tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post2428319683714095635..comments2024-03-23T12:05:13.464-07:00Comments on Ideas: A Suggestion for College Admissions OfficesDavid Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543763515095867595noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-40395025009973486512010-03-25T06:01:48.258-07:002010-03-25T06:01:48.258-07:00I've read hundreds of admissions essays, and t...I've read hundreds of admissions essays, and they were definitely written by high school kids (or parents who happen to write like they're still in high school).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-56253957614328387072010-03-22T14:02:14.473-07:002010-03-22T14:02:14.473-07:00I write my papers in vi.
Why aren't they ser...I write my papers in vi. <br /><br />Why aren't they serving ME!Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-90131286513826819222010-03-12T09:21:48.041-08:002010-03-12T09:21:48.041-08:00actually i meant half an hour! you said an hour i...actually i meant half an hour! you said an hour in the post, but i was thinking half an hour because that's what you get on the SAT. maybe it's personal style, but there isn't much i'd feel comfortable writing in complete isolation and a strict time limit.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00630835578713714101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-53392317485592767092010-03-11T15:43:42.319-08:002010-03-11T15:43:42.319-08:00Does writing really uncover a lot of information n...Does writing really uncover a lot of information not revealed by a multiple choice exam? Maybe there are some people who can read but not write, but not many. Even a reading test may be overkill. If you know somebody is a native English speaker and has a high IQ, you can rest assured he can read and write (and if not, heck, that just adds to the appeal - diversity!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-41910336528188240152010-03-11T09:13:48.363-08:002010-03-11T09:13:48.363-08:00I took the GRE on a computer three years ago, and ...I took the GRE on a computer three years ago, and I had to compose my essay in an awkward text box in the test program. The program crashed and lost my essay when I was nearly done. Apparently grad schools are interested in finding people who are calm and persistent in the face of adversity.Chris Bogarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08163342331118448067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-51690127335271229542010-03-11T09:07:48.524-08:002010-03-11T09:07:48.524-08:00As a college consultant, one of my favorite parts ...As a college consultant, one of my favorite parts of helping students with the college application process is the essay. I know it is difficult to tell whether an essay is written by a student, parent, or essay writing service, but I would like to think that the majority are student crafted and in their own words. I love to brainstorm topics with students and that is how many kids come up with their most unique essays. That is certainly something you would miss in a structured one hour essay session at a college or another monitored location.<br /><br />Susie Watts<br />College Direction<br />Denver, Coloradocollegedirectionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10929927410978017087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-78081133494744135872010-03-11T07:54:03.424-08:002010-03-11T07:54:03.424-08:00There are people who write well in the first-go-ar...There are people who write well in the first-go-around and then there are people who create good writing through editing. Unless you strictly define "good writing" as good first drafts, this would bias selection against slower writers.Biomed Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02394809303177279262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-72919362845854163022010-03-11T07:07:26.611-08:002010-03-11T07:07:26.611-08:00But what if a funny little man appeared in the roo...But what if a funny little man appeared in the room and wrote it in exchange for the student's firstborn child?<br /><br />Seriously, anyone who can't write a short essay in an hour should hardly be considered college material.Gary McGathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12880087933512343984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-57143359936011250062010-03-10T22:56:45.155-08:002010-03-10T22:56:45.155-08:00"what can you write in an hour? and with no r..."what can you write in an hour? and with no reference materials? notes? dictionaries? "<br /><br />A blog post. Probably two or three. I didn't time my last three, but I wouldn't be surprised if I did them in an hour.<br /><br />Or an essay a couple of pages long. Why would you need reference materials, notes, or dictionaries if the objective is to show, not that you can research, but that you can write?David Friedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06543763515095867595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-70199308072199366872010-03-10T15:36:23.211-08:002010-03-10T15:36:23.211-08:00i still think that's bad, and not just from a ...i still think that's bad, and not just from a logistical point of view. what can you write in an <i>hour</i>? and with no reference materials? notes? dictionaries? <br /><br />a friend of mine said that she couldn't remember writing anything serious 500 words or less since about second grade.<br /><br />some of the exemplary essays by people who had got in to MIT were just a full page of whining about being poor. surely there are better ways to see who 'can write'.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00630835578713714101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-45294421124133999832010-03-10T14:24:22.274-08:002010-03-10T14:24:22.274-08:00I've heard from those who work in admissions t...I've heard from those who work in admissions that most of the essays received in the current system are abominably bad. Perhaps the number of plagiarized (good) essays is small enough that it isn't worthwhile for the schools to go to the trouble and expense of detecting them.Mikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19727420.post-37580873088832636882010-03-10T14:10:21.562-08:002010-03-10T14:10:21.562-08:00Rather than make the student do this for each coll...Rather than make the student do this for each college, it would seem to be easier to have them do it once for all colleges. At that point, it boils down to improving the SAT essay.<br /><br />One way in which to assist this is to follow what I believe is the arrangement for the LSAT, in which the test administrator would cease attempting to grade the essay and would simply pass it along for the schools to use as they wish. I have the impression, though, that law schools don't use the LSAT essay much; you probably have a lot more insight than I do into why that is, and perhaps how it can be improved.dWjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12072494989829344049noreply@blogger.com