The Common Application essay is a notoriously challenging piece for many students to write. With 650 words or less to convey their unique personalities, experiences, and goals, high school seniors feel immense pressure to craft the perfect personal statement.
Enter essay writing services that promise to assist students by composing completed essays or providing editing help. While the intention is to lessen students’ stress, outsourcing significant portions of the Common App essay risks negating its purpose and can even contribute to unfair advantages.
Some key things to know about Common Application essay writing services:
How They Work
Students submit prompts and basic biographical information to the service. Writers then draft responses aimed to highlight the student’s accomplishments and personality. Services range from having professionals fully write the essays to simply editing drafts the student already composed.
Cost and Quality Variations
Prices vary greatly depending on turnaround time, word count, subject area, and writer qualifications. Budget options can be as low as $10 per page but come with junior writers and quality control issues. Premium packages with experienced PhDs run $30-50 per page but provide higher-quality, polished essays.
Unethical Considerations
While services argue they simply provide helpful editing, outsourcing more than minor essay tweaks risks negating the premise of a personal statement. Admissions officers want to learn about applicants directly from them, not a ghostwriter. Additionally, outsourcing gives unfair advantages over self-authored essays.
Legal Gray Areas
No clear laws exist around using writing services, but most high-profile university policies strictly prohibit submitted work not written solely by the applicant. Dishonestly presenting ghostwritten work as one’s own breaks conduct codes and risks revoking admission if discovered. Additionally, services cannot guarantee admission.
Alternatives to Consider
Rather than outsourcing significant essay portions, students should use services judiciously – for example, having writers review one draft or brainstorm topics but composing responses independently. Peer reviews, teacher feedback, and editing one’s own work also help improve writing skills authentically.
Deciding Whether to Use a Service
Students feeling overwhelmed by the process or tight deadlines may be most tempted by writing services. Taking a step back and properly managing time, outlining thoughts, and iterating on drafts usually results in higher-quality, more genuine personal statements showcasing the applicant’s unique strengths and experiences.
For those still considering outsourcing, only use services willing to provide transparency on writer qualifications and disclose their involvement in final submissions. Be aware though that any segment not written by the student risks negating the purpose of a personal narrative. Honest self-reflection and autonomy in the application yields the best outcomes.
Overall, the Common Application personal statement is meant to begin the relationship between admissions officers and prospective students. While writing assistance services aim to ease anxiety, relying too heavily on ghostwritten content prevents applicants from truly representing themselves and can unfairly impact acceptance chances at selective schools. With guidance and perseverance, students are fully capable of articulating their experiences and goals through authentic, self-authored essays.