It depends on the college. At most large state schools its not going to be as important as it is at a small liberal arts college where admissions officers will spend much more time reading each application and paying attention to details. At most large universities colleges will first separate the yes and no piles by scores and grades and then the “maybe” pile will be looked at more closely and the essay can then become a significant factor. Students should view the essay as key piece in the process, because for them at some schools, it could be one! There is no way to know so put your all into the essays and interviews. This way at least you know you did everything in your power!
Very important! A close runner-up to your academic record (this encompasses courses and grades in high school as well as test scores), the essay(s) you submit with your college application are an extremely important component of your total application package. The percentage of all colleges, public and private, for which the essay is a significant factor in selectivity, has increased from 14% in 1993 to 25% in 2012, according to the National Organization for College Admission Counseling in its latest annual report. Inevitably, the more selective private institutions with their growing pools of high-performing applicants tend to review applications more holistically and, therefore, place the most emphasis on non-quantitative elements such as the personal statement or essays.
An essay’s importance in the admissions process depends on the student and the college to which he/she is applying. If the student is considered a “borderline” applicant, for example, the quality of his/her college essay may decide whether he/she ultimately receives an acceptance letter. This is especially so at smaller and more selective liberal arts schools, which often adopt a more holistic approach to applicant evaluation and which tend to assign more weight to college essays. However, it is important to realize that even the best essays can rarely compensate for less than adequate academic credentials–in most cases, a student is not likely to earn admission if his/her grades and/or test scores are far below those of the average incoming student, regardless of the strength of his/her essay. In contrast, a student with (relatively) superior grades and scores can usually overcome a less-than-average essay, so long as he/she does not make egregious grammatical errors, indicate disinterest, or convey a trait or attitude that causes concern among admissions staff.
The essay is the more important than most people think it is. It follows grades, level of difficulty and test scores in importance. As admissions become increasingly competitive, it is the one opportunity a student has to stand out in the crowd. It can make difference!
The essay is more important than most people think it is. It follows grades, level of difficulty and test scores in importance. As admissions become increasingly competitive, it is the one opportunity a student has to stand out in the crowd. It can make difference!
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!
An excellent written essay could be a “tipper” factor for a borderline admit student to get accepted. On the other hand, a poorly written essay, with a bad choice of topic, can tip a students’ application into the reject pile. Essays will be more important for smaller schools that are committed to reading holistically. These smaller colleges want to ensure that the students that they accept would contribute positively to campus life both with their talents, leadership abilities and personal qualities. This should all be apparent in a good college essay.
After your GPA, test scores and extracurriculars, your essay is next in importance! You’ve probably heard it MANY times before, but the essay is your chance to make your application come alive and to let admissions officers know that there is a living, breathing human being behind the numbers and litany of club memberships!
While different admissions offices will place different weights on required essays and no one piece of paper in your application will ever be more important than your transcript, the essay is your once chance to speak directly to the admissions committee. Use that opportunity wisely.
While the essay may feel like an unnecessary evil, it is really quite useful when done well. The essay is a chance to put a face on your application. This is your chance to let the admissions committee see a side of you that they wouldn’t otherwise. Please don’t reiterate what is already included in the app. Instead, paint a picture that will be remembered long after your file is read. All things being equal among candidates, it may well come down to who made the readers laugh, cry or relate to their essay. Don’t discount this chance to let your personality shine through.
This really depends on the college and how they consider each portion of the application. Each college has its own priorities. The essay usually plays a larger role in the application process at schools who can spend more time on each applicant’s file. For instance, a large public university may not have the resources to devote to closely reading the essay portion of the application. The essay usually is in the top ten aspects taken under consideration in a holistic reading of an application.
College application essays are the one thing high school seniors have complete control over senior year. They do not guarantee admissions to your top colleges, but they certainly help break ties and can tip you in. I just presented with an admissions officer from the University of Michigan, who said essays make students pop off the page and become 3-D for colleges. Essays are fourth in importance–behind grades, test scores, and rigor of your high school program–for many admissions offices. But so many kids squander this opportunity to focus on stories that reveal their leadership and initiative. Admissions officers get so bored reading many essays. Use this opportunity to sell yourself and tip yourself into many of your match colleges.
essay is the only way for you to express yourself without numbers and stamps from other people. you should consider this opportunity serioulsy to sell youself to the admissions office. there are many different ways of promoting yourself with honesty. Most Chinese students actually never write the essay themselves, they trust the agencies to do the job and they never see the submission afterwards.
essay is the only way for you to express yourself without numbers and stamps from other people. you should consider this opportunity seriously to sell yourself to the admissions office. there are many different ways of promoting yourself with honesty. Most Chinese students actually never write the essay themselves, they trust the agencies to do the job and they never see the submission afterwards.
