Out of pure curiosity (I promise!), I stumbled upon services offering to write your college essay for you. Obviously, this raises some red flags, but do people actually do this? Isn't it, like, totally against the rules?
Absolutely not – it is both unethical and against the admissions rules of virtually every college and university. The personal essay is meant to be a reflection of your own thoughts, experiences, and writing ability. Hiring someone else to write it for you is considered academic dishonesty and can have severe consequences. If discovered, it could result in your application being rejected, and if found out after admission, it could lead to expulsion.
Beyond the possible repercussions, there's also the matter of integrity. The college admissions process is about finding the right fit between the student and the institution, and by submitting a fraudulent essay, you're essentially starting off your college career on a dishonest footing.
Yes, there are people who do this, but it is a risky and disingenuous practice that undermines the value of your application and is unfair to other applicants who put in the hard work to write their own essays. Admissions officers are also quite adept at discerning authentic student voices versus those that have been overly polished or written by someone else. Play it safe and invest the time to write a genuine essay that truly represents who you are.
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