<p>
[quote]
and one more question: when do seminar topics get announced?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I believe they come out when the application comes out, which is sometime around early November if I recall correctly.</p>
<p>
[quote]
With the books, do you put all of your personal reading?
[/quote]
I put on my more serious books (e.g., my favorite book of all time -- The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston), but I did leave out a great deal of my "fluff" reading (e.g., books like This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen).</p>
<p>I think proudamerican is absolutely incorrect. In fact, if anything it HELPS your application to show a conservative viewpoint. TASP is all about diversity, and in an organization that attracts primarily liberal members, you can bet conservatives are a wanted minority. </p>
<p>That said, H20Poloer is right that because conservatives are in the minority, once you're into TASP, that's probably the harder position to be in. I know that our professors, for instance, were especially critical of people who didn't support their liberal views on race (ours was a civil rights TASP). And there were certainly times when discussions got heated and people's feelings got hurt. Still, I felt like because we as a TASP spent so much time together, we respected the people even if we didn't like their views. So it wasn't like we became personally divided by our politics. </p>
<p>ANYWAY, to answer the questions of the would-be future TASPers (although I still maintain you kids are thinking about this WAY too early)-</p>
<p>-I had about 35 or 40 books on my list. Most of them were not school reading (maybe 5 or 6), simply because I didn't read that many books for school.
-About 3/4 were fiction, with the other 1/4 mostly readings on history or ethics.
-I didn't include all of my personal readings, but some "easy" books like Harry Potter were on the list. I didn't want to seem like I ONLY read really heavy literature, when really I just read a lot and mostly for fun.
-don't worry too much about relating everything back to a theme, though they do like to see that you're passionate. as long as that comes across, you're fine.</p>
<p>1.) Did any of you past TASPers feel like you were surrounded by valedictorian-types? Or were there some academic diversity, i.e. students with lower GPAs, lower level courses, and/or test scores? </p>
<p>2.) If a student wasn't mailed a brochure because of their sub-par test score, would they still be able to apply for admission? </p>
<p>3.) Do you think all of you because of your participation in TASP have become better writers, analysts, and speakers? Were all of you already good writers, analysts, and speakers to begin with? </p>
<p>4.) And, does TASP teach what to think or how to think? Earlier, I read that TASP doesn't take well to conservative views, so I'm wondering how much appreciation are there for different point-of-views.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think proudamerican is absolutely incorrect. In fact, if anything it HELPS your application to show a conservative viewpoint. TASP is all about diversity, and in an organization that attracts primarily liberal members, you can bet conservatives are a wanted minority.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I have to admit -- I'm pretty dang Conservative. I'm going to have authors on my booklist that make liberals foam at the mouth. However I now live in a lion's den (Chicago) so I have gotten pretty good at defending my beliefs. I just hope that the TASP admissions is open minded enough.</p>
<p>I am a hardcore libertarian (as my profile name suggests). Would that be encapsulated under the "conservative" label to TASP admissions officers? Would I be shown better treatment than full conservatives--those who are economically and socially conservative?</p>
<p>Allright, back to the thread's main topic. I can't believe I'm writing this, and I know it is a perversion of TASP's principles, but what do TASP admissions officers look for in my essays? In the interview?</p>
<p>Oh my God. Political views have nothing- absolutely nothing- to do with TASP admissions. TASP looks for <i>interesting</i> people, not "liberals." I am a moderate Republican who went to TASP with a lot of interesting Democrats. Do not lie in you essays. Do not lie in your interview.</p>
<p>To Private Joke:
1. We didn't compare ourselves to each other like that. Some people were obviously smarter than others, but no one was uncomfortable because his or her numbers were "low" or "subpar."</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I didn't get one in the mail; my friend (with a lower PSAT score) did. They won't know how you got your application because you'll probably apply online.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, and yes. Forensics was easily the most common EC at TASP.</p></li>
<li><p>Once again, that's ridiculous.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Everyone was very smart, but they definitely weren't all valedictorian types. we had a lot of very quirky smart people. and while some of them had the most intimidating accomplishments ever, they certainly weren't intimidating to spend time around. everyone was very friendly and for the most part very modest as well. </p></li>
<li><p>yes. i didn't get the app in the mail, and i got in. TA doesn't use your test scores at all in the admissions process.</p></li>
<li><p>yes and yes.</p></li>
<li><p>very open minded people.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>lol. I got in with about 20 books on my list, 15 of which was for school. However, the 5 others were pretty dense and focused on my interests. Therefore, I suppose quality>quantity.
