do colleges actually read essays

Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. And in the majority of cases, those people will be using your writing to determine the strength of your candidacy for admission to their institution, so that’s why it’s crucial to take the time to do it right. Of course they are read! A general rule of thumb is that if a school is requiring that you submit something with your application, then you should assume it is going to be reviewed. One reader admits are very rare. You've read hundreds and hundreds of applications this year alone. It isn’t that these essays aren’t valuable – they are and they give admission counselors the same useful insight that great essays do (especially in terms of the student who shows a lot of raw talent but who also needs some polishing – like, for example, at that admission officer’s college), but they just aren’t as entrancing as great essays. But there are now companies that search essays for plagiarism, and its easy to submit since essays are sent to the college electronically. For example, Stanford reads entire application of every applicant while University of California filters any application that is below the minimum GPA. If they are trying to decide which of 7 or 8 quaiifed applicants to select, then every piece of the application is that much more important and the essays–products of the applicant’s own (hopefully ) work can be particularly enlightening. I always tell students that they should be writing and essay that is to be published in the New York Times. And in the majority of cases, those people will be using your writing to determine the strength of your candidacy for admission to their institution, so that’s why it’s crucial to take the time to do it right. When tailoring responses to individual … 3. Some schools do cut by the numbers. Great essays get read. 3. Again, the number of readers for each essay would depend upon individual institutional practices. Admission counselors can’t help themselves. Many large schools don’t require essays at all because they don’t have the personnel resources to process the huge number of admission essays which would be submitted. Some schools also hire application “readers” who only work during the months when schools are receiving the largest influx of applications. of application files (digital or otherwise) and students are clamoring for admission, the best gift they can receive is that of a tremendous essay – so give them a great reason to tune in and read it all the way through! Yes, every college essay is read if the college has asked for it (and often even if they did not ask for it). An essay is an important part of sharing who you are with a school. So what does this mean for you? Many large schools don’t require essays at all because they don’t have the personnel resources to process the huge number of admission essays which would be submitted. Colleges had sheets of typed essays and no easy way to check them. Bad essays don’t get read. It can make all the difference in your admission decision. Karen Ekman-Baur, Director of College Counseling, Leysin American School. Good essays get read too – though sometimes they get skimmed a bit for content. Every admission office is different – and most times, your essay will have the opportunity to be read by at least two – and sometimes three or four! It really depends on the schools to which you are applying. You might want to ask: Narrow down over 1,000,000 scholarships with personalized results. You might wonder how a huge school would manage reading thousands of essays, but you can trust that they hire extra staff, if necessary, to make sure the entire application gets a close look. I do know that some schools have a group of readers, each receiving one set of essays, with each individual essay being read by just one person. It is my understanding that if essays are required by an institution, they are actually read. Schools which require essays, however, use the essay input to form a more complete picture of the applicant, over and above the numbers, grades, lists, and so on, which are entered onto the application form. If I were an applicant, I would consider the essay(s) very seriously, making every effort to create an interesting and well-formulated document, with the assumption that the essay would be read and considered by each institution to which I applied. SAT®, PSAT/NMSQT® and AP® are trademarks registered What The People Who Read Your College Application Really Think : ... the test scores and put the final touches on those personal essays. I’m going to be honest here: I didn’t read the entirety of every essay that came across my desk when I was an admission counselor. The information on this site is for informational and research purposes only and is not an assurance of financial aid. Often they are read in committee where several officers might look at one essay. As you might already have guessed, some colleges (large public universities) might not have the staff to read all of the essays. The role of the essay varies greatly from school to school. Reading sample college essays gives you great ideas and helps to illustrate what is expected from a good college essay. How much weight is given to the essay as part of the whole application? Bad essays don’t get read. Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. It depends on the priorities of the school. Some colleges will choose only to look at your GPA, Course Rigor and SAT/ACT scores. College Essay … His reluctance to do so showed that he already knew the … Many institutions are moving toward automatic “review” of applications. Here are some of the ways that schools read essays: 1. For example, if you look at the Purdue application this year, they offer three choices of essay topics, each one carefully considered to allow different types of students to write something that matters to them. If a student’s essay isn’t great OR good, the admission officer will probably just skim past the essay and move right on to your transcript and your test scores to evaluate your candidacy for admission. of application files (digital or otherwise) and students are clamoring for admission, the best gift they can receive is that of a tremendous essay – so give them a great reason to tune in and read it all the way through! Bill Pruden, Head of Upper School, College Counselor Ravenscroft School. My sense is that when the application is a part of the equation on the final admissibility question , usually two or more admissions counselors will read the application and essay to render the best possible decision about the admissibility of the applicant. (I once had a student explain how she single-handedly saved a summer camp. ), your application will be denied simply because it is clear that 1) you cannot follow instructions or 2) you didn’t care enough about applying to their institution to follow their instructions. – people. It will be anywhere from one reader to four readers. A lot of it depends upon the selectivity of the school. The number of reviewers reading the essays vary from school to school. Among the top 250, I know my colleagues review essays because some are moved to “check” authenticity or to contact the school source to verify veracity of the context as provided by the student. I hope this is the case! In this instance, the essay would be read by several people. Great essays pull them in like great novels and when a student is really showcasing their talent as a writer and their character as a potential part of the college/university community, that’s always worth a few extra moments of reading time. There are many different kinds of schools, however, so it would be impossible to know how each of them handles the essays which are submitted. In any case, what YOU can control is how well your essay describes who you are and gives the admissions person a chance to see things in you that will be an asset to the school. It isn’t that these essays aren’t valuable – they are and they give admission counselors the same useful insight that great essays do (especially in terms of the student who shows a lot of raw talent but who also needs some polishing – like, for example, at that admission officer’s college), but they just aren’t as entrancing as great essays. Published on Other institutions, such as Indiana University-Bloomington, specifically state that they do not want to receive essays – so if you submit an essay, this also shows that you cannot follow directions. A lot of it depends upon the selectivity of the school. Different colleges have varying review processes. Weak essays get skimmed. On the flip side, exceptional application essays can help students with marginal scores get into the schools of their dreams. Weak essays get skimmed. 2. Unless there is not a GPA and/or ACT/SAT filter that automatically rejects applications, all essays are read. But this is not common. In other instances, each essay is distributed to several readers, who will then compare their impressions when the admissions committee meets to decide upon student admissions. Essays give admission officers real insight into the applicant. The number of readers depends on the college’s review process. Nearly all colleges rate application essays as either important or very important in their admissions process. Disclosure: EducationDynamics receive compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Schools” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). They want to get to know your background, interests, goals, triumphs, failures, likes, and aversions in your own voice. College Advice: How I Read An Application. Always re-read your college application essay every time you submit it. Trust me, at a time of year when admission officers are faced with piles and piles (and PILES!) If you are a heavily recruited athlete with the necessary grades and scores, your essay won’t matter much. Yes, every essay is read. Most colleges hire readers during the application season. The college essay will be the first opportunity most students encounter to present themselves on paper. It is always worth an applicant’s while to write as strong an essay as possible, but its role in the process is a variable one. If I were an applicant, I would consider the essay(s) very seriously, making every effort to create an interesting and well-formulated document, with the assumption that the essay would be read and considered by each institution to which I applied. Also I believe that students should believe that the more people who read an essay the better as these essays should really captivate and engage readers and help them see why you belong on their campus. One of the best ways to write a successful college essay for your college application is by learning from real college essay examples that worked. Get matched to scholarships that are perfect for you! I did this for 2 years, or 4 semesters, for a total of 3000 essays. (I once had a student explain how she single-handedly saved a summer camp. How much weight a college puts on that portion of the application may differ. If that does not offer, then the application is passed on to another reader. 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