is usually correct and usually useless. It names the problem but does not tell the student where to go next.
Good feedback points to a specific line and asks a specific question. That is what turns a stuck draft into a revision.
Specificity is not decoration
Students often respond to "be more specific" by adding adjectives. That makes the sentence longer, not stronger. Specificity means evidence: a detail, action, sentence, object, or decision that proves the claim.
If the draft says "I became more confident," better feedback asks for the first sentence the student almost did not say out loud.
The best feedback is attached to a line
A margin note should connect to the exact place where the draft loses power. Global feedback can be useful later, but stuck students need a next move.
Instead of "add detail," try "Who was there?" or "What changed the next time you did this?"
Questions protect voice
When adults rewrite sentences, the essay can become cleaner and less personal. Questions force the student to supply the memory and the language.
That matters for admissions, but it also matters for confidence. A student should recognize the final essay as their own thinking.
Common questions
What should I say instead of "be more specific"?+
Ask a question tied to the vague line: what happened, who said it, what did you notice, what did you do next, or why do you still remember it?
Why does specific feedback help more?+
Specific feedback reduces the revision from a vague demand to a concrete action the student can take immediately.