<p>How important is the optional essay, really, when applying to a clear safety? (I'm talking 2300 and the school's average is 1800, .5 difference in my gpa and their average)</p>
<p>I'm planning on just doing a pretty good essay anyways, but out of curiosity, if one decided not to do the essay (it does say optional), would it be better than submitting a really crappy one? And compared to the rest of the application, would they even care about my essay enough to actually read it?</p>
<p>Well, it depends. If this school is concerned about yield, then it may defer you if they think you’re using them.</p>
<p>What school is this? Many safeties don’t even require essays.</p>
<p>What she said. It may be very important.</p>
<p>At my safety schools, I wrote the essays in one sitting with very little editing or proof reading, and I was accepted into the honors colleges. I think that even if you submit an awful essay they’ll still admit you on stats alone. And maybe an “awful” essay for you is a “good” essay to them! So I think you should write the essays, but don’t stress over their quality.</p>
<p>i was in the same situation. just write the essay, it doesn’t have to be perfect.</p>
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<p>I think this is very dangerous advice! It’s a well known phenomenon that many colleges and universities practice “yield protection” by denying or wait-listing highly qualified applicants who the institution thinks are using it as a safety. It’s often called the “Tufts syndrome,” a name that dates back to the day before Tufts was so many applicants’ first choice, and had a reputation as a safety school for Ivy aspirants. I dare say Tufts doesn’t operate this way nowadays, but I am sure most veteran posters on College Confidential can name many colleges and universities that do.</p>
<p>If the school considers “level of applicant’s interest” (posts #2 and #6 allude to this) in admissions, it should not be considered a safety. Indeed, having significantly higher stats than the upper midrange for the school may reduce the chance of admission at such a school if you do not play the “show interest” game (write good essays, have visits recorded, email the admissions office with questions, check the admissions portal frequently, etc.).</p>
<p>Also, it is very difficult to believe that a school can be a 100% safety if it has a subjectively evaluated essay, unless it clearly states that applicants over a specified threshold of academic stats are admitted without considering the essay.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that you very well may end up attending this safety college-- you really don’t know what will happen with the application process. Getting in the mindset that you’re “above” this college or you can “get away with” submitting a “really crappy” essay is dangerous, because then you will have a much lower opinion of the school. Put in some effort. It’s respectful and it helps you get in the right frame of mind.</p>
<p>A lot depends on the nature of the safety school–if it is a large public university, the essay won’t matter nearly as much; if the safety school is a smaller, private university, or a LAC, the essay could make or break the application, as the issue of “fit” is more important in the more intimate environment, and the school really doesn’t want to admit someone who doesn’t want to be there.</p>
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<p>Indeed, my daughter attends the university that we all thought was her safety when she began her search. She chose it over four other universities where she was admitted, and she couldn’t be happier.</p>
<p>If you couldn’t go happily to your safety, it’s not really all that safe.</p>
<p>If the essay is important, than it’s not a safety. </p>
<p>Look it up on collegeboard.org under the tab that says “applying”, under the tab “What’s Important”</p>
<p>If the essay is only “considered” than it’s probably only important if you are borderline. If it’s important or very important, than it’s probably not a safety. </p>
<p>For example, compare University of Chicago, University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin. For Wisconsin, the essay is only considered. For Michigan, it’s important, for University of Chicago it’s very important.</p>
<p>I’m not sure it’s black-and-white like that. I think there exist colleges and universities that require essays, but that may nevertheless be safe for a particular applicant, as long as he or she shows them some love.</p>
<p>Not for Nothing, (and not to start a conversation about the validity of SAT scores) but with a 2300, SAT, you should be capable of knocking out a solid essay no problem.</p>
<p>I talked to one admissions officer (CMU) that said they had rejected applicants because “some of the things we read in their essay scared us”. </p>
<p>I took him to mean they were not taking the essay seriously. He said the rejected applicant had a 36 ACT.</p>
<p>CMU was one of my safeties, but I actually took the essay seriously.</p>
<p>Just make sure that your essay level is appropriate for the safety level of the school.
Ex: Berkeley your essays should be reasonably good
UW - grammatically correct
ASU - words on paper</p>
<p>etc.</p>