Admissions Academy Blog

Not Our Essay, But My Essay

•  Posted by Kathy Chi on October 21st, 2010 in Admissions, Articles of Interest
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Without question, the hardest part of the college application process is the essay. It’s not often that students are expected to be so introspective, to let themselves be vulnerable on paper, and to capture their absolute essence in 500 words or less. Faced with such challenges, most high school seniors seek help and guidance from other sources. Have they chosen the right topics? Are they developing their ideas properly? Is the final essay a good essay?

Soliciting advice is certainly a good idea. Excellent writing does not come into existence in the absence of critical feedback or revision. However, there is a delicate line that should not and cannot be crossed. Specifically, the college essay must reflect the individual voice and style of the student, not the editor, and admissions officers have become increasingly sensitive to this distinction.

The New York Times recently blogged about the dangers of parents becoming overly involved in their children’s writing, and schools like MIT and Yale try to help students understand how to approach the essay and do’s/don’ts in that process.

The key is to start early enough to allow ideas to blossom, grow, and evolve, and to write often and embrace the drafting and redrafting process. Only then will students have the freedom and opportunity to produce great essays that truly reflect who they are.

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