[Goose]

I hate to break it to you, but football and basketball transfer applicants (could be all sports, but these ones are confirmed) don't write essays... Only their grades are reviewed by admissions.

I am OK with that. IMO essays are a poor way to evaluate much about a student beyond their ability to use the English language. What the essay actually says is undoubtedly the student's best guess at what will get them admitted. How much of it is "true" in any sense is questionable. It is a polite way to roll the dice that can be justified as an "objective" process when it definitely is not. IMO essays should be removed from the admissions process. Of course, I am an engineer. The again, I have written more proposals than I care to count. Kind of the same idea. Convince the "customer" that you are the only possible choice :-).

[Goose]

I hate to break it to you, but football and basketball transfer applicants (could be all sports, but these ones are confirmed) don't write essays... Only their grades are reviewed by admissions.

I am OK with that. IMO essays are a poor way to evaluate much about a student beyond their ability to use the English language. What the essay actually says is undoubtedly the student's best guess at what will get them admitted. How much of it is "true" in any sense is questionable. It is a polite way to roll the dice that can be justified as an "objective" process when it definitely is not. IMO essays should be removed from the admissions process. Of course, I am an engineer. The again, I have written more proposals than I care to count. Kind of the same idea. Convince the "customer" that you are the only possible choice :-).