<p>Last night I attended a presentation by admissions officers from Duke, Penn, Stanford, Georgetown, and Harvard [Exploring</a> College Options](<a href=“http://exploringcollegeoptions.org/]Exploring”>http://exploringcollegeoptions.org/) When asked for essay tips, they gave the typical advices: it should be in your own voice, don’t procrastinate, if you accidentally dropped it in the hall at your school and some one were to pick it up and read it they should know it could only be “you”, have someone who knows you well read it and tell you if it sounds like your voice, etc.</p>
<p>One of the reps, from Duke as I recall, emphasized that the essay should show something about the applicant that would not be found elsewhere in the file. As she said this the other panelists were all nodding in agreement to emphasize the point.</p>
<p>This wasn’t addressed specifically to athletes, but I think the advice holds for athletes. They already know you’re an athlete; show them something more. As an academically qualified recruited athlete, they want to admit you and they probably will even with a mediocre essay. But better to make their job easier by showing them another aspect of yourself.</p>