<p>I've begun to notice companies out there like Penn and Paper or Robert Schwartz who help edit essays for applications. Has anyone used them and know if they are legit and helpful?</p>
<p>Oftentimes seniors have help in their English classes with editing essays.
Thank goodness.
:)</p>
<p>I think the best strategy for a student writing college essays is to find a teacher who is willing to read and comment on them in their free time, find a friend who is willing to exchange essays and “peer-edit” them, and get a parent to read the essays (but only to comment on the essay in general, not to pick out specific flaws).
As for these companies, I don’t think they can be trusted and they also strike me as immoral. I have a quote from one of the JHU admissions officers, who posted about why people shouldn’t have their essays reviewed on CC. Obviously, that’s a little bit different, but all of his points besides #1 still apply.</p>
<p>"Every year I post the following message and I think it is appropriate again. I know such posts are common on College Confidential, but I just want to state my opinion regarding asking for assistance with your essays through CC.</p>
<p>I am against it, especially when one posts their entire essay on this site.</p>
<p>Why?</p>
<p>(1) You never know who will be looking at your essay and whether they are out for your best interest. Additionally, they may choose to use your essays as their own. </p>
<p>(2) When you sign your application you are stating that everything in your application is complete, factually correct, and honestly presented. It is the final part of this that concerns me when receiving advice on your essays through a web site like CC. The essays are supposed to be your own work. Getting advice from a guidance counselor, teacher, parent, friend, is completely understandable. But receiving advice from anonymous people on a college message board seems dishonest to me. </p>
<p>(3) One word - plagiarism. </p>
<p>My advice … ask a parent … ask a relative … ask a sibling … ask a friend. They will have your best interest when helping you out."</p>
<p>
That’s the part that never made sense to me. Either it’s supposed to be the student’s own work, in which case no other person should get any input whatsoever, or students can receive assistance from others, in which case it shouldn’t matter if it was a helpful friend or a helpful stranger. I am now allowed get input from my parents or friends on my exams either…</p>
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<p>sheesh. seriously?</p>
<p>Certainly the student should “consider the source” when recieveing advice from ANYONE on their essays, or anyone about anything on the internet, for that matter. However, the game is played in such a way that many applicants are recieving editing advice from paid professionals in terms of their essays. Some kids who post on here get a kind of critical mass of adult interest in their future, and if they “know” and respect the poster they ask to take a look at their essay? Why the heck not?</p>
<p>The kids who get this critical mass of adult interest seem to me to be the ones who have no real adult assistance in the app process. Why should they not benefit from the same kind of educated advice and input my own kids would get in a family full of overeducated parents? </p>
<p>Just, the kids should consider the source of the advice and who they get to read their essays.</p>
<p>I am generally cautious when replying to posts where this is the first post of the OP and when the post could lead to a controversial discussion. Usually when that happens, the OP is a ■■■■■ but this case might be different.</p>
<p>However to answer b@r!um’s question: Some help in editing or refining the essay is considered OK as long as that person knows the student and is not a professional whose paycheck depends on this. When you have clearly crossed the line is when a professional interviews you and then writes the essay for you or makes you go through many iterations, where it becomes that persons work rather your work.</p>
<p>These companies are not helpful strangers who are doing it from the goodness of their heart, they expect to paid for it. So, yes there is a fine line and most college admissions officers expect that the student has received some guidance from a teacher, a parent or other students. The some help generally consists of help in grammar, spelling or sharpening the message, not in creating the message or doing a major re-write. The essays are about you in your own words, not about you as scripted by a stranger.</p>
<p>Thanks mazewanderer, but that doesn’t actually address the point the JHU admissions officer made, as quoted by ameliab12. The quote was specifically referring to College Confidential. If I tell a college senior what picture of them their essay conveys to me, I am nothing but a helpful stranger. My paycheck does not depend on it. I don’t tell them what to write. I don’t even point out typos.</p>
<p>And yet that’s prohibited, while well-intentioned people they know face-to-face can collectively have a much bigger impact on the essay. (Their guidance counselor might help them formulate a general theme. Their friends will help brainstorm explicit examples or well-sounding phrases. Their parents might check spelling and grammar. Etc.)</p>
<p>I also wanted to say that I am much less suspicious of first time posters than you are. I can well understand why someone would create a new username to inquire about essay editing services. I wouldn’t want that question associated to my regular username either.</p>
<p>I just want to know if the companies I listed are legit and won’t run away with my money. I also am curious to hear testimony from people who have used these types of companies. Lets not have a moral debate.</p>