<p>So the essay was posted simply for the express purpose of receiving accolades? The people who need a “chill pill”(incredibly nasty phrase, imo, btw) are those who can’t seem to tolerate any criticism of the essay or of UofC–as is usually the case when it comes to that school. I would love to know why exactly, but suspect it’s due to some sort of mysterious inferiority complex.</p>
<p>^^Just because people offer differing opinions doesn’t mean they aren’t “chill.” The reactions to a written piece can vary greatly and are entirely subjective. My bet is that if this essay had been offered as an example of a “mistake” someone who wasn’t admitted made, some of the same people lauding it might be ripping it to shreds. From what I’ve seen on this forum, admission really comes down to impressing one adcom completely (and then having him or her go to bat for an applicant). </p>
<p>Whereas it might be considered “creative” to ignore (giving the benefit of the doubt here) basic grammar rules at UC, that tactic may not work somewhere else (or even with other adcoms at the same school).</p>
<p>Although I do not yet have a college applicant (will next year), I have read extensively on this forum, and it seems like the best advice is to reveal something of yourself, the applicant. I don’t think this essay does that particularly well.</p>
<p>“As a note, Son is a RD applicant, because Chicago is not his first choice, for exactly this reason. He did discuss the letter with a group of friends, two of whom are Chicago EA admits. None of them were impressed and one of the kids said “Oh, I hope this jerk doesn’t end up on my floor.!!” I guess according to all of you he should turn down Chicago cause he is not a good fit.”</p>
<p>Actually, I’ll be curious about whether he does go to U Chicago, and if he goes whether he likes it.</p>
<p>The atmosphere at colleges varies widely. For instance, Harvard has a rather snarky atmosphere, Stanford is laid back. I went to grad school at Stanford for a year after graduating from Harvard and that while Stanford was wonderfully lovely, it was too laid back for my tastes.</p>
<p>From the people whom I’ve met who’ve attended U of Chicago, I think the essay we’re discussing is a good reflection of the type of quirkiness and humor that abounds at that school. I suspect that people who are turned off by that humor and by that type of person wouldn’t be very happy there.</p>
<p>The person from my own high school class who went to U of Chicago had that kind of humor, and back then, I characterized him as being “weird.” I know that U of Chicago would have been a place that I would not have fit in back then. For that matter, I wouldn’t fit in now even though I now appreciate that kind of humor. While it’s a wonderful school, it’s too intellectual for me.</p>
<p>“The people who need a “chill pill”(incredibly nasty phrase, imo, btw)”</p>
<p>Hmmm. I think of the same expression as being a light way of asking someone to calm down. I wonder if the differences in how the essay and even “chill pill” are perceived reflect regional differences in how humor and courtesy are viewed.</p>
<p>While several sentences, including the first, were a bit clunky and could definitely have been written better, that (the mechanics of writing) is a skill that can be taught. But to me this essay is more about the gift of “creative writing”, and the willingness of the writer to take a chance and write something different that will catch the attention of the reader. It succeeded. Hopefully U of Chicago, or wherever he attends, will fine tune his sentence structure. That is the easy part.</p>
<p>jym: Of course. The interpretation of writing is always subjective. I have always viewed “take a chill pill” as being nastily dismissive and rude.</p>
<p>As for the essay, purpleflip makes a good point. I could easily envision it being posted as an example of trite, overwrought, juvenile writing–or a parody of such. In that case, people here would probably jump on the bandwagon to proclaim that UofC is so much better than that kind of essay.</p>
<p>mummom-
I think you confused what I wrote with what NSM wrote. She commented about the “chill pill” comment meaning simply to “calm down” (though I happen to agree with her and her comment about regional differences re: humor and colloquialisms as well).</p>
<p>I happen to disgree with comments about what posters might or might not have posted in other circumstances. Purely conjecture, (and unnecesasrily cynical). The essay here was, for whatever reason, felt by U of C’s adcomms to be a good example of a creative use of the essay prompt. Someone posted (though it seems to be gone…) that they thought it was perhaps a clever way for U of Chicago to do some marketing. I thought that was an interesting hypothesis.</p>
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<p>Not cynical at all–just realistic. Let’s face the fact that if the dean of admissions at UC sends this essay around (inappropriate, imho) as an example of a successful essay for his school, many who consider themselves to be intellectually elite and Chicago-esque will want to say they "get it,’ even if they don’t. It’s sort of like laughing at a joke that you don’t get but everyone else seems to, just so you don’t seem less intelligent or aware than they are. It is not cynical to say that some people here might be unimpressed with the essay, but hesitant to say it for fear of not being “quirky” or intelligent enough to grasp what UC is seeking. And if the message sent by the dean were different (such as that the person who wrote the essay had been rejected), others might have an entirely different view of it for the same reasons listed above.</p>
<p>To conjecture about what someone might say in response to a hypothetical situation sounds like conjecture to me. And to assume it would be a negative response sounds cynical to me. Just sayin’</p>
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<p>Mummom, you have some bug up your butt about U of C. I have ZERO connection to U of C - never applied / never considered it myself, wouldn’t consider it for my kids, just not our cup of tea. But you have repeatedly had some kind of “problem” with how U of C chooses to present / market / depict itself. Why? What do you care? If you don’t like it, don’t send your kid there. Some people do like that quirky intellectual humor. Good for them.</p>
