Hello, and welcome to my blog! We'll use this forum throughout the year as a way to encourage discussion between all students, leaving behind the boundaries and borders of the traditional classroom. It doesn't matter which period you are in or who you sit next to: hopefully this blog will bring together students from a variety of different periods, background experiences, personalities, thought processes, etc.
For our first post, I'll ask you to read at least two of the following articles regarding the college essay. Choose any two from the list provided, then respond with your insights, observations, comments, etc. Try to move beyond simple responses like, "I knew that" or "I didn't know that." Instead, reflect on your own experiences and expectations as a student readying for college admissions. What insights do these readings offer on the development of those essays?
Please refer by title to the articles that you read and use direct quotations where appropriate.Each person is required to post an individual response, but feel free to comment upon the observations and insights of your classmates, as well. Oh, please include your first name and last initial as well as period number in your post. I look forward to reading your responses...
The Links
Blurring the Line Between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch
Getting In Gets Harder: The children of the baby boomers are flooding colleges with applications, making the process more competitive than ever.
Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students
Writing the Essay: Solid Advice From an Expert - UVA
Holding College Chiefs to Their Words
The Perfect Essay Eight secrets to crafting a memorable personal statement.
The College Essay: Expert Advice
Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay
Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life
College essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words
Making a hard-life story open a door to college
Controversy over College Essay Sites
College Admissions ... A little guidance
U.Va. Office of Admission Essays
Advice from an expert -
College applications can be too good -
How much do college admissions essays matter -
Teacher Says College Admissions Essays (washingtonpost.com) (2
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93 comments:
I was very interested to read how the college presidents mentioned in “Holding College Chiefs to Their Words” would react to writing college essays themselves. College presidents reported difficulty with the problem of sounding “overly self-promotional or phony” and writing about personal topics which I found amusing because I know most of the seniors at Memorial, including myself, are struggling with these same issues. The article advises to “stop trying to come up with the perfect topic” which resonated closely with my college application experience. I get so stressed out trying to think of the “perfect topic” to fulfill the characteristics a college is looking for in its applicants. But as Mrs. Kohlmaier pointed out in class Friday, there is no possible way to fulfill these mystery characteristics so I should just be myself in my college essays and hope for the best. “Holding College Chiefs to Their Words” mainly gave me hope that college admissions officers might actually understand the difficulty all seniors are facing in coming up with a college essay that includes personality, originality, and depth. “Colleges Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students” reflects my concerns and stress about getting into a top college. I feel like my hard work in high school is not going to be enough to get me into a good college, putting even more pressure on the one opportunity to define myself, the college essay. The article also mentions the “record low admission rates this year” because of increased applications due to the “uncertainty of admission”. I am a part of this trend, applying to at least two colleges I would not be thrilled to go to simply because I need “back up” schools. This “self-perpetuating cycle” makes me wonder if all college applications should be different (fellow seniors, please don’t kill me) to promote students to apply only to schools they actually want to go to, resulting in less applications and more students admitted. The end of the article states that “attendance at a well known school does not appear to give any long-term advantage to students”, reminding me that the most importantly thing is that I will actually go to college.
-Emma M. Period 5
*most important, sorry
One of the things that struck me at first after reading "Getting In Gets Harder" was how low the chance of getting into college can be. According to the article, there are cases where colleges get "13,000 applications for 3,100 spaces". I knew it would be hard to get into college, but i never realized it would be that hard. The article also pointed out the emotional state of students who get rejection notes from colleges. Apparently in one case, the girl "lay down on her mother's bed and cried". While i don't think this will happen to me, the possibility makes me feel uncomfortable. The second article i read was "College applications can be too good". What this article made me wonder how good of an idea it is to have my parents proof-read my essays. According to the article, " admissions officers are keeping a sharp lookout for essays that might have had an undue adult influence". This worries me because if my parents critique my essay, will that make colleges question the authenticity of my application? I already worry that some of the corrections my parents have me make to my essays removes my voice. Could this influence my ability to go to college in a negative way? According to article, maybe. Because of this article, i am now going to make sure that my personal voice stays strong in my essays so that colleges will know that i wrote it.
Will Woodruff
period 5
The article, 'Getting In Gets Harder: The children of the baby boomers are flooding colleges with applications, making the process more competitive than ever,' immediately caught my eye because I've noticed that many of my friends (graduates of '10) did not get accepted into colleges of their choice even though they were valedictorians/salutatorians. This article explained that students of high caliber were not turned away because they lacked extracurricular activities or anything of that sort; there were merely too many applicants. This showed me that grades weren't the only section that colleges focused on. I'm assuming thanks to the growing number of college applicants, they may be focusing on the character shown in the essay and/or application also.
Another article I found useful was the 'Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay.' One part in it, "Share your opinions, but avoid anything too risky or controversial. Your essay will be read by a diverse group of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, so try to appeal to the broadest audience possible," helped steer me in the right direction in terms of my UT essay. Another section, 'Don’t repeat what is already in your application' also taught me something I didn't know. I will use this article to help develop my essay further.
Jena Kim, period 7
The first article that caught my eye was "The Perfect Essay: Eight Secrets to Crafting a Memorable Personal Essay"; unfortunately, the link was broken. I guess I should have known there would be no easy answer. Oh, well.
"Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students" was pretty terrifying. I started to feel fear when I recognized the high school (Thomas Jefferson) that they were referring to. I used to live in Fairfax. I would have gone to Thomas Jefferson. It is, at the very least, comparable to Memorial in terms of academic notability. And those students are struggling to get into their first choice. The numbers are separated this one from the baby boomer article (I read that one out of curiosity). It provided hard data as to the number of students colleges have to turn away. And John Latting's quote worried me also. When he said "We were kind of struck by the fact that we were wait-listing and denying students that last year or two years ago we would have been happy to admit," it reminded me of a fact I heard a bit ago: In the near future, what college students learn about technology their freshman year will be outdated by the junior year. It's the same sort of idea; I'm working off of old information. What if I haven't done quite enough? In any case, when I saw that the article was from April of 2006, it did little to console me; this has been happening for at least five graduating classes. I suppose there's nothing I can really do to control this sort of thing. I can only do my best. My panic has receded some, so what I'm going to take away from it is sort of a new perspective at just how difficult it is to get in. I guess that doesn't really change my plans, but it is interesting.
"Holding College Chiefs to Their Words" was more fun to read. I suppose that what I took away from it was to pick a specific moment in time, keep it very personal, and write about something that you enjoy (which, I suppose, would lead to keeping it personal). It hasn't lead me to any new topic ideas yet, though, although I will keep in mind Debora Spar's method of twisting the prompt to her ideas. I have to say, as a side note, that I'm disappointed that they didn't anonymously send the essays to the deans' colleges to see if they'd get in-that could have been hilarious.
I've been that student before--the one that tries to use all the big, fancy words in my essay about a topic that is sure to be a tear-jerker for my grader in hopes that that will give me an automatic A plus.
And from what I gathered in reading "Admissions Ordeal: The Young Examined Life" this kind of mindset is popular for many college applicants preparing to write their essays. It reminds me of those vague TAKS prompts in which you are trying to make "a blessedly uneventful existence…into something extraordinary, intriguing, distinctive". One of the students featured in the article said she "found herself wishing that somebody--anybody--in her family had died." We, as students, in pressure situations like these find ourselves envious of the kids who have had more unfortunate lives than us.
Gary Ripple, a director of admissions at Lafayette College, relieved some of my anxiety when he said that colleges just want us "to put some on flesh on an admission application." It's not about the perfect topic or the heart-wrenching story that will make the readers feel like they'd be sinning to not let you in. It's really about revealing something that your three page resume can't.
In a writer's world, this is called having a voice. UVA's "Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert" suggests "read[ing] it aloud to someone who knows them well; let that person decide if an individual's voice comes through." They emphasize the importance of the details in your life, after all the only thing differentiating me from the thousands of other applicants is being me.
And if I stick to that approach, I may as well veer away from an essay about my mission trip, the impact my 8th grade teacher had on me, or the death of my dog when I was little. UVA says to take a risk. Certainly, this is risky but "to err on the side of the baroque might not be as bad as to stay in the comfort of the boring."
Regardless, I think the conclusion I have come to is to just stop dwelling upon the essays and actually write them knowing that if I reveal my true self the right college will want me on their campus next fall.
-Molly McConn, Period 5
In “College Essays: Nerve-racking Search for Just the Right Words,” Mary Jane Smetanka calls upon the importance of making your college essay YOUR college essay. Her sub-plot of the shadowing of Mao Lee, and her scholarship application process, shows the troubles that she has faced. Mao has to write down a heart touching story of her life in poverty for a chance at scholarship money for college, this essay has to show the administrator who she is and why the reader wants her to attend that college. Mary Jane also comments on the un-usefulness of the “Ghost Writer” for ones college essay, as well as over editing from a parent or essay coach.
In “College Applications Can Be Too Good,” Peter Schwarm Warns the Applicant about the red flags that over-edited, adult-‘written,’ essays can conjure with the application reader. He suggests that the key might be to simplify the essay down or to roughen its shine just a tad. This gives it a more realist 17 year old feel. The polish on some essays makes the admissions officer question the writer, if it was a 17 year old, or if “Daddy Did It.” He does say that the importance of the college essay has risen from 19% up to 28% in the last five years (2003-2008, so who knows what it is now), so the pressure to write a ‘phenomenal’ essay is greatly increased. So, a little outside help is definitely encouraged, but one must make it sound like he/she wrote it.
Russell (Not Daniel) C. - Pd. 5
The article “Blurring the Line between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch” made me realize how imperative it is that your college essay and application be genuine. The article highlighted on how students are being persuaded to enroll and sign-up for services and activities only in order to bulk up their application and resume. All the “just for fun” talk is vanishing as students enter the application process. This causes me to feel anxious that my application may not appear authentic, even though it contains activities that I truly enjoyed participating in. Jon Reider commented by saying that “it matters whether you’re doing the activity for the right reasons”. But the pressure to have an exquisite application never fades away, and so “applicants end up in activities they may not care about”. The effect of that is that the students then provide colleges with an artificial sense of who they really are. The college essay, on the other hand, truly reveals a students’ voice, if written correctly. The article “How much do college admissions essays matter?” emphasizes the importance of employing your own personal voice into the essay. The essay shouldn’t sound like a “Ph.D. thesis”, in which the voice that colleges are looking for is absent. The article mentions how risky it could be to have your essay proofread by mom, dad, and/or friends, since by the time they’ve finished editing it, the true “life is out of it”. Frankly, with that said, I’m going to use more caution before changing my essay based upon the suggestions of family and friends, in hopes that my personal voice will be heard from my own words.
Abby H. Period 7
I spent the end of my summer completing all of my college essays, so reading these articles was enlightening and made me realize I may have some things to change in my essays. The first article I read, "The College Essay: Expert Advice" mentioned subtly, how "every word counts." That small statement intimidated me, just reading how these essays and the entire college application process is seen by everyone as such a big deal, and how 250 words can determine my future. Then this article mentioned how "high school performance is the most important" aspect in the application process. This was relieving to read. I couldn't agree more. Standardized tests do not accurately reflect what type of student you are, and essays are important, but won't necessarily show hard work ethic. They also mentioned that essays are just "a way to talk to us" in the admissions office. We can say whatever we want, explain ourselves, and be unique. Our resumes can't show our personalities and the whole package that we will bring to the college campus; the essays help them understand us "beyond the numbers." The second article I read, "Advice from an Expert" talked about what good and bad essays ultimately look like. It mentioned how bad essays are usually when "students try to impress with big words" or feel "insecure about using own voice." This stuck out to me because I've definitely done that. While I was writing my essays this summer, it was so difficult to get out of the 'research paper dialect;' that's all I've ever known how to write. I didn't realize that this 'informal' writing is what they are looking for; it's like having a conversation with the reader. This article also talked about how "a good essay shows not tells...appeals to all the senses, not just the visual." Clearly, details set the good essays apart from the bad; the more you can tell the reader, the more they will understand about who you are. After reading these articles, I really do have more confidence in what I have written thus far, and knowing that if I can just be myself on paper, then that's all that matters!
