Is it okay to lie in your college essay?

While writing your essay, there’s no need to stretch the truth. The essay is your chance to let your own voice come through your application: don’t waste it on lies. When it comes to the college essay, admissions committees have seen it all. The worst thing you can do is make up a story for your college essay.

Do colleges fact check activities?

Don’t make admissions officers guess whether your activities are for real. Admissions offices take grades and test scores seriously because schools, the College Board, and ACT have sophisticated tracking and reporting systems.

Do Colleges read all essays?

Yes, every college essay is read if the college has asked for it (and often even if they did not ask for it). The number of readers depends on the college’s review process. It will be anywhere from one reader to four readers.

Do essays matter for college?

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.