<p>The essay was part of the OP. Some people had a visceral reaction to the essay and expressed that. If you didn't want to consider the essay, you shouldn't have read the thread. Let's lose the holier-than-thou attitude, shall we.</p>
<p>Are you talking to me? Where did I say I didn't want to consider the essay? What makes a visceral response outside the realm of exceptable debate?</p>
<p>Totally lost me here.</p>
<p>'AND she got a good result."</p>
<p>Isn't that the truth! She seems to be on her way to a school that has garnered huge kudos from parents and students. The only unfortunate part is that the road to the school was paved with a poor combination of excessive pressure --and work-- and what seems to be pretty horrendous advice from all the people around her. </p>
<p>For instance, had she looked at the ED admission rates at the non-coed schools in her state, she may have realized that the fruit was hanging a lot lower than in Williamstown. </p>
<p>Could it be that everything is not that perfect in Lake Newton?</p>
<p>
[quote]
You are all assuming that anyone actually reads these things - and discusses them! - for other than grammar and punctuation. (I think highly unlikely.)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>When my introduced herself to the Dean of the College (not the admissions dean) at freshman orientation, he immediately said, "Oh, you must be *******'s mom." And, then proceeded to identify information from both her main essay and "Why Podunk College?" essay. He said later in his little speech that the admissions office had sent over the stack of essays from the enrolled students and he had spent the summer reading them. So, yes, I think they do get read.</p>
<p>However, your point is well taken. "The Gatekeepers" presents the adcom reading essays, late at night, at his kitchen table, fueled by coffee and deadlines. It is very clear that an essay can generate a first-paragraph "gag me" or "yawn" response.</p>
<p>There is objective criticism and, if you must, muted outrage, and then there is this:</p>
<p>post #1
[quote]
So sad. These pitiful creatures, saddled with the burdens of suburbia.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post #4
[quote]
And that essay made me gag.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post #5
[quote]
That Kentucky essay was dreadful.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post #22
[quote]
the nauseating snobbery of the essay
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post #23
[quote]
it's that it was a pandering, conniving mess.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post #27
[quote]
It was a dumb essay though.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post #29
[quote]
It's cringeworthy, especially in light of all of her "God's work" through her church. Maybe she could do a gap year collecting New Religion jeans for poor Appalachian teenagers.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post#51
[quote]
Esther sounds like an overindulged, self-involved and self-centered girl who did not have the sense to hide her snobbery and elitism in a college application essay.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And this is the parents' forum?</p>
<p>"He said later in his little speech that the admissions office had sent over the stack of essays from the enrolled students and he had spent the summer reading them."</p>
<p>Yes, AFTER admissions were already made, and AFTER the yield was established, and AFTER the applicants were enrolled and committed to attending, the Dean of the College read the essays.</p>
<p>"It is very clear that an essay can generate a first-paragraph "gag me" or "yawn" response."</p>
<p>True. All easily captured by a "like/don't like" check mark. Not part of any scoring algorithm I've seen. (At one point in my life, for a living (a poor one), I used to read ALL the entrance exams -- 5,000 a term! - for writing placement at a college. 95% of the students - representing a wide range of abilities - got placed in the same class. Maybe 1% (I think I may be overexaggerating), got a bye (or were so recommended), or placed out of the first-year class. Maybe 4% were recommended for more remedial work. With the exception of the 1%, I never spent more than 50 seconds on an essay (I couldn't do my job if I did.)</p>
<p>(My wife, bless her, was very charitable toward me those times of the year.)</p>
<p>And hereshoping, before you accuse me of going 'holier than thou' or denying posters the right to criticize student work, let me point out that there are ways to do so that are far less snarky and Little Leagueish. Idad finally got the tone right at post # 45. If he had started the debate with that kind of restraint, we would not be having this argument. You, so far, have not managed to come off of your high horse and so it seems to me that you are the one who has found this essay "close to home" for some reason.</p>
