We interviewed admissions officers at 13 highly selective schools about college applications and essays. They told us what they like and don’t like to read, the number of essays they read each year, and just how much the essay counts. The following professionals dedicated their time to answering our questions:
Tom Parker, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Amherst College
Mark Davies, Dean of Admissions at Bucknell University
John Corona, Associate Dean of Admission at Colgate University
Mitchell Lipton, Dean of Admissions and Records at Cooper Union
Michael Zaletel, Application Committee Chair at Deep Springs College
Duncan Murdoch, Dean of Admission at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
John Latting, Director of Admissions at Johns Hopkins University
Lorne T. Robinson, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Macalester College
Carol Lunkenheimer, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Northwestern University
Stephen Farmer, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
Parke Muth, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at University of Virginia
Martha Allman, Director of Admissions at Wake Forest University
Margit A. Dahl, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Yale University
For ease of reading, we introduce each officer’s response to the questions we ask with the name of the institution he or she serves.
Amherst: We give four or five different options. I look for an experience or interaction that they have had that led them to a particular value or interaction, a reflection.
Bucknell: There are number of commonly used topics, but students will tend to write about meaningful experiences or key people in their lives.
Cooper Union: Human Rights/Civil Liberties, volunteerism, and most recently, involvement in the Middle-East.
UNC: Many students choose to write about school activities such as sports or band, significant people in their lives, or summer experiences such as mission trips or Governor’s school. While these themes are used more often than others, the theme itself does not necessarily determine the quality of the essay.
UVA: I am not sure that theme is the correct term to describe the types of essays we often get. There are, according to the Russian Formalists, only nine plots available, so essays tend to fall into these forms. The most common of these would be the maturation plot, also known as the bildungsroman. In this plot, the student grows from having undergone an experience that challenged him or her.
Wake Forest: Personal struggle/triumph and epiphanies—often resulting from community service or international experiences—are very common.
Yale: The most common ones are probably [about] the things that students do the most in high school. Our essay topics are very open and we let [students] talk about things that are very meaningful. We’re not one of those colleges that asks for offbeat topics and asks applicants to come up with a creative answer. We certainly get ones about important people, grandparents, family experiences, that sort of thing.
There are terrible essays on wonderful topics and wonderful essays on very ordinary topics. The topic itself does not make the essay.
Amherst: Pure pleasure and genuine intellectuality.
Bucknell: Honesty. Experiences that have made a significant impact on one’s life always grab the reader’s attention.
Cooper Union: Essays written with passion and emotion. Those which discuss a personal matter/conflict/growth. Essays with humor—they’re refreshing.
Johns Hopkins: We start at the beginning. The first sentence is read carefully, the first paragraph is closely read, and then it’s open-ended from there … if it’s high quality, we’ll examine everything. The very first sentence should accomplish a lot … the essays I remember do that—similar to a short story. Some students don’t dive right in; they try to set up their case, crafting what turns out to be dry prose. They don’t have time to do that.
Macalester: I enjoy reading direct, honest, concise writing.
Northwestern: Writing with a natural voice. Don’t be formal if you’re not formal. If you’re funny, be humorous. We’re trying to get a sense of what you’re like; stay with your natural voice.
Olin: We love to see that students understand Olin’s unique mission and want to contribute to our community.
Subtle humor done well can make a big impact in an essay. One essay we received a couple years ago from an applicant compared Olin to pizza on Thanksgiving. In his essay, he noted that while everyone has turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving because that’s the tradition, his family realized that they didn’t really like turkey, etc. all that much; what they liked best was pizza. The family started a new tradition of having pizza on Thanksgiving. The student observed that this was an applicable analogy to Olin—a new and innovative college that’s a better fit for him because it’s a new and different institution. He did an excellent job of using subtle humor, a great theme, and actual substance in his essay.
UNC: Creativity, honesty, humor, and an authentic voice.
UVA: I love to read essays that show rather than tell, that focus on details instead of abstractions, and that have a voice. This is, of course, quite a tall order for a short essay.
Wake Forest: Clear, descriptive, beautiful writing. Thoughtful essays that reveal a creative, serious, and engaged student.
Bucknell: Though it is important to be confident, excessive arguments about how qualified and talented a candidate is do not sit well with the reader. It is important to stay away from strong political and religious views because you cannot predetermine that the reader shares your beliefs. The only risk worth taking is telling the committee about overcoming a personal obstacle. If you want to write about enduring personal problems, then be sure to include how you overcome [the problem] or it may be assumed that you have not changed or achieved success.
Cooper Union: Mistakes made (even ones that had legal repercussions) and what has been learned from them. While this topic is risky, I would prefer to know the truth about an individual, his or her failures and how he or she has subsequently grown. Other risky topics include: abortion, politics, and affirmative action. Some admissions counselors will undoubtedly compare their own ideals [to the student’s] and may not be as objective [as others].
Deep Springs: It’s risky to use a non-essay format (e.g., a collection of poems). It had better be very good. Anything that uses tricks to avoid thinking through things in a structured, rigorous, and interesting way is bad.
Macalester: I really don’t want to know about their sex lives.
UNC: Few topics are too risky, but it depends on how well the student presents the topic. If a student chooses a controversial topic such as abortion, does she support her arguments well? If a student tries to use humor, is it effective?
UVA: Any topic can be risky. I think the grand narratives (meta-narratives for the post modern crowd), are difficult to write about well in a limited amount of space. Man’s inhumanity to man would fall into this category. I am being a bit tongue-in-cheek, as I do not wish to discourage students from writing about what they care about. I have seen great essays on almost any topic and terrible essays on almost any topic. (I have read over 25,000.)
Wake Forest: Shock value in college essays is not desirable. Avoid profanity, sex, violence, and gory details.
Yale: I think it’s not so much the topic as it is [how the student] deals with a topic; I don’t think that there’s any individual topic that can’t be dealt with. I think some kids do take risks in essays. They don’t always work, but I appreciate the courage to try. Don’t waste 50 percent of your essay space with a poem; it’s ultimately going to serve you a little better to write some prose.
Bucknell: Stories that deal with life experiences or information that won’t appear anywhere else in the application always capture our attention.