It is more important to some colleges than others. For instance, if you are an automatic admit (in the top 10% of your graduating class) the essays need to be written but they aren’t going to make the difference between getting in or being declined. For smaller colleges a great essay is a tip factor, meaning that it could tip a decision in your favor. You do not get in based solely upon your essay, but the more it stands out the better.
As part of the admissions decision, the essay is your chance to show the admissions committee who you are. The essay should truly be a personal statement. Your tone will give the committee an idea of your personality. This is your time to share your “voice.” The key is to be yourself, and to choose a topic that says something about what’s important to you. The committee wants to gain insight into you, they are also going to learn about you from the thoughtfulness and the quality of your writing.
…unless you know for a fact that the schools you’re applying to don’t care.
It is important to you because it gives you a chance to show the college something about you that they are not seeing in the rest of your application. The essay gives you an opportunity to let your personality shine through.
Actually, assume that everything is the most important part of the application!
The essay is extremely important to understand and evaluate students. Essays can often be the most critical part of the the application when students have similar academic records.
The importance of the essay, like so much else in the application process, depends upon the applicant and the school. At some schools the admissions process is more about crunching numbers than anything else and in those cases the essays matter little. At places where the admissions office must make distinctions among many qualified applicants it can be a definite factor. Indeed, the essay offers applicants a chance to present themselves in their own voice, an opportunity that one always wants to maximize. Applicants should be sure to respond to the prompt, but in a way that gives the reader a greater understanding of who they are and what they will bring to the community the school is seeking to create. The worst thing an applicant can do is write an essay that does not reveal anything about them. Make it work for you. Make it the final piece in your story.
The essay is your opportunity to shine! It’s the one place where you can differentiate yourself from others who have similar grades and SAT scores and make your application memorable in the eyes of the admissions committee. Even if a school does not require an essay, submit one anyway to make yourself stand out even more.
The essay is a critical piece in the application process! This may be the only opportunity you get to show exactly who you are, what you stand for and where your passions lie. Unlike the rest of the application in which you are completing mostly statistical information, the essay gives you the chance to think outside of the box and let the Admissions Representative know exactly why selecting you for admission is a wise choice. With an array of essay topics to choose from, pick one that makes sense to you. Perhaps you want to talk about the moment you helped your athletic team to win an important game. Maybe you want to shed some light on a mission trip that you took to China. Whatever topic you choose, remember to be creative! Also, remember to proof, proof, proof! Grammar and punctuation count, as this is not a text message! It is also important to note that your essay should be kept within the guidelines, with many between 250-500 words. Keep in mind that Admission Representatives get tons of applications to read, so you want to make yourself stand out, while engaging them in a short period of time.
The personal statement is arguably one of the most important components of a student’s college application. This is especially true if you are applying to a smaller school which has the resources to view your application “holistically”. This is your chance to lend your application a third dimension, to transcend your grades and test scores, and figuratively speak to the admissions officers. This opportunity should not be taken lightly. Likely, your essay won’t make or break your admission at a certain school, but if you really let an admissions officer “get to know” you, and he likes what he sees, this could carry huge sway in whether he wants to admit you.
Very. While grades still remain the most important factor most colleges consider in their decision-making process, the essay is almost always the only opportunity a college will have to “hear” your voice and learn about who you are. It also allows them to evaluate your writing and critical thinking abilities.
A college application is filled with information about how other people see you – your grades, your test scores, lists of your activities, and your teacher and counselor recommendations. The college essay is critical because it’s the only part of your application that tells colleges how you see yourself.
Short Answer:
The essay is a very important part of the college application. The essay gives the applicant a chance to demonstrate not only his or her writing style, but to highlight an important characteristic or ability that may not have been mentioned in any other component of the application. The essay truly gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their strengths and to distinguish themselves from the other applicants. A great essay will leave the reader with a desire to know the author and will encourage an admissions committee to consider how the student might contribute to their campus.
Depending on the college, the essay can be quite important. The most important component of any application are the student’s grade and academic rigor. Assuming the student meets the academic criteria, the essay can set the student apart from others in the potential admit pile.
THIS IS YOUR MOMENT TO BRING YOURSELF TO LIFE…
Very important. Long before it was fashionable to go “Test Score Optional” (Fairtest.org), the most intellectual college in America–St John’s(Annapolis) was primarily interested in using your written expression as a guage for admissions.
