Why Colleges Ask You To Write Essays

Why Colleges Ask You To Write Essays For more detail, here are some argumentative essay writing tips. Expository essays compare, explore, and discuss problems. While there's a bit of a storytelling element to them, their purpose is greater than that. It's always to explain some integral concept to the reader. Want the strategies we have used to get students into top Ivy League schools in your email box every month? Caroline’s admissions consulting service has helped students get into Harvard, Stanford, UPenn, and Columbia. About 2/3 of colleges superscore the ACT, so I would send both scores in those cases (that way he has a 36 Reading / 36 Science). It’s less important at schools that do not superscore, but I would still be comfortable submitting both scores. We recognize that the essay is becoming increasingly less relevant in admissions, and we have plans to revisit this list and put the “Optional” schools in better context. The essay is always important, but just how much it will influence your overall application varies by the school to which you are applying, as well as your individual profile. Of the colleges that superscore ACT scores, I am not aware of any that will not superscore between ACT W/Writing and ACT W/O Writing. If you are applying to the University of California system, I would recommend repeating the essay. Otherwise, you should be able to save yourself the headache. I am not aware of any college that allows the fulfillment of the essay requirement with one test while using the scores from a different exam. You will need to take the ACT with Writing if you are considering colleges that require the essay. The 8 score is not that out of the norm, so I wouldn’t give it much weight in the decision. When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the reader's senses and emotions. Fortunately, these tips for writing essays can help you along the way and get you on the path to a well-written essay. While this sounds like a lot of steps to write a simple essay, if you follow them you will be able to write more successful, clear and cohesive essays. Huge public schools tend to have more applicants than private schools, as well as limited resources with which to evaluate candidates. State schools tend to screen candidates first using GPA and test scores, before reviewing extracurricular activities and essays. I believe the vast, vast majority of the colleges you list as “Optional” similarly don’t even consider a writing score. Colleges with essay optional policies often do not specify whether submitted essay scores will be used for admission. At these schools, essays matter less if you have particularly strong academics. The more selective the school, however, the more important essays are. For instance, essays likely matter more at UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan compared to the University of Nebraska or University of Arizona. This is because more selective schools often have more qualified applicants, so essays are used kind of as a tie-breaker. Writing about yourself can be a slippery slope, which is why it is best to stick to the truth and leave the lies behind. In the end, the admissions committee is just looking for insight into your mind and character. It’s up to you to show them through your writing just what you can add to their school. When the college explicitly states that scores will not be evaluated, we have listed the policy as “Not Considered.” “Optional” should not be interpreted as meaning that the college uses submitted scores. We recommend contacting the school if you have specific questions. The following table of 360 popular colleges provides a wide range of institutions and policies. In general, we find that less competitive colleges are less likely to require either essay. Some parents can act as a sounding board without taking over the project, while others cannot. When writing an essay for a standardized test, outline your essay and get through each paragraph as quickly as possible. When your time is up, a complete essay will score more points than an incomplete essay because the evaluator is expecting a beginning, middle and an end. To write an argumentative essay, it's important to research and back up what you say in the text.