<p>^^There are entire threads on CC, quite a few of them, which are dedicated to “typical” CC this and that: language, responses, attitudes, etc. My “conjecture” is no different (nor any more or less cynical) than the entries on those lists as it reflects what I have observed on CC during the time I have been reading it, just like the observations on the lists such as “You know you’re on CC when…” ;)</p>
<p>From my contact with the admissions office at my alma mater, I know that admissions officers are more focused (up to a point, I imagine) on what the essay reveals about a student than on the mechanics of writing. That is because it’s almost universally assumed ( expected, actually) that students will have had a wide range of resource help, from parents to English teachers to tutors. Even though the approach of writing a love letter to a school has likely been done before , this particular rendition did impress me. In addition to everything else that has been mentioned, I thought it had some creative turns of phrase and a sophisticated rhythm or sense of timing to it. </p>
<p>Reader bias is definitely a real phenomenon, though. I’ve noticed that if a thread is going a certain way or lots of people have a particular viewpoint, it others tend to chime in that way, too. Meanwhile, if you look at similar but previous threads , there is often a completely different slant, depending on the early responses to a question. Often, someone pops in later and gives a contrarian view and only then will people have the courage to agree!</p>
<p>No need for anyone to be defensive or to personalize comments. Haven’t read those other threads. I am reading this one and sharing my thoughts about what was posted by posters in this thread. I am sorry that Sam Lee took his post down, as I think he hit the nail on the head. This (publishing the essay) is a very clever marketing strategy by U of Chicago. It, along with the large number of early acceptances by U of Chicago, will put a different spin on their application/acceptance picture this year. Smart move, IMO. Some school (I’ve forgotten which… can someone help?) posted on their website examples of, shall we say, less than stellar essays. Don’t think this particular essay would make that list. Does it have grammatical issues? Yes. But does it engage the reader? Yes. Sure, posters here, there and everywhere will have differing opinions. That goes without say. Can opinions be swayed by others? Sure, as everyone learned in their intro social psychology classes. If U of Chicago feels that this is a good example of the kind of creative thinking they like to see, I think that is fine.</p>
<p>*** cross posted with roshke, whose post is spot on.</p>
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<p>Yes, that’s it exactly.</p>
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<p>jym626:</p>
<p>The only one doing these things is you. You don’t like that some of us don’t see the “brilliance” of this essay. No need to be defensive about it.</p>
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<p>Me too. But then, I have never thought that my opinions were such that everyone should be compelled to agree with them.</p>
<p>"Let’s face the fact that if the dean of admissions at UC sends this essay around (inappropriate, imho) as an example of a successful essay for his school, many who consider themselves to be intellectually elite and Chicago-esque will want to say they “get it,’ even if they don’t.”</p>
<p>Check out this essay posted on the College Essay forum. It’s an essay that Tufts shared with students. The original poster thought it was good. Many others – including me – thought it was a bad essay. </p>
<p>While there definitely are some people on CC who bite their tongues when they disagree with posts, there also are many people who are comfortable with speaking up when they have a contrary opinion. This includes the people who posted on this thread that they hated the U Chicago essay.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/836551-opinions-essay-great-too-scattered.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/836551-opinions-essay-great-too-scattered.html</a></p>
<p>Sheesh. No one said this essay is brilliant. At least I dont see that anywhere. Here ya go again, PF. I have a different opinion about what posters might or might not say in some hypothetical non existent thread. It is a difference of opinion. Enough said. Roshke’s point was well said. It was well said in a balanced and fair way. Well done, roshke!</p>
<p>oops…where’s that nice post by pizzagirl about how I have a “bug up my butt” about UChi? LOL</p>
<p>I just think it’s hilarious the lengths people will go here to defend the school…no matter what. Including incredibly personal and intensely nasty comments such as this.</p>
<p>edit: My mistake…I thought you took it down…apparently not.</p>
<p>Northstarmom:</p>
<p>Thanks for the link to that essay. I agree with you–I didn’t think it was a very good (cohesive or well-written) essay.</p>
<p>I don’t think, though, that one adcom can or does speak for an entire school. That is what makes me sort of nervous for my kid next year. I think a great deal depends upon who picks up your file first (and how much s/he is willing to go to bat for you). For example, I don’t think that the fact that one adcom liked that essay at Tufts means that Tufts always values those sorts of essays, and others should model theirs after it.</p>
<p>I think that these essays show what many have known all along…that much of this process is subjective (and thus subject to error).</p>
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<p>Whatever. I’m not “defending” U of Chicago. As I said, I have no personal connection to it and no need to “defend” it. It doesn’t need defending. Somewhere along the line, you got yourself all worked up about what you believe is an arrogant, pretentious culture at U of C. Fine. So you don’t like it. Big whoops.</p>