Grade my essay.
Paste your college essay and get a real grade: a 0-100 score, the percentile against accepted essays from top US schools, and the exact lines holding it back. Free, no account needed for your first read.
What the grade measures
Kolly grades six dimensions admissions readers actually weigh: hook (do the first lines earn a second paragraph), theme (is there one idea or five), detail (specific scenes versus resume language), authenticity (does it sound like a 17-year-old or a committee), reflection (did anything change in you), and writing (rhythm, economy, control). Each dimension gets its own score, and the weakest one comes with a one-sentence rewrite showing how accepted essays handled the same moment.
What the number means
The grade is calibrated against accepted essays from top US schools, so the percentile is a position in a real distribution, not a vibe. Most first drafts land between the 50th and 70th percentile. Accepted essays at selective schools cluster above the 85th. The useful part is not the number, it is knowing which three sentences are keeping you under it.
Grade, fix, regrade
A grade you can't act on is trivia. After the score, Kolly marks the weak lines in your draft, suggests rewrites in your own voice, and regrades every revision so you can watch the percentile move before you submit. Your first full review is free; the Season Pass covers every essay for every school until decisions come out.
Frequently asked
How does the essay grader score my essay?
Kolly reads your essay the way an admissions office does, then scores it 0 to 100 across six dimensions: hook, theme, detail, authenticity, reflection, and writing. The overall grade comes with a percentile that shows where your draft lands against accepted essays from top US schools, so a 78 is not an opinion, it is a position in a real distribution.
Is the college essay grader actually free?
Yes. Your first read runs without an account. A free account adds one full review: the grade plus line-by-line notes and a fix-it plan for the paragraph hurting your essay most. Grading every essay for every school all season is what the paid plans cover.
What grade does a typical college essay get?
Most first drafts land in the 50th to 70th percentile: structurally fine, personally generic. Accepted essays at selective schools cluster above the 85th. The gap is usually specificity and reflection, not grammar, which is why the grade comes with the exact lines to fix rather than a letter grade alone.
How is this different from a teacher grading my essay?
A teacher grades against a writing rubric. Admissions readers compare you against every other applicant in the pile. Kolly is calibrated on essays that actually got in, so the grade reflects the comparison that decides your application, not the one that decides your English class.
Can the grader check my Common App essay?
Yes. Paste any 100 to 1,500 word draft: Common App personal statement, supplemental essays, or scholarship essays. School-specific supplements can also be graded against what that school looks for.