<p>Would anybody think it was unethical for parents to pay thousands of dollars to send a kid to a golf camp where he would receive intense personalized instruction in golf so that he’d have a better chance of being a champion golfer? Or giving a kid expensive private music lessons? I don’t see how this is different if all they are doing is teaching the kids how to write better essays. The only difference between this and buying a book on how to write better essays is the cost–there is no ethical difference.</p>
<p>I think there is. The golfing kid eventually has to get out on the course and hit the shots. The musician has to perform. With the essay bootcamp, there’s no telling where the line is between coaching kids to write better and potentially doing it for them. I think there’s a difference between this kind of camp and say, ACT prep classes or other tutoring.</p>
<p>If you’re just going to have somebody write the essay for you, what’s the point of going to a camp?</p>
<p>^ ^ ^ ^ ^</p>
<p>Tax write off? Four day holiday from your kid? Something to brag about at the country club?</p>
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<p>Because the essay will be that much better than if the student did it himself. The real goal of the camp is not to “be a good essay writer”–it’s “get into an elite college.” Although I am sure there are other benefits as well–improved writing being one of them.</p>
<p>My daughter has gone to creative writing camps, at which they received critiques on work, and also workshopped them extensively. I’m sure all the students at such camps eventually present the work they did their as their own work, and nobody really thinks it isn’t, as long as it wasn’t ghost-written by somebody else. The essay camp could be the same–it’s just a luxury version of having your English teacher read your essay and give you some tips on how to improve it.</p>
<p>Yes. It could be the same. But that is not the goal of the camp in question.</p>
<p>But whether or not it is reprehensible depends on what is actually done, regardless of the goal.IMHO.</p>
<p>and to the person who wrote: “We might find it distasteful,… but if you don’t like capitalism, you’re in the wrong country.” I agree. To those who don’t agree, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. I’m so sick of the constant US bashing. Ironic that we live in a place which gains its value by the freedoms afforded and those same freedoms are used by many to break her down. </p>
<p>Why do we work for better grades? To get into better schools. To get better jobs. To reach high goals whether saving more lives or making more money or solving more world problems.</p>
<p>If you are going to take issue with capitalism, why are you on CC? The people here are seeking more for their education in this land of opportunity. It is entirely connected to ultimately getting ahead, whatever ahead is to you. If you have a problem with capitalism, then in all fairness, you would accept receiving the same grade for school work as the person who never went to class or did assignments. You would accept getting in to the 4000 ranked college rather than the top 100. Be honest with yourselves and find the door if you need it. I appreciate that there are rewards for working harder. </p>
<p>I’d guess that most of us would probably agree that $14,000 for a camp to help kids write better essays themselves is an extravagant luxury, but one that wrote their essays for them would be unethical. Unless you think extravagant luxuries are themselves unethical, there is nothing unethical about the first kind of camp. Surely nobody thinks the other kind is ethical.</p>
<p>What’s kinda funny is that some of these kids parents want to go to this $14,000 writing camp, some of these kids might pitch a fit having to go to it and they end up squeezing a new $100,000 sports car from parents for having to go to the camp. The camp ends up costing parents $114,000.</p>
<p>Another benefit being offered is suggestions on schools to apply to. Their track record over the past several years speaks for itself. Who wouldn’t want to know of a school that your child can probably get in that would be a perfect match for them?</p>
<p>A “real” marine corps boot camp offers 5:30 AM to 8 PM sessions six days a week plus two hour guard duty stints in the middle of the night. The instructors are not as nice as those in the business sector.</p>
<p>Do admissions committees read the newspaper and the internet? Maybe kids should get a little credit for submitting a crappy essay. At least their application is genuine, and not a product of how much money was spent or who they were able to find to help them. </p>
<p>@Momzie I would also say that being an introvert doesn’t hurt you too much in the college process. I myself am an introvert, admittedly, but I really love to read and write. That’s what I believe really helped me out the most in the college process. Colleges accept all sort of students, not just the extroverted ones. And quite frankly I wouldn’t want to go to a college where it was all introverts or all extroverts, I want a variety of students to see different perspectives. As a side note, one student in the grade above me sat at my lunch table last year at the very end, and didn’t say a word unless we engaged him in conversation. Where did he end up? Princeton. Go figure.</p>