Cooper Union: Things that move them emotionally and philosophically. Experiences that they have learned from and are now richer from. Travels—who did they meet, what did they see, what did they learn? What they expect to gain by going to college other than preparation for a job.
Deep Springs: The ideas they are curious and excited about.
Johns Hopkins: Students assume we want to know about them personally—and we do—but we want the essay to be a window on their lives, their community, school, teachers, and [general] situation. Students rarely reflect on their schools or neighborhoods—more on family and friends. We want to learn about the context of the application. Where is the student coming from? We prefer the essay to talk about one’s own situation; it helps us balance the traditional admissions measures—grades, scores, etc.—in the application.
UNC: There are no specific experiences we would like students to write about more often than others. We simply want students to choose experiences that are important to them, rather than ones they think we want to read.
UVA: I would encourage students to focus on what our greatest writer calls “a local habitation and a name.” In other words, a student should focus on the details and on a level of language that permits details to speak.
Wake Forest: Intellectual epiphanies—the “Ah-ha” moments that made a concept or idea come to life.
Amherst: Students playing the college application process too safely … it’s refreshing to see a kid being himself or herself—you don’t have to climb Mount Kenya … as long as it’s sincere.
Bucknell: How an essay is written can be boring. Think of the best teachers who can make any topic interesting. The word essay derives from the French essayer, “to try,” so try to teach us something about yourself. A college essay needs to be unique. Tell us things about yourself that only you could say, without using too many of those thesaurus-type words that we do not use in everyday conversation. Even when writing about a common topic, present it from your own perspective with descriptions of your own reactions and perceptions, the setting, the circumstances, and so forth. Imagine yourself as an admissions officer who may have read 40 other essays that day. How will your essay stand out to keep our attention?
Cooper Union: Reading about The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, The Great Gatsby, or Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.
Deep Springs: Essays that amount to a list of activities or achievements.
Macalester: Indirect, misleading, or meandering writing.
Northwestern: The class trip to Europe. We don’t tend to have repetitive stuff since we change questions.
Olin: It’s always very clear when students are writing things they think we (the readers) want to hear about. Stay away from canned responses.
UNC: Essays that don’t have a voice.
UVA: The standard five-paragraph essay that does not let a voice come through.
Wake Forest: The passive voice. Colloquial writing. Run-on sentences. Essays that read like book reports. Attempts to mask bad writing by being cute and clever. School essays that are reworked to fit the college essay question.
Yale: Superficiality. There are many students who, for whatever reason, do not go beyond the superficial. They’ll tell us what they’ve been doing [and] keep it fact-based. They don’t get it to a reflective level.
Bucknell: One student listed that he once held his breath for 58 seconds; there was no context to it, and I think the world record is over five minutes, so I still wonder why he listed it. I do not know that there is one most ridiculous essay topic above all others, but the writer should avoid outrageous, unsubstantiated claims. I do not remember if those students were admitted, but it probably doesn’t matter how good their essay is if their high school transcript doesn’t show a challenging schedule and successful results.
Cooper Union: Most ridiculous essay topic: Someone wrote about olives, the different kinds and the pleasure attained from eating them—and yes they were admitted.
Deep Springs: Domesticating a stray animal. Not admitted. Our essay questions are fairly narrow and seem to discourage people from “ridiculous” essay topics.
UVA: Listing a dramatic performance in kindergarten as evidence of interest in theater.
I don’t find our essays to be ridiculous. Students often try too hard to impress us with the size of their vocabulary and if they do not really comprehend the connotations of the words they took from the thesaurus it can be comic. Some of the latter types have not been offered admission.
Amherst: [They] do count against you. The hastily and poorly done essay is pretty close to irrevocable.
Bucknell: I do not want to say what mistakes are okay, because the writer should try [to do] the best possible work he or she can, without thinking that we will let a few particular things slide. Shoot for “A” work and, if you fall a little short, you’ll still get an “A-minus.” If you shoot for a “B” and fall a little short, you’ll get a “B-minus.” Which would you rather have?
Cooper Union: Misuse of hyphens and dashes. Writing “3” instead of “three.”
Macalester: Mistakes are mistakes. When they’re made, they’re noticed.
UNC: Readers recognize mistakes more often than not, although they do not always count as strikes against the applicant. Spelling errors, poor essay structure, and misuse of pronoun “their” and adverb “there” are some of the more common mistakes.
UVA: As a highly selective school, we don’t see all that many mistakes anymore. Grammar checks and spelling checks have helped many a student in the last few years.
Wake Forest: All mistakes count as strikes against the applicant.
Bucknell: The essay is your one chance to be a little creative with your application, as opposed to listing your address and birth date and enclosing letters of recommendation that you will never see, written by someone else. Have fun, make your essay lively, and let us into your head a little. Make the essay about yourself so that we learn about you, not someone else. Spell-check and grammar check, to catch variations such as its/it’s, to/too/two, their/there/they’re, begin/being, perfect/prefect, and now/own/won. Be concise so that we know what it is you are writing about, instead of covering multiple topics with no unity. Finally, begin early, during the summer, so you can revise your essay as needed, while you are not in the hectic time of your life known as senior year of high school.
Cooper Union: Keep it personal, do not include what is already obvious—i.e., what is stated on an activity sheet or resume, and check your spelling and grammar. If you’re applying to Cooper Union, make sure to remove all of the “Carnegie Mellon’s” from your essays!
Deep Springs: Style is important: be engaging, interesting, and show a certain vivacity.
Johns Hopkins: Get your pen and paper or saddle up to the word processor. Don’t write as if there is a correct answer [or] be too cautious. It seems to me that we work hard to craft questions that prevent that, but we see students who are too cautious. Be adventurous intellectually—write unconventionally. Applicants have more freedom than they think, and it’s in their interest to use that flexibility.
Macalester: Be yourself. Use your own voice. Own your essay rather than let someone else tell you what to write. Address any questions the admissions committee may have about your application up front. Tell your story, if you have one.
Northwestern: Answer the whole question. For example, we have a question that asks what an applicant would do with five minutes of airtime—what would they talk about and why? Kids don’t answer the why part; they go on about the subject but there’s no analysis, no reflection.
Olin: Simple grammar, punctuation, and spelling are important. Get multiple people to proofread your application and essays.