-Amy F. Period 5
I was interested to read “College applications can be too good” because it elaborated on the fact that colleges are now harder to get into and so applicants are plagiarizing and looking for too much adult help. Also, “at competitive schools…, a hint of doubt [that the essay is not fully the student’s] can tilt the balance” and turn the college away from the student. While applying early decision to a college that I really want to go to, I tried to shape my essay to fit the person that the college is looking for because that is what my tutor told me to do. This article take a different approach and makes it clear that if I don’t use my own voice and write about who I really am then my essay will “come across as scripted,” which is not what colleges want to see.
“Holding College Chiefs to Their Works” made me feel better about one of my college essays I have had trouble writing because I learned that even the most scholarly people have difficulties coming up with interesting topics. Even though the presidents of colleges could not think of topics immediately, they knew that they should not try “to come up with the perfect topic, [but instead] write personally meaningful themes.” They were also afraid of writing about a topic that is too personal, just like I am. Reading this article has made me feel more comfortable writing my essay because I now know that colleges understand the difficulty of writing essays and that personal essays can really show who I am as a person.
Erin Hall
Period 7
I would have to say that I dove into the college application process with a very cynical point of view. I felt that there was absolutely no way for a college admissions officer to ever get to know who I am by reading a simple essay and resumé. By reading the two articles “Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students” and “Getting in Gets Harder” my cynicism has only grown. The fact that “the largest number of high-school graduates in the history of the country” will competing to get into college certainly shakes my already dwindling confidence. Additionally, the phenomena of seniors applying “to more schools, which makes it even harder to get in, at least for the most sought-after schools” only creates more disdain for the college application process. I welcome the day that college applications are over and done with.
Zach G.
Period 7
***it keeps telling me that my comment is too large so i am going to post it in halves.
I know that getting into college is going to be somewhat difficult, but I never expected tear shedding and fit throwing. The article “Getting In Gets Harder” opened my eyes to the possibility of extreme failure and disappointment. Basically, the article taught me that the perfect college I want to get into is going to rip my heart to shreds and spit me out to the dogs before accepting me due to the overflow of students applying. Also, poor Maxine, the girl resembles all high school students who have a dream that is “frustratingly unobtainable”. What are they trying to say in this article? Try as hard as you can, but hey, you won’t get into your dream college anyways? Talk about a let down.
I feel like without some sort of interesting life story, the essay writing process is much more difficult. No deaths, no close calls, no accidents, no poverty, and no troubles makes it almost impossible to catch the reader’s attention. In the article “College essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words” a look at how personalizing college essays can be achieved through using voice and experiences. I’m not saying that it is a bad thing that I don’t have an interesting life story that causes people to cry and feel sympathy for me when they read my essay (and since this isn’t the TAKS test we are talking about, I can’t make up a sad story about how my dog died and I have been emotionally scarred ever since), I am just saying that catching the reader’s attention is more difficult without a story that is “uncomfortably revealing”.
After reading these two articles, I am sad to say that I feel defeated. Not only can I not get into the college of my dreams, but I can’t write a heart-wrenching life story that would give me a fighting chance. Good thing I have already been accepted to the college of my dreams: A&M. Gig ‘em fightin’ Texas Aggies, WHOOP!
After reading the article “College applications can be too good” I realized that I need to change my expectations for my college essays. At first, I believed that colleges were looking for the perfect essay that sounded as if it was written by wise older person. But after reading this article I have learned that colleges want to hear my voice and feelings in the essay. I believe this article will help me develop my colleges essays in the correct way, by realizing that colleges want me to" write from the heart."
Reading the article “How much do college admissions essays matter” has helped me modify my expectations for how much college essay impact the final decision on a student’s entrance into a university. I use to believe that the essay would make or break a student, but after reading this article I have learned that the essay is only a fraction of the decision. Colleges usually do not accept or deny a student based solely on their essay, and that makes this whole process just a little bit less stressful.
After reading the article “College applications can be too good” I realized that I need to change my expectations for my college essays. At first, I believed that colleges were looking for the perfect essay that sounded as if it was written by wise older person. But after reading this article I have learned that colleges want to hear my voice and feelings in the essay. I believe this article will help me develop my colleges essays in the correct way, by realizing that colleges want me to" write from the heart."
Reading the article “How much do college admissions essays matter” has helped me modify my expectations for how much college essay impact the final decision on a student’s entrance into a university. I use to believe that the essay would make or break a student, but after reading this article I have learned that the essay is only a fraction of the decision. Colleges usually do not accept or deny a student based solely on their essay, and that makes this whole process just a little bit less stressful.
John C. 7th period
One of the issues I have struggled with in writing my college essays is what to write about. After reading the two articles “Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert” by Parke Muth and “Admissions Essay ordeal: The young life examined” by Carey Goldberg I feel more content with the idea that there is truly no perfect topic.
In Goldberg’s article, he writes of Jessica Roeper, a girl applying to college, who has lived a “blessedly uneventful existence”. I completely identify with her. The first time I sat down to write I was stumped. I have never felt like I had a defining moment in my life, at least nothing worthy of an essay that may be the most important I ever write. I had heard many times it is not what you write but, how you write it. But, I like many others Goldberg writes about “never really believe admission officers when they say such thing”. The answer sounds too easy. It always seems there is some secret which if uncovered would fully guarantee my acceptance.
The second article I read served as the most compelling answer to this unsound idea. In Muth’s article there are two excerpts both with the topic of a death in the family. One essay was so poetically written that it conveyed all of the pain of the author. The other was so muddled by excessive vocabulary words that the sad topic became almost humorous. I started to agree more and more with Muth’s stance that “a good essay is not because of the topic but because of the voice”. It does not seem so important to me anymore that I have an intriguing topic. I need to focus more on the actual writing than the topic.
One point that Muth made that I found extremely interesting was that a good essay “appeals to all of the senses not just, visual”. In most of my essays I am trying to tell a story but I did not really consciously think about all of the senses. I think imagining all of the senses offers another way I could improve upon my paper. Muth’s also talked about taking a risk. I am a rather cautious person so the thought of taking a risk that would not pay off would generally cause me to shy away from writing an extreme paper. But there are many other people just like me and with the many papers that admissions counselors a risk could be a good way to distinguish my papers from others. Both articles offered a great deal of valuable insight that will be instrumental in writing my essay.
Eve Pferdehirt p.7
When I first read "Blurring the Line Between a College Applicant and a Slick Sales Pitch," I thought, Amen! The whole concept of students having to be "packaged" to get into his or her school of choice is painfully accurate. It's a shame that there is such a propensity of conformity when college is supposed to be all about self-discovery. The highschool girl in the interview stated it bluntly as, "at the end of the day you're just a sheet of paper." I really do wish there was not such a negative paradox that the college process entails, but there are just so many applicants that it's extremely difficult for colleges to narrow it down. I guess that explains why there is now a formulaic means of applying, but does not explain the irony of colleges saying they don't want a "box of cornflakes." As "Writing the Essay-Solif Advice from an Expert--UVA" labels it, "the formula." Sadly, there must always be some degree of a system, and working that system is the key. I found it very helpful it the second article that advises an essay to be "crafted by a voice that is practiced." An articulated, polished, air-brushed "you" is all it takes.
Analise Riddle, Period 4
The college essay has been built up to sound like an incredibly important part of the college application process that can make you or break you. I know I have worried and stressed about my essays, wondering if they will be good enough for me to be admitted. Some of my worries were calmed by reading “The College Essay: Experts Advice”. It was nice to see that admissions counselors at places such as Brown and Harvard understand how hard writing a well-crafted, and amazing college essay can be. Admission counselors at Harvard and Brown said that the “high school performance carries the most weight” and the essays is really to “illuminate [their] understanding of the applicant”.
One point that “The College Essay: Experts Advice” and “Blurring the Line Between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch” both mentioned is that importance of staying true to yourself and making your voice heard clearly through your essay. Colleges do not want the classic research paper we have all been trained to write for years now, or the overly dramatic TAKS essays we write. The essay needs to give the admissions counselor a “deeper look at the student”, therefore it is important that it truthfully reflects the writer. Chioma Isiadinso commented that it is important to “Think not just what you’ve done, but why you’ve done what you’ve done. What [colleges] care about is the passion, commitment and consistency.” I know that when starting on my essays, I’ve tried to embellish and make myself sound better than I am, but really it would be much better to write a simple essay about a small topic that reflected my personality and passions, rather than an essay that lied about who I was, because it would probably be obvious to admissions counselors that I was lying. Reading theses articles helped to show me that, when writing a college essay, it is important just to stay true to my own voice and show the colleges why I’ve done what I’ve done and the passion behind it.
Lauren P, Period 7
The major message I gleaned from "Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay" was originality is key. Nearly all the points of interest in this article concerned the concept of what I bring to the table. Whether it was "what is important to [me]" or not "sticking to the formula" of some how to book, this article sort of beat me over the head again and again with the idea of being an original individual. The author of this article also emphasized this main point by telling me how much 'Miss America'-esque work passes her eyes; saying that I should write in my voice about something that I relate to, not with the 'thesaurus boy' or tear-jerker intention. "BE YOURSELF." Forgive me for taking the liberty of capitalization, but I heard the article screaming that message at the top of it's figurative lungs.
Reading the firsthand responses of admissions directors in "The College Essay: Expert Advice" was particularly helpful to me. For one, one of the three directors interviewed presides over the admissions process at one of my target schools, U.Va. Secondly, it opened my eyes to the true goal of the admission essays: to understand something new and profound about the applicant that they could not have known before. Another thing I drew from reading this article is that, while these essays are important, my high school performance has rank over them. Therefore, I should not let the finishing of the essays severely impede the completion of my schoolwork. Overall, I think my essays will be more focused and better fit to the essays' true purpose after reading these links.
--Richard W. --Period 7
After reading “Holding College Chiefs to their Words” I feel a little reassured that I am not the only one struggling to come up with a good, meaningful topic that will catch the reader’s attention. However, they did say “stop trying to come up with the perfect topic,” and just write about something you’re passionate about. I think it’s good for the college admissions board to remember it’s not easy to write on the topics given. And that not everyone has ample time to dish out the perfect essay, as Mr. Roth realized while he was Disney World with his kids. All these people spend copious amounts of time refining their essays. In “How much do College Essay’s really matter,” they say to focus on a certain event in your life and narrow down your topic – “it should be about a moment of time,” don’t talk about something broad and don’t let a dozen people read it. The more people that read it, and edits it, the less it sounds like you. In the end all the admission’s counselor is looking for is your “voice” not your mom or dads. They also strongly discourage seeking help from a business, don’t pay someone to help you write and edit you essays. The essay should sound like you. I honestly love writing personal essays and see the college essay process as a fun challenge for my creative side. I just hope they actually get read and not tossed aside. After talking to my friends who are in college, I see no pattern to the way college's accept people, sometime's I think they just pick names out of a hat.
Brandy G. P.4
I found the first article I read, "Blurring the Line Between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch" by Joseph Berger, to have some very interesting insights into the college application process. One would be the amount of money students are willing to pay to boost their college applications. Personally that sounds absurd to pay more than four grand just to apply to college, but considering the cost of tuition of these selective colleges and the increase of student applicants, the absurdity seems more valid. However, I would not like to be "branded" as the article implies so many students have chosen so as to be accepted into college. I agree with the article that we should chose to participate in activities that we find interesting or are "passionate" about rather than those which look good on paper. That is what I believe should be reflected in my college essays.
