<p>We have never worked on anything college related in my AP Lit class . . . And apparently I’m the only one who wrote my essays without outside input 
I just didn’t find it necessary. I mean, you’re just writing about yourself after all. And by and large I’d say that college essays are not so much about beautiful prose or excellent style so much as they are about what you choose to reveal.</p>
<p>As someone who scrambled before the deadline (payment issues), I am almost certain that if you had 5 more days, it would not change your decision. Everyone had SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, and DECEMBER to do the applications. I wish that some things on the common application were presented more clearly (like the time it takes for the payment to go through); however, if I am rejected, then I know it is not because I did not have enough time. This is Stanford University, and the best should get in.</p>
<p>Another thing to note is that for those you talking about unrevised essays, you can fax them to Stanford and they will update it on your application.</p>
<p>But ya, NewandImproved has the right idea above–those that had to turn in unrevised/polished applications did so due to their own procrastination on working on college apps. You’d think that for something as important to people as their stanford application, they’d start a little earlier.</p>
<p>My daughter submitted hers on 12/29 and it says Submitted next to Payments with the date 12/29/2009 on My Colleges. The email she got from Common App said: This email confirms the successful payment of the application fee on
12/29/2009 in the amount of $90.00 It may
take a few days for this transaction to be posted to your online
application."</p>
<p>I wonder what “a few days” means. I’m assuming it all went through since my daughter said everything was downloaded and she didn’t get an email from Stanford mentioning that she could complete her app. by the extended date. I’m assuming she’s good to go?</p>
<hr>
<p>Scubasue wrote:</p>
<p>Stanford is only extending the deadline to people who submitted the supplement on time, but couldn’t submit the common app, because of a the payment processing delay from Sallie May. People who were ready to submit the application, couldn’t because sallie mae indicated that they weren’t processing payments until Jan 4. My son’s application was submitted and downloaded by the original deadline. He submitted the supplement on December 30, and then got the email from sallie mae saying that his payment wouldn’t post to the common app website until Jan 4. A few people, us included, figured out that if we marked the “pay by check” button common app would report the payment as submitted on the app could then be submitted. Some kids didn’t figure this out, and since the problem was due to sallie mae’s holiday schedule and not a technical glitch, it seems reasonable that Stanford accomodate those students who downloaded their supplement, and submitted their credit card payment by the original deadline. </p>
<p>They are not taking applications late applications from everyone.</p>
<p>The deadline has passed. School doesn’t begin again until Jan 4 which is now today. </p>
<p>My daughter never showed her essays or ANYthing to her teachers or counselor. In fact, she didn’t even really have her dad and me have much say. I personally would have changed one of her short essays (roommate) and probably even made some changes to her personal essay. HOWEVER, she wanted to write them HER way and that was that. I appreciate that she didn’t feel she needed anyone to “revise” what she felt were her own words and thoughts. So, who knows if it will make or break her chances.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I’m understanding what you’re saying, scubasue. How can they get additional critiques or comments on material that needs to be submitted BEFORE school even begins on the 4th? Do you think they would bother the teachers at home over the weekend? Perhaps you mean they could have emailed the essays for them to look at?</p>
<hr>
<p>Scubasue wrote:</p>
<p>What I mean is they have one more chance to get critique’s and comments from their instructors. Lot’s of kids who submitted on time would like to have their teachers/counselors take one last look at all the revisions, or new essays, they worked on over the break.</p>
<p>It’s funny you should mention this. Last year my daughter’s Honors American Lit class started working on essays for the UC schools. They had to bring a revised copy to the first day of AP Lit this year. If you want to know the truth, I was not the least bit impressed by the essay that my daughter wrote with her teacher’s encouragement. And, thankfully, she wrote something entirely different for all her apps. However, she did remember tips and essay “rules” that were mentioned in class. Myself, I didn’t agree with all of them. But, as I mentioned earlier, she did it HER way whether I thought it was a good idea or not. 
