In previous posts, we’ve mentioned that the college essay is the most underestimated part of the college application – and it’s certainly true that a top college essay will dramatically improve your chances of getting into your dream college.

But from our perspective, that’s just the beginning. If you approach the process correctly and write an essay that captures your authentic experience, you will reap the benefits throughout your entire professional life. Here are three benefits to writing a strong college essay that we believe are even more important than getting into college.

If in your darker moments you find yourself asking, “Can I pay someone to write my college essay?” we’re here to tell you: no. We obviously don’t need to tell you that getting someone to write your college essay is a violation of academic ethics, and if you’re caught, you will either be rejected from the college in question or your offer of acceptance will be rescinded. That’s not the point of today’s blog post. Instead, we’re going to explain why paying someone for this service is a bad idea for a different reason: it simply won’t improve your chances of being admitted in the first place. 

Here are three reasons why you should never pay someone to write your college essay for you — and if anyone offers you this service, you should run.

The college essay is a rite of passage in American life. Some students look forward to writing about themselves; most don’t, because they’ve never written anything like it before. Nevertheless, along with their GPA, SAT, and extracurriculars list, the admissions essay plays a key part in determining where students end up going to college.

There has recently been a flurry of headlines claiming that the college essay is dead and that nothing can be done to save it. This is patently untrue. The college essay not only isn’t dead; it’s the one component of the college application most likely to endure. Here’s why the college essay will continue to play a key role in admissions decisions for many years to come.

It happens to everyone. You have an essay due in a month, and somehow you never quite get to it. A week slips by, then another, then another, and the next thing you know, you’re pulling an all-nighter. You’re up till 5am the next day making sure you reach the word count, and you get it in just on time. What a relief!

While this may be a decent idea for one of your classes in high school - and it may even work better than writing your essay in advance sometimes - it’s a terrible idea for the college essay. Here are the three main reasons why you shouldn’t write this all-important 650-word essay just before the deadline.

It’s very difficult to stand out in a college application. Of course, it’s extremely important to have good grades, a high SAT/ACT score, and an impressive list of extracurriculars - but lots of students submit impressive applications that meet all of these criteria. The college essay is the only part of the application that gives you the chance to distinguish yourself from everyone else.

A college essay tutor is the last qualified person to read your essay before it goes to admissions officers, and they won’t be doing you a service if they act like you’re ready to submit when you’re not. If you know what to expect, working with a college essay tutor can be extremely helpful and, we hope, enjoyable! Here are three reasons why you should seek out a college essay tutor who’s direct with you:

We’re suspicious of the current boom in college counseling. We feel that something very wrong is going on when parents are paying huge sums for this service (as opposed to purchasing a service with a discrete educational benefit). Of course, if you’re having trouble picking schools, it might make sense to meet with a college counselor once or twice, and if you haven’t grown up in the US, it’s certainly a good idea to get some advice on the college application process. But the current situation is over the top, and it’s the exact wrong message to give to teenagers. Here’s why we discourage you from investing huge sums in a college counselor, and urge you to get expert help with your college essay (usually at a fraction of the cost) instead.

If you’re applying to college this year, you may be worried that you’ll avoid working on your college essays until the last moment, when it’s too late to write something impactful. This is an affliction known as “college essay procrastination,” and it’s extremely common among high school seniors. We understand why! Writing is challenging in the best of circumstances, but now you have to come up with a compelling essay that will play a large part in determining where you go to college. It’s no wonder students get freaked out and have trouble getting started.

That’s why we’ve assembled three of the most effective tips we recommend for our students. Each one covers a different part of the college essay process.

Every year we read hundreds of college admissions essays, and we often feel like a broken record in our sessions. That’s because most of our students make the same mistakes when they write their college essays, and our goal is to set them in the right direction. So to save a bit of time, here are the five dos and don’ts of writing college essays.

Every year, high schoolers come to us just before their college application deadlines, desperate for help with their college essays. They often have excellent GPAs, and they’ve spent many months preparing for the SAT or ACT – but they’ve left the college essay to the last minute.This year, we’re offering a solution. Our early bird webinar helps students start thinking about their essay topics long before the deadlines.

Here are three reasons you should consider taking our webinar, “Writing the Real You: Discover Meaningful and Authentic Essay Topics that Colleges Will LOVE.”

It’s always easy for us to identify top students because they approach their college applications in the same way: They take as many AP or Honors courses as possible, and they get perfect or near-perfect grades throughout high school; they do significant test prep and “crush” the SAT/ACT; they build an impressive list of extracurricular achievements that they showcase in their resumes.

Top students excel at everything they undertake, which is great. But there’s a problem here. The same skills that mean excellence in every other area can actually lead high achieving students to make a critical error when they write their college essays. Top students don’t necessarily write top college essays.