The college essay is one of the most vital components of the application, and believing in certain misconceptions could cost you that acceptance letter. We’ll address a few here, but be sure to check out our live webinar on college essays as well.
- Misconception 1: If the essay says it’s optional, you can skip it – If it looks like a trap, it probably is. Making the essay optional is one way for the admissions officer to instantly know if you are the type of person who does the minimal amount of work possible. Colleges aren’t looking for that type of student.
- Misconception 2: The word count is a suggestion – Don’t go over the word count. The school wants to know if you can make your point without the admissions officers spending the rest of their life reading. If you don’t follow the rules on the application, you probably won’t follow the rules at school, and this is another type of student universities are not interested in.
- Misconception 3: You should tailor the essay to the admissions officer – First of all, you don’t know who will be reading your essay and what they are looking for. Second, if everyone did this, no one would stand out. You need to tell your Don’t just write what you think the school wants to hear.
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