<p>There was a link with the online version of this article to the UVA admissions website, where they talk about “good” and “bad” essays. The sample “bad” essay reeks of vocab words that aren’t neccessary, and is so esoteric as to be almost unreadable. NO 17 year old who knows how to write would write it. The good essay is very descriptive - sight, sound, smell - beautifully written, again NOT typical of a 17 year old but believable from an excellent writer (and better than what 90% of adults could write).</p>
<p>Those of you who think their kids are such good writers that the adcom will think a parent wrote their essay, don’t worry - if your kid is truly a good writer their essay won’t sound like the “bad” example. Using the occasional SAT word or having a rich vocabulary is believable - using a dozen of them in a single paragraph is obviously coached (and poorly coached, at that).</p>