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What are college admissions officers specifically looking for in a college essay?
Therefore, your essay or personal statement is your opportunity to showcase what makes you stand out from others. This is your chance to humbly brag about your life. Admissions officers look for unique experiences beyond traditional education such as volunteer work, travel, or overcoming personal adversity.
How fast do admissions officers read essays?
Given the record number of applications at some schools which are 50\% to 100\% more than the last cycle, these folks have much less time to review each file in-depth compared to previous seasons, so they might dedicate anywhere from 5 minutes to 10 minutes (15 min max) to read your entire files front to back.
What do admissions officers look at first?
Admissions officers are looking for students that will best thrive and contribute to the unique milieu at their college. Specifically strong grades in a rigorous curriculum along with strong standardized test scores are seen first.
What do college admissions officers look at?
Admissions officers look at “hard factors” (GPA, grades, and test scores) and “soft factors” (essays, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and demonstrated interest) to gain a full picture of applicants.
What do admissions officers look for in an essay?
Admissions officers look at much more than the topic students select when assessing college essays. (Getty Images) Grades and test scores may measure a student’s academic potential, but those factors fail to capture his or her personality. That’s where the college essay comes in.
Should you write about service in your college application essay?
If applicants decide to write about service, they should do so because their experience has led to thought and reflection, not because they feel like this is a topic admissions officers expect them to write about, Guttentag says. Students don’t have to write about a major turning point in their essay, Soule says.
Should high school students write about common subjects in college essays?
High school students may worry about not having an original topic for their college essay – that anything they write about will be something admissions officers have read countless times before. But admissions deans and directors from several colleges told U.S. News that it’s OK if applicants write about a common subject.
Does a college essay topic have to be unique?
A college essay topic doesn’t have to be unique to be a good choice for applicants, experts say. Admissions officers look at much more than the topic students select when assessing college essays.