<p>I've been a little stuck on an essay I am writing and would really appreciate it if any parents could look over it for me. I'm not sure if it "flows" right and I really would like to create my best work. If any of you parents have time to read over it real quick, I'd love your feedback! Thanks!
:)</p>
<p>Sure, I'll read. This is the third time I have gone through this process - 3 kids - 3 colleges.</p>
<p>I am really glad that some is starting a thread on essays. I am a parent and see how essays suck for my kid. He is doing very well academicly, actually somehow outstanding with standardized testing scores (receiving awards). However, when it comes the time with essays, it is just over killing because he wants to do good and does not want to be dragged by a poor essay in the applications. The problem is that the schools do not quite train the students on writing. One typical example: half of the academic year is over now, the school barely had any writing assignment done. "I wish I can do more with the writing, but I have more than 130 students and I just simply can not read all of their writings" said the language art teacher at my son's school. For some of the subjects, we can offer help at home, but we are limited to help in all the subjects. Writing is definitely one of them. </p>
<p>To me, writing is such a work that reflects a person's quality in many different aspects: the thinking skills - whether the student is a deep thinker that reflects on things happening around, which determins if the students have plenty ideas to write about; the organizational skills, - with the ideas that can come up for an essay, how to organize them in a logical and presentable way and how to selectively use them; knowledge base - whether a student has had enough reading to collect the necessary facts to be used in supporting the essay's theme; language ability - whether the sentences are clear and precise in expression, what level of vocabulary is used in the essay; writing techniques - whether the ideas flow smoothly from paragraph to paragraph, whether the transitions work well between the paragraphs, whether the writing is vivid in descriptions, whether the essay can really hook up the reader and whether the conclusion can tied up to the beginning of the essays, etc, etc. </p>
<p>I think that essays reflect a student's overall maturiy, personality, thinking, observation, attitude, language ability and so on. It is so painful to see my son agonizing about writing the essays, but still trying his best by pulling his hairs. </p>
<p>If any one on this thread can offer some advices, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>This link from the University of Virginia IMO is helpful on at least part of your question:</p>
<p>Dear ADad,</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply. The link you pasted at the board is not complete. I guessed as far as to undergradadmission/, then where, please? Thanks.</p>
<p>Just click on the blue letters. The link does work for me; it appears incomplete because it is too long to fit comfortably on the page.</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks for the link, ADad. I feel that advice will be really helpful on my future essays (looks like I have quite a few more to write for next year!)</p>
<p>I am happy to help! :)</p>
<p>Thank you very much for the link, ADad. Those are good advices.</p>