Although completion of a challenging curriculum, high school grade point average, and ACT or SAT scores are most important to admissions committees, the quality of a student's essay may carry fairly substantial weight in determing whether he/she is offered or denied admission. And, as a general rule, the more selective the college, the more important the essay.

Moderately selective colleges do not generally agonize over essays. For the most part, they just want to be sure that applicants can write pretty well and put together a few coherent thoughts. Highly selective colleges may be looking for something that sets an applicant apart from others with a similar level of high academic achievement.

Almost never will an essay, however good, compensate for sub par academic achievement. And, offering excuses for mediocre academic performance is seldom a good idea. As a professor with whom I served on an admissions committee used to say, "Everyone's grandmother dies". Promising to earn a 4.0 GPA, score touchdowns, or become a wealthy and generous alumnus will not help either.

Take advantage of the chance essays give you to introduce yourself by:

1. Expressing yourself to the best of your ability. Write, rewrite and edit until you are fully satisfied with the result. Then, ask someone who writes well to critique your work and make a final revision.

2. Including honest insight about yourself. And, do not be reluctant to speak about areas in which you want to grow and improve yourself. Lois Lane is looking for Superman...colleges are not.

3. Presenting your accomplishments without conceit.

4. Being certain to avoid sounding like one of the transparent beauty queens who thinks she'll help her case by talking about God, her parents, her patriotism, and her commitment to world peace.

It is not necessary to go for the home run. Just remember the tips listed above and a few of the basics; write clearly and thoughtfully, be honest, demonstrate insight, and know your audience.