Colleges That Dont Require Common App Essay

Colleges That Don't Require Common App Essay And if your dream school presents you with some of the old standards, remember to approach the subject from the most unique angle you can. Admission officers read plenty of application essays and know the difference between a student’s original story and a recycled academic essay, orâ€"worseâ€"a piece written by your mom or dad or even plagiarized. Bring something new to the table, not just what you think they want to hear. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafusâ€"each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. Everything should be spelled correctly, with correct grammar and punctuation, but the essay should sound like a high school student wrote it. Most of the time I see that parents get into an essay and take away the student voice…they make it too polished for a high school student. Too much assistanceâ€"even from parentsâ€" however well intentioned, 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. If possible, mom and dad should stay out of the essay writing business. However, some parents are able to understand that over-editing essays is not a good thing. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it. Through her writing, Callie allows the admissions committee to better understand her approach to learning new perspectives. This essay highlights her personality and values and helps us imagine how she will collaborate with others throughout different spaces on campus in a diverse student body. The part of your application you’re likely to spend the most time on. But of course I’d say that; I’m the College Essay Guy. Colleges get suspicious when they receive an essay that sounds like a PhD wrote it. Our team personally vets every college scholarship listed on our website as your one-stop shop for scholarships. We’re not just one of the best scholarship search engines, but we’re also the only scholarship application platformâ€"all offered to students for free. If you are already a senior, there's not much you can do about your grades (it's a bit late to turn a 2.0 into a 4.0)â€"but you can definitely impress with a top SAT or ACT score. According to the 2018 NACAC survey, 56% of schools consider application essays moderately or considerably important. While some colleges don't require essays, those that do usually place at least moderate importance on them. If everything from 250 to 650 words is fair game, what length is best? Some counselors advise students to keep their essays on the shorter end, but not all colleges place the most value in succinctness. By broadening her initial anecdote and having the majority of the essay focus on her reflections and takeaways, we were able to spend even more time learning about Callie. Below you’ll find selected examples of essays that “worked,” as nominated by our admissions committee. In each of these essays, students were able to share stories from their everyday lives to reveal something about their character, values, and life that aligned with the culture and values at Hopkins. The personal statement is likely to be words long and many of the colleges you’re applying to will require it. Firstly, focus on your test scores and application essays. Many less competitive schools will accept students based just off of grades and test scores. I know this is the touchiest of topics, but I always beg parents to believe in their child. And then they are pleasantly surprised when admissions officers write acceptance letters with personal notes about their child’s fabulous essays. Having someone else proofread an applicant’s essay is fineâ€"any writer can benefit from another set of eyes that might pick up a typo or a minor grammar mistake. However, true editing starts to move into the substantive writing process and in the end the writer of the college essay should be the applicant. Three former admissions officers I spoke to told me that, contrary to Steven’s observations, officers read every essay that comes across their desks. “We definitely read the essays,” says Joie Jager-Hyman, president of College Prep 360 and former admissions officer at Dartmouth College. “You don’t do that job unless you enjoy reading the essays. Parents can help their child brainstorm topics, encourage them to write multiple drafts, and help him or her meet deadlines. Some parents should not even read their kid’s essays as they want to change too many elements that make the essays lose their unique adolescent voice.