When college admissions officers review applications, part of the information they consider is the personal essay. Now students are getting help on those essays.

A thriving industry has grown up around the college essay. Numerous books, websites, and training seminars have been developed to help students write college essays that will win them admission into their college of choice. Most of the sources do not actually write the essay, but all offer advice, suggestions, and examples to help students craft their own papers.

People in the new industry claim they are doing nothing wrong. After all, parents have always been able to help their children write and revise their applications.

The new industry also blames the universities for creating the demand for writing assistance.

Yet admissions officers worry that the college essay industry is doing more harm than good. They note that the prep services lead to formulaic essays that look prepped and may not match the information on the application form. Outstanding essays may not be matched by the students’ writing and verbal skills scores.

Plagiarism site Turnitin.com says 11% of the admissions essays it checked contained at least one-quarter unoriginal material. Other critics claim that the costly services put students who cannot afford the extra help at a disadvantage. 45 Do you think essay prep services are ethical? Why or why not?

1. Many college career offices have open files of essays students have written for graduate school applications.

Are these examples ethical?

2. Suppose you look at many of these essays, then write a draft of your own that an adviser heavily marks up for content, organization, and mechanics.

Is this level of help ethical?

3. If you answered yes to questions 1 and 2, is there a level of help you find unethical? What is it?

4. Are your answers to questions 1 and 2 the same as your answers about the for-profit essay services?

Why or why not?

5. Is similar help (files of examples, detailed feedback from a colleague) on a work document ethical? Why or why not? If your answer is different here from your answer to question 2, what factors cause the difference?

Discuss your answers in small groups. Then write an e-mail to your instructor detailing

■ Your opinions about the ethics involved in questions 1–5.

■ Areas where your group disagreed with your opinions.

■ Insights you gained from the group discussion.