I discovered in the second essay I read, "Getting in Gets Harder: The children of the baby boomers are flooding colleges with applications, making the process more competitive than ever" by Newsweek, how selective colleges have become because of the increase in student applications. This definitely increases the stress factor as scholarships will become less likely for these selective schools when they can "aggressively recruit applicants from China, Korea, India and South America" who can pay full tuition. This will either make me try even harder on college applications or just choose schools that are not selective and do not come with such a large price tag. Either way, the issue that I am most concerned with is that students worry to much about how colleges will think of them when they are just a name on a sheet of paper rather than how the college, the campus, the professors, and the students will help them pursue their own interests. Oliver Moore Period 7
I chose to read "Holding College Chiefs to Their Words" because I thought that they (the college presidents) should know what it feels like to write a college essay. I found it funny how in "Holding College Chiefs to Their Words" one of the college presidents had trouble with the length of her essay and had to cut it in half because of length requirements. I have always had the problem of not having enough words, and find it hard that someone could have twice the required amount. The article also made me feel better about having a hard time thinking of what to write about, because even the college presidents had some trouble.
I also read "Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay," and while reading it, I came up with a good topic to write about. What really stood out to me was to "consider a mundane topic," I always thought that your college essay had to be something extra-special. This article made me feel more relaxed about the whole college essay writing process, because you should try to impress the person who reads the essay, you should just try and be yourself.
Kara R. period 4
Because I've already finished taking most of the standardized tests required by college admissions, the thing that concerns me the most right now is my college essay. The article “Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life” was my favorite out of the couple that I read and made me laugh as I read it. The article started off with “In her desperation, 17-year-old Jessica Roeper found herself wishing that somebody -- anybody -- in her family had died”. Although I haven’t thought of anything that extreme, I admit that I have indeed, at one point in my essay writing, wished for some tragic or monumental circumstance to write about. The fact that other people felt the same way that I did gives me great comfort. Originally, I really felt that one must be superhuman or at least perfect and well-rounded student to have a chance of getting into a top university. What the article pointed out is that the admissions deans read several thousand applications per year. There is a very slim chance that I am going to impress them greatly. Instead, the question that most admissions officers ask is “Who is this person?” From this article I get the sense that the college essays is somewhat like a personal narrative showing colleges the type of person I am.
The other article that I was very interested in was “The College Essay: Expert Advice”. It gave the different opinions of three colleges: Harvard, Brown, and Virginia. It appeared to me that the weight of the college essay really depends on how well it is written. All three of them briefly described how their admissions process worked. All parts of the application are definitely looked at once but the essay might be read several times by different people. The article really caused me to think about which part of me I wanted to clearly express.
Yawen Ren
Period 5
“McEssays”. This is how Parke Muth of UVA would categorize most of the admissions essays that he reads. So how can we avoid writing such an essay? Lucky for us, there are nearly unlimited resources to guide us along the way. In “Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert”, I was interested to read that colleges aren’t necessarily interested in big words and perfect syntax. While these do help, it is the details that count. Five hundred words aren’t very much to work with when trying to paint a picture of you. Naturally it seems that the details would be the first to go. However, this can be a detrimental decision to make. I found it helpful to know that colleges want to see a clear and focused essay, thus allowing more room for details. Muth was kind enough to remind us that we “need only to recall the difference between two simple concepts - showing and telling.” I was also surprised to learn that when writing your college essays, taking a risk can be a very good thing. However we must remember that taking a risk is just that – a risk. I also found consolation in the article “College Applications can be too good” by Peter Schowrm. Too many of us, this idea may seem a little absurd. However, college admissions counselors must be realistic, most of those applying to college are only 17 and 18 years old. I was even a little shocked when I read, “Colleges are now cross-referencing student essays against the SAT writing sample.” The article emphasized that, while it is okay to receive outside help, it is imperative that the applicant maintain his or her own voice. After all, it’s you that the college is looking to accept, not your college admissions counselor. While the long and daunting journey of college applications still lies ahead, it is appeasing to know that advice is never far away.
Lauren Davis, Period 5
In the article "Getting In Gets Harder..." this truly explains why getting into college is so difficult and stressful for students at this time. Many people want to go to the same schools, so competition is so intense. Like Maxine in the article, students take "the toughest classes [they] can fit into [their] schedule, and [their] grade point average puts [them] near the top of the class". When students work so hard in high school and then are rejected from their top college, they are devastated. The competition is just so high and because the admissions have to read so many applications, "the process 'feels almost random'". This is probably true because one day they could be in a good mood and enjoy a lot of essays, but when they are unhappy, then they could be more selective. It is really hard to know if you will for sure get into a college, which is why the amount of colleges people apply to has increased. The overall process of applying to colleges is just too complicated, which is not how it should be.
The article, "U.Va. Office of Admission Essays" explains the difference between a bad, good, and risky essay. This article is basically what all essay helpers say. The admissions want to read something interesting and not boring. "Students try to impress [them] with big words", which they do not recommend because they want to hear your own voice. The good essays "can make any topic interesting". The essay should 'always show" what is happening and how the student feels. If the essay just tells the story then it does not reveal the emotions. The essay is just "generic". What will set apart the good essays from the bad are the ones that are telling a story like they would tell it to their friend.
Lauren Heyne period 4
This assignment turned out to be a learning experience that I wish would have occurred about a month ago. I have already submitted all of my applications and essays. Looking back, however, I can see a few spots that could have improved in my essays.
The "Advice from an Expert" and "Tip Sheet" articles both focus on making it your essay. They strongly support you using your own voice and passion, rather than being the person you think the college wants. In my essays I tended to use language and literary devices that I would not use if I were, for example, told to write a story about my passions just for the heck of it. I do believe that at least one of my essays went along with both of the article's guidelines. My Texas App essay c really showed my true person.
Kyle J. Period 4
In "Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life" I found it reassuring that colleges really just want to know who you are. This makes sense, as every campus has a unique atmosphere and colleges want to make sure that you, as a person, are a good fit. I heard the same message at the Brown information session, so hearing it again really reinforced that idea. Having already applied to college, sob-story free, I can only hope that what was said in the article is true.
More disturbing is "How Much do College Admissions Essays Matter?". What really struck me in this article was that there are legitimate essay-writing companies. To me, paying someone else to write an admissions essay for you smells of fraud, as well as totally defeating the purpose of the exercise. Also, everyone applying to college deals with the headaches and stress of picking a topic and writing about it. Having solidarity in that struggle with other high school seniors gave me some comfort.
And in response to Theo's post: I almost went to TJ too! I ended up at Langley instead though. Small world.
Katie d. period 4
In the article “Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert,” the UVA Assistant Senior Admissions dean discusses how an essay could be good, bad, and risky. I really liked this article because it assured me that colleges are not looking for five paragraph essays about something general but for the narration of a specific, defining event. The author was also honest when talking about risky essays by saying that there is a risk to taking a risk on college essays.
I also read “How much do college admissions essays matter.” This article discusses the importance of the essay when looking at the application as a whole. The author of this article states that a well written essay will not redeem three years of bad grades and goofing off but it can have a positive effect on the application of a hard working kid. The article also discussed that writing should be focused and not in general terms as well. The article helped me understand that although the essay is not everything in an application it can have a significant (whether positive or negative) effect on the chances of an applicant getting accepted or rejected.
Alessandra Wike
period 4
The first article I read, “The College Essay: Expert Advice” by Jennifer Johnson, turned out to give me more relief about the essay than I thought it would. For the most part they want a simple look into your personality and don’t want you to, as the representative of Brown put it, “rehash yesterday’s editorial.” I feel much more comfortable writing an essay about something that occurred in my life that was on a normal level like going to UIL Orchestra rather than making up a story about me saving a group of people from a burning building. I’m even happier to see that all three colleges would rather hear the event in a language deemed typical for an eighteen year old than a professional. While 2/3 of the schools interviewed claim essays do not carry much weight, they do say that it “illuminates their understanding of the applicant” which is all it should be doing in my opinion.
“College applications can be too good,” by Peter Schworm, was an article title that immediately struck my attention. To be perfectly honest, I laughed at the end of the article thinking about how glad I was that I stopped letting my parents proofread my essays halfway through freshman year. The article certainly made me overjoyed with the fact that I had kicked that habit. I full-heartedly agree with the colleges that the essays should be written completely by the student with little, if any, proofreading by an adult. Grammar errors are one thing, but in Rachel Merkin’s case her essay coach took it to the next level by taking away Rachel’s own words and as she put it, “made the essay sound too mature and writerly.” I am by no means saying that I don’t need help thinking of what to write about, but when you put words in my mouth, or in this case my essay, that hurts my pride. Thankfully, it sounds like the admissions offices at the colleges are looking out for essays considered “DDI, or Daddy Did It.”
-Ed Kiappes, Per. 7
I was surprised to read in "Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean offers Advice on Writing a College Essay" that the Dean advised to consider a mundane topic, saying that "sometimes it's the simple things in life that make the best essays." I would have thought that mundane topics would be dreaded by people reading essays all day.
Period 4
In the article “Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay”, Martha C. Merrill presents several important ideas to keep in mind when writing your college essay. One of the most important factors in this process, it seems, is for the applicant to be truly genuine in the essay. Write about what makes YOU unique and what makes you stand out from other people. The readers have “heard it all”, being yourself will help make the essay more fun and interesting, at least for the reader. One comment made by Merrill that struck me was that instead of repeating the many talents, awards, and activities that are listed in your resume, focus on a new topic that will reveal a different aspect about you that has not already been exposed in your application. It seems pretty self-explanatory but I guess I never really thought about why the essay section of the application is so vital to your acceptance and how much this essay can really reveal about yourself to the college.
After reading “Blurring the Line Between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch” I felt as if the writer had captured all my thoughts about the insanity of the essay writing process. Joseph Berger states that essay writers tend to “brand” themselves to make a strong impression on the readers. Sadly, most advice-givers urge students to “pump up attributes that colleges like”, often setting aside their honesty in doing so. It’s a shame that people feel they must do this but getting into college is extremely stressful and people will do anything to get what they want. Berger notes that admissions officers are forced to base decisions on “fleeting reviews of paper.” With this in mind, I realize the cut-throat nature of the process of applying for college; but in the end, you just need to do your best and don’t stress!
-Lauren Cohrs, period 5
The first article I read "Holding College Chiefs to Their Words" comforted me when I learned that even the head of colleges had difficult times writing essays. Specifically one dean had to write about someone in his life that has had a major impact on him and that is a similiar topic to one of my essays. I am having the same problem he has in deciding how personal I should be, and I was also worried about picking someone that would be too overdone, like a parent, but I feel that is my best otion. The second article "Controversy over College Essay Sites", also eleviated some of my stress because I was worried that colleges expected all essays to be at a higher level then my writing is currently at. Now in my essays I will focus more on content then just trying to make the syntax look and sound pretty.
Jay Bettis 5th pd
I was surprised to read in "Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean offers Advice on Writing a College Essay" that the Dean advised to consider a mundane topic, saying that "sometimes it's the simple things in life that make the best essays." I would have thought that mundane topics would be dreaded by people reading essays all day.
Period 4
Like the majority of my peers, these articles have enlightened me on what the admissions “gurus” are looking for in an essay. The first one that caught my eye was “College applications can be too good” because it shocked me that this was even a possibility. As I read through it, major red flags popped up in my mind because I do have an essay couch that is assisting me with my essays. Alarms went off when I read, “With the scramble to get into elite colleges at a fever pitch and with a rising number of educational consultants and college essay specialists ready to give students a competitive edge, admissions officers are keeping a sharp lookout for essays that might have had an undue adult influence”. Even though, I am writing my essays and putting out the ideas, it made me go back and read all my essays to make sure I didn’t have the “adult influence” in them. Now I am on pins and needles thinking that they are going to cross-reference my essays with my SAT/ACT essay and I’m going to be busted!
The next one I read was “Getting in gets harder” and this one furthered my paranoia about college. Like Maxine, I have dreams schools, and there is that strong possibility that I may not get into one of those schools. But on the other hand, it inferred that now that the application pool is so large, they’re not just looking at grades to decide between a group of applicable students, but on characteristics too. After reading these two articles, I have to say I feel discouraged about getting into college. They act as if your not going to get into one of these colleges unless you valedictorian. I can only hope that my essays aren’t displaying adult influences and that they are showing my characteristics in a positive light, that the colleges I wish to attend will see and accept me.
