Poor quality essays and applications will drastically decrease your chance of acceptance at top college choices. My father and partner, Dr. Shumsky, was an admission committee member at Northwestern University and the University of Virginia, elite universities where nearly every applicant is in the top 10% of their high school class. One would expect such universities to receive top-notch essays, resumes, and applications from their applicants. Yet, each year, the in-boxes were filled with low quality essays, resumes, and recommendations.

“nearly 90% are terrible, with another 5% in the poor range.” -UT-Austin Admissions Representative on Application Quality

Our colleagues in admissions departments at competitive colleges like Emory University, Vanderbilt, Macalester, Bowdoin, The University of California system, and The University of Texas At Austin report the same problem. One colleague at UT-Austin commented thus about the quality of applications and essays, “nearly 90% are terrible, with another 5% in the poor range.” Yes, admissions rates are plunging because of increased competition, but good applications still stand out like diamonds.

The primary reason students in our community do not achieve the results at acceptance time that are equal to their strong high school achievements is that the quality of their essays is below par. Most students and families mistakenly believe the college essay must sell the school on the student by pointing out the student’s good traits.

Admissions staff read tens of thousands of essays and nearly all are the same. Student faced minor challenge and overcame challenge by strength of character. Student won contest and felt proud or student lost contest and found merit and value in the process. These kinds of essays bore readers and fail to give a taste of the student’s real voice, experience, and identity.

High quality essays are authentic, personal, detailed, and interesting to admissions readers. If you don’t have good essays, your prospects are vastly reduced.