College Application Essays are in the Past

The percentage of college students who are accepted and actually enroll is extremely low. College applications have become easier and easier allowing more students to successfully complete them and be accepted much easier. Why not fill out more applications if it is such a simple process? Students are filling out applications because it is not such a complex process anymore and then not accepting the offer to attend when the colleges accept them.

 

Applications Made Easy

In an effort to have more students attend, colleges have limited and some have even done away with essay questions. Requirements have been made less rigorous even though some test scores are coming up. Most colleges still require a standardized test such as the SAT or ACT.

The massive amount of students applying and not attending can partially be accredited to the new ways to apply online. There are many websites that will allow students to apply to more than one college with one application. While this is less work for the student it is can also be a waste of time for the colleges. Writing on these applications is relatively simple and only asks for some personal reflection, which has no right or wrong answers.

 

Common Applications

The Common Application is a website that promotes equality and integrity in the college application process. This website allows students to submit college applications to as many as 500 colleges with one application process. It began with only 15 colleges a person could apply to in 1975 and has expanded greatly to cover many more schools.

 

Colleges That Require Essays

Colleges that still require essays have created less generalized options such as going from a prompt that asks prospective students to write on an essay of their choice to offering specific prompts that help them choose a focus and provide opportunity for personal reflection. This has made it easier for some students while making it a bit more difficult for others. Some students are well organized and want to choose a topic that would tell exactly who they are while other students need the specific prompts that will give them guidelines to write about. Some students welcome the opportunity to write about themselves but others find it a grueling task to try to figure out what colleges are looking for in the essay remarks.

 

Bonus: Application Tips

When filling out college applications they should reflect the student and not sound like a dictionary. Professors and admissions officers know the difference in a thesaurus and a high school students’ language. Keep it professional but do not sound like a dictionary. After all dictionaries can be boring and they want to know about the prospective student and their interests.

While slang is not appropriate do not be too concise or wordy. The writing should get the students’ ideas or prospective across without having to bluntly state them. The writing should make a point that is easy to understand. Make sure all aspects of the question have been addressed and revise until it is satisfactory.