Rebecca M
Period 7
“College Essays Can Be Too Good”
This is the title of the article. In the competitive arena of college admissions, one usually strives for perfection in one’s essay, strives to write the best essay possible. I know because I am part of that “one.” So how does it make any sense that a college essay can be “too good” (Schworm) that it raises suspicions to college admission officers? That was the very first thought that ran through my head. The second was to mentally go through all the essays I have written thus far and think about whether it sounds enough like a high-schooler, albeit a sophisticated one. It went on to describe the colleges comparing the writing to SAT essays, and that did little to ease my mind as I only took the SAT only once while I was still essentially an unsophisticated sophomore. Eventually, however, the article eased my mind a little as it described that only a small fraction of the essays are flagged as raising suspicion (Schworm). In the end however, the only option available to me is to write the essay as well as I can and trust that it will not be the polished quality of a published writer that will raise suspicion.
I do not like Big Macs. I find them simply unappealing, both the food and the type of essay Parke Muth compares to the famous fast food product with its uniform five paragraph structure and packaged “unsupported generalizations.” This essay focuses on crafting a unique essay that will stand out instead of the previous essay which focuses more on worrying about essays standing out because they are too good. The descriptions of the different types proved informative as did the slightly sarcastic comment that there was indeed a “risk in taking a risk" (Muth). I feel however that I may avoid risks as my writing skills are perhaps not at the caliber requried to make the gamble on the risk worthwhile. That is not to say I will not take a risk if I see the opportunity present itself in a certain prompt, but instead that I will be slightly on the cautios side throughout my application.
Gene Hu Period 7
After reading the “The College Essay: Expert Advice” article, I felt both like I was going to puke and yet, slightly relieved about this whole college essay thing. I felt relief because I knew the majority of the things in the article and had had those things in mind when writing my essay. However, what made me nervous was something that caught me off guard about what Brown sees as “most important” in an application. Brown, one of the schools that I'm applying to, (even though the idea of me getting in is a complete joke. I know!) was also one of the three schools giving the answers in this article, so I found it more interesting than expected. The article starts off with Brown talking about how “high-school performance carries the most weight, and is most important” when they consider who to let in. In addition to freaking me out, this kind of made me angry. I don't think it's completely fair to consider the valedictorian with no extracurriculars above those who show a lot of leadership but don't perform as well in school. None-the-less, I do understand where they're coming from; high school performance is a good representation of a number of things. I suppose what I'm getting at is that it just took me by surprise because I had been under the impression that Brown, like the other two schools that gave answers, didn't see one part of the application as more important than the rest of the parts. After dealing with the emotions that came with reading that article, I read “Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life” and just loved it. It made me laugh, gave me a hug and told me “Hey. You're not the only one.” For someone who is as pathetically prone to mental breakdowns as I am, this article was sent from the heavens (or Mrs. Kohlmaier's blog. Whatever (: ). I've already written the majority of my essays and lately I've been concerned that they're not [blank] enough: not tragic enough, not interesting enough, not sad enough, etc. Putting the hilarity of the tone and examples used aside, the article made me realize how absurd it is for me to approach these essays by trying to talk about something utterly fantastic or horrible that happened to me. Take this kid for example, “Few students are as lucky as Chris Bail, a white Newton North senior who grew up in Africa and ''actually did have a big thing happen.'” This was the guy who had rocks thrown at him for racism and although I respect how awful that is, why does that make him more likely to get into college than me? That is not something that tells anyone anything about what he's like as a person. We spend so much time obsessing over what horrible things happened to us and how we can talk about it in our essays when in reality, who cares? Tragedies, although tragic (ha.), provide no insight into the personality or character of the one that they happen to. What colleges are really asking is not “'Is the student going to dazzle me?' Or 'Is the student going to make me laugh?' Or 'Am I going to see anything new, that I haven't seen before?' It's 'Who is this person?' And that's very different.'' After the relief set in upon realizing that what I wrote about just might be okay, I was able to sit back and enjoy the article in all it's sarcastic and realistic glory.
Oh! Sorry! Period 7, I am in.
Just like the students in “Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life” I worry because nothing big has happened to me, I have not faced diversity or had a near death experience so why would the college’s care about me. Both “Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life” and “College applications can be too good” said that it was important to show the college “who you are”. It was interesting to read how colleges don’t want essays that read like a Mrs. America pageant and are even wary of them. They expect a certain roughness that comes from a 17 year old's writing. It showed that there was a fine but important line between having some one to help you a little with some basic editing or polishing of ideas and having some one write it for you or take out you personal voice. Both articles stressed the importance of “being yourself” and letting your personality shine through.
Rachel Bennick
P.7
Okay so I was reading through "How much do college admissions essays matter" because I wonder how much I should worry about how good my essays need to be, and then I go on to read "College applications can be too good" and as it turns out if I write too good it's worse than writing a bad essay. Some admission offices even have the "dubious distinction DDI, short for 'Daddy Did It'". Now I don't think that I could write an essay that is quite that good, but it makes me question the college admissions people and how they evaluate the essays. I mean what if the rumors of evaluators grabbing a bunch of applications and throwing them into accepted and rejected piles are true. That might be taking it a little far, but it seems like a I'm dammed if I do, I'm dammed if don't situation. Either I'm not good enough or I'm so good as to be put into doubt as to whether I actually wrote the essay. The "How much do college admissions essays matter" article served to relax me some because it gave more tips about what to focus on your essays such as the commonly given advice, that Admissions counselors are "looking for the student's voice". The only thing that I need to remind myself is that if I don't get into the college I want will not end the world.
Bradley Curran period 7
The first article I read, "College essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words", touched on a topic on why over-editing an essay could do harm. Smetanka says that your essay should really just be a "confession on paper". I was relieved to hear this because for the past few months, I have delayed writing my college essay because I thought that my topic of learning to control my attention problems was all in all too bland of a topic to write. I was also surprised by the fact that Smetanka says that many councilors allow, if not encourage essays that are not "100%" to be sent out to colleges. I have always struggled with the various intricate rules of english grammar, and knowing that my essay does not have to be absolutely perfect is quite relieving.
The next article I read, "Blurring the Line Between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch", discussed on how students should focus or "brand" themselves in their essays to stand out in college admissions. They say that if you do not package yourself to a degree, you will be all over the place in your essay. I found this a bit demeaning because even though focus is a good thing, I believe that "branding" is a too simplistic generalization of the essay writing process.
Sam Cason
Period 7
After reading "Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay," by Martha C. Merrill, I realized I must think outside the box when writing my college essays. Thousands of students all over the world are replying to the same essay prompt as I am. Most likely, if I send in an average essay it will be similar to another applicant's mediocre essay. Merrill states "a good essay can help a qualified applicant stand out from the competition," which may turn a “maybe” into a “yes." My essay must reveal something about me that my resume does not; therefore, my voice must be authentic and clear. Repetition and mundaneness are the two threats to my college essay's success. According to Carole Feldman, author of "How much do college admissions essays matter?," the applicant's essay must be focused on a specific topic. I must make my essay come alive with descriptive details, which I can only do if I narrow my topic down. As I write my essay, I will write two words at the top of my paper: voice and genuine.
Mollie W.
Period:4
After reading "The College Essay: Expert Advice", I honestly feel the same as I did before. I found it interesting the University of Virginia was in there though because that is my number 1 choice for college attendance. However, nothing really caught me of guard and it was obvious that the colleges were trying to be politicaly correct. Seeing that I have actually already read "UVA office of Admission Essays", I decided to read "Advice from an Expert" next. However, I turned out to be lucky again and pick another UVA one. This one I did find helpful though because I feel that I might not be putting enough detail into my essays, and just filling it with sophisticated, but empty words.
-Jamie Nettles
period 5
"Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students" croaked what I already knew: we are screwed. Hah, I kid. But really, to say the college admissions process is more selective than a decade or so ago is an immense understatement. With countless students flocking to SAT/ACT prep courses, flooding AP classrooms, volunteering at the local hospital, and hiring college essay tutors, it is no surprise that the acceptance rates of a wide variety of colleges are plummeting. Thanks to the collegeconfidential website, I have read innumerable horror stories of "those kids". You know, the student body president who has a perfect GPA, perfect SAT score and ACT score. The kid that's president of the math club, environmental club, and every other club that offers some sort of presidency. The kid that cloned a fly and works at the local orphanage and built 4568 houses for emaciated children in Angola one summer. Yes, that kid, with perhaps more admirable qualities than Ghandi, who got rejected from Harvard (or Yale, MIT, Stanford, etc). The article highlights the strain of not only high school seniors, but of admission teams that have to turn away stellar applicants who would have no doubt thrived at their institution. All in all, it sucks. But the important thing, which is beautifully stated in this article, is that rankings are illusory. What really matters is how a particular college fits us and offers what we desire.
The article,"Making a Hard-Life Story Open a Door to College", humbled me. It highlighted the profound journey of Antoine Tate, a black youth participating in a college workshop. Throughout the article, Antoine searches within to produce a compelling essay that will help him get into college and achieve his dreams. He attends a high school where few burst from their poverty-infused lives, a school that greatly contrasts from Memorial. At MHS, we are expected to attend college. And not just any college, usually top tier universities. While my parents aren't CEOs of oil companies and I've never been to Europe, I am pretty darn fortunate. My goal has been to get out of Texas for college; Antoine's is to get in. Nevertheless, both of us, and a majority of high school seniors, will be involved in the heavily complex process of soul searching or "Gold digging" as the article calls it. We have to find what our colleges should know about us, the things that make us click. We have to divulge our passions and desires. We have to produce something that will possess our unique essense. And it has to be under 500 words. Joy.
Jillian Seymour, Period 5
The article "Getting In Gets Harder" truly illustrates how pressured students feel about getting into college. There are so many students trying to get into the same top school and now it is evident that taking the "toughest classes" and having the top GPA will no longer get them into their top schools. As more students apply to the same colleges those colleges must become "more selective". This new more selective process causes more stress for students because they are unable to get into their school of choice leading them to apply to even more schools. Now the essay plays an important role in selection. A student may have a high SAT score, great extra-curricular, and the top GPA, but now with so many applicants whose to say that there are not 200 others with the same criteria. For this reason, the essay becomes an important part form distinguishing oneself from the pack.
"How much do college admission essays matter?" supports how critical the essay can be in the selection process. The "essay makes a huge difference, both positively and negatively" because admission counselors are trying to find anything that makes the student stand out. Most admission counselors are trying to find a student's voice in their essay. The articles goes on to talk about how paid essay counselors know what colleges are looking for. However, colleges want to read an essay that represents the student thus ""paid embellishments" to essays" can be a turn off for admission counselors.
Megan Dinh - Period 5
I focused my attention on the articles that explained the toughness of getting into universities. Obviously, being a senior among 3.3 million others is quite daunting. I was a little worried before these articles, but now I am much more aware of the situation I'm in. Looking at some of the percentages in the articles is down right depressing to someone like me who is starting the application process. Perhaps the part that scares me the most about these revelations, is that I do not know the level of applications that my "competetors" are submitting. To me these articles have made it obvious that an outstanding essay might be what puts me above the high percentage of rejections. Unfortunately, this stresses me even more because I know that I must be at mu best when composing my essay. I guess that this the point of this assignment though, to make me aware of the importance of a solid essay in a college application. Bring it on!
competitors* not competetors my bad
I have to be honest, I am one of those who has that idea stuck in their head that to outshine any competition and ensure my place among the incoming students at said college, my essay has to be top notch and if it isn't, well, I won't be accepted. So, it comes as a bit of a relief that Anne Walsh in "College essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words" tells us to relax, because the "admission decisions almost never rest on the essay." Instead, the essay should be original and full of "you." Similarly, the colleges interviewed in "The College Essay: Expert Advice" respond that the best essays are the ones that are personal and focused and reveal to the college who you are as a student. With my fears alleviated, I can be confident that as long as I write with my insight and personality, my essays will surely only help me gain acceptance into the college I seek to attend.
