How much do colleges care about essays?
At the top 250 schools, your essays generally account for 25% of your overall application. This is only slightly behind the 30% for extracurriculars. Essays are actually ahead of the 20% for grades and coursework, 15% for test scores, and 10% for recommendations and interviews.
Do colleges look at every application?
But the fact is, if your grades and board scores are excellent, they probably won’t look at your essay or letters of recommendation. Certain colleges, especially the small private institutions, will have faculty and admissions committees read the entire application, including the essay. But this is not common.
What do colleges look for in admission essays?
What are admission officers looking for in an essay? Colleges want to see that the student has a command of the basics of good writing. They also want to see that the student can give a direct answer to the essay question. A strong opening paragraph that captures the readers’ interest is important.
How long can a college essay be?
The shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 200 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 600 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 200 and 650 words.