Perfect Applications are Red Flags for College Admissions
Posted 25 Mar, 2008
Competition for college entrance has gotten fierce-more students than ever are applying to college, and that means there is more pressure to stand out. Some families hire admissions consultants or essay specialists, and according to the Boston Globe, this has admissions officers worried.
With so much help available to college-bound students, admissions committees at especially selective schools like Harvard are paying close attention to the essays. Their worry is that the outside “help” of parents or hired consultants may extend far beyond simple editing suggestions.
The New Importance of the Essay
As the volume of college apps increase, the essay has become increasingly important to a student’s admittance prospects at selective private schools. In a sea of good grades and high SAT/ACT test scores, it can be the defining factor of a student.
That’s why now more than ever it is important that the essay paints an honest picture of a student and his/her passion, drive, and purpose. A too-perfect essay could raise red flags at the admissions office-especially if the student’s English grades or SAT or ACT essays don’t match up with the skillful writing of the essay.
Passion Over Perfection
I was struck by a quote from Stu Schmill, MIT’s interim admissions director that appeared in the Globe article. He said that, “The best thing [students] can do is write from the heart.”
In fact, several different admissions officers echoed Schmill’s feelings. They’re more interested in an applicants’ voice than in a grammatically flawless essay. That means it is perfectly okay if your student writes like a 17-year-old–that is what admissions officers expect!
While you absolutely should not write your son or daughter’s essay yourself, there is no harm in giving them guidance if they need it. My son and I spent time brainstorming what experiences and aspects of his life would be appropriate and enjoyable for him to write about. Proof reading or even assisting with an outline is completely acceptable-just make sure your child does the actual writing so his or her voice and personality comes through loud and clear!
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
photo: red flag 1 by mart1n
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Competition for college entrance has gotten fierce-more students than ever are applying to college, and that means there is more pressure to stand out. Some families hire admissions consultants or essay specialists, and according to the Boston Globe, this has admissions officers worried.
With so much help available to college-bound students, admissions committees at especially selective schools like Harvard are paying close attention to the essays. Their worry is that the outside “help” of parents or hired consultants may extend far beyond simple editing suggestions.
The New Importance of the Essay
As the volume of college apps increase, the essay has become increasingly important to a student’s admittance prospects at selective private schools. In a sea of good grades and high SAT/ACT test scores, it can be the defining factor of a student.
That’s why now more than ever it is important that the essay paints an honest picture of a student and his/her passion, drive, and purpose. A too-perfect essay could raise red flags at the admissions office-especially if the student’s English grades or SAT or ACT essays don’t match up with the skillful writing of the essay.
Passion Over Perfection
I was struck by a quote from Stu Schmill, MIT’s interim admissions director that appeared in the Globe article. He said that, “The best thing [students] can do is write from the heart.”
In fact, several different admissions officers echoed Schmill’s feelings. They’re more interested in an applicants’ voice than in a grammatically flawless essay. That means it is perfectly okay if your student writes like a 17-year-old–that is what admissions officers expect!
While you absolutely should not write your son or daughter’s essay yourself, there is no harm in giving them guidance if they need it. My son and I spent time brainstorming what experiences and aspects of his life would be appropriate and enjoyable for him to write about. Proof reading or even assisting with an outline is completely acceptable-just make sure your child does the actual writing so his or her voice and personality comes through loud and clear!
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
photo: red flag 1 by mart1n
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Great tips. I’d like to add that not only should students avoid getting too much help from parents and college essay consultants, but also books that offer “sample essays”. All too often, a student will read and be ‘inspired’ by one of the essays, and even if they don’t directly plagiarize, a few of the ideas — or worse, phrases — will slip into the student’s subconscious and end up in the essay.
Admissions officers read thousands of essays each year. Chances are very good that another several students in your pile read the same book. Don’t risk that you’ll both be using the same recycled phrases or ideas. It’s best to steer clear of those types of books entirely.