Introduction
With college applications deadlines approaching and classes, extracurricular activities, jobs, and other responsibilities taking up students’ time, it’s no wonder the question “Can someone write my college essay?” arises. While getting help writing a college essay seems tempting, it’s important for students to understand what’s involved in hiring someone else to write their essay and to consider alternatives that don’t compromise the integrity of the admissions process.
What Does an Admission Essay Writing Service Entail?
Admission essay writing services offer to completely write and submit college application essays for a fee, often hundreds or even thousands of dollars. While some may provide lighter editing assistance, most aim to produce a brand new essay from scratch tailored to an applicant’s prompts and background. Here’s a typical process:
Consultation: The student provides basic background details, suggestions of experiences to highlight, and their college essay prompts. Consultations are usually brief phone or email discussions.
Drafting: A ghostwriter drafts the essay based on the consultation. They pull relevant anecdotes and develop a storyline to appeal to admissions officers. They write in the student’s voice as much as possible based on limited information.
Revisions: The student may provide feedback on the initial draft, requesting changes such as modifying details or tweaking their voice. Revisions are included in the base fee for most services.
Polishing: The ghostwriter does final proofreading, formatting, and ensures the essay coherently answers the specific prompt. At this stage, the writing is typically undetectable as having been done by someone else.
Submission: For an additional fee, some services will submit the finished essay directly to the colleges on the student’s behalf. Others provide only a finalized Word document for the student to submit themselves.
Ethical Issues with Paid College Essay Writing
While seemingly helpful, there are significant ethical issues involved with paid college essay writing services:
Plagiarism concerns: Admissions officers can potentially detect changes in writing style between a student’s other work and an admission essay. A ghostwritten essay risks appearing as plagiarized work.
Lack of authentic experience portrayal: A ghostwriter cannot genuinely represent or expand upon a student’s real experiences, perspectives, and qualities the way the student themselves can in their own words.
Undermines integrity of process: College admissions are intended to evaluate students based on their own abilities and characteristics, not those of paid professionals. Essay writing services circumvent this authentic assessment.
May indicate lack of fit: Students sincerely interested in a college and its mission will take the time and effort to represent themselves authentically in their application. Outsourcing essays raises doubts about commitment and fit.
Legal/policy violations: Many colleges explicitly prohibit outside assistance and paid services in their honor codes and application instructions. Use of such services can risk application dismissal or revocation of admission.
Alternatives to Paid Essay Writing Services
While the desire for outside help is understandable, students have better options that don’t compromise ethics or put their application at risk:
Seek free help: Get feedback from teachers, mentors, family members and advisors who know the student well. Counselors at college resource centers also provide free reviews.
Start early: With planning, dedication of a few hours each week is enough to self-write a strong essay. Beginning the brainstorming process a few months in advance prevents last minute stresses.
Use supplemental materials judiciously: Anecdotes or brief quotes can be borrowed respectfully from outside sources if meaningfully integrated into an authentic narrative written in the student’s voice.
Edit professionally: Light copyediting help with punctuation, structure, or word choice from a writer familiar with application standards is generally acceptable if the ideas and substance remain the student’s own work.
Explain gaps honestly: Admissions officers understand busy lives. An explanation of time constraints in an addendum is preferable to an inauthentic essay that raises questions. Extenuating circumstances are considered case-by-case.
Request extensions: Colleges will often generously grant deadline extensions for students with genuine need who reach out politely and early. This prevents last minute compromises.
The college application process involves self-representation – warts and all. With sufficient planning and utilization of freely available supports, students can successfully write personal essays that honestly convey who they are to interested schools. Taking shortcuts risks sacrificing both integrity and opportunity. With diligence and humility, applicants can confidently put their best selves forward.
Conclusion
While paid professional essay writing companies aim to help harried students, authentic self-authored work remains the best approach for college admissions. With early planning and prudent use of review assistance, applicants can develop compelling personal statements that uphold standards of academic honesty central to the process. Colleges seek students who will take ownership of their own education – so representing oneself with integrity from the start sets the right tone for success. Authentic essays, though challenging, allow students’ voices to shine through in the sincere way admissions officers hope to discover.
Andrew Stroud