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Welcome to the College Admission Essay Blog!
Posted by on Friday, September 25, 2009 at 2:44 PM (PST)
As a general rule, counselors like to say that 60% of the college admission decision is based on academics and 40% on everything else. So while a good GPA and solid test scores are still fundamental to a successful admission campaign, they're far from the only thing. And with application numbers rising at America's most competitive schools, admission officers increasingly rely on the "everything else" to differentiate students, many of whom have equally formidable academic qualifications. I heard recently that Harvard claimed it could have built, from its 2009 applicant pool, at least five entering classes as academically qualified as the class it accepted.
What does this mean for you, the applicant? Well, for one thing, it means admission essays are your friends. Consider the following:
- Essays are your best chance to articulate your "brand" - the unique, compelling story of what sets you apart and why a college can't afford to pass on you. Every year, students with perfect or near-perfect academic records lose spots to students that catch the attention of the admission committee with once-in-a-generation brands.
- Essays provide the greatest bang for your buck, especially once your senior year begins. While it takes several months of dedicated work to raise a test score and an entire high school career to build a solid GPA, great essays can be written in a matter of weeks.
- If you don't end up with the grades and scores you'd like, admission essays provide an opportunity to make up a lot of ground. I worked with a student this year whose academic record, by his own admission, was a little below average - largely due to a learning disability. But while his transcript didn't set him apart, he had a great story, and was ultimately accepted to his second-choice school. Stay tuned - I'll ask him if I can post his main admission essay here!
This blog will cover anything and everything related to college admission essays, with the ultimate goal of helping you get into the school of your dreams. We'll discuss essay themes, length, editing techniques, the Common App, school-specific essays, DOs, DON'Ts, and much, much more. On occasion, I'll try to post some examples of great essays to stir your thinking and provide inspiration. And if you have any questions you'd like me to address, please don't hesitate to ask.
Here's to the perfect college admission essay!
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