Have you ever wondered whether it’s acceptable to seek help in proofreading your essays? As students, we strive to present our best work, but sometimes, despite our best efforts, errors can slip through. This is where having someone proofread your essay can make a significant difference. In this article, we will explore the benefits of seeking proofreading assistance, address common concerns and misconceptions, and provide guidance on finding the right proofreader.
When it comes to writing essays, ensuring that your work is error-free and effectively communicates your ideas is crucial. Here are some of the advantages of having someone proofread your essay:
Enhanced grammar and spelling: No matter how skilled you are at writing, it’s easy to overlook minor grammar or spelling mistakes. A fresh pair of eyes can catch those errors and help you present a polished and error-free essay.
Improved clarity and coherence: Sometimes, in the process of writing, our sentences can become convoluted or confusing. A proofreader can identify these areas and suggest ways to improve the clarity and coherence of your essay, making your ideas more accessible to your readers.
Objective feedback: Writing can be a subjective process, and we may develop blind spots to the flaws in our own work. Seeking proofreading assistance allows you to receive objective feedback on your essay’s structure, arguments, and overall effectiveness. Constructive criticism can help you refine your work and take it to the next level.
While the idea of having someone proofread your essay may seem appealing, there are common concerns and misconceptions that need to be addressed:
Plagiarism concerns: One of the primary concerns students have is that having someone proofread their essay might lead to plagiarism. It’s important to differentiate between proofreading and rewriting. A proofreader’s role is to correct errors, improve clarity, and provide feedback without altering the content or infringing upon academic integrity.
Loss of personal touch: Some worry that having someone else proofread their essay will dilute their unique writing style or voice. However, a skilled proofreader understands the importance of preserving your individuality as a writer. They aim to enhance your work while ensuring that your voice shines through.
Over-reliance on proofreaders: While proofreading assistance is valuable, it’s crucial to view it as a learning opportunity rather than a complete reliance on others. By seeking feedback and guidance from proofreaders, you can develop your own writing skills and become more proficient over time.
Now that we’ve established the benefits and addressed concerns, let’s explore how you can find the right proofreader:
Seeking proofreading assistance can be a game-changer when it comes to improving the quality of your essays. The benefits of having someone proofread your work, including enhanced grammar and spelling, improved clarity and coherence, and objective feedback, are undeniable. It’s essential to dispel concerns about plagiarism and loss of personal touch, emphasizing that proofreading focuses on enhancing your work while maintaining your unique style. Remember to view proofreading as a learning opportunity rather than a crutch.
When seeking a proofreader, consider professional services, trusted individuals in your academic circle, or reputable online platforms. By incorporating the valuable feedback you receive, you can refine your writing skills and consistently produce exceptional essays. So, the next time you wonder if it’s okay to have someone proofread your essay, the answer is a resounding “yes!” Embrace the benefits and take your writing to new heights with the help of a skilled proofreader.
Is it ok to have someone proofread your essay?
Absolutely! It is not okay to have someone write your essay for you or tell you what words to use to make it sound better. It has to be written in your own words and in your own voice.
Not only is it ok to have someone proofread your essay, it should be part of your planning! If you have a high school counselor who is willing to help, use him/her. If that person is too busy, try an English teacher. But those teachers are typically overloaded with reading essays, so perhaps a family member, or even a good friend. If you have a friend proofread your work, choose one who knows grammar and knows good writing conventions. Your proofreader should be able to caution you about gramatical errors, but also should be able to tell you if the essay reads clearly and logically, if it gives a true impression of you as a person and as a student, and if it is interesting.
Yes! Have someone read over your essay for errors. Don’t allow them to make corrections directly, but have them provide input. You don’t want to change the voice of your essay, but you can always use a second set of eyes to find mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling.
You better, and make sure they’re an expert in grammar or someone with vast experience like one of us!
Here is my video response to the question.
It is recommended to have someone such as your English teacher, college counselor or parent proofread your final draft. Allow each of these individuals time to do a good job which means you complete the essay by the end of October. They may make valuable comments which should be incorporated in your essay. Proofreading and commenting is ok, rewriting by anyone other than the student is not.