<p>I did think it was dreadful. She chose to make her essay public, and that's my reaction. Esther seems like a fine young person - I didn't attack her. She got into an excellent school and my guess, based solely on the Times article, would be that she will have a very successful college career. Still don't like the essay.</p>
<p>Sorry, garland. Speaking of interpreting, I misinterpreted your post. </p>
<p>Well, since you've assigned yourself as the arbiter of post decorum, momof2, post the rules and I'll do my best to express myself accordingly (as will others, I'm sure).</p>
<p>My favorite is #29, above.</p>
<p>
[quote]
When I seek assurance about important spiritual things, when I begin to doubt that there is any kind of divine force regulating reality, there is nothing in Newton to grasp onto, no well of faith to replenish me. That's when I long for unfaltering, faithful, devoted Kentucky. I long for its simplicity and pace.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>She did say in the end that she longed for Kentucky. I can guess at the message in her essay, even though she did not choose the best route to get there, and spent too many words on the slowness of Kentucky. Isn't she also rejecting Newton in her essay and trying (unsucessfully) to say that Williams would be the perfect middle ground? I found no snobbery, more of a naivete.</p>
<p>Momof2inca, isn't your collage of reactions to the essay the best exhibit for making a case that the essay was ... a poor choice? </p>
<p>Unless the original article was as sarcastic as I-Dad first post in this thread, we are presented with a school known as "Admission Factory" that is extremely well known in the hotbed of college-land. We also can read in the article and in other comments that there is an extensive and formidable advising and guiding network, not to mention that the most selective test prep companies are as ubiquitous as Starbucks. </p>
<p>Yet, what do we also read: the essays by Esther and .. Colby! Were their advisers, teachers, and parents hibernating when those essays were developed? </p>
<p>Let's be honest for a second. If the "reaction" to the essays could be categorized as "Positive, neutral, or negative," how many POSITIVES do you think those two essays would earn? How many people would say, "Wow! Isn't this a great essay! Here's someone I'd like to know better!" Based solely on the essay, I'd say ... not a single one!</p>
<p>And, that is why I called the essay a tragedy and a lost opportunity. However, saying so, does not attack the character or integrity of the writers. It raises question about how well their support system worked for them.</p>
<p>I read the the NYT article before I saw this thread on CC. I haven't read all the posts, but I agree with garland that when the article finally mentioned the schools to which she applied, I was surprised. All good schools, but not at all what I was expecting--given the build-up, her background, and all the "stress" she and her friends apparently endure. I also agree with xiggi that it was her and/or her parents' choice to have this big spread in the NYT, so she certainly opened herself up to criticism. </p>
<p>However, I actually thought her view of small town life in KY--given her background and the way she lives--remarkably honest. In fact, when I read it, her admittedly narrow vision of what small town life is like in KY seemed appealing to me. Her descriptions certainly provided a real contrast to the emptiness and lack of connection she obviously feels having lived all her life in Newton:</p>
<p>"That's when I long for unfaltering, faithful, devoted Kentucky. I long for its simplicity and pace . . . I want to be rooted somewhere. I want to belong somewhere. I want a place in the world to be a little part of me, and I want to carry it with me to other places."</p>
<p>I think Centre probably accepted her, because they felt they could help broaden her views, and they figured 4 years in KY might just give her the sense of connection--not to mention the education-- she obviously needs.</p>
<p>*Just cross-posted with chocoholic's post #190-- I agree.</p>
<p>Just read some additional posts here. I agree with #30, too:</p>
<p>"I fail to see why the NY Times thinks this article is news worthy though."</p>
<p>After reading Esther's essay and the accompanying Times article, here's my 2 cents.</p>
<p>I first read the article. Esther seemed like a nice young woman, perhaps a bit sheltered in her environment (Kierkegaard??), but nice enough. She seemed to have activities that suited her, as well as a passion for all of them. She also seemed to know enough about college admissions to pick a well-rounded list of school, but innstead picked those schools that suffer from an influx of apps from students just like her every year.
