Your posts on this thread are really really excellent. Every applicant and parent should be reading this.
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I just got accepted into a semi-competitive university (acceptance rate 45%) and in my acceptance letter they clearly stated the only reason I got in and earned the very competitive (almost full-ride) scholarship I did was because of my essays; it made up for my very crappy act score. So yeah I think they definitely count as something bigger than just a tiebreaker.
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As you know, some of the more selective colleges will even require additional essays, in addition to the Common App. They don’t do that because they just marvel at the extra inches of paper in their inbox!
And, specially at selective colleges, the GPA, class rank, rigor, ACT/SAT, etc. of many applications will be a blur and putting way too many squarely within the “academically suitable” range – more than they could possibly admit.
From within that too large number of people, admission will not happen simply in descending order based on GPA, SAT/ACT, class rank! Rather it will be the essays, statements, ECs, where they look to identify individuals who seem best suited for their college, or “adding” to the incoming class in some unique way.
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Excellent points about why the essay might matter much more than a student thinks.
Now that race cannot be considered in admissions, I think extra weight may be given to essays that expound upon a student’s personal experience as part of an underrepresented group or with financial hardship. Maybe not for the main Common App essay, but certainly for a supplemental essay.
For a student who is not part of an underrepresented group and does not have any experience with financial hardship, it may be impossible to score a lot of points on that essay no matter how revealing it may be about the student’s great character. The idea would be to level the playing field for a disadvantaged student who may not have had the resources and support to score as many points in the extracurricular section, etc.
I raise this only to make the point that while it is important for students to put their best foot forward in their essays and take them seriously, there is a lot of the process that is outside of their control. Just as students may be putting undue pressure on themselves to create a “spike” and rack up achievements, I think it is also not helpful for them to think their whole future depends on their ability to write a mature and insightful memoir reflecting on their growth and passions when they are only 18 and right in the midst of said growth without a lot of years of hindsight to reflect.
Some kids have had more life experiences and have the maturity to process them by age 18. Many equally wonderful, compassionate, contributing humans don’t. And if any of the essay evaluation depends upon them experiencing some hardship they have been fortunate enough not to have endured, that’s not on them.
Just my long-winded way of saying that, yes the essays matter, but don’t sweat them TOO much. Because you can’t change who you are and what you have experienced any more than the B you got in 10th grade or the fact that you didn’t develop your first big academic passion until the summer after 11th grade. And that’s okay.
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Several schools have essays asking how you would add diversity to the campus. At one admissions session, the AO told the audience, “Think broadly. There is cultural, racial, ethnic, linguistic and geographic diversity. But there is also diversity in life experiences, diversity in thought, diversity in interests (ex. Are you interested in two very different disciplines or do you have a unique hobby?)” Basically, who is the person behind the academics and extracurriculars and how will they contribute to our campus community?
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Essays are important, at some colleges more than others. Make an effort with them (there are stories of good essays thrown together at the last minute. You’re not likely to hear from all those students who wrote at the last minute and did not do well though.)
I’m going to link these supplemental essay tips here, because they address some points that have already been made. For the most selective schools, it’s not just the personal statement that will make a difference. The supplements are really important. Supplemental essay tips (plus the COVID question on the CA)
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Did anyone see this article? College personal essays: How schools could end this nightmare. I get the sense that at most schools they don’t matter for most students but they can still help or hurt on the fringe.
At the most selective colleges that people on these forums focus on, the “fringe” where applicants may be admitted or rejected is at the top of the stats range, unlike at the more numerous moderately selective colleges where the “fringe” range leaves plenty of room above it for there to be a range of obvious or automatic admits.
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I really think people should relax in the sense of not seeing essays as an opportunity to check a box, but instead as an opportunity to create a clear and compelling vision of who they are–whatever that it is.
For some people, that will involve some serious adversity. For others, not. I guarantee there are going to be plenty of admissions slots given to people who have not faced serious adversity, so if that is not you, don’t despair! Just work with who you actually are.
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This. Particularly at very selective schools, candidates with good stats, scores, and recommendations are a dime a dozen. Your essay is your opportunity to give your application a human face. You can do that with any topic, from making your bed to going to a dance to riding the bus . It doesn’t have to be about adversity. It doesn’t have to be elegantly written. It should be authentic and “sound” like you. If it were shared with someone you knew, would they know it was you?
Years ago, people used to have pen pals. Through the stories they shared, you got an idea of who they were. Within a single short “letter”, you can do the same. Imho, this is prime real estate on your application. Make the most of it.
It’s also true that at larger schools that admit mostly on stats, it matters less.
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“Just tie breaker”? Well if that’s the case, I’d say…important. If it’s a tie breaker, it could make or break your acceptance.
As I said above…write these essays like they are important.
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While I agree that essays are important and that students, especially those that are looking at very selective schools, should take them seriously, I think the idea that they need to create a compelling vision of “who they are” is misguided. Most 17/18 year olds are unformed, with limited life experiences - many don’t know who they are - and why should they need to know? It’s this very idea that has resulted in a cottage industry of folks who spend time helping (or more) kids craft essays that are interesting and unique enough to grab the attention of AO’s.
I think our kids knew exactly what they were like as 17/18 year olds…and that was well conveyed in their essays.
I think some people feel they need to write something about their futures…and I don’t agree with that.
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My kid wrote, in so many words, about not knowing who he was in an environment that constantly asked. At every revisit, he had admissions people coming up to him to say how they had loved his essay.
All you have to do is reveal something that makes you who you are. I agree that an opus about who you are – in an all-encompassing way-- at 17 is foolish. But i am guessing that if you wrote about coming home from school every day and watching Gilligan’s Island and wondering about xyz, it could reveal who you are. Or how you play your favorite board game. Or how you procrastinate.
Everyone knows something about themselves!
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To reiterate my philosophy: When a kid asks a question, responses should be directed at the question as posed by the OP. In some instances (which is not applicable on this thread), the kid not know the question to ask and / or need assistance in asking additional probing questions.
Here, however, the OP did not ask for essay topics, nor did they ask for anyone’s admissions results, so let’s move on.
As it is, I’m questioning how long this discussion needs to continue since in my mind, the obvious answer is “Essays are important and are not tiebreakers.”
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I think that your question–essentially seeking a response in the form of a yes or no answer-- leaves too little room for a proper response.
Essays and personal statements are a chance to communicate with admissions officers. Much is revealed in how one expresses his or her thoughts as well as in what thoughts or experiences the applicant elects to discuss.
They can be an important tool. I think it’s a common mistake to use it to “hammer down” a point that is already obvious from the other pieces of the application, like ECs or transcript. If you can you it to show something new about yourself you can make the essay “matter.” The number one recommendation the CC has for my kid was “stay away from your sport (even though it’s a very substantial part of life). Your activities and awards already tell them what they want to know about it.”
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