Of course! Not only is it okay — you would be foolish not to. Great writers around the world and throughout time have solicited the input of others regarding the proofreading process. Writing the college essay is no different. Remember, however, that there is a great difference between someone else writing your essay, or writing most of it, and someone proofreading yours. Remember, the idea must be your own and the way that you express that idea through language must be your own. But having someone check your work for grammar and flow is perfectly acceptable and commonly done.
It is most certainly okay to have someone proofread your essay before you submit it. It is NOT okay to have someone write your entire essay for you or edit it in such a way that it takes away from your voice. However, as with writing anything, proofreading is an integral part of the writing process. You should first proofread it yourself to catch any major grammar or spelling errors, but sometimes a second set of eyes is necessary to catch minor things that you may not have noticed as the writer.
You should absolutely, positively have someone you trust proofread your essays – in fact, your whole application should be proofread. Details are important: mistype your address and your neighbor will get your admission letter instead of you!
It’s always helpful to have someone proofread your essay, because another set of eyes can catch typos, grammatical errors, and other small problems in your essay. As the author of your essay, you can sometimes become blind to obvious errors because you have read it through so many times (and are probably sick of it by now)!
Just be sure that proofreading doesn’t extend to more substantive changes and edits to your work. Remember — it’s your work and your voice that admissions officers want to hear!
There are so many errors that are just not picked up by spell-check or grammar-check. The mistake that I found particularly amusing is the student who accidentally wrote whales when she meant to say Wales. So having someone that you trust can be key. But be careful that in their desire to assist you, that your “voice” does not get lost. You essay should sound like it was written by you- a 17 or 18 year old and not by a 40-something. And while English teachers know all the grammar rules, college essays should not sound like a book report. Boring. Personal essays showcase a more casual and creative style of writing. Don’t show your essay to more then one or two individuals because if you follow everyone’s advise- it could end up being weaker.
I would say that you must have someone proofread your essay. People don’t tend to see their own spelling mistakes, typographical errors, etc. Although the content of your essay is definitely your own, and you should take responsibility for proofreading your work as you do it, it’s a good idea to let several other people look at it to see if you’re making yourself understood and don’t have any glaring errors. Remember that the way you express yourself should and will reveal something about you to the college admissions officers.
I’ve heard it said that a camel is a horse created by committee; each part seems reasonable on its own, but taken as a whole it seems impractical. The same situation occurs when students get too much advice on their college essays. Getting one or two trusted people to proofread is worthwhile as long as they understand their role is to point out errors and make suggestions, not rewrite your essays into their own voice. You run the risk of receiving contradictory advice when you have more people proofread. Make sure the final essay sounds like you and is representative of your best work.
Yes, every student needs to have someone proofread their college application essays. The best choices are teachers, counselors or a college consultant. Parents and friends can also help, but be ware that they may not catch every mistake or even know what the colleges are looking for.
Yes, in fact I suggest that you have someone proofread it. Proofreading means to search your writing for errors–typographical, grammatical and spelling mistakes.
Especially in this age of spell check, proofreading is critical. There is a BIG difference between someone pointing out a grammatical error and someone rewriting your paper. I’ll never forget reading the essay about the girl who volunteered as a candy stripper (I do believe she meant striper)! While it made me laugh, I was not going to remember her for the right reasons. It is sooo easy to miss errors because you know what you want to say/meant to say and your eyes just make the correction automatically. Having a fresh perspective is critical if you are trying to avoid the careless mistake.
It’s crucial that your essay be free of spelling and grammar mistakes. Since you will spend hours with it, your own eyes can easily skip over errors without seeing them, even if they are obvious and something you would normally catch.
I suggest that you make clear to this reader that you are ONLY asking for proofreading.
It’s also useful to have someone read your essay who knows you well and can answer the question “Does this sound like me?”. Again, give this reader clear instructions about the feedback you are requesting.
