<p>yeah, I don’t agree with having a ton of people proofread your essays either. First off, a lot of people (as OP said “parents, pastor…”) do not have the knowledge or experience of what a good COLLEGE essay should include. Also, as selpaso said above, the essay may somehow morph into a cluttered compilation of others’ thoughts rather than being purely your own, which I think is what the admissions officers really want. I didn’t get in early, but I still stand by this as far as the essays go.</p>