-Brian R. Period 7
In the essay "How much do college admissions essays matter?" the writer acknoledges that the GPA, extracurricular activities, and community services are fixed, and he comments that the only way to appeal oneself is through the essay. I read that the purpose of writing essays to colleges is to present oneself's passion and voice. I've been wanting to check my essays with other older people, but I learned that the older people shouldn't edit my paper because i can lose my voice in the essay when too much editing is made. Also, the essayist also wrote that it is quite obvious as to who wrote this, the 18-year-old student or the professional writer. Along with the voice, I learned that the the essay should be about one specific moment of time or incidence, not about something broad. This makes sense, since the essay should be about 500 words. A specific moment of time wouldn't be as common as compared to essays about transition from middle school to high school.
Another article I read was "College Essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words." It is written that a good essay is "short but pithy, original but not weird, passionate but not hysterical, well-written but not so heavily edited that it muffles the writer's voice." When I read this, it seemed very complicate and hard to write a college essay, but at least it gave me a path to means of writing my essay. I haven't finished my essays for applytexas and common app, and these essays give me a gist as to how I should revise my essay.
Jason Kim p.4
While reading the two articles "Controversy Over College Application Essay Sites" and "Getting In Gets Harder" a lot of different topics came to my mind that I had never really thought about before. I never really considered the fact that hiring someone to help me with my college essays would give me an unfair advantage over some students. I also never knew that there were websites that helped students with there essays. That rises the problem of plagiarism. "The problem, admission officials say, comes when acceptable review crosses the line into plagiarism, that is when applicants present an essay written by another person. Do the businesses cross that line?" I understand what the admission officials are saying, but having these sites are a great advantage for students. I feel as though having a person or website in preparing for the college admissions problem, eases some stress and makes us feel more comfortable about what we are doing. It's always a good idea to have a second opinion on our essays. In the second article that I read, it stressed me out a little bit. Getting into college these days is extremely competitive and now "colleges and universities reported an increase in the number of applications from the previous year." The competition level is extraordinary and the odds of getting into the college of your choice is becoming tougher and tougher. According to the article, "This spring the largest number of high-school graduates in the history of the country—some 3.32 million—will don a cap and gown, according to the U.S. Department of Education." But I have realized that no matter what school that I get accepted to, it will be great and I'm sure it will be a lot of fun!
Mackenzie M
Period:4
I can relate to the senior in the essay, “Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life” when he created “grocery bags with crumpled efforts” while writing his essays. I spent much time proofing, editing, and re-writing all of my essays. Carey Goldberg notes that English teachers have begun to provide lessons for writing the college essay in their course of study. I appreciate that my past English teachers provided practice in writing a personal essay, issue essay, and one on the topic of the most influential person. Sadly, none of my past essays helped me to jump-start my writing process! In the article, Goldberg mentions that an admissions officer wants the student to “just be yourself”. This request presents an interesting challenge to write about someone else, while creating an essay that reveals the writer. I agree with the tip in the article, “Tip Sheet: Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay” that starting essays in the summer gives extra time to “think, prepare, rewrite, and polish”. Initially, I thought that I could re-use my essays on various applications. Wishful thinking! As I began researching what each college required, every essay stated a different prompt. Realizing the extreme importance of my essays, I found the extra summer time extremely beneficial to help me to organize my essays. Ironically, after already having applied to a certain university, I received an e-mail from the college stating, “You’ve been nominated for the exclusive application. By applying now, you pay no application fee (saving you $50.00), and you don’t have to write an essay.” Although this was unfortunate timing, I am thankful to have kept my sense of humor throughout this entire process!
-Kelli Stienke
Period 5
The articles “The College Essay: Expert Advice” and “Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life” caught my eye, not only because we are currently discussing essays, but I am completing my last three essays this week for my last two college applications. They gave important facts about what colleges expect in an essay written by a senior in high school. So using the thesaurus to make ourselves sound older and more mature... may not always be the way to go. They know what a 17 or 18 year old voice verse someone who is much older. I never really thought about it in this sense. Gary Ripple stated that colleges “just want [students] to put some flesh on an admission application''. They know we don’t always have some extremely exciting to say, but what makes it real is how we convey what we want to say. I know there have been times when I wanted to have something that was really sappy and would touch the reader. But lets just face it, not every teenage applying to a college is going to have that one tear jerking story. The main point is as students we need to reveal something that our resume doesn’t because when colleges are deciding, they look at those essays not just once. At times, they refer to them a lot to see what type of person you really are. In the end, I’ve come to the conclusion that essays shouldn’t be this stressful time when everyone scrambles to make up something interesting or tweak a past memory to what we think the college wants to hear. If anything, colleges would probably rather hear that we made mistakes, but learned how to admit and how we learned from them. We are all human and they know that we are just kids. Being true to ourselves and them is one of the best first impressions we can give them.
-Brittany Webber
Period 5
After reading "Blurring the Line between College Application and Sales Pitch," I became somewhat conflicted. The idealist part of me was shocked at how people can spend up to $4000 for help on something that should be demonstrating their own voice, writing style, and what they feel is important. But the realist in me completely understood. The massive amounts of applications that colleges recieve makes it extremely difficult to distinguish oneself from the thousands of other students who apply. Why not spend as much money as you can to give yourself the competitive edge? The biggest answer to that question, at least in my opinion, is the possibility of losing the personal touch to your essay. This is what is causing my conflict. If I get help on my essay, will it still be mine? If I even get help picking a topic, I lose the opportunity to truly show what I think is important. But it also might make my essay better. The next article I read was "Holding College Chiefs to Their Words", and I was disappointed. Sure, they struggled, but not nearly enough to be satisfying. I was hoping to read about how it took them all a whole year to write, how two or three became clinically insane in the process, and how the ones who finished would not have been accepted into their own colleges based on their essays. I realize my hopes were far-fetched, but that's what it would have taken to have satisfied me.
Chris Liehr
Period 5
Although I know that college is incredibly difficult to get into, "How much do college admissions essays matter?" really gave me a little bit more confidence in myself, and my rigorous academic course load. I was glad to get some confirmation that a stellar essay "is not a substitute for a rigorous curriculum, good grades and evidence that you're going to do well," and that my application won't be cast aside for another students who hired a $200/hr coach for their essay. "Making a Hard-Life Story Open a Door to College" also gave me some more confidence because it stressed the importance of showing an applicants true self. While I don't have many of "the typical Costa Rica essay" experiences in my life, I do have many things that shaped me into a unique person and gave me traits I know that can separate me from the crowd. I guess overall my faith in the college admissions process was reinforced because of evidence that suggests its more beneficial to be genuine instead of perfect.
JD Phillips pd. 4
As if completing the required ACT or SAT and tackling the overwhelming coarse load of senior year isn't enough, I'm now having to focus my attention on college applications. At this point, I've managed to narrow down my college list to a respectable nine colleges (which in my opinion is way too many). Thankfully, the majority of the big universities I have yet to submit my applications to don't require an essay, but I've still got to muster up one for the other schools on my list that will somehow blow college admission officers away. In the article "College applications can be too good," admission officers are receiving an alarmingly high number of applications in which the writing, "sparkles a bit too brightly." The sad thing is, admission officers have even dubbed a name for those specific essays: DDI or "Daddy Did it!" This doesn't surprise me in the least. Because colleges are becoming more selective as the years progress, students are convinced by their parents or college counselors that the way to get in is to write an essay that will please admissions. I'm glad that I was already aware of that false statement before reading this article. However, I've still got a slight problem. Not only is writing not my favorite thing to do, but also, I've been trained to write papers that sound like a "DDI." The article, "Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert" helped me out. The article was direct about the difference between a "good" and "bad" essay. After reading the article, I realize that I fall under the "bad" category because I've always tried to write my essays in a way that sound intellectual beyond my years by using "big" words. Instead, they sound like a "McEssay" which, "consists primarily of abstractions and unsupported generalizations." So basically, if I hadn't read this article, I probably would have sent in another one of my McEssay's and caused the college admissions counselor to fall asleep. I'm relieved to know that a "good" essay consists of "showing and telling," and should sound like a 17 year-old wrote it. Now that I've learned how to compose a "good" essay that will WOW admissions, all I've got to worry about is what exactly I'm going to write about...GREAT.
Allie L.
Period 4
As if completing the required ACT or SAT and tackling the overwhelming coarse load of senior year isn't enough, I'm now having to focus my attention on college applications. At this point, I've managed to narrow down my college list to a respectable nine colleges (which in my opinion is way too many). Thankfully, the majority of the big universities I have yet to submit my applications to don't require an essay, but I've still got to muster up one for the other schools on my list that will somehow blow college admission officers away. In the article "College applications can be too good," admission officers are receiving an alarmingly high number of applications in which the writing, "sparkles a bit too brightly." The sad thing is, admission officers have even dubbed a name for those specific essays: DDI or "Daddy Did it!" This doesn't surprise me in the least. Because colleges are becoming more selective as the years progress, students are convinced by their parents or college counselors that the way to get in is to write an essay that will please admissions. I'm glad that I was already aware of that false statement before reading this article. However, I've still got a slight problem. Not only is writing not my favorite thing to do, but also, I've been trained to write papers that sound like a "DDI." The article, "Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert" helped me out. The article was direct about the difference between a "good" and "bad" essay. After reading the article, I realize that I fall under the "bad" category because I've always tried to write my essays in a way that sound intellectual beyond my years by using "big" words. Instead, they sound like a "McEssay" which, "consists primarily of abstractions and unsupported generalizations." So basically, if I hadn't read this article, I probably would have sent in another one of my McEssay's and caused the college admissions counselor to fall asleep. I'm relieved to know that a "good" essay consists of "showing and telling," and should sound like a 17 year-old wrote it. Now that I've learned how to compose a "good" essay that will WOW admissions, all I've got to worry about is what exactly I'm going to write about...GREAT.
Allie L.
Period 4
As if completing the required ACT or SAT and tackling the overwhelming coarse load of senior year isn't enough, I'm now having to focus my attention on college applications. At this point, I've managed to narrow down my college list to a respectable nine colleges (which in my opinion is way too many). Thankfully, the majority of the big universities I have yet to submit my applications to don't require an essay, but I've still got to muster up one for the other schools on my list that will somehow blow college admission officers away. In the article "College applications can be too good," admission officers are receiving an alarmingly high number of applications in which the writing, "sparkles a bit too brightly." The sad thing is, admission officers have even dubbed a name for those specific essays: DDI or "Daddy Did it!" This doesn't surprise me in the least. Because colleges are becoming more selective as the years progress, students are convinced by their parents or college counselors that the way to get in is to write an essay that will please admissions. I'm glad that I was already aware of that false statement before reading this article. However, I've still got a slight problem. Not only is writing not my favorite thing to do, but also, I've been trained to write papers that sound like a "DDI." The article, "Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert" helped me out. The article was direct about the difference between a "good" and "bad" essay. After reading the article, I realize that I fall under the "bad" category because I've always tried to write my essays in a way that sound intellectual beyond my years by using "big" words. Instead, they sound like a "McEssay" which, "consists primarily of abstractions and unsupported generalizations." So basically, if I hadn't read this article, I probably would have sent in another one of my McEssay's and caused the college admissions counselor to fall asleep. I'm relieved to know that a "good" essay consists of "showing and telling," and should sound like a 17 year-old wrote it. Now that I've learned how to compose a "good" essay that will WOW admissions, all I've got to worry about is what exactly I'm going to write about...GREAT.
Allie L.
Period 4
After reading "Getting In Gets Harder," I became very nervous about getting accepted into my college of choice. I feel sympathetic towards Maxine Wally, because there is no doubt in my mind I might end up just like her. However, before reading this article I knew that the college admissions is now "crazy competitive." It is mind boggling to think that me and 3.33 million students around the nation, and international students, will be applying to colleges this year. From this information I now know I must write an essay that will make me stand out from the other millions of students.
On the other hand, "College essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words" believes "students should understand that admission decisions almost never rest on the essay." This shocked me because I thought that is what the essays were all about. I learned that I have to be "short but pithy, original but not weird, passionate but not hysterical." Basically it has to be perfect in every aspect. I especially need to "reveal the heart and passion behind the numbers."