Last, if your essay deals with a technical field with its own jargon (like computer programming or ballet), you’ll want to have a reader familiar with that language read your essay to make sure that you’ve used technical terms correctly.
For example, you can have a grammar expert pick apart your essay to before you submit it in order to avoid spelling and grammatical mistakes.
students should consider to use outside help for essay no matter what. it should go beyong the proofread.
YES. YOU should proofread your essay at least twice. A trusted friend should proofread your essay. Perhaps a teacher should proofread your essay. It is absolutely fine to have those you trust give you advice, as long as YOU are doing the writing!
It is not only ok, it is critical! Essays can be proofread by a teacher, parent, guidance counselor, etc. Often times we overlook errors in our own work, so the more eyes that proofread your essay, the better! In addition, it is nice to get feedback from different points of view. For example, your English teacher may be able to give you the best advice on grammatical issues where your guidance counselor can speak to the content and/or structure of the essay with regard to what the admissions office wants to see. Be open to constructive criticism and you will come away with the strongest essay possible!
Always have someone proofread you essay before you turn it in. I have heard many admission representatives tell families this. It is extremely important to have someone proofread your essay before submitting it. Ask your English teacher, or your librarian, or your counselor. Words of advice, always give the person at least two weeks to proofread your work, as their time is valuable as well.
Having someone else proofread an applicant’s essay is fine. There is not a writer in the world who cannot benefit from another set of eyes searching for the kinds of typos and basic grammar mistakes that are often blurred and missed in the course of countless rereading, rewriting, and editing efforts. However, outside reviewers—even parents—whose efforts go beyond that can produce an essay that is less the work of the applicant than the reviewer’s. This only serves to undermine the process and raise questions about the legitimacy and integrity of the whole application. Yes, the stakes can seem high, but it is ultimately the applicant’s record and work that is being evaluated and it should be theirs that is submitted as well.
Almost all writers need another set of eyes to review their work. We are only human and when we do a lot of writing we may lose our ability to spot our mistakes no matter how many times we read and reread a passage. There are times when even a spell checker will not be sufficient as a proofing tool because words can be spelled correctly in your written work but the meaning may not make sense-for example: we went to there house is not picked up by the spell checker and what you meant to say was: we went to their house.
So proofreading for the checking of spelling, grammar or clarity of thought is a good idea. Just don’t let the proofreader become a re-writer of your essay because then it becomes someone else’s work and not your own.
I always have one or more people proof important pieces of writing. The more important it is, the more eyeballs I get on it.
I do this for a few reasons:
1. I’m lousy at proofing my own writing. And you probably are as well. It has to do with how our brains are wired, so don’t take it personally. Someone else looking at your essay will see things that you will miss.
2. Spell check misses things. Believe me. I’ve been burned.
Proofreading is not editing (I talk about that in detail in the answer about parents). Proofreading is checking for spelling, grammar and mistakes. It happens at the end of the process, when your essay is pretty much ready to go.
Not only is it OK to have someone proofread your essay, it is *highly* recommended. You should feel encouraged to have friends, family members, and teachers proofread your essay but be sure that your voice is not altered. Your essay should be grammatically correct with no spelling errors, but it should sound like *you*. Be open to suggestions that others might have, but be mindful of retaining your viewpoint and style.
Absolutely! In fact, it’s recommended! A few great proofreaders are: your English teacher, guidance counselor, a member of your church or synagogue, or a tutor. Of course you can allow a family member to serve as your proofreader. However your essay should be honest and in your own voice; sometimes it can be a little difficult to have someone who is very close to you give you an objective opinion!
We can all use a second set of eyes sometimes, especially if we’ve been looking at the same five paragraphs over and over for months. It’s fine to have someone with strong skills in grammar, spelling and usage proofread your essay for errors and typos. It’s not fine to have someone write any portion of or make substantial changes to your essay. Colleges want to hear your voice and ideas and no one else’s. They don’t expect a publishable essay (would you really need college if you could already write a publishable essay?) but it should be highly polished, thoughtful, and very strong.
