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If you have been browsing through Clastify's vast range of college essay exemplars, you may have noticed that a grade is associated with each one. This guide will explain in detail how Clastify determines the grade for each essay, ensuring that students have a reliable standard for the quality of essays required to succeed in college applications.
Clastify College Grades Explained
The Grading Scale
Clastify grades college essay exemplars according to the table outlined below.
Grade | Rank | Significance |
|---|---|---|
A | Great | The essay is basically perfect and includes everything an admissions officer might be looking for in a college essay. There is a clear thesis statement, developed body paragraphs, and a strong conclusion. Some areas for improvement may be outlined, but overall the essay is well-written. |
B | Good | The essay is acceptable but may require improvements in some areas. For example, the thesis statement might be weak or missing, or the student may have not developed some of the body paragraphs in enough depth. |
C | Mediocre | This essay is missing several key requirements and many changes should be made before a perfect grade can be achieved. More than a few errors are present that affect the essay's cohesiveness or understandability. |
D | Bad | This essay does not meet most of the requirements for a strong essay. While there may be some positive aspects, the overall essay fails to captivate the reader or tell the student's story effectively. Major changes need to be made before the essay can be considered good quality. |
F | Terrible | This essay fails to meet the requirements and is unlikely to impress admissions officers. Along with narrative plot discrepancies, there may also be other issues such as with spelling, grammar, or syntax. Overall, this is a poorly written essay and needs to be completely rewritten before submission to any college applications. |
Each grade is used to group essays and rank them according to the above scale, thereby allowing you to determine which essays are relatively good or bad. You can then look at the feedback provided for each essay and ensure you incorporate the positive elements into your own essay and leave out the negative ones.
How the Grades are Determined
Since there are no official criteria for marking a Common App or supplemental essay, the grades displayed next to the exemplar are based on the personal discretion of the reviewer marking that particular essay. Essays that are more likely to receive a grade of A are those that are well-developed, with a clear thesis statement/hook, captivating body paragraphs, and a memorable conclusion.
Clicking on the "Essay Analysis" tab will take you to a section where the reviewer has provided detailed feedback for each essay. For each essay, the reviewer identifies key points that the student has done well, along with areas for improvement. The amount of positive and negative feedback will depend on the grade that the essay has received – i.e. essays with grade A/B will have more positive comments, while essays with grade C/D/F will have more areas for improvement outlined.
We hope this guide has helped you understand how we determine the grades for each of our college essay exemplars. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.
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