Many students who are applying to college seek some sort of help or guidance when it comes to writing their essays. It is very typical for high school students to lack some knowledge or understanding about how to effectively write their college admission essays. With that in mind, it is essential for students to understand the guidelines for getting help with your college essay so that you are being academically honest and ethical, and giving yourself the best chance of admission to the schools of your choice.
The Common App does not publish guidelines for how students should approach getting help with their essays and what type of help is permissible, so here are my rules based on over 15 years of experience helping students write stellar essays to gain admission to top colleges.
Rules to write by:
Don’ts
Don’t use AI
As tempting as it may be to let Chat GPT or another AI platform generate an essay for you, it is not only dishonest to do so, but your essay will lack the necessary personal, human tone and voice that college admissions officers are looking for. AI does not know you, your life, or your backstory, and will therefore not adequately capture the essence of your story, which is so critical for college admissions officers to understand you and trust that you will be an asset to their school. AI can also frequently be detected by computer eyes and suspected by human ones, and you are unlikely to be accepted to any college, let alone a selective one, if you are suspected of using AI to write your essay.
Don’t let your parent or tutor write your essay for you
Some parents will happily write their teen’s college essay if they believe it will help them get into the college of their choice. Some tutors can be paid to do the same, yet this is never the way to go. Admissions officers reading your essay may detect a voice that sounds too old or experienced, or an essay that is simply more polished than a high schooler would write. Also, your adult parents, tutors, and other mentors are not you, and while they may know you and understand you to some extent, they have not walked in your shoes and will not be able to articulate your unique story in the way it deserves.
It also is and should be a point of pride to write your own essay. You are applying to college, after all. Successfully attending and completing college requires some hard work, critical thinking, and solid writing. Not writing your own essay is essentially cheating, and will only set you up for literal failure in college. You are unlikely to have your parents’ or a tutor’s assistance for every paper, essay, or assignment you’ll have to write and submit in college, and AI will be detectable in most cases. Better to learn and practice the skill of writing your own work rather than using someone else’s, whether you are paying them or not.
Do’s
Ask your teacher for feedback
It’s an acceptable and effective strategy to write a draft and have your English teacher read it and provide feedback about what she liked and/or felt needed changing. There is nothing wrong with getting assistance and feedback from your teachers, and it is, in fact, an advisable strategy when writing a college essay. Your English (and related) teachers not only excel at English and writing, but they have seen many college essays throughout their careers and can likely give you some guidance about what a college admissions officer will appreciate to see in an essay.
Listen to trusted adults
In addition to your teacher, it is ok and sometimes advisable to have parents, aunts and uncles, tutors, coaches, and other trusted adults read your essay. However, there are some caveats to this: Don’t give your essay to someone who you know is not a very solid reader or writer other than for general feedback. If you are letting multiple adults read your essay, it may also be worth considering the consensus – as in, if everyone is saying your tone is too negative, it is probably reading that way to the majority of people and it may be worth re-reading and revising with that in mind.
But trust your gut in the end
Don’t let someone else’s opinion, especially that of a non-expert, talk you out of sharing your story in the way you want to. If you feel strongly about your essay and how you’ve told it, and have taken into account professional advice from teachers or a writing tutor or coach, then feel confident in yourself and your essay and don’t change it further!
Use spelling and grammar check
But make sure to re-read carefully yourself as these tools are not perfect and won’t catch every mistake, including words which are spelled correctly but used incorrectly. Relying solely (or even primarily) on these tools and not carefully re-reading your work several times before submitting may mean there are still errors in your essay, which college admissions officers will not look kindly upon. Ensuring there are no spelling, punctuation, or basic grammar mistakes goes a long way towards your essay being well-received by admissions committees.
Most students get some kind of assistance with their college essays, which is acceptable and actually preferable to going it totally alone. Getting assistance like brainstorming with a teacher or parent, having a tutor help with revisions, and using spelling and grammar check tools are all allowable and totally appropriate ways for students to obtain some help with their college essays. Having someone or something else, as in the case with AI, write your essay for you is unacceptable and would be considered academic dishonesty if any school were to find out. AI generated writing is becoming more detectable with certain tools as well, so it is possible you could be found out if you go this route. Instead, use the essay writing process as an opportunity to increase your readiness for college and as a source of pride and accomplishment! There are many resources out there to help with your essay, including professional tutors and coaches like Alex, The Savvy Tutor. Contact The Savvy Tutor today if you need help with any aspect of your essay. Alex will ensure that the process is stress-free and results in a winning essay which reflects your unique story and voice, and gives you the best chance of admission!