Yes, and it is expected, just as it is expected that the student will seek guidance when in college (this is what college Writing Centers are for). The proofreader can offer suggestions, but should not be writing/rewriting the essay. It always needs to be the students work and voice.
It is always a good idea to have someone else proofread your work. All of us as we write tend to see what we intended to be written on paper and our brains fill in the missing words or thoughts. As a result, words are missing, misplaced or the thought has not accurately been completed. A novice reader to your work brings a free pair of eyes and someone who is reading your work trying to follow your argument/statement. If it isn’t clear then they will not get it. Even if you re-read your work and think…”How could they not understand this…?” It doesn’t matter that you think it is clear. The point is that you can run the risk with the admissions officer not getting your point either so making a more simple or clearer argument would be highly recommended. It can be challenging and tedious work but I guarantee you that you will be much happier with the end result and it will only bring your closer to your goal of successful admission to that institution!
Definitely! Have someone proofread your essay. You don’t want an essay with typos or grammatical errors or an essay with the name of the wrong college.
Presenting a well written and grammatically correct essay is a key component to your college application. Your essay needs to be error free. When you select your proof reader politely ask them to help you with proof reading, but not re-engineering your essay.
Be sure that your writing is formal. You are not submitting a text message. Use capitalization, punctuation and paragraphs. Do not use words that you would not normally use in an essay. Admissions readers will know if you have pulled out the thesaurus to alter every other word.
A common mistake that international students make is allowing someone else to write their essay for them. This practice is viewed as a poor choice by American admissions officers and they are able to tell if the essay was written by the student. Students who submit false essays will not be admitted. Trust in your abilities to write a beautiful essay.
Not only is it okay to have someone proofread your essay, it’s highly encouraged! In fact, it’s probably a good idea to have two additional sets of eyes take a look at what you’ve written before you hit “submit.” The important thing to remember is that your essay should be just that: Yours. You shouldn’t expect the person proofreading your essay to make sweeping changes to what you’ve written or to re-write any part of your prose. Your essay should be your voice, not that of your teachers or parents.
2. Spellcheck misses things. Believe me. I’ve been burned.
It would be irresponsible not to have someone proofread any important piece of writing.
Not only is it ok to have someone proofread your college admissions essay, it would be a mistake not to have them read it. Keep in mind, there is a difference between someone proofreading your essay for spelling and grammatical errors, and some suggestions for theme development and structure, as opposed to simply writing the essay for you.
Good writing is an iterative process. What does that mean? To write well, you must write, over and over again…draft after draft. Before my clients even begin writing their essays, I do activities with them that helps them to begin thinking about “their brand” and the story they want to tell. We then do some written exercises to practice the skill of “showing rather than telling.” Then, in a very rough, sloppy manner, they write a first draft and that is when the real work begins.
Having a proofreader not only helps you write an excellent essay, it can go a long way in keeping you energized and motivated to keep writing.
Sincerely,
Mike Chapman, OwnerChapman College Admission Consultingwww.chapmancac.com
You better, and make sure they’re an expert or someone with vast experience like one of us!
Absolutely! Actually, you should have a couple of individuals to proofread your essays. You can ask your parents, teachers, friends, college counselors, and mentors. Now, there are plenty of admission coaching companies that can provide you with expert advice on your essays. Also, it may be a good idea to get a small group of classmates together and each can give feedback on each other’s essays through the admission process. Nonetheless, when someone proofreads your essay, they can catch any grammatical errors, provide feedback on what you were attempting to express and what they read, and raise any red flags that could hurt your essays. With recent reports of cheating and plagiarism, it is prudent to write your own essays because admission officers want to learn about you in your own words.
It’s not only okay, you should ALWAYS have someone proofread your essay. Ask someone who’s a good writer, or two people if you can. Have them check for spelling errors and grammar. (Remember that spell checkers won’t catch words that you didn’t mean to use but that are spelled correctly — like “there” instead of “their.” They also won’t catch missing words. That’s where humans come in handy.)
