<p>How serious is the rule about not having adults or friends critique your essays? Do the admissions people care strongly? Do people do it a lot anyway? A few of the schools I'm applying to do not object, but most do. I would like to do it, just to get opinions from my friends, paretns, and grandmother, but I wouldn't do it if most people follow that rule. Please post what you think.</p>
<p>I think that they want something that is entirely yours, not touched by anyone else. They say no outside editing, so I'm not going to do it.</p>
<p>I believe I will adhere to that policy as well. In fact, I have rewritten my whole first essay. It tells them more about *me<a href="some%20of%20you%20advised%20that%20before;%20this%20was%20something%20I%20just%20spontaneously%20generated%20;">/I</a>) and it makes more sense and actually follows a logical order. :D</p>
<p>I think if you look over it enough, you will be able to edit it yourself. It makes sense that 'they' would want something done entirely by the writer.</p>
<p>I stuck to that rule myself. I consulted my parents for ideas now and then, but they never saw the final product. The essays do not have to be perfect. The admissions people have thousands of essays to read, so it should effectively get your ideas out there, but it does not have to be the most amazing piece of writing you've ever done.</p>
<p>That makes sense. I won't do it, then. My main reason in the first place was actually because people kept asking to see them. Thanks.</p>