<p>In particular, I noted that:
[quote]
... Marvin Krislov, president of Oberlin College, in Oberlin, Ohio, says he briefly wondered if he should write as if he were a high-school senior, but then concluded he'd write a better essay if he looked back on his experiences from an adult perspective
[/quote]
</p>
<p>One of the problems with some application essay questions is that they're conceived by adults who don't seem to fully understand that the responders will be teenagers. I've seen admission officials act smug when evaluating essays on "significant experiences" without acknowledging that what is significant to a teen may be trite from their own (jaded) adult perspective. No wonder so many kids come to me and say, "What should I write about? I've never been homeless; I've never had cancer. No one in my family has died. My parents aren't even divorced!" They've already been told to be wary about writing about The Big Game, The Big Break-Up, the Big Orchestra recital, etc. So, from the start, they're digging for other ideas with the aim to please, rather than to discuss what really does matter to them.</p>
<p>Cool article! I liked uChicago’s and Barnard’s (fun-written imo) essays!
It’s funny to see that some of them also write about pretty generic or even clich</p>
<p>i liked the quote where one of the president’s says they ‘contemplated writing as a high school student, but then decided they could write a better essay as an adult, using the perspective they had gained on life throughout the years’. It’s quite interesting and raises questions over the debate on what AdComs should expect from students who still have so few years under the belt as it were…</p>
<p>I guess i found that a bit intriguing. All in all a great article!</p>
<p>
[QUOTE=Robert A. Oden Jr., Pres. of Carleton]
A day largely free I had from working to learn Arabic and other tasks. “Aha,” thought I, “I’ll visit the pyramids.”
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Unnecessary, distracting, and contrived. Especially the attributive in the second sentence.</p>
<p>I was a little disappointed at first to find that Zimmer for Chicago wrote an essay rather more like a lecture than an introspection, but the motif of “big questions” tied it together and made it meaningful. Can’t wait to attend that school this September!</p>
<p>That would be awesome…like a secret shopper. Although if a school actually didn’t accept its own president, it would never agree to publish that information…</p>
<p>EDIT: Also, now that I think about it, a school agreeing to that experiment is about as likely as Simon Cowell agreeing to audition for American Idol. :)</p>
<p>President Oden gave a speech during the first night of Accepted Student Weekend, and I enjoyed it. Maybe he’s more comfortable speaking than writing.</p>
<p>No need to characterize an entire school based on one essay, JiffsMom.</p>
<p>Our opinions weren’t based on just that one essay. They were based on our visit as well, as I stated. Carleton won’t work for my two, but there are plenty of others who would find Carleton highly desirable, no doubt.</p>
<p>yeah penn’s essay was very much “look at me and all my accomplishments”. she might as well have listed her resume, because her essay wasn’t interesting to actually r e a d.</p>
<p>Penn & Pomona were the most disappointing ones. Pomona emphasizes on the importance of its personal statements, and for a college that has high standards for them, the president didn’t exactly meet my expectations. Hey, but he’s not the one evaluating our applications, right? :] </p>
<p>I actually liked Carleton’s and Barnard’s essays. I felt they addressed the topic in an interesting manner. Not dull like others. Some of the essays, I felt, were dabbling on, and the Penn one was so dry! I wanted to seriously fork myself while reading it.</p>
<p>I agree, I liked Carleton and Barnard the best. Carleton’s was a little bit of a struggle to read but I liked what he was trying to say. But did anyone else find it a little creepy how well the pictures matched up with the supposed atmospheres of the schools??? Each one was like exactly what I would have imagined.</p>
<p>I can only judge any one of these essays by the opening paragraph.
Why?
Because, like college Adcoms and college presidents, I’m a busy person and don’t have time to waste. </p>
<p>If your opening paragraph grabbed me, I might care about what you have to say.</p>
<p>(I believe that is Journalism 101 and Screenwriting 101 and Dan Brown 101)</p>
<p>Only 3 writers made the “cut” for my exclusive “College of Busy Professionals in the Real World” who have to read countless articles, memos, white papers, reports every day . . and, when we have time, the Internet. </p>
<p>Presidents of Barnard, Reed, Wesleyen . . . we are pleased to inform you of your acceptance to the College.</p>
altho i will admit i made some sad little noises for the chipmunk…