Sierra Jacob
Period 4
In the article "Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert," the connection that the author makes between a Big Mac and a college essay (which he affectionately names McEssays), really struck me at first. Initially I took this as an insult. How could the essays that take me hours or even days to complete be compared to low quality junk food? Its not really the low quality that is the connection, but rather that there are so many similar McEssays from places all over the world. The authors statement that "the [Big Mac] I eat in Charlottesville is not going to be fundamentally different from the one I eat in Paris, Peoria or Palm Springs," really helped me to realize this point and also the importance of making my essays stand out. I want the college readers to feel like they are eating at Fogo de Chao, not McDonalds.
The next article, "Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students," arose my alarm quite significantly, mainly because my top choice college was mentioned as becoming more selective. I was even more worried when Theo said that the Jefferson High School was similar to ours in merit, and then the author mentions that students at Jefferson "are feeling the strain" and not getting accepted into their first choice schools. The only slightly consoling statement in the article was that "only about 10 percent of U.S. colleges are highly selective," and that, for the most part, "students were admitted to colleges that appeared to have what they needed." I guess the only really important thing is that I get into a college, but it would be nice if I could get into THE college.
Austin Baker
Period 5
Immediately, I was attracted to the article, “Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students”, because the title seemed to address my concerns. In the past couple of years, I have seen valedictorians, who not only excel in academics but also in leadership roles, get rejected to the top schools. It was interesting to read from the perspective of officials at universities. It sure seems that even they are shocked at how selective their admission process is becoming. If they think so, how much more stressful is it for the students? Since the article was written in 2006, I can’t accurately predict how selective the college admission boards across the nation will be for my class. However, I assume ever year the applicants increase the number of applications, creating more competition, and ultimately making it “harder to get in, at least for the most sought-after schools.” The stress on the students trying to get accepted to top schools in the nation is increasing, including me. I worry that I will not become accepted to any of the colleges besides my “back up” schools. However, the article addresses that “research indicated that attendance at a well-known school does not appear to give any long-term advantage to students, at least as measured by incomes 20 years after they graduate.” Students are so blinded by the myth that the better the college, the better future in terms of economic prosperity. Although the article at first put more stress on my shoulders with its daunting statistics, the last couple of paragraphs reminded me that it’s not about getting into the top college; it’s about finding the school right for me.
Then, I read “The College Essay: Expert Advice” which I found particularly interesting. The answers from Brown, Harvard, and Virginia all seemed to differ slightly. When asked, “Are there any topics or techniques that students should avoid?” Brown is the only college that actually listed topics that should not be written about. Usually, students are told what topics to avoid but Virginia states that it’s not about the topic but how the student handles it. This article shows how even those three top universities differ in how they look at essays which reminds me once again that all colleges look at applications in their own way and there really is no set formula in getting accepted.
Jasmine Kim
Period 7
Skimming through all of these articles about college essays that were supposed to be sympathetic and/or helpful only made my anxiety about getting into college worse. Much worse. Most of the articles began with an example of how hard it really is to get into a top college these days. "Blurring the Line Between a College Application and A Slick Sales Pitch" includes an anecdote about how girls who spend their time "playing flute, running for the cross country team, [and] working with organizations that grapple with global issues like child soldiers and sex trafficking" felt that they needed to meet with a private college admissions coach to improve their chances of getting into college.
And then most of the articles tell you that you shouldn't worry; colleges are just looking for you to be yourself.
But if my competition includes such overachievers as the ones described in the aforementioned article, then I worry that "being myself" won't cut it. So, after reading this article, I came to the conclusion that to make up for my lack of an outstanding resume, I'd just have to write an earth-shattering essay.
Until, that is, I read "College Applications Can Be Too Good". Turns out that if, by some miracle, I did manage to write a brilliant essay, it could "receive the dubious distinction DDI, short for 'Daddy Did It'", and thus be thrown in the rejection pile. My hard work could, potentially, be chalked up to cheating- great.
So where does that leave me and the rest of the high school seniors around the country?
It leaves us anxious, conflicted, and sometimes fearful that we won't get in anywhere we want to go. But maybe this isn't such a bad thing. When it comes to college admissions essays, there really isn't any way to figure out exactly what a college wants- the contradicting articles prove that much. So all that an applicant can really do is try their hardest, and work with what they have, not what they think a college wants.
That's why, as "Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert" advises, it's important to show, not tell, and avoid cliches. Telling a college what they want to hear is, in itself, a cliche, so it's probably best to just stop worrying.
*Period 4
Bryce Carson
Period 5
The article "Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students" simply confirmed many of my concerns with the college application process and disturbed me on a personal level. It troubles me that making excellent grades in hard classes will not really be much of a determining factor for top university admission in the long run. I had not realized the extent of the "self-perpetuating cycle" in which "seniors apply to more schools, which makes it even harder to get in" (although it did not come as huge surprise). The tough truth is that I might be deprived the education I want simply by chance or the whim of an admissions counselor. The other article I read, "Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life," addresses my concern that my relatively unexciting life will not yield a quality application essay. However, if the most important component is really just the ability to put a piece of oneself in the essay, then my chances have greatly improved for I have unconventional views on many ordinary subjects. Yet somehow I know that the boy who grew up in Africa and faced racism day to day will undoubtedly have a more attractive essay than mine. At the end of the day, I'm just another white male with good grades who plays soccer.
In the article "Getting In Gets Harder", the author reinforces that getting into college is a competitive process. He also acknowledges one point that still makes me conflicted about the college admission process as a whole: "follow [your] dreams". What if the college I apply to has one of the best Mathematics schools, and that is the reason I want to go there? It is a battle to make a dream that could potentially be "frustratingly unobtainable". Our parents reassure us that we can make it into high ranking schools with our opinion of "decent" grades. They inspire us to follow our dreams, but they also sometimes help us to deny the possibility that things could go wrong, and that can work to our benefit but can also harm us. For myself, I know that I deny the top 8-10% percent rule; I like to think I will get into The University of Texas because I can truly see myself there and have an emotional attachment to that school more than any other university. From this article, I am better acknowledging that many people get disappointed with the college admissions process, so if I do not get in it is not the end of the world, getting admitted is becoming more competitive. I am glad that someone is there acknowledging that being accepted is a challenge because I need to be reminded that maybe my dream should not revolve around the number one college I have in mind.
With this in mind, I respect that that Jay Matthews and Susan Kinzie in their article "Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students", reinforce that smart students even struggle to get in universities by mentioning changes in acceptance rates of prestigious colleges. For example, "[t]he University of Virginia admitted 36 percent of its 16,252 applicants, the lowest rate in seven years." However, it makes me frustrated that while more universities are receiving more applications, some are even decreasing their acceptance rate. How is it possible for the kids who are the results of the baby boomer generation to all go to college if the acceptance rates are decreasing with more kids? It is especially a battle for those students who only apply to one college; there is a possibility they may not get in and may not even want to attempt to try to apply to college again. It is unfortunate that the college process brings much disappointment when it should bring much joy because it is such a great stepping stone that affects the rest of our lives.
Connie G
Period 5
Well I read: "Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students" and "Getting In Gets Harder: The children of the baby boomers are flooding colleges with applications, making the process more competitive than ever". Both were discussing the increasing difficulty of getting into "elite" schools. As I am have already applied to and only to Texas A&M, which although a excellent school for engineering is not a “elite” school. Like others, admission to instate colleges isn’t a worry for me because of automatic acceptance. But what I have experienced/read else where, while writing those essay is just to tell the truth because even if the admissions board can’t prove if it happened or not, there is a difference in the way a essay sounds when it is made up compared to a genuine one.
Robert R.
Period 5
With all the focus on literary analysis and critical writing, it is true that most of us, including myself, have no time during school to form that "voice" colleges are searching for, and to be honest, I haven't spent much time outside of school either. After years of being accustomed to writing in a detached, formal manner, I find it awkward and difficult at times to express myself in a comfortable tone where I am able to come across as "myself." After reading "Admissions Essay Ordeal - The Young Examined Life," I can't say that the process of writing the dreaded college essay has become any easier. The idea that colleges "just want to put flesh on admission applications" has put into perspective that most universities aren't looking for that "Ph. D thesis" as stated in "How much do college admissions essays matter";rather, they are searching for an individual that is willing to be "them self." It is also true in my case that my life hasn't exactly been the most exciting, and there isn't really any situation which I find to be life changing or altering, but after reading both articles, I have realized that the most important question that needs to be answered in all college essays regardless of the topic is "who is this person?" I feel that if I am able to communicate the type of person I am through my words, I have on some level succeeded in answering that very question. Without a doubt, the task of "standing out amongst a pool of thousands of essays and applications" is no easy task, but I feel that if I am able to just be the person I am on a day to day basis, I will be able to leave a lasting impression regardless of whoever is reading my essay.
Wan-Tech J.
Period 7
Disappointingly, "How Much Do College Admissions Essays Matter" never really satisfactorily answered the attention-grabbing question. The author declared that "much of what admissions officers will use to give a thumbs up or down is set" before you even start thinking about college applications. However, the author states later on that "the essay can [still] make a difference". Is the essay that big of a deal, or is it not? Do colleges even care about our "voices" and "personalities" as much as they claim?
These doubts were somewhat lessened in the next article I chose; reading about the difficulty college presidents had writing admissions essays was a relief. I'd always imagined these regal, faultless demigods skeptically skimming through essays and disgustedly throwing them into an ever-increasing pile entitled "REJECTION". This daunting image was pacified slightly by the article "Holding College Chiefs to Their Words". Upon writing these essays, esteemed presidents faced the same worries I am trying to avoid today. Which topic should I write about; how can I make my essay "stand out from the pack"; can I avoid sounding "self-promotional or phony"?
Overall, rather than assuage the constant stomach ache associated with my college search, these articles managed to increase my pain to a 7. I'm supposed to just "be myself" but I'm competing with plenty of more interesting selves out there who, before writing their essays, stocked up their resumes with better grades and higher AP scores.
I was intrigued with the article about how to write a good essay for UVA. It was interesting because, I've always thought writing was about telling a story and making it exciting. Their beliefs contradict mine beliving that you shouldn't tell a story, but show a story. I thought this was an interesting way at looking at college essays in general. I took this advice when writing my college essay "Luke, I wish Darth Vader was my father." It was great because after I read this information, my essay became a lot deeper. My other article of interest was how colleges are becoming overwhelmed with applications. This didn't do much for my essays, but it definetly kicked my butt in gear. I realized that if I waited too long to turn in my application, I might not get in. Procrastination averted.
All of my teachers have told me to "be myself" while writing my college essays, but I was ambivalent in whether or not to take their advice. After reading "Nerve-Racking Search For Just The Right Words," I learned that my essay should reflect my past whether it be good or bad because that is what has shaped me to be the person that I am today. Mao's difficulty in pouring her heart out to strangers made me realize how troublesome writing college essays could. After reading, I find it terrifying and humorous that the article is called "Nerve-Racking Search For Just The Right Words" because a college essay could determine whether you are accepted to the college of your dreams or rejected.
"Getting In Gets Harder" made me stress even more about applying to college. Despite the baby boom leading to more acceptants, there is also more competition getting in to the college of your choice. Even though Maxine wanted to go to Northwestern and took the toughest classes her schedule would allow, Northwestern still rejected her. In a way, the article was a nice slap in the face and much needed reality check since I never thought about the increase in competition and of the other dreadful side of a college letter- a rejection.
Kristy Eng - Pd. 4
In “College essays: Never-racking search for just the right words”, it said “while a great essay won't get a student with bad grades or low test scores into college, essays can reveal the heart and passion behind the numbers.” After reading the article, I began to really think of what I could possibly write about. I now know that my essay should reveal something new that my SAT/ ACT, AP, gpa, etc can’t reveal. Without the essays, how can colleges differentiate me from somebody else? And honestly, they can’t. So instead of making a laundry list of all my accomplishments, it should really reflect who I am and how I’m ‘different’ from other applicants.