UNC: Writing is a process. Don’t expect to write your essay in one sitting. Proofread. Let your own voice come through; this is our opportunity to get to know you.
Wake Forest: Be sure that you answer the essay question. Write clearly and concisely. Check closely for spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors. Plan your essay well in advance.
Yale: [To] try to be as honest and open about themselves as they can be. We are trying as hard as we can to get a feeling for who this person is. The pieces of paper really do represent them pretty well. And students control a piece of that through their student essays.
Amherst: Parents are awful, friends are awful, and people who advise kids for money are awful. The best person is a teacher.
Bucknell: A student should always find someone who can provide objective input. If the topic is particularly sensitive or personal, then he or she ought to seek someone trustworthy.
Cooper Union: A peer, not dad or mom—they usually have too many issues which paint the essays a terribly contrived color. A high school counselor is okay if they avoid influencing the content of the essays.
Northwestern: If you’re a kid whose mom might be an English teacher, ask her. Or ask your best friend or sibling. [It’s] always a good idea to have someone else read to see if your essay sounds like you.
Olin: The more people who help proof an essay and application, the better. Teachers, counselors, and parents can all provide great advice and editing tips. It is important to note that getting advice on a draft is different than getting content from others.
Students should ask those closest to them—friends, family, teachers, etc.—if the text of the essay truly expresses who they are; your personality should shine through.
UNC: Students should first edit their own essays. Word processing programs have built-in editing features (e.g., spell-check) to help facilitate this process. Students should then have another person review their essay. Whether a friend, parent, teacher, or guidance counselor, that person should never rewrite the essay; their role should be minimal and should never edit out the student’s voice.
UVA: A student should read [his or her] essay aloud to a friend. I think that others should read it too, but they should ask questions rather than rewrite the essay.
Wake Forest: Only the student should be involved in writing and editing the essay. The essay is used by the admissions committee to judge the applicant—not her English teacher, mother, or friend; thus it should be the exclusive work of the applicant.
Yale: These are essays that they need to write. Not their mother or their guidance counselor or a website. I think it’s perfectly all right for a parent or friend to read the essay, but they shouldn’t do it with a red pen in hand.
Amherst: Cutesy stuff. I look for sincerity. The ability to think abstractly produces the best essays, frankly; balancing experience and talking vividly about an experience that transpired.
A not-funny kid trying to be funny. The heavy hand of some college consultant.
Bucknell: Misuse of commas and semicolons are particularly tiresome. Also, fragments and run-on sentences do not make good lasting impressions.
Cooper Union: I love when a kid writes, “Coopers Union.”
Deep Springs: All grammatical mistakes, especially the possessive form. What we dislike content-wise coincides fairly well with what bores us—a list of activities, an unreflective retelling of an incident.
Johns Hopkins: There are two things that I see regularly, two lines that are crossed.
(1) Ideological issues are best left aside. An applicant who gets too much into specific political issues just might be thrusting these views on someone who disagrees, and then [the reader] has to work at remaining objective. We train our staff to take students on their own terms, but we’re all human. I don’t see why an applicant would test the waters.
(2) Sometimes students come across as immature. Showing a sense of humor is great, but don’t use humor in your college application that you wouldn’t use with your parents!
Macalester: Misspellings, poor grammar, and typographical errors really get in the way of reading an essay, so attention to detail is important.
Olin: Simple spelling and punctuation errors show a lack of attention to detail and can send the message to application readers that you are not serious about acceptance to our institution or that your application was thrown together [at the] last minute. Take the right amount time to prepare your application and essays.
UVA: It depends on the student. A student who is not a native speaker may have problems with articles, for example, but that isn’t surprising, or worth cringing about. A student who has all the top scores and all the best opportunities in the world who makes careless mistakes often makes me think that he or she does not really want to come to UVA.
All readers have inherent likes and dislikes. It might be that one reader will respond to a topic much differently than another: De gustibus non est disputandum. For example, some readers will see the inclusion of a Latin tag as pretentious; others will see it as an erudite addition.
Wake Forest: Incorrect use of its/it’s, there/their/they’re, your/you’re, whose/who’s, and his/her/their are the most personally bothersome.
Yale: Forced creativity, forced humor, or self-consciously trying to be different. By itself, is that going to keep somebody out? No. But it doesn’t help their cause.
If a topic feels forced, they just need to put that pencil down. Students ask themselves, What does that college want to hear? And we keep telling kids that you’re 180 degrees in the wrong direction if you’re asking yourself that question. They do need to sit in the driver’s seat and ask, What should this school know about me?
This is not the time to be particularly shy; on the other hand, you don’t want to go at it with a great deal of braggadocio. You don’t want to start every paragraph with the letter I. They should be asking themselves, What kind of essay is going to get them close to what I’m like?
Amherst: Can’t do that … God awful, politically, you can’t do it.
Bucknell: As admissions counselors we cannot afford to allow our personal, political or religious beliefs affect any admissions decision. The essay is examined for structure, grammar, and, of course, content, but the strength of the argument, the insights into the values of the applicant, and his or her personal qualities are what we are trying to assess. Differing values from our own cannot dictate the process, and, in some instances, could be viewed as a positive factor in evaluating each applicant from the perspective of encouraging diversity and opinions that do not necessarily reflect the majority. That’s not to say that the Admissions Committee has not debated the decisions for students whose essays contained racist, misogynistic, or other distasteful views—on the contrary, we look long and hard at those students who would otherwise be easily admissible by their academic numbers when we encounter essays of such a nature. Those debates are healthy in that they allow us to examine our own priorities in making decisions and what is most important in shaping the current class.
Cooper Union: Again, the best we can do is attempt to be objective. Can I guarantee this? No. But we try our hardest.
Deep Springs: We strive to discount such considerations, so long as the opinion is thought through. Content that is truly offensive, rather than merely disagreeable, is rarely thought through.
Macalester: Students generally aren’t admitted or denied by colleges based on the opinions they hold unless those opinions are so extreme as to disrupt the campus community. We don’t think of our applicants as being certain types—instead, they’re individuals and we read their applications as such.
UNC: [An] admissions decision [is] not affected by the perspectives or opinions expressed by the applicant in an essay.
UVA: If a student writes well on any topic then he or she will be rewarded in the process.