This is an important essay — you’ve put in time and effort — now give it that final polish. The admissions officers will see that you worked hard to get everything right. They’ll appreciate it, and you.
I recommend that students have all of their college essay’s proofread. However, be careful not to have someone edit the essay in such a way that it no longer remains your own work. Essays are an opportunity for the school’s to get an idea of who applicants are outside of their application and academic record, so feel free to let your personality shine! Students are often overwhelmed with maintaining grades from their regular school work while meeting the pressures of the college application season. Having someone review your work with a “fresh” pair of eyes never hurts!
It’s ok to give your essay to somebody you trust to check out your essay on mistakes, ideas and an overall sense.But remember, even if you have such opportunity to get help and outer edit movements, your essay should stay your own essay and still reflect your own views, thoughts and feelings! Your essay is YOU in words. Not somebody else.
It’s ok to give your essay to somebody you trust to check out your essay on mistakes, ideas and an overall sense.But remember, even if you have such opportunity to get help and use outer edit movements, your essay should still stay your own essay and reflect your own views, thoughts and feelings! Your essay is YOU in words. Not somebody else.
Not only is getting someone to proofread your college essay ok, it is essential. Making the little mistake (writing “then” instead of “than”) or the big mistake (writing “Harvard” instad of “Yale”) can leave an impression you do not want to make. An extra set of eyes to make sure you avoid the pitfalls spellcheck does not pick up on or the 5 line run-on sentence is invaluable.
Remember…sometimes proofreaders like to make comments on substance and content versus just style. Suggestions are great but you should feel free to ignore them. The essay is your chance to be you in the application process. Make sure you do not use suggestions that might take away from the admissions representative ability to find out about YOU in your essay.
Please, have someone read your essay. So many get sent in with multiple grammatical errors, poorly written style, or no personal connection with the author. I believe you can have too many editors, but please, have someone proofread your essay. English teachers are wonderful for this. Parents are often times good, but sometimes can lead you the wrong direction. English teachers know about what admission officers are looking for.
Ys. I mean Yes. It is ok to have someone proofread your essays. Proofreading, however, is not the same as editing or rewriting. The essay must be yours and in your voice. Yet there is no excuse for spelling or grammar mistakes. So have a trusted teacher or friend (ideally not a parent), proofread the essay for you. That can make a huge difference as application readers have little patience for sloppily or carelessly written essays.
It never hurts to have your writing proofread. But, whoever is doing the proofreading, should not be changing the content. They should be looking for misspellings, syntax, and grammatical errors. We know when a parent or counselor wrote the essay. Don’t do that.
Definitely! Ask someone you trust to be meticulous, critical, but supportive of your original message. This is your work! Caution: don’t ask too many people. Too many cooks in the kitchen can become stressful and confusing.
Yes, it is okay to have someone else proofread your essays. In fact, it’s encouraged to ensure that your essays will be typo free and grammatically correct. However, the key is to proofread, not have someone write them for you. You do want the essays to sound like you; it should be your voice. There should be some consistency between the essays and interviews.
Abolsutely. Having someone proofread your essays shows you care enough about the school to not make careless mistakes. And one thing’s for sure: your computer’s spellcheck is not good enough. “From” and “Form” are both spelled correctly, but have vastly different meanings.
If for some reason you can’t find someone else to proofread your essays, the best way to proof them yourself is to read them slowly–OUT LOUD. Your ears can hear what your eye will not pick up.
Lastly, if you do have someone else proofread your essays (whether a relative, friend, teacher, or someone else), be very clear that you don’t want feedback, or else you’ll get unsolicited advice and comments. And that’s a slippery slope that leads to “essays by committee”, which is a big mistake. They only serve to make you question yourself. So write your essays yourself, go with your gut, speak from the heart, and be your own personal barometer.
Not only should the essay be proofread it should be read out loud.
most students would ask their English teacher to read their essay for admisisons, however, some English tutors can also read your essay for you.the important part of the essay is not so much about the grammer and style, it is the topic and inspiration of presenting yourself well in front of the admisisons counselor.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that in my experience, parents are NOT the best source of editing or proofing a student’s essay. Most parents don’t really know what the admissions office is looking for, and many parents are sufficiently removed from writing that their proofing/editing skills are not helpful.
