<p>This thread has probably been made hundreds of times, but how much can the Common App essay help or hurt you?
My Stats:
SAT SuperScore 1820 (600 M, 630 CR, 590 W)
My unweighted GPA is probably around a 3.1, and I haven't taken any APs going into senior year.
I have the usual extracurriculars, I did crew every season for 3 years, but never was really successful. A medal and placing in races here and there.
Right now, I have 18 volunteer hours, hopefully that number increases. I volunteered 6 times at a soup kitchen in Camden, so at least it has been some quality volunteering. Hopefully I will get some more hours before I fill out the Common App.
I was also nominated by one teacher and one staff member at my school for something called the "People's Choice Award", which is given to students who have overcame adversity or have stood out in a positive way. 30 out of 2200 students got it in my school. I don't know anyone who has won this, so I'm not sure how much (or how little) this affects anything. Anyway, the teacher that nominated me is going to write one of my Letters of Rec, and my guidance counselor, who knows me very well and likes me, will write the other. The staff member who nominated me may write the third if it's necessary.
So back to the point, can a great essay save what otherwise may be a somewhat weak application? The hardest schools I'm applying to are TCNJ, Franklin and Marshall, Dickinson College, and American U.</p>
<p>For some universities, it is very important. U Chicago, for example, probably considers essays more when they accept/reject students than standardized test scores.</p>
<p>The common app and supplemental essays can get subpar applicants accepted into good schools if they are very good. They can make you stand out in an admissions process where there is so little you can control at this point. That said, they can also ruin good applications if the student writes them poorly. So put time into it. </p>
<p>Your test scores are about the correct range. What hurts you is your non-rigorous transcript. Tougher colleges will rightly wonder if you’ll be able to handle their coursework. This is WAY more important than any boost a good essay can give you or anything on your EC list. My best advice is to apply widely to make sure you’re in somewhere. GL</p>
<p>What other schools are you planning to apply to? All of the ones you have listed seem like reaches for your stats, and I doubt a good essay would be enough to make up for the relatively low GPA and lack of academic rigor. </p>
<p>Four years ago, my son applied to 12 colleges and was lucky enough to receive acceptance letters from 10 schools. As each thick envelope arrived, we noticed one thing in common – each packet contained a letter from the regional admissions director with a hand written note that commented about some aspect of my son’s essay. Comments such as “After the committee read your essay, the decision was unanimous” or “Loved your essay about your baseball coach” or “Your essay demonstrates that XXXX would be a great fit for you!” The same thing happened to my daughter when she applied to colleges five years ago. At selective colleges, essays are extremely important. Faced with more academically qualified applicants than places in the freshman class, essay’s are how Admissions Directors REMEMBER an applicant. Often times, an essay can kick a student over the fence into the admit pile – but your test scores and GPA need to be within a college’s range for that to happen! </p>
<p>With your GPA and test scores, I would think colleges on this list would be your target schools: <a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus</a></p>
<p>Sacchi: Would taking an AP next year help, as far as rigor goes?</p>
<p>Gibby: Good advice. Those are a few more selective schools I’m looking at, but I will also look at ones that I have a better change of getting into.</p>
<p>@SeinfeldFan1: taking a single AP in your Senior year may help you a tiny bit as you venture into college level work – but won’t be much of a boost for your application at this point. The fact is, most other applicants to rigorous college programs have been taking and will continue to take advanced/honors/AP/IB classes throughout HS. A real challenge you may face is the gulf you must surmount when you are in an actual college classroom – where the prof/TA isn’t going to give you any nudges or coddling.</p>
<p>At this point, you need to get into the best possible program but be fully prepared to be invested and ready for the tsunami of actual college-level work that will likely hit you – my fear is you won’t be prepared for the work. Do your best in your final HS year to push yourself. You hear horror stories about the kids who perform miserably their first year/semester away at college? You need to avoid that at all costs. Looking for “a few more selective schools” should not be on your agenda, IMHO. Good luck to you</p>
<p>It sounds like you have interesting material for an essay, so do the best job you can on it. A good essay may or may not help you, but a bad essay can definitely hurt you.</p>
<p>Do you know your class rank? I think your SAT scores or GPA constitute a “weak” application, and I sure wouldn’t approach the application process with that mindset. Talk to your counselor and consult Naviance if your school has it. Those are your best resources for developing a realistic college list. Good luck</p>
<p>T26E4: No, I was saying that those are the 4 most selective I am looking at. The others are much less selective. I actually will probably cut American and F&M off the list. Dickinson is on the list because interest is a factor, and TCNJ is just a dream school that I’ll apply to because I liked, even though my chances to get in are so slim.</p>
<p>If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA are middle of the pack for colleges, then your essay is crucial to help you separate from the rest of the competition. I highly recommend into looking for tutoring service to help you plan our your Common App essay. I personally used College Zoom, and they were absolutely amazing in helping me draft my essays. </p>
<p>Gaveves94: I took a 4 day class, and it really helped. My first draft is done. I am also hiring a private admissions helper. Even though I am not sure what knowledge she has about the essay, I know she has some idea since she reads all of her clients’.</p>