According to a recent survey of admissions officers, only one in four private colleges say the essay is of "considerable importance" in judging an application.
The findings contradict research published earlier this year showing that returning adult trigger a significant decline in their parents' quality of life and wellbeing.
As I was suffering through my week of anxiety, overthinking the material and guessing my grasp of it, I did some of my own polling among students and professors.
So you can imagine the reaction when a recent USA Today investigation of air quality around the nation's schools singled out those in the smugly green village of Berkeley, Calif.
Thee findings have prompted warnings that a generation of ambitious young women will miss out on a high-flying career and the opportunity to continue their education.