<p>@emenya – I’m not seeing the post you’re referring to, but I agree that the essays are marked “very important” in decisions for good reason! I remember one dean of admissions (I think it was at an HPY school, perhaps Princeton) remarked that how you write is a reflection of how you think – and in that sense allows them a “window” to your mind and views. Yeah, admittedly essays can be fake or bought, but for most students it’s one of the very few and vital chances they get to tell admissions who they are/how they think and what they love to do. Sometimes you need to express something that can’t be read off your activities or transcript. </p>