<p>Why begrudge someone who started a program that has found its niche? Without willing clients, the owners would have been forced to close! Is it the cost that generates the negative reactions? </p>
<p>Perhaps, this anecdote might work in reverse …</p>
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<p>People who have my posts a decade ago know I have advocated the extreme DYI approach. I have always recommended to make the experience very personal and also avoid the well-meaning but clueless persons who are in position to help, or purportedly so. This included ignoring most of the local help found in your typical HS, and ignoring the advice of adults who are not deeply involved in college admissions. </p>
<p>Fwiw, this DYI method was GREATLY helped by the book written by the founder of the ABC. One could actually invest less than hundred dollars and get most of the information shared in the boot camp, minus the personal evaluation and guidance. For some, 100 dollars means to have to spend a lot of time LEARNING, while 14000 is an easier choice. </p>
<p>In the end, all of us are presented with choices. We can safely assume that everyone here is trying to do the very best for themselves or their children. Some have time on their hands to be an active participant. Others have or earn such income that it would be silly to devote time on learning the tricks shared on CC. </p>
<p>We tend to measure many things in dollar terms, but should remember that dollars do not have the same value for all.</p>
<p>I wonder where the $14K goes. I assume it isn’t mostly for staff salaries. You could get a lot of tutoring hours and essay books for that price. I think I will start a discount essay camp $7K for 10 days.</p>
<p>^ There are also tutors who claim to be fully booked for the next 18 months at rates varying from 650 to 1,000 per hour (depending on which infomercial you get) and others that are scrambling to earn just above minimum wages. The value of the services --again-- rests entirely in the eye of the beholder. Caveat Emptor is just as true today than it was in early Rome. One reasonable assumption is that the people who shell out such small fortunes are also able to pick and choose between various programs, and hire the persons they feel are best placed to help their offspring. After all, it is not that hard to find one of the priciest admissions counselors as several have written very popular books, or are remaining in the news through interviews or … scandals a la Kavvya. </p>
<p>The beauty of the profession is that there are no barriers to entry. And no real barriers to build a very successful business. All you need is to be good at what you do, and hope others notice! It works for some, and a lot less for others. Go figure! </p>
<p>I saw some other essay camp for $2200 for a week. I doubt many of the kids going to Application Boot Camp would go near a real boot camp.</p>
<p>Don’t know if that guy really has all that business tutoring at $800/hour or if that just looks good for selling the tutoring software. Wyzant doesn’t allow you to specify a price higher than $200/hour and takes a percentage.</p>
<p>Sattut, I happen to think that your appraisal is correct. It is, however, true that in some parts of the world, the mystique associated with high prices does work. Something that Arun Alagappan and his Advantage company has found out. But again, that is for the people who did shell out the dollars to know and for the rest of us to either find out, or speculate about. In the end, those high priced tutors and consultants have to have sufficient testimonials to keep going. Despite the occasional critiques, it appears that Michele Hernandez has been able to build her company and develop it past the very successful books she wrote.</p>
<p>Fwiw, as I wrote before, Hernandez did respond to posts in the past right here on this forum. One of the clarifications she added about the ABC is that it covers more than just “work on essays” and polish the applications. My understanding is that the fees charged for the boot camp include quite a bit of follow-up and guidance throughout the process all the way to those mythical fat and skinny envelopes. </p>
<p>But again, I am one of those guys that believe in the free and DYI approach! 
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<p>If a parent has an extra $14K to help their kid get into a good college, spending it to improve his essay is probably a better choice than donating it to the college. A donation in that amount probably won’t get the applicant a second look, but a beautiful essay might, and at least the kid might acquire some writing skills in the process.</p>
<p>The clientele of people paying $14K rather than $2K for an essay camp is probably mostly people who will be donating a lot more than that to get there kid into the right school.</p>