</p>
<p>I had read something from an author of college essays saying NOT to have your English teachers or guidance counselors look at essays. But, I’m sure it’s an individual preference. My daughter preferred NOT to.</p>
<p>Scubasue wrote:</p>
<p>Don’t need the bulletin. I am aware that many students work on the essays completely by themselves (however, two SU tour guides now have implored students to make sure that they get teachers and not parents or friends, to proofread their essays before they submit them.)</p>
<p>I am also intimately aware that a HUGE number of kids applying to HYPMS are writing Common App essays in their AP Lit classes, and spending a LOT of time on them. I’d venture to say that there are very few kids that didn’t get any outside input</p>
<p>Around here, lots of teachers answser emails outside of school time. I assume that is the same everywhere else. I misunderstood about the date of the extended deadline–I thought the new deadline was Jan 4 (so, 11:59 pm on 01/04), so there is less of an issue with extra help than I originally thought. </p>
<p>My son’s AP Lit teacher told me they resisted incorporting college app essay writing at his school for the last few years, but now this year with encouragment from the principal, they have succumbed to the pressure. They (teachers and administrators just thought that their students were at a disadvantage since so many other schools are requiring students to work on common app essays during school. Apparently, according to the AP Lit teacher, common app essay assignments are a very common topic of conversation during the AP teacher training sessions. Ugghhh</p>
<p>I mentioned earlier that it was the Stanford tour guides that encouraged students to get their teachers to help with proofreading and editing. Actually, I misspoke (typed). It wasn’t the tour guide, it was the Admissions officers that did the information sessions before the tours. The context of the conversation during one of the trips was that students should not have parents help them, that they should rely on the objective input of teachers. But, she never said that students should not get any help. </p>
<p>My son also wrote a very good essay at school, but didn’t use it. He submitted an essay that involved a topic/content that he didn’t want his teachers/classmates reading, so I was happy about that, but I wonder how much better his classmates essays turned out.</p>
<p>Back to my original point–in my fist post in this thread I said that Stanford absolutely should accommodate students who were prevented from completing the submission process due to the holiday schedule of sallie mae. However, since Stanford is adamant that they would not extend the deadline for any reason, I find it disturbing that they offered extra time to a select few students–those who procrastinated and didn’t respect the deadlines. Until Jan 1, everyone had the same (and ample) amount of time. I’m sure there are plenty of kids who clicked submit late on 01/01 who would love to have had the weekend to perfect their essays, too.</p>
<p>I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!!! Stanford was my last school I applied to since I literally fainted after seeing the supplement!!! I submitted my app like 5 hours before the deadline!!! Darn I could have used the extra day to look over essays and typos!!!</p>
<p>In regard to getting advice in writing essays: My son is a junior at Stanford. He did not have anyone else look at his essays before submitting them. Same thing for all of his Stanford friends that I talked to about this subject. Also, my son and his friends never heard of CC or similar websites on how to write essays. I do think that the people who post on CC are a very small portion of students who endlessly talk about how to write essays and present their applications. </p>
<p>My thought is a student might be better off without the influence of an adult who only views the words of an essay in terms of impressing admissions officers.</p>
<p>@cardfan You are totally right!!! The first essays I wrote which I submitted to Yale scea were very much a combination of what my english teachers, guidance counselor, college counselor and parents wanted me to write about!! After rereading the essay it felt so lifeless and stiff, because my voice was lost in the pursuit of the golden admission ticket. My second batch of essays were much better after I wrote about my own personal thoughts. However it is good to have editors proofread the essays. That is a big NONO if you don’t have someone read it over!!!</p>
<p>@scubasue Please stop assuming that things are the same everywhere else. They’re not. We don’t have teachers spending time on applications when they should be focusing on the curriculum. Students may (of course) ask teachers for their input, outside of class. Also, I don’t understand why you’re getting so hung up on this extension. I realize that you’re surprised that a school like Stanford would be strict about deadlines, and then extend them, but it was ultimately one person’s decision; don’t hold the entire school responsible. And yes, I’ve also spoken to admissions officers at Stanford and Princeton and they all said that teacher/counselor input is recommended (not necessary), but that the applicant should ultimately be the one writing it. The Stanford officers all told me the same thing: the most important part about the essay is for the applicant’s personality to come through in his/her writing. They said to use teacher/counselor input as guidance for grammer, corrections, anecdotes, and structure. If you’re completely off with your essays, and need teachers to help you with ideas of what to write about in your essays, you probably shouldn’t be applying to Stanford.</p>