<p>This is an article about essay writing...will the madness never end??</p>
<p>That article was in today's Wall Street. Thanks for the "free" link. I am beginning to think this whole college thing has gone completely over the top. I could easily see why some kids/parents would just throw in the towel and blow off all the reaches. It is getting ridiculous.</p>
<p>Thanks Fredo. Is it just me or did both of the essays discussed in the article strike anyone else as exactly the kind of essays colleges DON'T want?</p>
<p>For me the most interesting piece would be the comparison of submitted essays with SAT writing section essays. That, to me, would really highlight any differences. Although, I'm sure you could argue the other side and say if someone wants to use a service/course/camp to improve their writing skills, then why not. How do you tell, however, how much is facilitating (and, you would hope, improving the writer's own voice) and how much is boiler-plate fill-in-the-blanks finished essays?</p>
<p>This is one camp my kids would never want to go to! Isn't the summer for pursuing your interests so you appear interesting to colleges? I can't imagine camp being ABOUT getting into college! (Interviewer: So, what did you do last summer? I went to a camp that taught me how to get admitted to college and here I am! Take me!)</p>
<p>I can't imagine a kid really wanting to go to this camp or if the parents make 'em. I always let my kids pick what they wanted to do for summer and could never picture them picking this sort of thing to do (though there are all kinds of kids). </p>
<p>It is one thing to get feedback/suggestions with proofing drafts of an essay (which I support, btw) but another to attend a two week camp for this? </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>When I met with S's college counselor in June when we were picking him up from boarding school, we discussed the application process. The counselor was somewhat dismissive about the essay component, which surprised me. He said most of the kids at the school are strong writers and come up with decent essays. He gives them some helpful critique, but he didn't feel that the essays were something to stress about. He said they seldom make a difference in an admission decision and are read very quickly. I still would like S to get a jump on some of them this summer, but I'm not sure it will happen.</p>
<p>These essay writing courses do seem over-the-top. But the book on Harvard essays mentioned in the article was very helpful to my son...the totally unusual topics and approaches in the examples really freed him up to be more creative.</p>
<p>Fredo, I have a little problem, however, with comparing a polished essay with the ones written for the SAT2 writing exam in 20 minutes. I mean my own kids really worked on their college essays (did numerous ones, not Common App), rewriting, proofing, etc. They thought about them a lot in advance, and so forth. For the SAT2 Writing test (they did not take the new SATs), I thought the essays the test seemed to be looking for were quite formula driven....like make a point and support it with three supporting ideas...very UNLIKE the kind of essays they wrote for applications. While it did test something about writing, it really does not necessarily show the same thing as a polished piece that is a narrative and all. I felt you just had to follow the formula to get a good score. I saw sample essays for that test that my kids did as a couple practice exams to get used to the format. I feel like they definitely followed the criteria for that exam but I surely did not think it represented their good writing like the essays done on the application or even school papers. And I am saying this with my younger kid who got a 790 on that test and my older one for the essay portion got a 10 (out of 12) and so their exam writing was apparently good but I just KNOW it did NOT compare to the level of writing they did for the college essays or for school. It seemed rather simplistic and following the formula they asked for, that was it. So, I am not sure I totally agree that comparing the exam essay from the 20 minute question is that comparable to one the student spent time on and is a narrative of a personal nature and likely had many drafts (even if NO help was received). I realize the purpose of this comparison as one essay was done in a proctored setting and the application essays can conceivably receive unlimitted help (or cheating or copying or whatever). Just commenting, however, on the comparison of these types of writing "assignments".
Susan</p>
<p>Susan: I see the point you're making. I guess I assume that each person has a writer's "voice" that comes through - even in a formulaic essay such as the one required for SAT. If I were an adcom I might raise an eyebrow if the two essays side by side showed two completely different voices. I can't begin to fathom how anyone can grade essays - I thought that about the SATII. How do you eliminate subjectivity of the grader?</p>
<p>I am fairly new to this site...I have a D that just completed her freshman yr at UNC Chapel Hill and I having a S that will be a Senior this yr and to think their are parents out there that would send a child to such a camp. What happen to allowing the child to express themselves on their own. This is what adcoms want to see not some essay on steriods that reflects some expensive training. My son is attending TASP right now and even though he has numerous opportunities to attend summer academic programs over the past years, he has always chosen his summer traveling baseball team over some college application building program and my wife and I was supported what he wanted to do. This yr he choose to skip summer baseball to attend TASP (I really miss the baseball though) but we support his decision. Let the kids enjoy themselves, as you know as parents....the tough times are coming. PARENTS C'MON...</p>
<p>Don't you think that the Adcoms are going to start to recognize some type of pattern or specific style when reading the essays produced by the graduates of this program? I have the article in today's WSJ but haven't finished it yet. Actually I was pretty disgusted by the few paragraphs I did read. I guess if my kids had Ivy potential I might be more inclined to push them - but they and I are content with their choices.</p>
<p>My daughter would have been highly insulted if I had ever suggested such a camp, and my son would just say," Forget it, mom. It's not worth it." </p>
<p>Did any of you see tonight's episode of "The Scholar" on television tonight? Those kids are the picture of anxiety.. I know there's a lot of money on the line for these kids, but if they would choose their college right, most would get great merit aid. They're all good kids, but they're far too stressed, and rather sad. Too much of their self-worth seems to be tied to academic achievement. </p>
<p>I'm going to go give my slacker son a hug now.</p>