Of course they are read! Essays give admission officers real insight into the applicant. You might wonder how a huge school would manage reading thousands of essays, but you can trust that they hire extra staff, if necessary, to make sure the entire application gets a close look. The number of readers depends on how "borderline" the applicant is, and the number of applicants being processed. So do your best on that part of the application. Even colleges who say their essay is "optional," you shoulod definitely write one. It can make all the difference in your admission decision.

A great college essay combines creativity, excellent writing, and honesty. The person reading your essay should feel as if they know more about you from reading your essay and they should feel confident that you will be successful with any writing assignments you may be given as a student at their institution. It's important that your essay be a solid reflection of you as a person and as a student, and that you follow the guidelines provided in terms of topic and word-count.

While it is certainly okay for your parents to proofread your college essays for grammatical errors, it's important that the content of the essay is 100% yours!

A general rule of thumb is that if a school is requiring that you submit something with your application, then you should assume it is going to be reviewed. Depending on the school, your essay might be read by one to three people. If you are not a clear admit (based on the school's admission criteria) there is a chance your application materials will be reviewed by other members of the admission committee. Some schools also hire application "readers" who only work during the months when schools are receiving the largest influx of applications. These "readers" are generally former admission counselors, alumni, college counselors, etc...so they have experience!

When parents get involved in the nitty gritty of a college application, some families find conflict arises. If your situation is one where parents can offer opinions that are helpful and if you are the kind of student who is open to listening to suggestions, then surely parents can be good editors. Further, if you have parents who know grammar and writing conventions and can recognize flaws, go ahead and ask parents to help. For many students, finding an objective evaluator who is not a relative to help edit the essay is the best bet. Having a degree in English and being a published writer of college planning articles, and having edited hundreds of essays for students, I would be happy to help you too. Please contact me.

The college essay doesn't necessarily need to "tie in" to the rest of your application. That being said, you should be cognizant that what you write in your essay doesn't conflict with other information you've provided in your application. For example, if you write your essay about how much you enjoy community service work but you have no community service involvement on your list of extracurricular activities, the person reading your application may wonder why. One piece of advice would be to use the essay as a place to further elaborate on any part of your application that you feel needs to be explained, such as a really cool travel experience or a drop in your grades.

The essay plays an important part in your application process because, not only does it demonstrate your writing abilities to the admission committee, it often provides an opportunity for the reader(s) to learn more about you. The amount of weight placed on the essay will vary from school to school but a good rule of thumb is: if it's a requirement, then it's important!

Here are some favorite topics & subjects to write about: 1. Overcoming adversity 2. A life changing experience, whether religious or otherwise - one of my students wrote about her trek up Medjugorje, and it was awe inspiring 3. Why I must attend XYZ U! 4. We all know what ABC U has to offer the world, let me tell you what I have to offer ABC!

Do tell the truth; don't lie Be concise; don't be verbose Focus on the subject you know most - you; Don't write in the style of e e cummings Use descriptive words; NO 4-letter words or distasteful words Be contrite; don't be trite Create imagery; don't describe things in minutia There are numerous others in my book, which is free with a consultation.

No one knows the real answer to that question.