Could a student write well about an offensive topic? Should free speech extend to admission essays? Maybe these are topics worth thinking and writing about. Is political correctness a part of the admission process? Frankly, I think the answers will vary from school to school and reader to reader.
Wake Forest: We seek curious students with open minds who are eager to explore and debate issues.
Close-mindedness or demonstrations of racism, sexism, or disrespect in essays can result in a denial of admission.
Amherst: Full-time admissions officer.
Bucknell: While there is no particular work experience that is required of our admissions committee, they are all trained to be insightful and careful readers.
Cooper Union: All readers are either full-time admissions counselors or faculty who are members of an admissions committee.
Deep Springs: We look for prudence and judgment that can evaluate many aspects of a student, rather than just intellect. Readers are chosen from the student body as well as the wider Deep Springs community.
Northwestern: Our part-time readers tend to be retired high school guidance counselors or doctoral students.
UNC: Most people who review applications have extensive experience in undergraduate admissions. We also hire part-time readers who have varied backgrounds in the field of education (e.g., teachers, administrators, etc.). Readers must be able to make decisions, support their decisions with solid arguments, and debate their decisions with others who disagree.
UVA: We require no particular work experience. Our readers typically have experience in writing of one kind or another.
Wake Forest: At Wake Forest, our readers are admissions officers who are also almost without exception alumni of the university. In hiring admissions staff members, academic achievements [and] communication skills are important factors. To be an admissions officer, and thus an application reader at Wake Forest, one must be a reader, a thinker, and one who is comfortable in the academic world.
Bucknell: For applicants whose credentials fall in the extreme ranges of our pool, a sorting process is employed to identify the strongest group and weakest group.
Cooper Union: For sure.
Olin: We read every application and take into consideration both academic and personal qualities while ranking students. No application is denied or accepted until at least two people have reviewed it and the application reading team has discussed the candidate’s likelihood of succeeding academically and socially at Olin College.
UNC: We do not use an index to sort applications. Each application receives the same review by multiple readers.
UVA: We read holistically. We do not have indexes of any sort. We read one at a time, then make a case for offer, wait list, or deny.
Bucknell: Our goal is to admit the best-qualified and diverse (geographic, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, religious, and sexual orientation) class in order to build a rich and vibrant community at Bucknell.
Colgate: In our admission process we strive to find the best possible students who will contribute to academic life at Colgate as well as enhance the campus community. Students who are successful in the admission process have shown an ability to respond to challenges, develop their own ideas, use their imagination, and challenge themselves in and out of the classroom. As a result our admission staff looks for excellence in all areas; however, a strong academic record is absolutely essential.
Personal essays are an opportunity for students to showcase their unique writing talents and add depth to their application. Use this opportunity to say something new about yourself. Essays should complete the profile we gain from your grades, scores, recommendations, and talents. The quality of your writing is, of course, important, but the essay should tell a story about you. Despite that we receive 8,000 applications and approximately 16,000 essays, your application essays allow you to demonstrate your ability to synthesize an original thought and articulate it in a meaningful and compelling way.
Cooper Union: We want to have all readers search for the student who would add to our intellectual community. I hope, in a perfect world, each reader can leave his or her personal feelings about an issue aside.
Deep Springs: Yes, that given by the college as a whole.
Macalester: No.
Olin: We are looking for people who are a good match with Olin’s unique, hands-on curriculum and are energized about joining a community of people who want to build a college. [Good candidates are] willing to take risks, enjoy studying in a rigorous engineering program, and have an entrepreneurial spirit.
UNC: Admissions representatives are trained extensively; we use specific criteria to evaluate essays as well as other aspects of the application.
UVA: No.
Wake Forest: The nature and historical character of Wake Forest guides us in selection of the class. We seek students who are intellectually adept; have challenged themselves with a strenuous curriculum; enjoy academic rigor; and exhibit exemplary character, social conscience, and intellectual curiosity.
Amherst: Yes, at least twice.
Bucknell: Yes. Every complete application that we receive is read by an admissions counselor.
Cooper Union: Yes.
Deep Springs: Every application sent to us is read in its entirety by several readers.
Macalester: Yes—absolutely!
Northwestern: Yes, more than once. Every application is read twice.
Olin: Always.
UNC: Yes. Every application we receive is read by at least two readers.
UVA: We read every application.
Wake Forest: Absolutely. All applications have multiple readers.
Yale: We read all of every folder … every word of every essay.
Amherst: Three to 10 minutes on each essay.
Bucknell: For the Class of 2009, we received over 8,300 applications. The time required to read each application varies, depending on the content and volume of information that the applicant submits. The time devoted to reading the essay depends on its length and context. In addition, pertinent information from the essay may be highlighted and noted for consideration.
Deep Springs: As our application process consists of two parts, it is impossible to answer in general. For those who complete the entire application, each of 11 readers [will] spend approximately one-and-a-half hours on [their] application. [This] doesn’t include time spent on the interviews.
Johns Hopkins: Essays can receive anything from 1 to 15 minutes of attention.
Macalester: I average 20 to 30 minutes per file.
Northwestern: We spend 10 to 15 minutes on each, with a recommended length of 500 words.
Olin: We receive nearly 600 applications. Each application is read by two members of an application reading team, which consists of an admission office staffer, a faculty member, and one or two (trained) college staff members. On average we spend about 20 to 30 minutes reading each application and then each application reading team spends an average of 10 to 15 minutes discussing each candidate.
UNC: We receive approximately 18,500 applications a year. On average, each reading of each application takes between 5 and 10 minutes.
UVA: We get about 16,000 applications for first year admission and 2,100 for transfer admission. Some applications read very quickly: valedictorian, 1600 (now 2400) SAT, top recommendations, strong involvement in school, cogent essays. At the opposite end, we can read a student who has low grades, a weak program and testing, and modest recommendations and essays very quickly too.
We spend more time on the close cases or the cases that have special issues of one kind or another (foreign transcripts for example).
Wake Forest: [It] varies with each application.
Yale: Some of them take about an hour; some of them take six minutes. I’d say a seasoned admissions officer needs to be moving through three applications an hour. We want to use our reading time where it’s really valuable. And if it’s clear by one reading that this is not going to be someone who’s strong enough to get in, then we don’t want to waste the time.
