Admission Staff Place Two Times More Importance On Authenticity In Student Essays Than On Grammar and Punctuation, and More Than Three Times More Than On Impressive Experiences

NEW YORK, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Authenticity is more than twice as likely to fall within the top three criteria used by admission professionals to evaluate application essays as grammar and punctuation.  It is also more than three times as likely to be a top factor as students' ability to relate impressive experiences and credentials; this, according to a survey conducted by Story To College, the New York based essay development and training provider and announced by the company today.  The survey was conducted with admission professionals from 12 top New York State private colleges and universities.

Story To College conducted the research as part of an annual meeting of 48 admission officers on June 11, 2012 at Syracuse University's Minnowbrook Conference Center in Blue Mountain Lake, New York.  Dr. Carol Barash, Founder and CEO of Story To College, also gave a speech entitled "Reading Admissions Essays for Markers of Student Success", the keynote speech at the event.

"Admission offices are looking for the exact opposite criteria of the direction taken by an increasing number of parents who purchase expensive service trips and internships for their children. Admissions committees are looking for the student's own voice and perspective, not something others can purchase for them," said Dr. Barash.

The Story To College survey also found:

• Authenticity placed among the top three factors for 69 percent of respondents, compared to 27 percent of respondents naming grammar and punctuation and 19 percent of respondents naming impressive experiences.
• Admission officers also place "fit for their undergraduate community" as a top criterion, at 65 percent.
• At more than half of schools, the same people who make admissions decisions make merit aid decisions. 
• At 85 percent of schools, as many as five percent of applications are specifically rejected because their applications were not prepared by the student, while at 15 percent of schools, as many as 20 percent are rejected.
• Half of admission staff say that the most common student and parent misconception about the process is that their school is looking for a single type of student.

"With college costs on the rise and student loan amounts increasingly onerous for families and students," concluded Barash, "our findings show that placing a bet on a safe 'tell them what they want to hear' college application is in reality a dangerous and costly wager."

To schedule an interview with Dr. Carol Barash, please contact Christopher Fox at email: [email protected] or +1 646-290-6103.

About Story To College

Story To College teaches students tools to complete college application essays in their own voice and improve writing confidence and college readiness. The company has created proprietary training methods and materials that fit the needs of college bound students from diverse backgrounds. The Story To College curriculum was designed by a team of teachers, professional storytellers, college counselors, and admission officers. In the past 18 months the company has worked with over 3000 students. All have them have gotten into at least one of their top choice colleges, and all who applied for merit aid received it. For more information visit: www.storytocollege.com.

Media Contact: Christopher Fox, Syncresis, +1-877-889-6660, [email protected]

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SOURCE Story To College