<p>Okay, for schools like Duke/Wash U etc, if you have the SAT/ACT scores, the class rank, the GPA, the transcript, and the awards, how much can a not stellar essay hurt you?</p>
<p>I'm not talking about a bad/truly awful essay, but an essay that in the end is just.....average.</p>
<p>I've heard that in most cases the essay doesn't play that big of a role, what do you guys think?</p>
<p>If it’s lackluster, maybe. If figure the only reason I didn’t get denied at U of Chi was my essays, but they make a BIG deal of the essays. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t say other schools don’t make a big deal, however. The essay is the thing to sell yourself with.</p>
<p>I heard that the essays aren’t that important. They can’t make or break you, but they can give you some help. As you said, as long as you don’t write an essay to Tufts bragging about how you really really wanted to go to Yale but didn’t get in so you’re settling for their dinky little trashheap they call a “collage” then you should be fine.</p>
<p>Ah, yurtle, it probably is - I’ve heard once you have the stats at Chicago, it’s all about whether they like your essays or not. </p>
<p>But, as Jahaba said, anywhere else it’s not as important…but they can still definitely give you some help.</p>
<p>However, why settle for average? Write an excellent essay and your chances of admission will certainly be improved.</p>
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<p>Well, UChi was my reach, and I was deferred, but I got into my ED school…</p>
<p>I say my essays kept me in the running because my stats were actually at the bottom of a lot of Uchi’s norm (I think…), hence why it was a reach.</p>
<p>At any rate, write an excellent essay, and it can only help you, right? So much easier than wondering if an average essay hindered you.</p>
<p>Well congratulations on your ED acceptance! And also on the Chi deferral, you must have had great essays then!</p>
<p>Ah! Thanks. O///o </p>
<p>I actually applied to Uchi BECAUSE of the essay prompts… heh.</p>
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<p>I’d like to point out that potential major/interests may factor in? If you say you’re very much into the sciences or something, chances are they might understand if your essay doesn’t read like the English Major or Writer’s essay would.</p>
<p>yes, but in the end, how can you really judge if your essay is average or excellent? Honestly, I really have no idea how good everyone else’s essay is, so I can’t really compare mine to it.</p>
<p>At Chicago, I had the stats, and honestly, I wasn’t sure how good my essays were. My english teachers said they liked my “What have you outgrown” essay a lot, and they thought it was very good, but honestly, I don’t know how it stacked up compared to the other applicants. Also my “Why Chicago” essay was, I think, well written, but not that specific. I was accepted in the end, but I still really don’t know if it was due to my stats that were unhindered by my essays or if my essays were good in the end.</p>
<p>And Yurtle, congrats on your ED!</p>