How Important is the College Essays?

Essays are more important than you think it is.

At the top 250 schools, your essays generally account for 25% of your overall application. This is only slightly behind the 30% for your extracurricular portfolio. To many, it is surprising that essays are more important than the grades and coursework (20%), test scores (15% ), and recommendation letters (10%).

Now that many schools are going test-optional or test-blind, however, this breakdown changes slightly. In these situations, test scores no longer account for 15%, meaning that other portions of your application, including essays, are given more weight and consideration. For scholarship and top school admission, your essays can count for as much as 40%, so it is quite important.

You might be surprised to learn that essays are that important, but keep in mind that at top schools, majority of applicants are academically-qualified candidates. To truly assess an applicant’s fit with the school, admissions officers need the essays. Essays are very important yet often undermined. Do not miss the this crucial opportunity to impress admission committee by sharing your voice, your unique experiences, and your perspective.

Essay writing is crucial and may increase your acceptance odds tremendously, but It can also be one of the more nerve-wracking parts of the application process. Our mentors can help you learn the skills to write an ivy-school-worthy killer essay and ensure your common app essays are as stellar as your personal essay.

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