i agree with vegangirl, i had no clue was TASP or RSI was before I got the brochure for PSATs.
anyway good luck and remember that TASP isn't the holy grail of knowledge; don't feel worthless if you dont' get in.</p>
<p>I believe TASP sends out mailings to the highest couple of scores in each zip code, which varies from area to area. they also do mailings to certain minorities. It's kind of random. I got a 225 and didn't get anything in the mail, while some people at my TASP scored lower than that and did. But it doesn't really matter- you can apply by printing the app off of their website as well.</p>
<p>This is concerning the "underlying theme" theory:</p>
<p>The primary focuses of my intellectual curiosity are my libertarian politics and philosophy. If I were to write my essays about these topics would the TASP adcom reading my application yawn, say, "another person interseted in politics," and place it atop the other 300 apps just like it? Or would this app stand out?</p>
<p>The prompts you have to answer are: explain your education goals, discuss a challenge you've overcome, discuss a problem in a field that interests you, and analyze a book/poem (there's also a book list and a seminar-choice essay). You can't really incorporate a theme like "I am a Libertarian" into those sorts of essays. I had a very vague theme along the lines of "I haven't been exposed to much but I want to see the world" which is both cliched and awkward. That being said, I don't think a "theme" is that important as long as the essays you write convey that you are an interesting person and a good thinker.</p>
<p>Perhaps I should clarify what my propsective essay ideas are:</p>
<p>For education goals: Ph. D so I can become a professor of political science and research public policy, finding satistics and proving that statist political theories don't work.</p>
<p>For a book/poem analysis: perhaps Ayn Rand's "Anthem", John Locke's "Second Treatise on Government" or John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty".</p>
<p>For a problem in a field that interests me: The trend of modern Europe to adopt socialistic fiscal policies and the new reaction among some Americans to immitate them. I am deeply disturbed by these ideas, and I fear that their policies will usher in a new dark age.</p>
<p>For the book list: a list ridden with books concerning libertarian thought. Rand, Friedman, Locke, Nozick: they're all there.</p>
<p>For a challenge I've overcome: Probably something unrelated to Liberatrianism. Maybe about how I betrayed my best friend to claw my way to popularity. Maybe about my conversion from liberalism to libertrianism. Probably the former.</p>
<p>My question is: will these essays be cliche and mundane amongst surely countless students interested in politics?</p>
<p>I have a question about TASP. I'm really interested in politics, but my extracurriculars lean alot towards mathematics. There just isn't too much in politics in my town. I just find it all kind of interesting. Also, on that conservative question, were u guys kidding about hiding that you're a conservative? Because I lean pretty far right (though my town is relatively blue). I guess what I'm trying to ask is:
1. Will looking like a "math" person on paper hurt me?
and
2. Is being conservative a bad thing for TASP or will it "add diversity" as somebody else said?</p>
<p>Market state: I have no doubt that you're intelligent enough, but writing all your essays about Libertarianism (or anti-Socialism) may send the impression that nothing else interests you and that you have nothing else to contribute to a group. If you feel that you are totally defined by your political ideas, then write those essays; just make sure you can insert personal anecdotes into them. </p>
<p>Also, no one at TASP respects Ayn Rand. Especially Anthem.</p>
<p>Alex:</p>
<ol>
<li> Your application is almost entirely essays, so you can portray yourself however you want. If you seem like a math person on paper but you essays describes a ______, then you're that much more interesting.</li>
<li>My TASP was all liberals+me, but I'm willing to bet that TASP- like most academic institutions- just attracts a more leftward crowd.</li>
</ol>
<p>Also, no one at TASP respects Ayn Rand. Especially Anthem.</p>
<p><em>snaps</em>
oh, so true.</p>
<p>and also, i remember reading somewhere that the TASP application committee is ridiculously tired of having to read literary analyses that are just recycled ayn rand essay contest essays. so if that's what you're going to try, just know you'll probably be called on it:)</p>
<p>and alex, there were definitely some math-y/science-y people at my TASP. makes things more interesting, IMO.</p>
<p>That is exactly what I was afraid of (my personality's definition as monchromatic). What do you suggest I do, considering that my true interests lie along the lines of public policy from a Libertarian viewpoint, considering that my inellectual forte is my curiosity about political philosophy? </p>
<p>Yeah, I know, Ayn Rand really isn't a respected philosopher; she actually was a Hollywood scriptwriter. It was a foolish idea to write an essay on one of her works. Better go with Locke.</p>