A lot of college websites, tours, and presentations sound just like the cliched college essays they're so tired of reading.
If a college's pitch to prospective students touts "small classes," "dedicated faculty," and "a world class library with over 1 million volumes," that's just the college marketing version of the brutally bland and predictable essays like "Volunteering on the blood drive taught me to appreciate helping others" and "I learned about hard work and commitment from sports."
Colleges, if you want students to appreciate what you have to offer, follow the same guidelines you want kids to follow with their essays. Don't worry about what will "sound good." Be yourself. Rely on specifics, not vague abstractions. And most importantly, don't try to sell yourself. Just help the audience get to know who you really are.