Amherst: Eleven thousand total essays [between] 13 staff members. We read regionally—i.e., an Iowa applicant is read by the Iowa admissions officer.… A difference of opinion results in a third or fourth read.
Bucknell: For the Class of 2009, 13 admissions counselors read applications. Each counselor reads the essay for each completed application they are reviewing. The number of applications that each counselor reads varies, but, in general, our goal is to read a minimum of 40 applications per day.
Cooper Union: Three admissions counselors and as many as 30 faculty members. The number of essays read depends on the program the student applies to—some of our programs require 15 essays. Multiply that by 800 applications and you get 12,000!
Deep Springs: Each final application is reviewed by 11 people. Each of them reads 40 to 60 applications.
Johns Hopkins: Eleven staff members. We read each essay twice. Last year we had a 9,000-student applicant pool.
Macalester: Eight staff members read applications. We require two essays from each applicant. I suppose I read about 2,500 essays during the review period, perhaps more if all committee discussion cases are included. Each application is read by a minimum of two or three readers; some are read by many more.
Northwestern: Sixteen full-time and some part-time readers [read] 1,500 to 2,000 [total applications].
Olin: Of the 100 faculty and staff members at Olin College, approximately 50 assisted with the admission process, which includes reading applications, serving on the admission application committee, meeting/interviewing students at Candidates’ Weekends, and making recommendations to the admission committee.
UNC: Approximately 25 people on staff review applications. Each person reads over 1,000 essays each year.
UVA: Minimum: two. Maximum: the entire committee (16).
If we just include the longer essay question (we have short answer questions too), most read about 800.
Wake Forest: Nine [staff members each read] about 3,500 per year.
Yale: Our office has about 20 staff members. Every application will be read minimally by one person. And most applications get a second reading. And then there are some that get another one. This year we got over 15,000 applications … so that’s about 31,000 essays.
Bucknell: At Bucknell University, the only applications that go before a “committee” of admissions officers are those that are received under the Early Decision policy. In total, this can range from 600 to 800 applications. In the Regular Decision process, applications are read by different staff members based on the student’s intended major with the final approval made by the Dean of Admissions.
Cooper Union: About one-half of the initial pool.
Deep Springs: One hundred fifty to 200 (all received are read by committee).
Johns Hopkins: After the second read, it’s done.
Macalester: Roughly 25 to 35 percent of our applicant pool.
Northwestern: There’s no committee. We have over 14,000 applications; the third reader makes the final decision.
Olin: Approximately 200 for the 160 Candidates’ Weekend slots.
UNC: Several thousand applications go to the committee each year.
UVA: A very small percentage.
Bucknell: The application review process is hands-on, personal, and comprehensive. Each application is placed in a folder. The application profile sheet outlining vital information about the candidate is produced to assist professional staff in the review process. The staff assigns admission rating codes to each candidate, categorizing them into either the top admit, admit, waitlist, or deny group.
Each application is reviewed by two to four staff members. It is common for some applications to be reviewed more than three times. Admission is based on competitiveness—the credentials of each applicant are compared to the overall quality of the applicant pool. The staff is interested in learning how the applicant has challenged him- or herself in high school (has he or she has taken advanced courses?). Strong performance (A and B grades) along with class rank (if available) are very important. SAT or ACT test scores are considered after the transcripts where the best possible score or combination of scores is used. After accounting for quantitative factors, potential contribution to the BU community, essay, recommendations, and other personal qualities are also considered. The staff may consider financial need as a qualifying factor in the later stages of the review process, but this process affects fewer than two percent of the applicant pool.
After a decision on an applicant is made and the decision letter has been prepared, the Dean of Admissions performs a final review prior to signing the letter.
Cooper Union: As long as the application is complete, meaning the student has submitted all of the necessary documentation—i.e., transcripts, standardized exam scores, portfolio, etc., the application is read. It can actually pass through as many as ten hands. If we’re really overworked, sometimes we close our eyes and randomly pick (just kidding, of course).
Deep Springs: Each application is assigned between six and nine initial readers. We then gather around a table and deliberate over each applicant. Through successive series of deliberation, votes, and additional readers, we narrow the pool down to 40. These 40 applicants are then asked to submit four new essays and visit for an interview. All 11 members of the committee read each application. We then deliberate to come up with a final list of 13 applicants.
UNC: Applications received on-line are printed, labeled, and filed. Application materials (e.g., letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.) are added to the application file upon receipt. Once an application is complete, the file is reviewed by multiple readers. When consensus is reached regarding the admissions decision, applications are re-filed and the decision is logged into the database. An application might pass through the hands of between three and eight people.
UVA: The application goes to a reader who makes a preliminary evaluation. It then goes on to a second reader. If it is a clear case then the decision is likely finished. After going through our applicant pool, we pull out the close cases for additional review. Usually two readers are involved with a subset of cases. In some instances, additional reads occur due to special talents (the arts), special scholars programs, or the desire to recruit under-represented minorities, students of low economic means, etc.
Bucknell: It is rare that an essay will have such an impact that it affects the application decision. However, all application essays are reviewed for both content as well as grammar. A poorly written essay can adversely affect an applicant’s candidacy. However, if a student does not meet the quantitative qualifications, then the essay cannot positively affect [his or her] admission decision. There are also instances where a truly outstanding essay may push a student over the top in the final decision process.
Deep Springs: Yes, essays are essential, and the discussion of essays during committee routinely changes an applicant’s standing.
Olin: If an essay is poorly written, does not address the assigned topic, or includes inappropriate content, it is unlikely the applicant will be considered for admission. Taking risks to set yourself apart from the rest of the applicant pool is fine as long as the essay is not irrelevant or erroneous. By taking applicable and calculated risks the student demonstrates their maturity and the confidence to be themselves.
UVA: A[n] essay can have significant impact on the decision.
Wake Forest: [An] essay can tip the scales in an admission or a denial. It is a very important factor in our process.
Bucknell: If a student is not competitive in the admissions process based on the quantitative factors, a great essay [will] not affect [our] decision enough to lead to an offer of admission.
