<p>I think your advice to yourself is excellent. And aiming for a better score via hard work is excellent. (The only people who aren’t hoping for a higher SAT score currently have a 2400.) And I have no idea what the circumstance of the “other guy” was, 'cause I didn’t read his posts, I read yours. (Your screen name intrigued me.) It was even more intriguing when I would read a witty comment - getting right to the heart of the matter in a few concise words - and then a thread like this. Two houses. A house divided? A broken home? (No, that doesn’t work, because a house is not a home…)</p>
<p>No need to apologize. Just put up more intriguing comments for me to read!</p>
<p>(And good luck on the tests and all.)</p>
<p>My view upon the entire application system for colleges has been inspired by the best modern, nonfictional American literature character, Holden Caulfield. I have absolutely no doubt that these colleges are making the high school students to just be phonies in themselves in order to complete the application process. The SATs have been driven harder and harder upon students as these SAT IIs are becoming more and more popular to test the student’s knowledge even harder in their subject of choice. By and by, more colleges require higher SAT scores; and also require SAT IIs to be accepted. The uniqueness of the student is only now realized through a short essay that is required with every application to every institution. This is where your point needs to be put across that you deserve to go to that school or that you are unique among all of these smart seniors entering college. The college application process has become so systematic in even the past ten years that students need to superimpose stress in their minds early in their senior years in order to apply for their colleges or universities of choice.</p>
<p>Hmmm… an intriguing comment…</p>
<p>So… as the stressed seniors, in their quest for ever-higher test scores and the most unique of the over-critiqued-edited-rewritten-to-the-point-of-complete-phoininess-essay drift closer and closer to the edge of the cliff of college admissions frenzy, who is/should be/can be/is willing to be the one to catch them? Anonymous cc post-ers? Or should they be left to fall to blissful peace (and open up more admissions spots for those who remain)?</p>
<p>I’ve written all my essays for public unies and rolling admissions so far, and I’ve managed to stay entirely true to myself. </p>
<p>I read a quote once that puts it eloquently: “It is better to write for self and have no public than to write for public and have no self”…</p>
<p>I guess that when you do put your heart in it, given a fair amount of stylistic emphasis too, you do end up with an essay that will have a pleased audience.</p>
<p>I try to leave my essays slightly raw, and not entirely smoothened out to be completely politically correct. Nothing too over the top, but still me.</p>
<p>A lovely quote, and one that would be an excellent basis for an essay - a way to show your true self (slightly raw, and not politically correct) and also show your public self (smoothed out into an acceptable representative for the university).</p>
<p>Others on cc must rely upon their “stats,” but you, GregoryHouse, need simply to “nudge” those numbers and get a look. Then your words will please the audience far more than an extra 50 points on a test would. At least, that is how I look at it, but maybe it is just the illusion that satisfies me. Another from your same source: “We must select the illusion which appeals to our temperament, and embrace it with passion, if we want to be happy.” I choose to believe that my words had more to do with my acceptances than my numbers, and that, indeed, makes me happy.</p>