It really depends on the college. It is not looked at as heavy as GPA, Course Rigor or test scores, but for some colleges it is looked at. It may be the differentiating factor between two students. Some colleges are essay optional. I would look at the student profile at a college that is essay optional. If your test scores and GPA fall on the lower half of the student profile of that institution, then I would send the essay. Give the admissions office additional reasons to admit you.
The essay is very important, in that it gives you two opportunities that might not otherwise appear on your application. Both of these opportunities involve presenting a more complete picture of yourself.
While rated below GPA, Course Load, and Test scores for most universities, the essay still remains an important factor in admissions. The essay allows the candidate to express something that cannot be determined based on data alone. Make sure you spend plenty of time on this part of the application and that it represents the best you have to offer.
More students are applying to more colleges. The result? It just keeps getting harder to get in, even to “back up” schools. Application essays also play a greater role in determining the strength or weakness of an application. Admissions officers and scholarship review committees understand that grades and scores are limiting, and cannot adequately show the complete picture of a student.Your essay is your opportunity to tell your story, to rise above the competition, and to convince admissions officers that their university is not only the perfect fit for you, but that you are the perfect fit for it.
Crucial. It’s your only chance to both tell people about yourself in the application, and to show admissions officers how you express yourself in written language. Many students get excellent grades and test scores but may lack great writing skills as well as compelling ways to tell their story. Your essay is your calling card, and it’s the most important part of the application in many ways, once you’ve been screened by test scores as someone who might receive an acceptance. Capitalize on the opportunity, and don’t fear it.
The college essay is not going to be as important as your grade point average, the rigor of your courses, or your standardized test scores (unless the college is test-optional), but it is nevertheless important. By the time you begin to write your college essay, most of your academic history is already set. You will have three years’ worth of grades already completed, some if not all of your standardized test scores, and your extracurriculars. Although your teacher and guidance counselor might not have completed their letters of recommendation by the time you start your essay, you can’t control what they will write. The personal statement is the last piece of your application (other than the application itself) that you have *total* control over. And it may be the one piece of information that helps the admissions committee decide the fate of your application, and if you get in, the financial aid you receive. One of our seniors last year won a large scholarship to a prestigious school in the Mid-Atlantic region due to the fact that his personal statement, according to the director of admissions at the college, was spectacular.
How important the essays are may vary from one institution to another, but a student should carefully consider the development of his/her essays since the essays are the one way that schools can find out more about a student personally, after considering the rather static lists of activities, grades, standardized test results, and so on. Teacher and Counselor recommendations also reveal aspects of the student as a person, but the essays are the part of the application in which the student’s “voice” will come through.
It usually is very important, and some colleges attach extra importance, but some don’t. No one really knows for sure, so write one that’s superlative in both content & grammar!
The essay is an integral and important part of the application process. For some students, it can make the difference between getting in or being deferred, or even of being rejected. A good essay conveys not only who you are but how you express who you are! As such, the essay needs to be focused and well written. By that, I do not mean use your thesaurus! If you are honest and choose a topic close to your heart, you will be able to talk about it easily–so it will be easy to write! And if it is honest and easy to write, and you have had someone check for errors, it will convey who you are–often in a way that is better than any transcript can convey.
The “essay” has become increasing important and is now becoming the determining factor for admissions as well as merit aid money.
The essay is that place where you’re free to express whatever you think, feel and dream about. It’s a very important part of your application because exactly here the admission can study you as a person, find out about your inner world, and discover your personality type.
The essay is that place where you’re free to express whatever you think, feel and dream about. It’s a very important part of your application because exactly here the addmission can study you as a person, find out about your inner world, discover your personality type.
The essay is that place where you’re free to express whatever you think, feel and dream about. It’s a very important part of your application because exactly here the addmission can study you as a person, find out about your inner world, and discover your personality type.
The essay is a very important part of your application. This is one of the few chances that the college gets to see you as more than a number or a statistic. Up to this point you have only been able to list your grades, accomplishments, and activities, but you have not been able to show them your personality, or tell them why you are proud of those accomplishments, or love those activities.
The essay may be the most important piece. Why? Because that is the only way students have to “tell their story.” The essay reveals a great deal about you as a student. It may show what is important to you, how you react to events in life, how you solve problems, how you relate to others, and it might reveal something about your personality. In addition, it gives the admission office a great writing sample. That’s why you should spend a fair amount of time getting the essay right.
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