<p>Hello eveyone!</p>
<p>I'm new to this forum. In fact, I just registered, so I can post a topic. </p>
<p>I have read some of the topics here and I was very surprized when I found out that some good schools will admit students with better essays, not students with better extracurricular activities. I, myself, have several international awards and I have to admit that I'm not the best essay writer. Does that mean I'll not get into a good school only because of my essays? </p>
<p>The next question is to everyone. Do you think it's fair someone to get into a good school only because of a good essay? Does that mean that only those with excellent essay skills get into the prestigious universities? What if the essay was written by a hired agency? There're many of them on the Internet. They'll do it for about a week, but you have to pay a lot of money. I'm one of the students who cann't afford to pay money for my essays, so does it mean I'll never get into one of the highly respected schools? </p>
<p>I don't mind anyone who is smarter than I am to get into the school in liue of me, but I don't think it's fair someone to get into the school only because of the good essays (which might even have been written by someone else!!!) What if the student is the best at biology, for instance, but horrible at writing. Does it mean that he has no chance of going to a good school? </p>
<p>I know that most American students who apply to American universities don't have any international recognitions and medals and maybe that's why the universities don't admit only the smartest students. Because if they do it, most Americans will be out of them. Am I right??</p>
<p>As I said above, it's fine if someone better than I gets into the school, but I really think it's unfair NOT to get into the school only because of the essays. </p>
<p>My topic is only to hear different opinions with arguments, not to argue and fight with you.</p>
<p>Please let me know what you think and WHY!</p>
<p>A lot of the time, colleges ask for an essay to get to know the student better, not to see how good the student is at essay writing. They want to know who they’re accepting/rejecting, and the essay is the applicant’s chance to tell them. Although essay-writing skills would definitely not hurt any situation, a lack of them probably won’t hurt.</p>
<p>^Agreed. The purpose of essays is not to give an extra edge to the next Faulkners. Your essays should give insight into who you are as a person–in fact, I’ve read quotes from adcoms who say they’ll accept the person with the rough-around-the-edges essay that says something about the applicant over the flawlessly written essay that merely describes an external experience. So, be truthful to yourself, even if the writing is less-than-perfect.</p>
<p>What is “better”? Isn’t the ability to convey your points clearly, to engage a potential reader, just as valuable as academic talent? Whatever you do in life, I guarantee you will need to write.</p>
<p>People who hire professional essay writers generally do not improve their chances, because their essays don’t come from someone who has lived the experiences the essay talks about. The soul has been stripped out; the essay is emotionally dead. It may be technically perfect, but it’s not something you or I or anyone else would enjoy reading, and it won’t catch the adcoms’ eyes.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to disillusion you, but colleges–particularly the top colleges–choose their students based on a whole lot more than who is the smartest. They’re also looking for people who are passionate, driven, thoughtful, creative, likable, funny, and a lot of other things. Those are the kinds of traits a good essay should convey. Who are you? What will you contribute to your class, to your school, to the world? Why should (Harvard/Yale/MIT/etc.) choose you over these other four students who are also perfectly qualified? The top schools know that pure intelligence does not carry you very far–that’s why we have holistic admissions.</p>
<p>And of course, some people are admitted for reasons that don’t necessarily have to picking the “best” students: because they would make the class more diverse, because they have a talent in some sport, because the school needs to court its alums or fill its coffers. Honestly, picking people because they have good essays is far from the most egregious thing that happens in college admissions.</p>
<p>Aside from the unwarranted and mostly nonsensical jab at American top students’ intellect, essays are meant to convey a sense of yourself. If you can’t express yourself to someone else in writing, you’re not as talented as you think you are.</p>