Cooper Union: If the student is in the ballpark—either talent-wise or academically speaking, then the essay can make a difference. Otherwise, an essay cannot makeup for a deficiency in an area necessary for academic survival. If an engineering student fails math throughout high school, there is no essay that can change that fact and prepare the kid for an engineering education.
Deep Springs: It is very rare for an applicant to have outstanding essays but disastrous test scores, so I can’t speak to that aspect of the question. As to a low GPA, we would take it into account when deciding whether an applicant would take advantage of the intellectual atmosphere at Deep Springs. Good essays can help us with this decision by reflecting on the applicant’s poor academic performance and addressing how it would affect his potential time here.
Macalester: We read the rest of the application and make a decision based on everything, not on individual parts.
Northwestern: We’d have to look at everything. Grades are most important. It’s rare that a good essay would overcome bad grades.
Olin: We look for students who are able to meet a high academic standard and can provide solid teacher and counselor recommendations as well as finely written essays. If the teacher or counselor recommendation includes reasoning for poor academic performance during a particular year or semester (i.e., student illness, family problem, etc.), then a few poor grades can be “excused.” However, a few poor grades must be accompanied by high test scores, a “rebound” in academic performance, and excellent recommendations and essays. We are looking to admit students who can succeed academically in a rigorous engineering program so excellent grades in math and science are a must.
UNC: An essay alone cannot make or break an admissions decision. The quality of the essay is always considered in combination with other information about the applicant.
UVA: A great essay in and of itself will not get a student in. Typically, great essays are accompanied by other evidence of success such as recommendations from English teachers.
The reality of selective admission is that most students who are offered admission are strong in most categories.
Wake Forest: If a student is unqualified academically, a great essay will not make the difference, but it certainly helps differentiate among similarly qualified students. Essays may also reveal diversity of thought, experience, or talents that are desirable in the class and may not show up elsewhere in the application.
Bucknell: A strong candidate based on the quantitative factors who submits an unimpressive essay will likely still be admitted, assuming the essay was unimpressive due to content. If the essay is poorly written with some clear grammatical errors, it may cause enough concern to keep a student from being admitted.
Cooper Union: We will certainly deny admission to an applicant who has stellar grades and scores yet didn’t bother to work on his or her essays.
Deep Springs: The quality of the essays most certainly outweighs test scores and GPA. It could be said that the essays initially determine what we think and SAT and test scores serve only to refine or change that initial determination.
Macalester: Then the student may not be admitted.
UVA: Yes, but there are certainly gradations of unimpressive essays. It is a holistic evaluation and not a formula.
Wake Forest: Poorly written essays submitted by academically sound students suggest a lack of interest in the University which may result in a denial of admission.
Yale: There’s nothing so stellar about academic credentials that’ll convince us to take [a student] without looking at the rest [of his or her application]. The transcript is certainly the single most important document. And the recommendations are very important.
You know, we admit students who write flat essays and we reject students who write great essays. At a place like Yale, there just aren’t that many kids who are so powerful that we have to take them. At many other institutions, you might not have the privilege of turning down a really strong student based on the tone of an essay. Here, we can do it.
Amherst: [They are] real, intellectually. One particular student had the combination of a great essay and a reading list, which overcame a good but not great record; in this case the essay might outweigh other factors—these are the [top] 10 percent.
Bucknell: There are essays that are very compelling, often written about a personal hardship or family tragedy that really draws the reader into the story. Yet if the academic record suggests that the student will be unable to do the work here, that must drive the final decision.
Cooper Union: No.
Deep Springs: A single essay isn’t capable of clinching acceptance. An attitude/capacity that seems to sustain itself through all of the required essays is necessary.
Johns Hopkins: There are essays that are compelling, that make the difference. So students should know that essays should be taken seriously. If a student puts effort into the essays, they should help his or her chances.
The remarkable thing about essays is that there’s no ceiling on quality, unlike SAT scores or GPAs. A great essay can carry a student. A poorly done essay might do the opposite. It can certainly determine the initial path an application takes through the process.
Macalester: No.
Olin: By itself an essay will never make or break our admission decision, but a good essay can add increased validity to an “on the fence” candidate.
UNC: An essay alone cannot make or break an admissions decision. The quality of the essay is always considered in combination with other information about the applicant.
UVA: The one-in-a-thousand essay does exist but there is no formula for what it must be like. Usually, it is so jaw-droppingly original and smart that we just can’t say no.
Wake Forest: The essay alone cannot guarantee admission, but it if it reveals a depth—a strength of character, or if it demonstrates a strong academic focus or diverse perspective that we seek in the class, [it] may indeed tip the scales.
Bucknell: Most “optional” items are of a sensitive nature and, ordinarily or legally, cannot be requested of the student. Our attempt to collect such information is the result of our commitment to admitting the most diverse and talented class that we can. No student’s candidacy is weakened by his or her decision to not answer an optional question, but there are instances where responses can enhance an already attractive and academically solid application. All students who are admitted to Bucknell, whether athletes, students of color, legacies, first generation, etc., must be academically qualified before other considerations are given.
Cooper Union: We don’t have any “optional” sections.
Deep Springs: Yes. One possible exception is the “supplemental material” option in our second-round application. If an applicant really emphasizes an artistic ability, it is nice to have a demonstration.
Macalester: Of course—all the stuff that’s labeled “optional.” For Macalester, that would include SAT Subject Test results; additional submissions, such as an art portfolio; additional teacher or coach recommendations; and several questions on the application form.
Northwestern: Interviews are not required; one teacher recommendation is enough but send a second teacher recommendation.
Olin: Yes, optional means optional.
UNC: Items marked “optional” are truly optional. If a candidate chooses not to complete an optional part of the application, his or her candidacy will not be impacted.
UVA: I encourage students to take the chance to tell us about themselves outside the numbers. If we did have an optional essay I would likely encourage [them] to use it (our essays are mandatory).
If a student does not complete a part of our application we require, he or she will not be admitted.
Wake Forest: With the exception of a question concerning ethnicity, we do not have optional questions. A student would not be penalized for failing to answer that question.
