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College Essay
College Essay
College admission essays form an important part of a student's college application and are required by most schools. Essays provide the university with a pathway to understand aspects of an applicant that may not be apparent in other portions of the application. Yet, this is one of the most discussed and often misunderstood, aspects of the college application. Essays provide a unique opportunity for colleges to get a glimpse of the goals and intentions of the student, which may help them determine whether or not the student will be a good fit for the school. These become even more important at highly selective colleges as many qualified applicants apply for a limited number of spaces in the freshman class.
What the Essay "Is" and What It Is "Not"
Colleges want to know about the students behind the numbers
Learning about the students' personality, the perspective on learning, what they want to accomplish, things that have happened to them in the past
Essay is used to "show, not tell", life lesson
No need to highlight or recapture all the information that have already been presented in the application
How the Essay is Evaluated in the Admissions Committee
It can "cure the sick, but not raise the dead"
80% of the reason a student is admitted is because of the objective academic data (GPA, test scores, curriculum, class ranking)
The other 20% is then based on the composite of essay, recommendation letters, and extracurricular activities
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