Do any colleges not require essays for admission?

Hi everyone! I'm a junior starting my college search, and I'm curious if there are any colleges out there that don't require essays for admission. It'd be nice to have a few less essays to write! Thanks in advance.

Yes, there are colleges that don't require essays for admission! These schools often have a more streamlined application process and look at other factors, such as GPA, class rank, and standardized test scores (if applicable), when evaluating prospective students.

Many state schools, such as all California State Universities (those in the Cal State system), do not require essays as part of their application process. Additionally, some smaller schools and community colleges also don't require essays for admission.

That being said, you'll still find that most colleges do require essays. So, don't rule out a school automatically just because it requires essays - rather, be thoughtful about not overextending yourself in terms of the number of essays you're committing to writing, and make sure that the ones you do write are as strong as possible. Admissions essays help colleges understand who you are as an individual beyond your academic profile, and thus can make a significant difference in the decision process, if the school requires them.

Finally, even if a particular school doesn't require any school-specific supplemental essays, there's a decent chance it will still require a main personal statement, which you can submit to all of your schools through a platform like the Common App. Since you may well end up needing to write this essay, even if none of your schools have any supplements, you may find CollegeVine's guidance on how to tackle it useful: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-common-application-essays/.

Overall, while there are certainly schools out there that don't require essays, odds are at least some of your schools will, and it's important to craft high-quality responses for these institutions. Good luck!