College Essays

In response to Jeff Danziger’s essay “Who Am I in a College Application Essay? So Phony I Smell Sincere,” (Op-Ed Page, Jan. 22):

Reading Danziger’s essay regarding the book, “100 Successful College Application Essays,” heightens my skepticism of this part of the college admission process. I annually write approximately 60 letters of recommendation for college-bound seniors and spend four to five days of my Christmas vacation writing honest and careful evaluations.

The student essays can be written by anyone. Ambitious parents help their kids. Teachers are asked to critique essays. Some students simply hire it done. Others conscientiously write their own, spend hours on attention-getting essays (“I am a croissant” is a famous one), neglect their studies and let grade averages fall.

I suggest another approach. An essay test could be administered in addition to the Scholastic Aptitude Test. This test would be a genuine attempt to evaluate a student’s ability to respond intelligently to a meaningful question in a more controlled environment.

MARY FALLON

San Marino