<p>Hi,</p>
<p>The fall 2010 Caltech Supplement won't be out till mid-July. However, do the required essays and Short Answers change each year, or are they always the same? (I'm considering whether to write them now or not). This was the supplement for applying for the class of '13 (the last admissions cycle):</p>
<p>Thanks ^^.</p>
<p>I know that the long essay has been the same for at least the past two years and I would guess that the honor code short answer will also be there. I would focus on writing your common app essay now (you’ll be sending it off to more colleges and need to really love it). Don’t stress too much about essays-- they’re definitely important but remember that they’re only one part.</p>
<p>I agree with FantomBassoon. The Feynman and Honor Code essays are unlikely to change. In fact, I believe that all the essay questions in the last cycle were the same as they were when I applied two years ago (with the exception of the elimination of the box, but you don’t need to worry about that). I don’t expect that they will change much for next year. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t necessarily start writing your essays right now, but it might be helpful to keep the topics in mind in case you get any inspiration.</p>
<p>I have some idea as to what to write for the honour code short answer, but I’m not sure whether it would be a wise idea…</p>
<p>I’m homeschooled, so when I took my A-levels, I had to take nearly all the exams at one outside test centre, and the last one at a different test centre. Unfortunately, at the last test center, the guy who ran the place knew my parents, and so he offered me an extra 5-10 minutes towards the end of the test :/. I said I’d done all I thought I could have (although I know I could have improved on some of my answers), not wanting to cheat.</p>
<p>^Is this a good thing to write about, or is it probably not a good idea? It might throw my A-level grades into question, although I only took one test at that centre. Also, I’m not sure whether I should mention the fact that it was the last exam I took and thus the most important, because then they would know exactly which centre I took it at.</p>
<p>You could always make it more general, if you’re worried about calling your scores into question. As in, the proctor for “a test” offered you extra time because they knew your parents. </p>
<p>In any case, essays about cheating are a dime a dozen for the honor code question; they get very boring so I doubt whoever’s reading it will pay much attention.</p>
<p>You mean that lots of people try to cheat or have been tempted to do so, so my essay wouldn’t be original?</p>
<p>Basically. I mean, trying to cheat would be bad, but having someone else try to tempt you into cheating is pretty common. For example, as smart people, almost any Caltech applicant has a story about how someone else wanted to cheat off of them. Yours is a little different, but it’s the same kind of thing. </p>
<p>That said, I don’t think your story would hurt you, it just wouldn’t stand out.</p>
<p>Yea, mine was a variation on one of those generic cheating ones. It was about a math assignment that we weren’t supposed to consult people with but I noticed that my friend was doing something blatantly wrong and that I knew he knew and I had to decide between letting him get it wrong or take part in cheating so I was like “Yo, you should look over that problem again, son” and he was like “'aight” and eventually found his mistake, and that got me in so I don’t really think its that big of a deal if its something like that as long as you’re not like “I copied someone else’s answers cause I don’t think thats cheating!” LOL This question is just about showing you have integrity and not necessarily to try to stand out with.</p>
<p>Also, remember that the honor code doesn’t say: No Cheating! RAWR! It’s more about taking unfair advantage of people. If possible, try to evaluate your moral and ethical stance on a deeper level than just an example. I wrote about Game theory, and the implications of the Tit-For-Tat strategy.</p>