It seems I’m hearing this a lot lately - if you don’t have a good hook, readers will stop after ~5 sec, or similar.
I mean, it makes sense that they’re not pouring over every word, I’d buy they might just give it a skim… 30 seconds, whatever. but all these colleges that want the common app + 2/3 extra essays, surely they’re not making us write for nothing?
Is this just something that applies to less selective schools? Or just tough schools? I don’t know. Or is this just something people say to encourage kids to have a really strong hook?
It’s not something I would ever consider taking a chance on.
The reality is that the only person who actually knows is the person reviewing that particular application at that particular moment. Absolutely everything else is mere conjecture.