This brings comfort. Been urging daughter to get on with living (from the perspective of an adult on this 9/11 anniversary), instead of revisiting main essay regularly to “make it better” …
2 Likes
I thought in some fuzzy sense the main and supplemental essays, together, had some 20% weight. Not in that strict sense. But once you meet the threshold for grades etc, they have some 3x students for every x seats. And it is the essay and a few other things in your application that help them wittle down the 3x candidates into the 1x seats. So this is a 20% weight after you meet the academic threshold.
1 Like
I’m a little surprised by this, to be honest. This would imply essays don’t provide much upside. Many of us view essays as much more: as an opportunity to really stand out from otherwise similarly qualified applicants.
I’m curious to know more. Are you speaking from experience at a particular type of college? (State flagship, public non-selective, LAC, T20?). Thanks.
I agree with @compmom who said ‘first’ do no harm.
Perhaps as essay is great and stands out. But I imagine far more essays are rife with spelling or grammar errors and that is not really subjective. They might figure if someone doesn’t care enough to proof their writing or simply just cannot write, that they don’t deserve a spot.
I took that as her point. Most likely are ‘neutral.’ I imagine very few essays are strong and even if one feels one is, another may not.
There is so much unnecessary stress about essays. Students start early and obsess about perfection. Efforts to be “unique” and “creative” often have a negative impact. The idea that an essay is a make or break effort is clearly causing a lot of angst.
Colleges have no way to know how much help was given for a particular essay. In that sense, imperfection can be a sign of authenticity. (I do a lot of essay reading. I do not substantially change anyone’s essay. I have suggested a change of topic only twice. Kids need to be themselves in these essays. I imagine a lot of essay help is more interventional and colleges know that.)
Variations in the level of help, including paid help, mirrors the issue with standardized testing in that they present issues of inequality in admissions.
There are 18 year-olds who have extraordinary talent in writing, who can write about mundane topics and shine. There are high school seniors who have had remarkable experiences or have remarkable maturity or whatever, and their essays may shine. I personally think that for most essays, likability is the biggest plus.
Colleges certainly vary in the depth of knowledge they seek about each applicant. I think people overestimate the importance of essays in the big picture. Some larger schools have gone mainly by stats, though scores are now often optional. Holistic admissions at selective schools is geared to assembling an interesting class, with a mix of talents and backgrounds.
Essays can contribute to that big picture but there are a lot of other factors in an application. The most important thing, in my view, is for an essay not to detract. If it is a positive, great, but avoiding a negative may be enough IF other aspects of the application are positives. Kids can get into great schools with “good enough” essays.
More important, I think, is carefully choosing schools and not getting fixed on Ivies and other selective “reaches” with the idea that an essay will somehow work miracles.
6 Likes
Maybe another way to look at it, here agreeing with @compmom, is for applicants that are clearly academically competitive, it is more likely that a bad (series) of essay will derail them than a good essay will get them in. “Bad” could be an essay with glaring grammatical errors, inauthentic (looks like it was written by a 40 year old), inconsistent with rest of application (EC’s, LoR’s, classes taken), or where the applicant can come off as being a braggard, privileged, intolerant, racist or misogynist or a person that uses excuses rather than take on accountability.
I would say though that if you are at the bottom end of viable academic achievement, let’s say closer to the 25th for a holistic reachy school, maybe a “go big, or go home” essay may be a good strategy to stand out, hopefully in a good way. It might not be an essay you would use for lower reaches or matches.
9 Likes
@BKsquared great post.
2 Likes
Yes I would think for yield purposes.
Almost makes you wonder how much it would adversely affect T20 application figures if the “Essay can’t save you” narrative became more widespread.
Isn’t it amazing that you have to even clarify “it does not have to be about curing cancer” when we are talking about kids. Not criticizing you at all. It is what has been created by others. It just astounds me that these words are spoken, half-jokingly or not. I hope our kids come out the other end with their dignity intact. And I hope that we parents can take a step back and see our participation in this craziness.
2 Likes
But how do you know the kids are even writing the essays? I have seen overzealous parents and grandparents writing the students essays. It’s not uncommon.
Helps to have a fully matured prefrontal cortex 
18 year olds are adults in name only. We have advantages, as adults, that they don’t.
I think my words were taken out of context. I will say that when a kid actually writes that their goal is to cure cancer, I have suggested that they might instead write “be part of the effort to cure cancer.”
That kind of content is rarely about stress or overachievement but can be, instead, an expression of young idealism and sometimes even grief over the death of a grandparent or uncle from cancer.
So I think you are misinterpreting the comment a bit.
2 Likes
I just wouldn’t believe the essay if it was something like curing cancer and even kids who write about something they’ve done that is very amazing and over the top- it’s hard to believe it occurred when this class experienced almost a disruption of 2 years 9th and 10th grades from the pandemic, would seem very incredulous.
1 Like
Yes, this a really important distinction to make. I do the same, @compmom . This is a case where more words are better, saying they want to be part of an effort. I know it’s more wordy, but it’s also humble and shows an understanding of their current place in the pecking order. I think top colleges especially might like to see a bit of humility, even when a kid is stellar.
6 Likes
Exactly. More likable and more mature, but still idealistic.
2 Likes
“And don’t tell Boston University that you have always wanted a Jesuit education!”
I had to chuckle at this. 30 years ago I wrote my essay to BC about the impact of the Jesuit ethos of “A Man for Others” that was instilled in me at by Jesuit high school. Go Eagles.
2 Likes