College & Career Counseling Office

College & Career Counseling Office Just be sure that it still reads like it was written by a 17 year old and it shares the story that is important to them and not just an important sounding topic that a parent thinks would be more impressive . Essays rarely change an admissions officer’s mind if your qualifications aren’t up to the college’s standards. When essays do sway the vote in those cases, it’s usually because they reveal a significant hardship or other life circumstance that explains the inconsistencies. If you had such a situation that affected you, that might be worth sharing in your essay and an admissions committee will consider it. An effective college essay helps an admissions officer get to know you in ways that an application cannot. It makes them like you and picture you on campus. And most importantly, it gives them a reason to choose you as one of those students that they will bring to committee to make a case for admission. It appears to at least be one factor considered by a number of universities looking to build more complete profiles of applicants. The higher a person's affinity index, the more resources the school is likely to spend trying to recruit that student. It may sound like a chore, and it will certainly take a substantial amount of work. Most students, however, will commit many errors before learning the art of academic essay writing. For students getting ready to apply for college, this may come as a surprise. Students already have their social media profiles subject to review in the admissions process, but other online activity represents a new concern. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre. Academic essays are an unavoidable part of the educational journey. Learning to write well may be one of the greatest skills you gain during your college years. So â€" yes â€" it’s fine to take a quick read to look for spelling errors, but it’s not fine to write your child’s essay for him or her. I have seen too many essays where parents “helped” and as result, the essay lost the student’s voice. Too many words had been added that just did not reflect the student’s vocabulary or mode of writing. It is very easy for a rep to recognize an essay that has been coached someone other than the student. Unfortunately, too many cooks spoil the pot, so to speak…and kids easily get confused when parents, English teachers, their counselor, and their friends all have different advice. Students should familiarize themselves with the campuses to which they are applying , understand the prompt, and answer from the heart. Now parents â€" you all know the difference between fixing typographical errors and making massive substantive changes to your child’s essay, right? Remember â€" the admissions officers read thousands of essays every admissions season, and they can spot an overly polished essay a mile away. But the more selective the college, the more qualified students there will be in the pool, and often without enough space to accommodate them. In fact, the most selective colleges may receive two or three times the number of applications from high school valedictorians than they could ever admit. In cases where there are too many qualified applicants and not enough spots, admissions officers have to make distinctions about students that go beyond those qualities listed on an application. But it's also a unique opportunity that can make a difference at decision time. Admissions committees put the most weight on your high school grades and your test scores . However, selective colleges receive applications from many worthy students with similar scores and gradesâ€"too many to admit. So they use your essay, along with your letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities , to find out what sets you apart from the other talented candidates. The essay is supposed to be reflective of the STUDENT, not the parent, and admissions reps are hoping to get a better picture of the applicant’s individuality and unique attributes. College admissions readers are bright and intuitive and can tell when an essay has been “helped” too much. I see no problem with parents doing a grammar/spelling check as well as offering suggestions on how an essay could be improved. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got inâ€"college essays that actually worked.