Question

The primary purpose of a college application essay is
A. to provide a detailed synopsis of one's academic history.
B. to give admissions decision-makers an idea of an applicant's attributes.
C. to illustrate one's ability to understand advanced vocabulary.
D. to prove an applicant's determination to attend a particular college or university.

Answer 1

Generally speaking, the primary purpose of a college application essay is "B. to give admissions decision-makers an idea of an applicant's attributes," since this allows the applicant to speak of things that were not asked about in other portions of the application.