How important is the college admissions essay?
Very important. Admissions officers read these essays carefully to decide which students they want to be part of their extended family for decades. Most have highly developed BS detectors. Besides the face-to-face interview, the admissions essay may be the only way a college can gauge high school students' personality, their character and wit, how they respond to the challenges around them.
A successful college admissions essay reveals something about the student that is not evident, or at least not highlighted, in other parts of the application. It is not another place to expand on your academic or athletic accomplishments.
The college admissions essay is an opportunity for students to be thoughtful about the person they've become. The task doesn't have to be stressful or unpleasant.
At Writing-Ready, I help students prepare a college admissions essay that is well crafted, authentic, and captures what is unique about them. Whether they are still choosing a prompt to respond to, or are not quite happy with their second draft, my individual, group, and email coaching sessions will ensure that they create a satisfying, polished statement that shows them in the very best light.
Please click on this link for the Common Application Essay prompts for 2022-23.