rbk mama Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Just a vent here. I know the topic of helping with essays has come up a few times before, though I can't remember reading about these advertised essay services. DS is in the thick of it - has finished the early ones and is slowly working on some that are due much later. He is a very slow writer, and its definitely not his strong suit, so this has been a huge time suck. But he's plugging away, and he'll occasionally have me read one and give suggestions. My feedback is usually to point out places which are unclear to me - I'm not sure exactly what he is saying and can he think of a more clear way of expressing himself. I never suggest words or phrases - somehow that feels like crossing a line (and I think he feels the same because if I slip and make a word suggestion, he is sure to use something different.) So I was shocked when I received in my junk email account an ad for College Vine's essay help service: 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 If you scroll down they have posted an example of an essay that was submitted to them, and then their edited version. Their version not only liberally changes words and phrases, they literally add in their own ideas. The writing style is different. They clearly consulted their thesaurus a few times, and the result is writing that sounds pretentious and odd ("variegated ideas?"). The student had a real MUN example about North Korea that was great, and they changed it to a fabricated one that is so much less. I feel like anything produced by a student has to be better than the edited version such a service will morph it into. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 These services are nothing new. I remember being shocked years ago to discover that people were paying to outsource their master's thesis or PhD dissertation. It's pretty clear to me that the ethics of doing the right thing will pay off for the student in the long run. Those seeking unethical shortcuts may have short term success but it will eventually catch up to them. Give your son a big hug. He sounds awesome. That willingness to work hard will serve him well. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 I have mixed feelings. Some schools work on college essays in English class. I think Brave Writer offers a college essay class. So there are multiple ways students may be getting outside help. If the starting essay is very rough, I can see multiple critiques and edits changing it significantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbk mama Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 I don't think there is anything wrong with getting help. What seems horrible is how drastically this helper was ready to change the student's words/ thoughts/ even experiences (!) to something he or she felt was somehow superior. I can't imagine Bravewriter ever doing anything like that - I'm sure they wouldn't, as the best thing about them IMO is how well they help a student develop their unique voice. Maybe not all such services are as bad as College Vine, though - this is just the first example I've seen of how a service can edit a student's work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 My dd did the Bravewriter class. I felt like it did an excellent job with helping her. It did not write the essay for her nor did it edit it too much. The instructor really made her think what she wanted to say and why. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 I don't think there is anything wrong with getting help. What seems horrible is how drastically this helper was ready to change the student's words/ thoughts/ even experiences (!) to something he or she felt was somehow superior. I can't imagine Bravewriter ever doing anything like that - I'm sure they wouldn't, as the best thing about them IMO is how well they help a student develop their unique voice. Maybe not all such services are as bad as College Vine, though - this is just the first example I've seen of how a service can edit a student's work. I suspect the picked the most extreme example, to show how much they can improve upon an essay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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