How Important is the essay?
Assume it’s an important part of the application, unless you know for a fact that the schools you’re applying to don’t care. Your college counselor should have a sense of how important the essays are for each school.
Our philosophy: Why leave anything to chance?
Many schools say that the essay comes just after grades and test scores in their decisions. In general, the more selective the school, the more important the essay.
At some schools it may not matter, and others it will make all the difference. It may be the little piece that puts you over the top. It may be what gets you off the wait list. Or, it may be what makes the admissions officer say “nope, this kid didn’t even try.”
As an added bonus, many schools use the essays to determine who gets merit scholarships. Many of our students have received awards in the tens of thousands of dollars
Do your best job, put your best foot forward, be yourself. Those are some good guidelines for life, by the way!