Writing an essay for someone else is cheating. It's still wrong. Just not as punishable as a crime. BTW, cheating in Keju (Chinese imperial examination) is a capitol crime, as it undermined the fairness of the system and the quality of the ruling class, and derived the chances of other poor candidates. Not that I think cheating is serious, mind you, just wanted to give perspective on how different cultures perceive cheating and the underlying rationales.