<p>Exactly. @ Chedva, while they are a rarity, there are those few 17 year old girls/boys who write with the complexity and diction of an adult. What if they are penalized just as yayverily was penalized? They can’t explain or send “proof” that their writing is authentic. What if they really <em>hadn’t</em> entered in any essay contests or exhibited their best writing in school writing assignments? They kids who are really so amazing they’re unbelievable- the best kids- will now be punished.</p>
<p>It seems like the college essay will soon become formulaic as well. If you use difficult words badly, you used a thesaurus; the fake pretentious tone is really not appealing, yada yada, I agree. But now, if you use them well, it’s bad too. The only essay that seems to work is the engaging, simple and sweet essay about a noncontroversial topic. But this is supposed to be academia… aren’t they looking for a spark?</p>