<p>So, I've worked my *ss off the last few days, and with the help of this amazing author my school hires, now have a great essay that I will be using for every app but one. So now I am wondering how much a really powerful essay will matter in admissions?</p>
<p>From being on this site and reading books, I'll say that the essay can make or break your application. It can easily be the difference between acceptance and rejection. Depending on the school of course. Large state schools pay more attention to numbers.</p>
<p>depends. some schoools (like big state schools such as penn state) aren't even probably ever going to read it. At the elite schools, it's how you differentiate yourself from everyone else</p>
<p>Well I mean for the elite private schools... ivys, MIT, caltech, etc</p>
<p>Well I am looking at BC (top private school) and they stressed the essay a lot. In fact, at an information session they wouldn't give average SAT scores; they focused on the teacher recc. and the essay.</p>
<p>Obviously BC is not in the TOP echelon like the Ivies and MIT, Stanford, etc., but it is a highly ranked institution in all my experiences.</p>