The application essays are more important than ever…here’s why 

High School and Covid
Parents Corner–Paige tells us what’s up.

“The Essay” has always been an important part of the application.  Admissions officers read application essays to find those who stand out in the crowd. This is especially true for Class ‘21.

With so many schools choosing to go test-optional, the essay is THE chance for your student to shine. If your student’s evil twin is out there… you know, an applicant with the same grades and same extracurriculars, a stellar essay may just be the tiebreaker! 

At College Liftoff, we know students have a lot of writing to do. Our clients write an average of seven essays each application season. With so much riding on the quality of this work, our writing center staff offers support through every step, from the resume, to the common app essay, to the writing required for supplementals and scholarships. 

We work hard to craft better writers, not just better writing. Our clients learn skills that will support them during this last year of high school, and throughout their post-secondary education. During writing center sessions, students learn strong pre-writing skills and become more effective self-editors while developing their own unique voice. 

Did you know that the average admissions officer spends no more than three minutes reading your student’s essay?

An essay brimming with spelling and grammar mistakes will attract notice, but never for the right reason.  Even our strongest students sometimes struggle with idea generation, or finding the right words, or the overall structure of a piece. 

These concerns vanish with writing center support. After multiple rounds of drafting, and revision, students report that they are confident about topic choice, and the quality of their final, well-edited products.

Your kids are doing amazing things this year. I am, quite simply, blown away by all they’ve achieved and all they’ve adapted to during this unusual application season. Despite the pandemic, this Class of ‘21 is making real progress: identifying majors and careers, and finding the best colleges to prepare them for the future. Their application essays are thoughtful and heartfelt, a real glimpse into the lives of the lovely people you’ve raised.  

It’s been a real pleasure getting to know our Class ‘21 clients through the essays they produce; editing essays and supporting writers remains one of my favorite parts of my role.  I can’t wait to do it all over again with the Class ‘22 clients.  Although their application season seems far away, the truth is, we’ll turn our attention to their essays in January.  

If you believe that your  Class ‘22 student will need help with essays, or any other part of the college planning process, reach out–we’d love to support them.  

Got a Class ‘21 student who hasn’t quite finished or doesn’t know where to start?  We can offer them some help too.