Should I tell this to my interviewer?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

Hi everyone,

So this thread (http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1942546-should-i-just-give-up-applying-p1.html) belongs to me, and if you read through the first page, you’ll see that my dad was very controlling over my essays throughout the application process. For UPenn, although he let me submit my own CA essay, he made me submit his adult version of the 650 words supplement, which, in my opinion, does not represent who I am at all.

I just got contacted by an interviewer, and he wants to meet this Sunday. Should I mention to him what my dad did? I haven’t told UPenn about it or emailed them my own version of the essay, mainly because I didn’t want to apply there in the first place, but I don’t know if it’ll make the admissions office question my application even more should they know my dad wrote the supplement and I didn’t try to correct it.

Thanks!

2

I find this to be a dilemma of ethics staring down self-interest and (potential) personal gain. Add in a little stated lack of enthusiasm and an opportunity to self-sabotage and you have a big, big mess.

If this interview is one which is required of all applicants, and not just given because you requested to be interviewed if someone is available, you could go and make plain to the interviewer your continued (?) lack of interest in the university and the pressures you were under which compelled you to submit, and kill the deal right there. That news will get back to the university and you won’t have to worry about the outcome.

If this interview is one you were selected for based on some aspect of your application, and you still have no interest in knowing if you’d get in, or having them believe the application reflected you, you should be honest about the authorship and tone of the app.

If you do have an interest in knowing if you would be accepted, and do have an interest in attending, you will feel forever compromised at knowing you were selected under circumstances that are fraudulent.

If you do have an interest in knowing if you would be accepted, and are being interviewed for further vetting of your application (I have never heard of this before, just supposing), how would you go about representing yourself to be someone who, as written, does not reflect the real you? That would make you wholly, wholly complicit in the fraud.

What do you want to do, regarding knowing your chances at selection and admission?

3

@Waiting2exhale

Hi there, thanks for your reply. I do want to be considered for admission. I do like UPenn as a school, but it was not somewhere I planned to apply until my dad coerced me to do so. When he did ask me to apply, I agreed and started writing the essay. I DID do it myself, but my dad very heavily edited (as he usually does) it. That’s why I consider it “his” essay. He did not generate any ideas that were not already in the essay when he made me show it to him. Rather, he reworded it in such a way that my voice was lacking. Therefore, while every grain of my being is against the idea that my father should edit my essay in such a way, I still do consider my ideas to be present within it. Analogically, think of my father as a College Admissions Consultant, except in this case, a consultant who has no experience yet dogmatically claims he does. The consultant edits the essay deeply and sends it over. Although the basis of the applicant’s essay is there, the consultant diluted it heavily. In essence, the essay does still include “me”, but it includes my experiences, which I would easily be able to expatiate upon when given the opportunity. Thus, I do not agree with the idea that any terms of acceptance would be “fraudulent.” And as you may see, there is an inherent dichotomy. I do not know if this essay represents who I am enough to warrant my telling the interviewer that he heavily edited it. I now presume what I’m looking for is the diction I should use if it is still a good idea to tell my interviewer about the situation.

Given your reply, I’ll assume that the answer to that question is a big, fat, slimy “NO”, the risk being I compromise my integrity if I don’t word what I say correctly.

Let me know if I am right in my understanding.

4

NO. it may raise a red flag. just let it play out, and hope for the best.

5

There’s no need to tell the interviewer this part of your story. My advice is like the others’ in that I think you should smile and have a perfectly charming interview.

Then get accepted.

Then vow to never ever let your parents look at what you write in college. It sounds like you’re ready to cut the apron strings. That’s perfectly appropriate for your age. Best wishes to you.

6

I wouldn’t mention it to the interviewer but I’d consider writing admissions, explaining the situation, and submitting your “own” original essay.

Risky? Of course.

But if you only applied reluctantly it seems you have nothing to lose and, if nothing else, you’ll avoid the potential agony of feeling you were accepted on fraudulent terms.

7

@pocrocodro : “In essence, the essay does still include ‘me’, but it includes my experiences…” This is where my greatest question rested - how well, how truthfully, how faithfully - did the submitted application reflect who you are? Sounds like you are saying it was true for the facts, but not necessarily your sentiments or expressions.

I was suggesting that you decide whether you could later accept an offer of admission which was spearheaded and crafted by * not you*. You sound so conflicted at this point (and rightfully so), wanting to know that you are doing the ethical thing by sitting with an agent of the university which is truly considering your application.

Make no mistake, you would be compromising the integrity of the application and more than likely its consideration altogether **if you were to leave the interviewer with the idea ** that the essays are not your own, or do not represent your voice. You would not be compromising your own integrity to do so, however.

In deciding whether to go forward and keep mum about remaining in consideration for a seat you have expressed no interest in having, a spot you have felt to be sought in your name but not by you, you must only answer for yourself whether you want the seat.

Will you be able to reconcile that the application reflects some of you as you would be known (the facts), and yet was constructed through a process that removed the parts of you which you would have liked to be known? The answer to that is, yes, you view the application as something written with undue assistance and guidance but still your something you can sign your name to, which makes it yours.

In that case, the interview is yours as well, if you can walk in unconflicted and maintain your composure.

I withdraw the presumption of fraud from from any action you take going forward. I would not leave you with that stuck to ideas of yourself, from a stranger you are likely to never meet in person. I know you were pressured, and you are now still operating under the strains of that pressure.

8

Often high achieving seniors do not have a friend group at school for peer editing. The teacher teaching the required health class to lead students through the common app process was a health/gym teacher and did not even understand our senior’s essay. So, by default I was the sounding board/editor. I felt that my editing responsibilities were limited to organization (order or sequence of thoughts/events), word choice (using a word too often or suggesting looking for an alternative) and punctuation.

The hardest part of the process for me was to tell my child that I did not yet hear her voice in a long essay as opposed to the clear humor, compassion or creativity that came through in the 100-300 supplement pieces. Keep in mind that these were written by a STEM major, not a creative writer. But, each shorter supplement shared a piece of her life or part of her passion and certainly entertained or woke up an admissions reader. A few edits and redrafts later, we heard her voice and the essay was a winner!

It may be too late for these suggestions. Get a book on writing college essays which clearly explains the strategies about not repeating your resume or picking a ‘saving the world by serving on a week long trip’ and has may examples. Some have student stats, list colleges applied to and acceptance/rejection results for each essay. Remind your father of the admissions information sessions you both attended where the admissions officers clearly begged for students ‘not to put them to sleep’.

Your interviewer will not see any of your application. It does not make any sense to bring up the topic.

9

Bigger Picture question for you…do you want to attend UPenn?

What is YOUR top choice school? What acceptances do you have already, and which schools have you not heard back from?

Is your dad going to make the final decision of where you attend college? If so, it benefits you to sabotage any application for schools you do not want to attend.

10

i wouldn’t say a word about it. it will just raise a red flag.

11

The interview does not have access to your essays. The experienced admission officers can easily tell whether the essay is yours or being over-edited by others. When my son applied to Wharton, his essay was totally crap in my eye. I let him to submit it to teach him a lesson. He ended up in Wharton.