I think in today’s world it’s probably unbelievable to an admissions official that someone–parent, English teacher, essay coach, college counselor –DID NOT read and help “proof” the student’s essay. That DOES NOT mean that anyone should write it for you, or dictate it to you while you copy it down word for word and say you wrote it.It simply means that most students today are having some adult help proof itheir essay.
Having said that, I would believe that the admissions professional may find your essay refreshingly imperfect and forgive the the occasional spelling or grammar gaffe, if the essay is highly unique, insightful or humorous, or just demonstrates great writing and self perception,
The reason independent college counselors or essay coaches–and this is a generality–could be more helpful is that often (not always) they spend more time and effort up front on COACHING the essay for topic, originality, creativity and HOW to approach writing. What many parents (who may love you, but often just are NOT good writers themselves) or an overworked guidance counselor does is to take a trite, or unoriginal or hackneyed essay and dwell on punctuation and spelling. It’s like going to the junk yard and waxing a rustly heap.
It is VERY important to have someone proofread your essays.
In addition to proofreading your work yourself (and I always recommend proofreading out loud), it is important to have a new set of eyes that can proofread your work for errors which pertain to grammar, structure, and/or ideas.
When you have someone else proofread your work, they can tell you where you have made a mistake or where something is unclear. This will give you an opportunity, as the writer, to make corrections to your essay before it is reviewed by a committee or your instructor.
Proofreading can help you avoid being overlooked by college admissions or help you avoid receiving a poor grade on an assignment, so make sure to allot time for proofreading.
ALWAYS have someone (a peer, roommate, parent, sibling, teacher, mentor, or tutoring instructor) proofread your essays prior to submission.
Short Answer:
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have someone read anything important that you are submitting anywhere. Spell check is not nuanced enough in finding errors of usage, structure, or spelling. And the more you read it over, the more chance you have in missing an error. You need a set of eyes that are unfamiliar with the essay.
Detailed Answer:
Just don’t let Mom and Dad write the essay. And don’t buy it off the Internet. Admissions counselors can always tell when you didn’t write it yourself, especially if it doesn’t even address the topic the college has requested you write about.
Absolutely!
In fact, I would say it’s better to get two people to read it–someone who is really close to you and someone who doesn’t know you as well, but is a trusted and competent master of the English language.
Just make sure that whatever happens, it still sounds like YOU, that it’s in YOUR voice. That’s what’s most important.
It’s more than ok–it’s a must! If you type “your” instead of “you’re”, spell check won’t catch that. It’s a good idea to get someone who hasn’t seen your essay to be the one who proofreads it. A typo like the one I mentioned above is the kind of thing your eye might glaze over because you’ve read your own essay so many times. One bad typo sends the message that you didn’t put the necessary effort in your work, even if that’s not true. This is the time to be meticulous!
Absolutely. You should have someone qualified both proofread and offer notes to you on your essays. It’s not cheating to seek the advice and expertise of others as long as you write the essay yourself. As much as this is an important snapshot of your writing ability it’s also a chance for your to engage in the writing process, which always involves editors and proofreaders. I, however, suggest you find someone who works as a professional essayist and knows what colleges are looking for. Working with practicing arts professionals has tremendous benefits, and they often know a number of quick and easy ways to take a flat essay and help you make it sing.
I’m biased, because that is what I do for a living! But I talk to admissions officers as well, and they always inists that students should have SOMEONE ELSE read their essays! Another set of eyes helps catch errors and not just the grammatical kinds. My theme as the Essay Lady is, “Your words, only better.” I don’t write essays for students. Not only is this plagiarism, it’s actually very unfair to both you and your prospective college(s). They want to get to know you, not me! I try to help students take their own essays and make them more clear, concise, and compelling. Whenever I make suggestions for changes or revisions, I always keep that student’s own voice in mind. I would not advise sending in an essay without having someone proof it first.
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