<p>Almost every thread in this forum asks for readers and for input on essays. Sometimes lots of people sign up to give suggestions. But this can have some bad consequences.</p>
<p>First, you should only ask for readers for your “final” draft. Your first draft is absolutely the wrong place to ask for input. That draft will be changing, and input at that point will be taking you away from your “voice.”</p>
<p>Secondly, you should be getting input on word usage and grammar, and that can be done with relatively few outside readers. Getting any more than that is a dangerous slope. As you try to incorporate more and more of the sometimes conflicting suggestions, your “voice” begins to fade. Just like a hardwood floor that is over-polished, the grain of the wood (what makes you unique) becomes harder to see. Your essay loses its uniqueness and begins to look more like every other essay that crosses the admissions officer’s desk.</p>
<p>If you have a good approach and plan and focus for your essay, it should remain your work and a window into what makes you you.</p>
<p>–Robert Cronk, author of Concise Advice: Jump-Starting Your College Admissions Essays</p>