The other article I read was the “Advice from an Expert”. It was mainly a commentary on the ‘bad’ and ‘good’ essay. What caught my eye was when the admission from UVA stated “An essay is not good because of the topic but because of the voice.” How I write the essay is far more important than the ‘perfect’ topic. It is sort of a relief to know that I can write about whatever I want- as long it is important to me and as is a good representation of who I am. However, I’m still anxious because I don’t know if being who I am is good enough for the colleges I want to attend.
Joyce Lee, Period 5
"Blurring the Line Between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch" was more of the same that I already know about, but what I thought. It seems like a lot of students try to write about some tragic event or attempt a summary of their high school lives, but in the process don't manage to get across one's personality, which is essentially what a college essay is about : a glimpse into the student's life that the admissions counselor can't glean from a resume (or so I've heard, multiple times, from the 10+ info sessions I've attended. Yes, it was a loong college trip haha).
In "Getting In Gets Harder," Newsweek pointed out a trend within the "children of the baby boomer" trend that I had never thought of, that of students applying to more schools to have a higher chance of getting into a top flight school, but of that resulting in massive increases in applications across the board nationally, making it even more difficult for admissions counselors to make decisions. I thought of myself as soon as I read this, because I am applying to 10 or 11 schools for this very reason, and it (sorta) scares me to think of all of the other high-achieving students doing the same. With this in mind, though, these sorts of "scary" articles about the college admissions process have been around ever since colleges came into existence, so I'm not really phased by a lot of the doomsday-sounding rhetoric in the article.
Christopher Schroeder. Period 4
Hearing the words 'college essays' honestly freaks me out a little bit. For some reason I have begun to think they are the only determining factor to acceptance or being rejected! I have given much thought to the writing process and whether i should get professional help in editing or even writing my essays. In 'College applications can be too good' I thought it very useful to know how much admissions to universities look out for "DDI, short for "Daddy Did It."" College essays should be good, but I find it interesting now to think how they shouldn't be too extremely good, since i don't exactly have a stellar writing past. This article actually helped me to realize how important it is for my voice to shine through my writing to really reveal my personality. With applications containing open ended essays, I have no idea where to begin. After reading 'How much do college admissions essays matter?' I realized that after reading thousands of essays, the poor people at each university probably get really tired of the same ol same ol essay about the community service experience. These writings need to be personal and interesting. Apparently the biggest problem faced by applicants today is "starting with too wide a focus." It is comforting to know that the essay doesn't really make or break you, but reading that it can "make a difference" is really going to help push me into writing hopefully the best college essays that i can.
Maddie S. Period 4
I began by reading "Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life" and I found it very interesting that the main girl, Jessica, felt exactly how I feel right now: that nothing exciting has happened in her life. I know that somehow there is something 'exciting' has happened to me, but I'm just not looking hard enough. The article also mentioned an NYU applicant's essay filled with hilarious statements like "Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row" and I was so excited to see this because I have read this essay! Also, the article mentioned essay topics that venture away from the traditional "Write about a person who has had influence on you" topic. I feel that if I could be given a topic like the Einstein/spork topic mentioned, I would probably be able to write a better essay because it seems like a better way for me to express who I am.
I also read "College Essays: Nerve-Wracking search for just the right words" and felt relieved when I read that "admissions decisions almost never rest on the essay." However, this did not calm my fears that there still is an essay to write. I do not want to do what most do when it comes to applications for schools or scholarships and leave the essay for the last minute, but it seems like that is what I am leading myself to do. I would rather not do that. It was nice to read that it takes "several drafts" to get the right essay, one that "flows." Hopefully pretty soon I'll be able to get there.
Ava P. period 3
To me, applying for college is somewhat scary (as most my age probably feel) and sometimes I really don't want to think about all of the information that is being thrown at my class right now. However, it was comforting to read the articles, "Getting in Gets Harder" and "Nerve-racking search for just the right words." because they reminded me that I'm not alone when it comes to the college application process. When I read about the baby boomer generation in "Getting in Gets Harder", I was startled when I realized just how many people are actually applying to college. Here at Memorial we're in our own word competing with each other, but there are millions of other students who are doing the exact same thing! It amazed me how small the number of students who actually got into a particular college compared to the ones that applied. Not only are the sizes smaller than I expected but the students who apply "are up an additional 15 percent". It is hilarious though that our parents are the ones who encourage us to go to college and to have a better future when they are somewhat part of our stressful dilema of getting into college being a part of the baby boomers. Thankfully though the number of students applying will eventually "drop back" around 2015, hopefully making it easier for others to apply. However, since so many do apply it si helpful to write an essay that stands out above the rest, that has its own voice. Although, some students still rely on their parents too much, let them "try to influence" their writing leaving it "pretty bland" as stated in "Nerve-racking search for just the right words". It is quite nerve racking though. You want your essay to shine above the rest, but putting it down on paper can be pretty difficult at times. It's especially hard when my troubles or things that "come from the heart" are very similar to many people. I have divorced parents, I've moved several times, both of my parents have remarried and I've been to three different high schools. However, I'm very passionate and dedicated to running, but that's just one thing and I feel like I need more sometimes. I just want to be able to display my own self through my writing like the article suggested. I just need to make it "a confession on paper".
Sydney H.
Period 4
I find the whole process of writing college essays to be quite stressful and maddening. It seems a bit unfair that after 4 years of hard work in high school, one measly essay could alter our acceptance into the college of our choice. After reading the article "College essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words," I found that the essay rarely carries the weight that most students believe it does. It was also interesting how the article showed that the essay's true role is to "add texture" and "seasoning" to the application. It shows how colleges have to base the majority of their acceptance decisions on numbers and awards and rarely get to understand the "personality" and voice behind the numbers.I have always been aware of the fact that i need to write in my own "voice", but this article has shed some light on why and how to do just that.
On the other hand the article "Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students" made the majority of my fears much worse and only proved that as time goes on the difficulty of acceptance is always rising. If the top students with relatives in their desired colleges are rejected, what are my chances? Its also great to see how colleges are "wait-listing and denying students that last year or two years ago we would have been happy to admit" and that this article was written four years ago... But it truly is comforting to know that there are around 2 million others who are going through the same thing. I hope that I find this "voice" that colleges are looking for and that I can leave a lasting impression that stands out of the crowd.
Nima Daneshvar
Period 7
Ever since August hit and summer came to an end I have been dreading college admission essays. “This essay can make it or break it” is the only thing I can recall my mom saying before I began pondering which life altering event I was going to write about for my essay, because I personally have multiple moments in all my 17 years I can point to as a life changing moment. Oh, wait, no I really don’t have that many…if any at all. Luckily after reading “College essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words” I was reassured that “admission decisions almost never rest on the essay”, but “add seasoning to the application”. After reading this article I was comforted to find that I was not alone in reading a first draft of an essay the next day and thinking to myself something along the lines of “What was I thinking?” (most likely less composed) because at that point the stress of the essay really set in. I struggle to find, as many, some moment I can write about in around 500 words that will make me the girl schools say “We want you here” to. It was also fascinating to find that “the rough edges are sometimes the really interesting parts of the essay”. So now, in the “most life-determining chunk of prose” I may ever write, as they call it in “Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life”, I will be sure to make it not only beyond excellent, but also a little “rough”. As I begin the search for the perfect words, I will keep in mind and attempt to believe as suggested in the article that “there is really no correct answer” and that colleges are not in fact searching for “superhuman virtues”, but an authentic 17 year olds essay to add some personality to my application.
Claire N.
Pr. 4
I read "Blurring the Line Between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch" and "Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life," and I found that they are both really saying the same thing. It's disturbing how big the effect that uncertainty has on people. We(applicants) are all trying to get into the college of our choice, whichever that might be, and we don't know what the admissions people are looking for. We just start trying to cover every base. It's like trying to hit a target that we can't even see. We simply start trying everything, sticking stickers on our foreheads with things like "Asbestos Free!" Anything to get noticed among the hordes. We strive so hard to prove to colleges, and perhaps ourselves at the same time, that we aren't just another number, another paper in a stack, or another drop in a bucket.
We are caught between trying to be ourselves and the anxiety that our self just isn't good enough, not even mentioning the fact that we may not even know exactly who we are. We end up not knowing how much to sell ourselves. I think it also raises some moral questions about how much we are willing to fudge our own numbers to get in.
The question of dishonesty in an essay is not an easy one and causes such a wide impact due to the rather frenzied nature of college applications. I found the descriptions of students having nightmares about college admissions both absurd and horrifying. The fact that the stress levels are so high that even sleep holds no sanctuary is terrifying. Are the pressures really so high that even the potential of failure is enough to make normally happy students, people like myself, beat themselves up about it even in their dreams? I certainly hope not, if only for the sake of my generation's mental health.
Tommy Wilkinson
period 5
In "How much do college admissions really matter" i thought it was kind of ridiculous how much people are willing to pay to have their essays "edited" for them. I believe that a college essay should truly be reflective of your self, and not of some company. Having a couple people look through it and give you a couple tips is fine, but paying $200 for a company to do so defeats the whole purpose of writing a personal essay.
Also, the article, "Getting In Gets Harder" made me realize how much harder it is to get into college than i expected. So many people competing for so little seats. I never really looked at it from that perspective, I only took myself in account rather than all the other people involved.
-Ramin K. Period 4
Martha Merrill in “Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay” advises incoming high school seniors to “begin contemplating their essays this summer,” but it’s too late for that. Instead, I decided to get started today. She gives ten tips to the writer about what to do and what not to do in your college essay. She states that a good essay need to shows, for example, how you were courageous and not just state “I was courageous.” Merrill also advises that one does not restate what is already in your application, but instead about something new that couldn’t be implied from your resume. When I initially thought of what I was going to write in my essay, I considered writing about my soccer experience and how much of my time was dedicated to it, but instead I have decided to write about a personal experience that cannot be implied from my application. Merrill also brought to my realization that a good essay will make you stand out and could differentiate you between a “maybe” and a “yes”. The second article by Parke Muth, “Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert,” gives examples of college essays that are good, bad, and risky. He emphasizes the importance of letting the “individual’s voice come through” instead of your parents or an elder. Muth recommends that one should read their essay to a friend aloud and have them decide whether their voice can be recognized in their essay. I realized that a college admissions dean does not want to hear the same stories that everyone else writes about. He also emphases the importance of the first sentence, or the “hook”, because it should grab the reader’s attention. In my essay, I’m going to start off with a statement that may seem unexpected to the reader to hook them in but won’t give away the rest of the story.
Sarah Troutner
Period 4
In my second article, “College applications can be too good,” it states that the essay “has over time become more important to the admission decisions.” And for some students, they see this as a disadvantage. Because some worked so hard during high school and are at the top of the class, they should deserve to have not much of a difficulty getting into a good college. But the problem with nice schools is there are just way too many applicants. What it sometimes boils down to is just plain numbers. Sometimes students just don’t even get the chance to get into the college because there were so many other people to consider. And I think this is something all students need to consider in preparing to maybe getting a rejection letter.
Basically, college essays may count more than students ever thought possible. This might be a positive thing for one person and a negative for the other, but I am thankful they require essays. Without them, I wouldn’t have much of a wow factor to help me feel confident about getting into college.
Makenna Van Liew
Pd. 7
In my second article, “College applications can be too good,” it states that the essay “has over time become more important to the admission decisions.” And for some students, they see this as a disadvantage. Because some worked so hard during high school and are at the top of the class, they should deserve to have not much of a difficulty getting into a good college. But the problem with nice schools is there are just way too many applicants. What it sometimes boils down to is just plain numbers. Sometimes students just don’t even get the chance to get into the college because there were so many other people to consider. And I think this is something all students need to consider in preparing to maybe getting a rejection letter.
Basically, college essays may count more than students ever thought possible. This might be a positive thing for one person and a negative for the other, but I am thankful they require essays. Without them, I wouldn’t have much of a wow factor to help me feel confident about getting into college.
