Make sure the college essay is really from you

Boston.com has a good article about the hazards of getting too much help writing the college essay. The article makes it clear that with the increasing competition for students to gain admissions to their dream colleges, admissions officers are paying more attention to the essay to discern whether the applicant actually wrote it.

Students can, and should, discuss possible topics for the essay with a trusted adviser whether they be parents, teachers or private counselors. They can, and should, have an adviser review and possibly edit the essay for such issues as syntax and spelling. However, the essay must come from the student with the student’s voice coming through. Not only is this the honest approach but if the student’s voice is not coming through in the essay, the student is not giving the college an accurate view of who they are. To find the right college, the student must communicate to the college who they really are.