Jump to content

Menu

Which college essay is the worst?


JanetC
 Share

Recommended Posts

Are they authentic? If they are, maybe just let it go? At one of the interview weekends my dd went to, they were asked what did they do for fun. The other kids said things like soccer, drama, debate. I almost choked with laughter bc dd gave a 100% dd answer, "I love to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea or hot chocolate." No leadership, high energy answer, but it sure was authentic her. It didn't hurt her. I think they appreciated her honest, frank reply.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ds says, "All of them. Every prompt. Every essay. They are all the worst!"

 

Can you tell that he is burned out?

 

Can she just have fun with it and respond honestly with lighthearted essay? I think ds needs to do this for one, but he takes it all so seriously that it is hard to get him to ease up on himself.

 

My alma mater, way back in the crustaceous period of college applications, required applicants to write a character sketch of someone we were close to who had an influence over our lives. At the time I thought that I was really unlikely to attend said institution, so wrote one about a close friend who was a clown, a true comedian. I assumed that this might not be popular with the admissions committee, but I was so burned out writing that it was the only thing I could get started on before the deadline.

 

Put that thing in snail mail, sighed, and crossed that college off the list of possibilities. LOL someone liked it!

Edited by FaithManor
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's the thing, she *wants* it to be lighthearted and honest, but she's been in College Essay Mode for so long that it all feels fake to her! She has overthought this stupid prompt so much that she can't write with a fresh voice.

I have no idea if this will work. I took the laptop away from ds and made him hot chocolate and cookies. I told him he had to watch movies, lay on the couch, and vegetative no thinking about college.

 

He is currently watching Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy. I am hoping that brain rest until tomorrow or even Monday will work. The deadline is Nov. 1st, but since it is transmitted online, we still have some room to breathe. If it is nice out this weekend, he and his dad need to go kayaking so he can get some more exercise and fresh air. We have been having a ton of rain, and I think low light level is NOT helping.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my kids wrote that essay about reading science fiction & fantasy novels, and the other wrote about dancing to random music on her iPod. No great shakes (certainly no literary masterpieces), just what they honestly did for fun. Tell your daughter not to sweat it too much. I think they're just making sure that the kids have something that they can do to relax when things get stressful.

 

The absolute worst essay here was Caltech's old empty box prompt. "Fill this box with anything you want"....argh!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dd was going to write about diversity, and wanted to tell about her experiences surrounding the Stockley verdict (daily protests still going on, for the record), but realized she couldn't fit anything coherent about that into 150 words.  

 

I think she ended up giving up on it and cleaning the bathroom instead.  Our house is going to be sparkling by the time this is all over.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My ds thinks they are all horrible. 

My ds too. He just thinks it is all so stupid.

 

"Call me and talk to me. Have a conversation. You'll learn more!" He just can't wrap his head around what they think they actually learn about an individual and their potential college success by some of these writing prompts.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My ds too. He just thinks it is all so stupid.

 

"Call me and talk to me. Have a conversation. You'll learn more!" He just can't wrap his head around what they think they actually learn about an individual and their potential college success by some of these writing prompts.

 

 

My shy introvert would prefer to avoid the conversation too.  :lol:

 

He just wants to study math, 'nuff said. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As someone who has been a judge on a scholarship essay contest several times, I do think that they have value.  In weeding out the blithering idiots who would otherwise look good on paper.  I really don't think that applies to anyone's kids here.  

I remember doing one as a kid, and I remember it as extremely painful, but maybe that is OK.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As someone who has been a judge on a scholarship essay contest several times, I do think that they have value.  In weeding out the blithering idiots who would otherwise look good on paper.  I really don't think that applies to anyone's kids here.  

I remember doing one as a kid, and I remember it as extremely painful, but maybe that is OK.  

 

Wow, that is a really harsh comment. You do realize that these are kids you are referring to, right?  Kids who are asked by many of these prompts to reveal personal details about themselves to total strangers?  I hope the readers on the admission committees have more compassion when reading these essays than you have displayed in this post.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kids who are asked by many of these prompts to reveal personal details about themselves to total strangers?  I hope the readers on the admission committees have more compassion <snip>

 

 

This comment really reminded me of the "Why I don't Interview for Yale" post. Kids really do put their hearts into their essays. Remember that when the rejection letters come, and your senior seems all "dramatic." They don't feel like they were rejected for just their academics, but that somehow the little pieces of their souls that they poured into their essays were found wanting....20150929073718_00009.jpg

 

https://mathwithbaddrawings.com/2015/09/30/why-ive-stopped-doing-interviews-for-yale/

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any kid that put their heart into an essay would automatically be in the top 30% of the essays I read, no matter how bad everything else was.   I'm not even particular about grammar or spelling, mainly because I can't be, since mine is bad (one of the reasons for homeschooling).   I've seen two sentence 'essays' that aren't even topical.   Some made us cringe, as in I think I'd keep my child in elementary school until she could do better. 

 

That said, I've read some amazing ones.   But, any kid that can write an essay, tries and has someone proofread (which is explicitly allowed) will be in the top 10%.    Those go onto the next tier of judges who pick the winner.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of college ap essays, if you want a service to completely rewrite it for you, inserting their own ideas and opinions and making better use of a thesaurus than you ever could on your own, you can sign up here:

 

https://www.collegevine.com/apply/submit-essay/?utm_campaign=RER%20Campaign%202017&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=57847837&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_zQPV6uY6INI9VWJ2O89bsfWfOiVZos3p9SObouqb_LoUNigDTqL9u_7qA06g2R14czbLD-yUL7m7M99Wv2cNghFQICA&_hsmi=57847837

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are they authentic? If they are, maybe just let it go? At one of the interview weekends my dd went to, they were asked what did they do for fun. The other kids said things like soccer, drama, debate. I almost choked with laughter bc dd gave a 100% dd answer, "I love to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea or hot chocolate." No leadership, high energy answer, but it sure was authentic her. It didn't hurt her. I think they appreciated her honest, frank reply.

 

 

DS's response???  Thinking and observing the world around him.  Why do the branches of a tree...? Why does the foam in a latte...?

 

I almost died because it made him seem like the most boring kid ever!

 

Authentic?  Absolutely.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...