Bucknell: We routinely get a lot of extra material with applications—additional recommendations, writing samples, certificates of achievement, artwork, CDs of dance/music/theatrical performances and, given the pace at which we must read applications, those materials are given cursory glances at best. The admissions counselors with whom I’m most familiar are neither art nor music critics and thus are not qualified to judge or evaluate such submissions. We do seek input from faculty in Art and Music on many of the materials submitted. Their reaction can add [to] a candidate’s [chances] if the rating is very strong. Additional materials to what’s requested in the application that would be most meaningful in our process would be evidence of research outside of the classroom, service learning opportunities, extraordinary leadership experiences, [and the] founding of clubs or other organizations [at] school or [in the] community. An extra writing sample or recommendation would be considered, but several would be too much of a time commitment for a harried and hurried counselor.
Colgate: Some applicants provide supplementary material for review by our admission staff. If a student feels the extra submission is important enough to send, it is considered important enough for us to evaluate. While our admission process is still primarily based on a student’s academic preparation, many students send supplementary information as a means to showcase a particular talent that is not already reflected in the application. A large volume of supplementary materials will not necessarily impact the admission decision (more is not necessarily better), but a carefully prepared art submission, music demo, athletic tape, creative writing example, or other submission can assist our staff as we shape our class to reflect the talents and diversity of our applicant pool. Many supplementary materials are sent to various departments on campus for evaluation. Faculty and staff in the Music, Art, and Athletics departments provide their feedback on applicants’ abilities.
Cooper Union: We give guidelines regarding the submission of extra material. If a student wants us to hear them playing in the school orchestra, one or two CDs is plenty—we don’t need fifty songs.
Deep Springs: There is a supplemental material option as part of the second-round application. Artwork is helpful. Anything requiring more than 15 to 20 minutes to consider is difficult to handle.
Macalester: They should send only what will reasonably tell us their story. We welcome anything that will add a new dimension and help to inform us about the applicant’s values, beliefs, experiences, talents, and aspirations. But they only need to tell us once … we don’t admit students based on the gross weight of their application files.
Northwestern: Some will go overboard on the length of an essay. We’re happy to receive extra material, but not videos or CDs. We have six undergraduate schools, so students may send playbills for drama, editorial clips for the journalism school, etc. There is no need for extra essays.
Olin: Students often send artwork, CDs of their music, and other items of which they are particularly proud that are not reflected in the standard application. Coupled with the application, this helps the application reading team get a better sense of the student.
UNC: Some applicants do send extra material with their application. While we do not require or necessarily encourage them to do so, students may choose to include materials (e.g., artwork, photography, music recordings, etc.) they feel will strengthen their application.
UVA: We ask students to send CDs, tapes, DVDs, slides, etc., if they believe they have talent in the arts. They are evaluated by our arts faculty. I encourage students doing an extended essay in the IB program to send a brief summary of the topic (not the whole essay).
Certificates that extend back to kindergarten are not useful.
Wake Forest: In general, additional materials are not helpful in the process. Concentrate on completing the application properly and thoroughly, rather than adding extraneous materials.
Yale: We don’t encourage students to send in other writing. But we’ll read it.
Bucknell: Bucknell does not have a descending degree of importance for application requirements. We feel that the three main components of an application would be academic record, test scores, and personal qualities. The essay portion of the application falls under two of the three. An applicant’s writing abilities are a testament to [his or her] academic abilities and the personality and style of an essay demonstrate the personal qualities of the writer.
Cooper Union: Certainly. Again, the essays become a factor which ultimately decides admission if the application is complete and the student is, academically or talent-wise, in the ballpark.
Deep Springs: There is no formal standard, but the essays are probably of first importance and the interview of second. Everything else is below these.
UNC: We do not assign a degree of importance to different admission requirements. Each requirement could play a greater or lesser role in each admissions decision, depending on the specific applicant and the combination of requirements taken as a whole.
UVA: We have no formula but SAT is absolutely not the most important factor. Performance and academic program together are the most import criteria.
Wake Forest: No. We look at the application as a total package.
Bucknell: Bucknell’s pool of applications is read according to the major to [which] a student is applying. An application is evaluated for a specific area of interest which is necessary at Bucknell due to our diverse offerings of academic pursuits; what makes an applicant a competitive electrical engineer is not always what makes an applicant a competitive musician. If a student does not have a major they wish to pursue, then they may apply undecided to the School of Arts and Science or undecided to the School of Engineering.
Cooper Union: We do not have “undecided” at Cooper Union.
Macalester: It doesn’t matter. We like both undecided and committed students on the Macalester campus.
Olin: It is not necessary to declare a major when applying to Olin College. Students do not declare a major until the sophomore year.
UNC: We have no preference.
UVA: No preference, but if a student has a passion in an academic area they should prove it via activities, recommendations, and essays.
Wake Forest: All of our students spend their first two years [here] in a liberal arts curriculum before declaring a major, so neither is preferable to us in the admissions process.
Amherst: No preference.
Bucknell: We have no preference as to how we receive an application. Approximately half our applications arrive in the mail and the other half are submitted online.
Cooper Union: Either, though our support staff (data entry) certainly have an opinion here.
Deep Springs: Paper only.
Johns Hopkins: Easier to process online; however, no strong preference.
Macalester: Either is fine—no preference. As long as the handwriting is legible and we get the information we seek, there’s nothing wrong with a paper application.
Northwestern: Whichever way students prefer.
Olin: We prefer to receive materials online.
UNC: We have no preference.
UVA: Online.
Wake Forest: We do not differentiate.
Yale: We probably do prefer to get applications online.
Amherst: I think it’s great, everyone should do it … get off the treadmill for a while and do it.
Bucknell: In one sense, it is certainly a disappointment when a student we are excited about has decided to join our community a little bit later. Many of our deferring students are pursuing interesting and engaging opportunities during this absence. Keeping this in mind, it is very exciting to hear that they are still challenging themselves and taking advantage of opportunities to develop themselves academically, socially, and personally.
Cooper Union: Indifferent; it can be interesting if the student is actually going to do something sexy like travel to Brazil to study art or live in Tibet and study meditation.
Deep Springs: Not permitted here.
Johns Hopkins: It’s good—it shows a person that thinks for himself. The usual direction of the river is: senior year, during the summer go to the beach, then go to college. We welcome students who defer, who have something else in mind.
Macalester: Deferrals are approved only if the admissions committee feels the student has a good plan for spending the year off in a worthwhile way. Students must write to request deferral after being admitted. When they’re approved, I’m happy for them because I know their experience will be a good one.
