Why Colleges Dropping Essays Is Actually Bad News for Applicants

Easier to apply isn't the same as easier to get in. Tulane and the University of Georgia announced this month that they're dropping supplementary essays — which will almost certainly make both schools harder to get into, not easier. 

One less essay to write is a relief to students looking to apply to these schools. But this brings on more competition as well.

Students who never considered these schools will suddenly add them to their list — because why not? No extra essay means no extra effort.  

Colleges are going to reap the rewards of increased numbers of applicants. When they receive more applicants than they can accommodate, admissions rates go down. To many families, higher selectivity correlates to a better school. Tulane and UGA have not mentioned any intent to increase their class sizes, so their recent admit rates of 8.4% and 37.7–40%, respectively, will decrease with more applicants.

Tulane also has had no application fee since 2006, which also drives up applications numbers. Applying for free is just another hurdle removed. 

University of Georgia charges $70 to apply. Last year they received 47,860 applications, which is about the average for the last 5 years. Bringing in more applicants would benefit the school financially as well.

To make sure your student’s application isn’t just a profit to the school, take these steps:

• Do your research. Find schools that are best fits for your student, not just ones that are easy to tack onto a list.

• Grades, test scores, activities, and your main essay will matter all the more. Make sure to give the common application a lot of consideration.

• You won’t have a chance to express why you want to attend the school nor why you chose your major, so try to get some of this information into your application.

Choosing where to apply can be tricky. Please consider carefully when adding last minute schools to your list. This is exactly what I help families navigate by building a list of colleges your student actually wants to attend.