Vocabulary plays an essential role in shaping the depth, clarity, and overall quality of writing (Yang et al., 2023). To investigate the complex relationship between writing quality and lexical richness, this study explores how word choices influence English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ writing performance and the strategies they adopt to balance clarity and quality. This relationship was examined through an analysis of Lexical Frequency Profiles (LFP) (Laufer & Nation, 1995) alongside holistic assessments of writing quality. In addition, the study explores EFL learners’ and their teachers’ perceptions of L2 writing quality and the strategies used to improve academic essays. Participants included a writing instructor and six students enrolled in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses within the Intensive English Program of a large university in Istanbul. Data were collected from student writing samples and online interviews conducted via Zoom. The findings indicate that EFL students often refrain from using diverse vocabulary in their essays, likely due to avoidance strategies. Only weak, non-significant correlations were found between lexical richness and writing quality. Although students acknowledged the importance of lexical richness for producing high-quality writing, many reported avoiding infrequent or complex words to ensure clarity for the reader and to minimize the risk of errors that could lead to lower grades.