Northwestern: We have 30 to 40 students a year defer admission. We’re happy to say yes to that.
Olin: As long as the student is doing something meaningful with their deferred year, we are happy to support their endeavors.
UNC: An applicant who has been offered admission may request a deferral for one academic year in order to work, travel, or pursue some other extraordinary opportunity. An admitted applicant may also seek a one-year deferral for military service, required religious observance, or medical reasons. Those wishing to defer admission must request permission in writing from the Director of Admissions no later than July 1 of the year for which they [were] originally admitted.
UVA: I personally wish more students would consider a gap year, but our office policy is value neutral on the issue.
Wake Forest: As a matter of policy, we do not offer automatic deferrals. A student would be required to re-apply for later admission.
Bucknell: It is important for counselors to be aware of the many deviant opportunities for students to falsify their application and this includes plagiarism of the required essays. As professionals we have made relationships with counselors and other admissions colleagues who are a resource to discuss suspicious-looking/sounding essays. As an office, we try to retrain ourselves every season to recognize essays and topics that are questionable. By providing a thorough read of the essay, we are often able to pick out and investigate suspected instances of plagiarism. We often will evaluate these matters collectively and, if needed, call upon experts on our faculty.
Colgate: Colgate University has an honor code by which all current students are expected to abide. Students who apply to Colgate University must provide a hand-written signature (online signatures are not accepted) indicating that all of the information in their application is accurate and factual. Just as violations of the honor code are taken seriously by our campus community, students who violate the application agreement statement will normally be immediately disqualified from further consideration in the admission process. More importantly, applicants who plagiarize miss an important opportunity to give an accurate and sincere portrayal of their abilities and talents.
Cooper Union: In-house, our faculty use technology. Application-wise it’s hard to predict, though we’ve contemplated requesting the submission of a graded paper from high school to at the very least have [a secondary] source when evaluating an application.
Deep Springs: We discuss the essays with the student in the final interview.
Northwestern: We’re so specific in the questions we ask, and we change them every year, so we think plagiarism isn’t really an issue. We ask our applicants to suggest questions for the following year’s essays and those are used in upcoming years.
UNC: When submitting an application, students are required to sign a statement agreeing to uphold the Honor Code. The Honor Code specifically prohibits lying, cheating, stealing, [or] any conduct that impairs significantly the welfare or educational opportunities of others in the university community.
UVA: If I told you that then students would figure a way around it.
Yale: We do cruise those websites. We did find a copied essay this year and we removed that kid’s application.
Bucknell: We think there are many valuable guides to the college admissions process and essay writing in print, but would prefer not to recommend any one item.
Cooper Union: Never forget the usefulness of the old-fashioned dictionary and thesaurus. The MLA Handbook can help as well.
Johns Hopkins: I would give them examples of good writing. Just as a composer wouldn’t deny borrowing themes from predecessors, it’s appropriate to learn from the work of good writers. In terms of technique for writing a good college essay, I’d look at the short story as a model.
Macalester: I don’t recommend essay books for students. The end result of reading any such book is that essays all start to sound alike—i.e., they’re not the only people reading those books. Students’ essays should be individual works of their own creation. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.
Northwestern: The best preparation for essays is writing in high school.
UVA: Students should read great writers and then write as much as they can. Reading essays by Guy Davenport, William Gass, Stephen Jay Gould, Joan Didion, Anne Carson, or Slavoj Zizek (to name just a few that I turn to for inspiration), might help.
I think the question you ask indicates what I see as the problem itself. Students are looking for a formulaic way to write well. It doesn’t work that way. Someone can read books about improving any skill (skiing, bricklaying, podcasting), but it’s quite a bit different when you actually have to do it. Practice never makes perfect, but it does make. Writing is a craft of making things with words.
Wake Forest: Writing, punctuation, and grammar guides such as Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.
Amherst: No … the more measures you add to the way that you evaluate, the more predicted value you have.
Bucknell: No, it is important for students to be able to express themselves through an essay for various reasons. The essay allows students to disclose information not asked of them in another portion of the application [and] introduce and/or expand on interesting aspects of themselves. It allows us to see how well they can communicate through the written word.
Colgate: The application review process is highly personal; the admission staff takes the time to review each item in a student’s folder, reflecting the kind of individual attention students can expect from Colgate faculty. The essay is a valuable means for our staff to gain a better understanding of the qualitative aspects of an applicant, rather than just the quantitative academic measures (GPA, curriculum, standardized testing, rank in class, etc.). As the interviews we offer are non-evaluative and not considered in the admission process, the essay also allows applicants to show us their personalities, discuss their interests and priorities, and demonstrate the quality of their writing abilities. We expect that essays will continue to be an important part of our admission process for years to come.
Cooper Union: Not at all. We need to get some insight into the kid’s mind and experiences. We need to be able to find out something that is not apparent from reviewing his or her transcript, SAT and ACT scores, counselor recommendation, etc.
Deep Springs: Nope.
Johns Hopkins: No, we care very much about writing ability. We assess writing directly, through essay submissions, and indirectly, through the SAT Subject Test in Writing.
Macalester: No, absolutely not. It’s the one chance an applicant has to speak directly to every reader of his or her application. What good would it do to eliminate that?
Northwestern: Writing is important. We always want to have writing samples.
Olin: No, the essay is the student’s chance to shine and tell us about his or her passions. Coupled with the teacher and counselor recommendations, the essay really gives us a sense of the applicant’s personality and fit for Olin College.
UNC: No. We do not interview applicants; the essay is our opportunity to get to know students better.
UVA: Absolutely not.
Wake Forest: Absolutely not. We have, in the past years, made our application more writing intensive rather than less as we become more selective and strive to differentiate among well-qualified applicants.
Our editors aren’t asleep on the job.
The following essays appear exactly as they did for admissions officers. We only changed the layout so that the essays fit on the pages of this book. Because we have not edited the essays, you may find errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. We assure you that we found these errors as well, but we thought it would be most helpful for you to see what the admissions officers saw—not what they could (or should) have seen. We recommend that you carefully proofread your own personal statement, but should you miss an error, take comfort in the fact that others (accepted applicants, even!) sometimes did too.