I've heard some friends say not every college asks for a personal essay... is that true? I'm kind of freaking out about the amount of writing I have to do, so knowing I might not have to write an essay for some colleges would be a big relief.
It's absolutely true that not all colleges require a personal essay. While many colleges do ask for an essay as part of their application, there are certainly schools out there that either make it optional or don't include it at all in their admissions process. It often depends on the application platform they use (such as Common App or Coalition App) or their own institutional policies.
For instance, some larger public universities might not require an essay, especially if they have a high volume of applicants and utilize other factors like GPA and test scores for their initial screening. However, smaller or more selective colleges tend to lean heavily on essays to understand an applicant's personality and fit for their community.
You can easily find out which schools require essays and which do not by visiting their admissions websites or using college search tools like CollegeVine or other similar resources. This way, you can focus your effort and time on crafting meaningful essays where they are actually required!
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