Is It Okay For Parents To Help Edit Their Childs College Essay?

Is It Okay For Parents To Help Edit Their Child's College Essay? Like it or not, schools use your essay to gauge your personality and character. Therefore, you must carefully consider the language you use. It’s okay to be colorful but you want to make sure it doesn’t come across as inappropriate or immature. Additionally, some essays ask you to discuss a personal accomplishment. While it’s okay to show pride, you don’t want appear cocky or a braggart. Applicants should realize that most admissions counselors are young and have a sense of what a teenage voice sounds like, Jager-Hyman says. If a college suspects an essay is not the student’s work, they don’t automatically throw him out of the applicant pool, says Krahnke, but a negative vibe is placed in the counselor’s head. Heathman believes the job of the essay coach is to help students themselves find the right way to tell their story. No one would expect a student to dash off a perfect essay. In fact, more than one professional points out that students should not have already reached their writing potential before entering college. If you are given requirements with specific word limit, you should definitely follow them. Be attentive while reading college essay prompts and the instructions, as they provide the word count of the particular admission essay. Have you ever wondered why your essay was graded low when you were trying so hard and even exceeded the word count? It is due to the fact that the principle “the more, the better” does not work here. Teachers ask not to go over the essay word limit not because they want so. In other words, an outstanding essay may tip the scales. Some teens think their college essay, or “personal statement,” will determine their entire future, and others bristle and balk when asked to finally write it, believing it will never be read. Jodi Then is the High School Counselor at Boston Green Academy. Before joining BGA, Ms. Then spent 15 years working at a non-profit organization that specialized in college access and financial aid. She also worked as a consultant for the Boston Public Schools District and the Department of College Counseling. Here are some college application essay dos and don’ts for students to keep in mind as they complete their applications this fall. Sometimes, colleges do not require the particular essay application length. By contrast, there are establishments that have a strict word limit. Conversely, you also don’t want to come across as a whiner or entitled. That’s not the kind of individual students, alums or administrators want representing their schools. Even if a school does not assign a maximum word count, that doesn’t mean you should write with wild abandon. Admissions officers have to slog through thousands of essays. There are certain word limits for college essays that are mentioned in the College Application. This academic assignment should be written withi specific word count. In 2020, the application essay length is still limited to 650 words in most institutions. Read on to learn how long a perfect college essay should be. We help every applicant, no matter their prior comfort level with writing, compose a powerful personal essay that transmits who they are in the most important ways. I know parents who believe kids who can’t sit down and write essays themselves aren’t ready for four-year college. Jager-Hyman said there are some who believe a 17-year-old need only “put one foot in front of the other” and apply himself to complete this task. But in reality, many otherwise-capable teens have no clue where to start. The B+ Grades A+ College Application author says, however, that some essays are afforded 20 minutes, and others just a perfunctory glance. Students will be accepted “if the student’s numbers fit the academic profile of the institution,” she says. Ms. Then has presented her work for local, regional, and national organizations, including the National School Counselors Association and the National College Access Network . She holds a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston University and a master’s degree from Bridgewater State College in School Counseling. Visit our Writing Lab for more writing tips, pertaining both to your college essay, and to the array of other writing challenges you’ll face in college or graduate school. We work with students at our labs in small-group workshops, private sessions, and also at schools and partner CBOs. The college essay is not a test to see if you can read minds or anticipate what the admission office wants to hear. Plain and simple, they want to know about you, how well you write and how self-aware you are. They don’t have time to devote an hour to your 30 page masterpiece. Remember, these essays are simply meant to be a snapshot of you. You should not attempt to include your entire biography. Stick to your chosen topic or theme and be concise. After all â€" a good writer knows when to edit him/herself.