However, we do not have the whole story. </p>
<p>While reading her essay, I was very surprised. It wasn't what I expected, which could be construed as good, but really, it wasn't. I am not going to go as far as some and say it was dreadful; far from it. I am not an English teacher, but with my limited knowledge of the mechanics, I found her essay somewhat well-written and grammatically correct. But the content... it just didn't put her in a good light. The fact that she wrote about KY and its steepness in slowness, I found that to be a bit of a mistake. She is only17, and I understand that, but must everything be a Great Sociological Wonder? And the fact that she did not include anything much of personal stories really wouldn't, in my opinion invite an adcom to want to learn more about her.</p>
<p>I'm sure Esther had good grades and above average specs, but this essay was, in my opinion, misguided.</p>
<p><em>Please note the emphasis on the "in my opinions".</em></p>
<p>What I took from the essay was that it wasn't her authentic voice. It looked to me as if she were trying to connect herself with who she thought the readers would be and that it may in no way have reflected her true self. Which I actually think is an important lesson for college applications, and I think the point about her being not a great fit at some of her schools is a great one and meaningful to me in the context of D2. The points being: make the essay about who you really are, whoever that may be, because if nothing else, you could be setting up a situation where the person reviewing your application really is confused or doesn't "get" you. Also, regardless of name, it's probably best not to apply to schools that aren't your fit. If you have to contort yourself to be what you think a particular school wants, it's perhaps not the right choice. My D2 is a very specific personality and this is quite useful information for us.</p>
<p>Hereshoping: How about this for a rule on posting about kids' work. Write your comments with the same tone and restraint that you would use if you were not anonymous and were talking to them face to face. I highly doubt any of the posters highlighted above would say such things to a 17 year old in person. Save the hyperbole for adults on this forum who ask for it and who are equally anonymous.</p>
<p>"I'd be ashamed, both because of its attitude & the poor writing. I highly doubt I could drag my D kicking & screaming to an SAT prep class, but I'm not thinking she'd be facing a "moral" dilemma because the class would give her an advantage. "</p>
<p>I find that perspective interesting. D1 goes to a private school and we paid for her SAT prep, D2 goes to an inner-city public high school (there was a stabbing earlier this term), and every single student gets the College Board program free all three years, and there are pages long lists of tutoring and prep offered by the school. Most public high schools here offer some variation of this.</p>
<p>Zoosermom--^that is definitely not the norm. Most students at my college had little to no SAT prep of any kind (lower income,minority kids.) Our HS gives some kind of course, but it takes the place of a regular academic course (not a great idea) and doesn't seem to help much.</p>
<p>Neither of my kids did any kind of SAT prep, and part of the reason was feeling it wasn't fair.</p>
<p>I honestly don't know if SAT prep is even available in my middle-class state-capital community - it might be, but I honestly don't know about it. (maybe at Sylvan?)</p>
<p>
[quote]
And, that is why I called the essay a tragedy and a lost opportunity. However, saying so, does not attack the character or integrity of the writers.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Xiggi, you well know that there is a difference between criticizing someone's work and attacking the person herself. The posts above crossed the line into personal attacks, IMO, starting with the OP's sarcasm. I'm all for educating the forum readers, especially those parents who have yet to have kids go through the essay process, but there's education (such as calling the essay a 'lost opportunity') and there is piling on.The essay's tone and content struck a nerve -- rarely a good thing when trying to impress -- but I'd expect adults to show more self control when holding the advantage of a) anonymity, b) age and c) experience. Some of the posters stooped to the level of snobbery they were condemning.</p>
<p>
[quote]
How about this for a rule on posting about kids' work. Write your comments with the same tone and restraint that you would use if you were not anonymous and were talking to them face to face.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>But, we are not talking face-to-face with a student who came here asking for advice on a college essay. Those of us who have given of our time to do that are sensitive to the way we give that advice.</p>
<p>In this case, we are discussing a character in a NY Times article. A character in a NY Times article who chose to publish her college essay in a national publication.</p>
<p>As for Carolyn's challenge to publish our own kid's college essays, I would point out that none of us have the right to do so without permission. Those essays are the property of our sons and daughters. I could ask permission, but I am fairly certain that I know what the answer would be!</p>