<p>to determine your writing skills or to determine your character?</p>
<p>Both. They want a well written essay about who YOU are. So if there are a bunch of grammar mistakes and a generally unimpressive writing style, you will not impress anyone even if you come off as the coolest, nicest, and most hardworking kid in the world (which I doubt you could do without good technique anyway). Likewise, if you have beautiful and flawless prose with in depth descriptions of flowers and butterflies, that will not do anything for you either, unless of course you say something about yourself in the process. </p>
<p>Hope this helps. :)</p>
<p>^ totally right</p>