It's officially crunch time if you are a senior applying to college - most early admissions deadlines have passed; regular deadlines are just around the corner. But that's no reason to get all worked up.

Get out your calendar, make sure you leave room in your busy schedule to get your college essays done right, and don't forget to make time to proofread everything before you click send.

During this stressful time in your life, please remember to breathe! You've done all you can to up to this point to get good grades and tests scores. There's only one thing left you can do to stand out: nail that college essay!

"It's value-added," said Michigan State University Director of Admissions Jim Cotter, a 30+-year industry veteran. "At a moderately selective school, the essay can pull a student on the cusp up. At a highly selective school, a poor statement can make the difference between being admitted or not."

There is a lot of misinformation out there that can take you off track. Consider these college essay myths and facts before you get started:

Fact: Of course admissions officers read your essays. They wouldn't ask you to write something they did not plan to read.