Reply to Colleges should just get rid of the application essay

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Who says they put a lot of weight on it?

Why not also toss out GPA (maybe they had a tutor) or SAT/ACT scores because they may have prepped?

[b]A[/b][b]dmissions departments aren't grading them the way a teacher would, they are looking to see what the student can reveal abou[/b]t him or herself or how they think.

If your essay was slapped together quickly, with or without help, it will show.

[/quote]

This is what bothers me about essays.  What judgments are admissions people making about the student?  It seems so judgy and random (e.g. one student might write about some interesting life experiences, another writes about something else but has also had interesting life experiences--just didn't write about them, and an admissions panel deems only the first one worthy of admission, all things being equal.  Or vice versa.  This one is more creative.  This one had hardship.  This one is funny.  These are just one essay in a kid's life and unless horribly written or offensive, I agree it doesn't make sense to give it weight.  And as evidence of excellent writing, like the other posters said, how do admissions know it's legit).

Another issue for my DC is that DC writes like an adult, with an impressive vocabulary--DC is not showing off, just happens to have facility with language and enjoys writing.  I've heard that the essay has to sound like a teenager wrote it.  Will some admissions person think DC got help?  Or find fault for not sounding like a typical teenager?  I fear that's how they think. [/quote]

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