Makenna Van Liew
Pd. 7
After reading "Making a Hard-Life Story Open a Door to College", it made me realize that “college is the key.” Before this, I haven't really started focusing on college applications to the point that I need to. In the article, Antoine's situation serves as an example for me to work harder and strive to be accepted in my college of choice. It also made me think a lot about my future and how much college education affects it. If I work harder now, my life will be easier later; but if I let my life be easier now, my life in the future will be harder to a greater degree.
Moreover, the article explains that to many students who do not apply, "the application process itself one of the biggest obstacles." This statement made me say to myself that I will not let such a comparably simple process stand in the way of my college education.
Reading these articles gave me a wake-up call to set my priorities correctly; and more importantly, to think about my future and how my present actions affects it.
Michael C
Period 7
After reading "Blurring the Line Between a College Application and a Slick Sales Pitch" by Joseph Berger, “Holding College Chiefs to Their Words” by Ellen Gamerman and a few others as well, I was even more enlightened regarding the difficulty of writing my college essay. Having heard the struggle of university presidents, I worry for my future battle for a suitable topic. If the people expected to judge my essay can’t even keep their writing within the allotted word limit, what hopes are there for the high school seniors hoping to spill their guts onto a limited sheet of paper. My biggest source of worry is the outcome of the previous seniors. The greatest and most perfect students were rejected from the college of their choices and were forced back down to their fallback. The fate of the more fitting college students bothers me. With the increasing difficulty in being accepted into college, more pressure is put upon an essay in order to surpass the ideal college students who help the poor in distant countries like Berger mentions. Both the articles just emphasize the ridiculousness of the college application process which doesn’t really help me. Instead of stressing over the problems involved with a college essay, I’m just going to sit down and work my way through the procedure. I’ll put my distinct thought and personality into it and avoid sounding like a marketing slogan that could be stamped on any product’s box. Easy as that. No need to put excessive stress on the subject and wallow in the complicatedness of the college application process. The articles did succeed in assuring that an essay demonstrating the true traits (unpackaged with a a pretty bow on top) of a student is the best way to go.
-Keyon M. Period 7
The articles "College essays: Nerve-racking search for just the right words" and "How much do college admissions essays matter?" made it apparent that a college essay is a means to an end, not an end in itself. The essay should be an embellishment for 3 years of hard work that speak for themselves. The deciding choices have already been made at the point of writing your essay. A good college essay should be derived from the student, not who he or she chooses to pay.
Preston H, Period 5
Frankly, as I was going through each of the posted articles and trying to make a decision as to which of the two I would like to read and comment on, I became even more discouraged than I already am about the whole process of applying to and getting accepted by a good college. The success of my educational career has been entirely founded on incredibly hard work and my intense desire to get into the college of my choice (most certainly considered a "selective" college). After reading the article, "Colleges, Awash in Applications, Turning Away Even Top Students" and "Getting In Gets Harder: The children of the baby boomers are flooding colleges with applications, making the process more competitive than ever" which proclaims that "...the odds of getting into a selective college have never been worse...", I found it almost pathetically laughable when the spokesman for the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers was quoted in the "Getting in Gets Harder" article as saying "...[f]or many middle- and upper-middle-class kids, the transition from high school to college was never without some obvious stress...But now it has become a multiyear nightmare." That is an absurd understatement. What happened to the days when if you could find a way to pay for college and had the drive and the grades to get in, admission was a sure thing? Both articles blame the population explosure of my generation. Give me a break. It is a fairly remedial concept that as time passes, our country's population will only continue to expand. Apparently the colleges have tried to accomodate the increase in applications by making the process more stringent; but, from what I've just read, despite meeting increasingly higher requirements, that doesn't appear to be the answer for most of the individuals in my demographic. John Cameron F. Period 4
In the article,"Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life," I realized that it isn't about what you write in your essay, it's about how your write it - how you convey your message to the reader.As Mamlet relates, "it's not with a thought of...Is the student going to make me laugh?' Or 'Am I going to see anything new, that I haven't seen before?' It's 'Who is this person?' And that's very different." Essentially, it doesn't matter what the you write about, it could be the typical sob story to the morning bus ride. They'll be asking what have I found out about this person which makes this sob story different from all the rest. The key is voice. No matter how grand or how measly your topic might be, it's how you convey your personality, your character, and your qualities to these colleges. I have to admit, I was compelled to force myself into one of those "life changing experiences" that changed my whole perspective on life, evoked my deepest feelings and whatnot. Yet, pondering over it, I realized that writing about something seemingly insignificant would be more special to me, and my voice would be expressed more clearly and distinctly. As Merrill relates from "Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay," "Some of my favorites have included essays that reflect on the daily subway ride to school, or what the family goldfish observed from the fishbowl perched on the family kitchen table." Basically, it's not always the big things that can make an impact. Another thing I discovered is you shouldn't force yourself to write something that doesn't really reflect your personality - always write from the heart. The papers that you enjoyed writing are usually the best ones. Another useful tip is "focusing on one aspect of yourself." If your thoughts and ideas are all over the place and your trying to talk about multiple things at once, the essay won't be very strong. Focusing on one aspect of your personality that you would really like the college to know about will make a stronger impression. Another useful tip from both articles was to take the supplemental essays seriously. And not only seriously, but make sure that your are making it known through your writing why that specific college is special- as Dannemberg states,"...colleges use these to see if you are really interested in their college or just any college like theirs." I hadn't really kept that in mind when I began the supplementals, but I realize how crucial it is to incorporate that aspect in those essays. Well, now that I have a clearer perspective on what colleges really want, instead of relying on the common misconception of what college essays should be like, I believe I am ready to do some minor tweaking (or major tweaking) to those essays I have written, and to those I have not - well let's hope that I'm able to maximize my full potential and show them who I really am.
-Sameen K. 7
In the article,"Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life," I realized that it isn't about what you write in your essay, it's about how your write it - how you convey your message to the reader.As Mamlet relates, "it's not with a thought of...Is the student going to make me laugh?' Or 'Am I going to see anything new, that I haven't seen before?' It's 'Who is this person?' And that's very different." Essentially, it doesn't matter what the you write about, it could be the typical sob story to the morning bus ride. They'll be asking what have I found out about this person which makes this sob story different from all the rest. The key is voice. No matter how grand or how measly your topic might be, it's how you convey your personality, your character, and your qualities to these colleges. I have to admit, I was compelled to force myself into one of those "life changing experiences" that changed my whole perspective on life, evoked my deepest feelings and whatnot. Yet, pondering over it, I realized that writing about something seemingly insignificant would be more special to me, and my voice would be expressed more clearly and distinctly. As Merrill relates from "Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay," "Some of my favorites have included essays that reflect on the daily subway ride to school, or what the family goldfish observed from the fishbowl perched on the family kitchen table." Basically, it's not always the big things that can make an impact. Another thing I discovered is you shouldn't force yourself to write something that doesn't really reflect your personality - always write from the heart. The papers that you enjoyed writing are usually the best ones. Another useful tip is "focusing on one aspect of yourself." If your thoughts and ideas are all over the place and your trying to talk about multiple things at once, the essay won't be very strong. Focusing on one aspect of your personality that you would really like the college to know about will make a stronger impression. Another useful tip from both articles was to take the supplemental essays seriously. And not only seriously, but make sure that your are making it known through your writing why that specific college is special- as Dannemberg states,"...colleges use these to see if you are really interested in their college or just any college like theirs." I hadn't really kept that in mind when I began the supplementals, but I realize how crucial it is to incorporate that aspect in those essays. Well, now that I have a clearer perspective on what colleges really want, instead of relying on the common misconception of what college essays should be like, I believe I am ready to do some minor tweaking (or major tweaking) to those essays I have written, and to those I have not - well let's hope that I'm able to maximize my full potential and show them who I really am.
-Sameen K. 7
reflect on the daily subway ride to school, or what the family goldfish observed from the fishbowl perched on the family kitchen table." Basically, it's not always the big things that can make an impact. Another thing I discovered is you shouldn't force yourself to write something that doesn't really reflect your personality - always write from the heart. The papers that you enjoyed writing are usually the best ones. Another useful tip is "focusing on one aspect of yourself." If your thoughts and ideas are all over the place and your trying to talk about multiple things at once, the essay won't be very strong. Focusing on one aspect of your personality that you would really like the college to know about will make a stronger impression. Another useful tip from both articles was to take the supplemental essays seriously. And not only seriously, but make sure that your are making it known through your writing why that specific college is special- as Dannemberg states,"...colleges use these to see if you are really interested in their college or just any college like theirs." I hadn't really kept that in mind when I began the supplementals, but I realize how crucial it is to incorporate that aspect in those essays. Well, now that I have a clearer perspective on what colleges really want, instead of relying on the common misconception of what college essays should be like, I believe I am ready to do some minor tweaking (or major tweaking) to those essays I have written, and to those I have not - well let's hope that I'm able to maximize my full potential and show them who I really am.
-Sameen Khan 7
In the article,"Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life," I realized that it isn't about what you write in your essay, it's about how your write it - how you convey your message to the reader.As Mamlet relates, "it's not with a thought of...Is the student going to make me laugh?' Or 'Am I going to see anything new, that I haven't seen before?' It's 'Who is this person?' And that's very different." Essentially, it doesn't matter what the you write about, it could be the typical sob story to the morning bus ride. They'll be asking what have I found out about this person which makes this sob story different from all the rest. The key is voice. No matter how grand or how measly your topic might be, it's how you convey your personality, your character, and your qualities to these colleges. I have to admit, I was compelled to force myself into one of those "life changing experiences" that changed my whole perspective on life, evoked my deepest feelings and whatnot. Yet, pondering over it, I realized that writing about something seemingly insignificant would be more special to me, and my voice would be expressed more clearly and distinctly. As Merrill relates from "Tip Sheet: An Admissions Dean Offers Advice on Writing a College Essay," "Some of my favorites have included essays that
After reading “Admissions Essay Ordeal: The Young Examined Life” I found myself rethinking every essay that I’ve written. I wonder if my essays are too tragic or if maybe they aren’t the real me. In almost every one of my essays, I try to talk about some big tragic event that has happened to me in the past. I just feel like collages want students that have done something earth shattering. However, after I read the article, I was pleased to learn that most collages want you to “be yourself”. But it’s hard to be yourself, especially when all the essay topics are so broad and generic. I actually felt better after reading this article because I realized that I don’t need to “invent some sort of plastic” just to be good enough to get into the schools that I want to go to.
The second article that I read is “Writing the Essay: Sound Advice from an Expert”. This article refreshed ideas that I know, but subconsciously do. For example, when the writer talks about “Macessays”, I realized that I have written a couple of these essays. Even though I know not to start out an essay with “I have been a member of the band and it has taught me leadership, perseverance and hard work", I still find my self writing a sentence similar to this. I usually write this when I don’t know what to talk about. Essay topics are so broad and boring, that is hard to write a unique response to these topics. The second thing that I found interesting is the discussion about what to write about. According to the article to many students ask, “What does my college want to hear?”. I realized that before I sit down to write an essay, I usually research the school, and try to find a way to appeal to the school. This article made me realize that I need to stop focusing on how I am going to please the application reviewer, and focus more on what I think is interesting.
Yasmine k
p7
I found both the essays, "Holding College Chiefs to Their Words," and "College Essays, Nerve Racking Search for Just the Right Words," to be bot hhelpful and informational essays that showed me that essays are struggle for all.
In the essay, "Holding College Cheifs to Their Words," several high ranking officials within prominenet universities across our nation were challeneged to write an essay answering their own essay topics that hey give to the incoming applicants. These officials and essay graders stuggled mightily with writing the essays, which they themselves grade. This information really helped to ease4 my stress about the whole essay process and showed me that even the people who grade our essays woukld struggle with some of the topics and could take that into consideration when evaluating the papers.
My other article wasn't quite as enlightining or informational but it was once again another example of the struggle that college essays are for everyone, alleiviating some of the stress i was feeling about my papers. Also, the article discussed how an essay wouldnt negatiely sway anapplication unless it was "absolutely horribe" which i'm confident mine are not.
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