January 25, 2002

The Application Essay

By SARAH MYERS McGINTY

Tucked away at the back of many college applications is a blank page headed with a benign invitation to "tell us about yourself." A part of the admissions process since the post-World War II explosion in college enrollment, the essay or personal statement began as a gauge of student enthusiasm ("Why in particular do you wish to attend Bates College?"). Over the years, it has been called upon to do other work: to capture how the applicant thinks; to reveal how he or she writes; to uncover

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