<p>Yes you should.
Also, your interviewers will have all read the book before interviewing you, so be prepared.</p>
<p>95/95 TASPers got accepted into Harvard EA, obviously. Why does it even matter? Go if you want the experience, not if you want it on your app.</p>
<p>how important is the teacher recommendation?</p>
<p>i may have trouble with it because a lot of the teachers at my school are cranky over writing alot of college recommendations.</p>
<p>ok butcherer...we really appreciate the sarcasm</p>
<p>I don't believe recommendations are very important at all, considering it is the essays that basically make or break you. They are, as TASP says, "the primary basis for our acceptance decisions."</p>
<p>Looking over the online application (which, I must admit, seems quite convenient; anyone else applying online?), I have a few questions of my own. </p>
<p>(1) In the online application there is a box asking for one's "main areas of academic interest". But what, exactly, does "academic" entail? Are we to answer solely in terms of classes or subjects studied in school? or might we broaden it to our personal interests outside of school? </p>
<p>(2) When they say "list", do they really mean we ought to simply list our interests, or would it be recommended to elaborate on each? </p>
<p>(3) Are any test scores (i.e., SAT, ACT, or AP scores) required as part of the application? </p>
<p>(4) For the teacher recommendation, how should we go about signing it "across the flap as a guarantee of its confidentiality"? Does that mean enclosing a statement saying something to the effect of, "I waive my right to view this recommendation"?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>good questions daenerys. I wonder if its possible to include my AP scores, even if as many say, they don't weigh much in the decisions</p>
<p>well i dont think many will have test scores by application time.</p>
<p>i only have 2 ap tests to my name =/</p>
<p>ap euro - 5
ap chem - 4</p>
<p>also,</p>
<p>should there be an underlying theme in all of our essays?</p>
<p>my two conflict essays are totally different.</p>
<p>and also, is anyone planning on saying that they would defintely not want to attend one of the seminars?</p>
<p>well I have two also, pretty good scores for AP World and Euro. </p>
<p>Also, you mentioned two conflict essays? Isn't there just one? Or are you working on two different ones? :P</p>
<p>well i was talking about the second and third essay on the brochure. The conflict one that is personal and the problem/topic one.</p>
<p>for the conflict i kinda expanded it into a more global sense, so it is similar to the other.</p>
<p>hope that makes sense.</p>
<p>^ Gasp. You have already written two essays? I must be pitifully slow, haha.</p>
<p>According to the Cornell TASP blog (and a list compiled by the lovely musechick- p.s. I <3 her), 6 TASPers got into Harvard EA. 3 Cornell ED. 3 Stanford. 3 Yale EA. 3 UMich Ann Arbor. Those seem to be the most popular schools.. And a splattering of other schools, including Swarthmore, Brown, Georgetown, and Penn Wharton (<em>yay</em>).</p>
<p>P.S. I don't think that AP scores will make any difference at all, but I suppose you can send them in. TASP is about intellectual creativity.. which can't be manifested through AP scores. The AP curriculum is rather confining, imo. I'll answer the other questions in my next post.</p>
<p><a href="1">b</a> In the online application there is a box asking for one's "main areas of academic interest". But what, exactly, does "academic" entail? Are we to answer solely in terms of classes or subjects studied in school? or might we broaden it to our personal interests outside of school?**
Sure, personal interests are perfectly fine. But it should still be academic/intellectual in nature, I think, so sports and whatnot probably wouldn't be included in that category. But if you read Nietzche or experiment with prime numbers in your spare time, write about it! My essay was primarily about my political advocacy, passion for urban areas, and interest in human rights.</p>
<p><a href="2">b</a> When they say "list", do they really mean we ought to simply list our interests, or would it be recommended to elaborate on each?**
Just list.</p>
<p><a href="3">b</a> Are any test scores (i.e., SAT, ACT, or AP scores) required as part of the application?**
Nope.</p>
<p><a href="4">b</a> For the teacher recommendation, how should we go about signing it "across the flap as a guarantee of its confidentiality"? Does that mean enclosing a statement saying something to the effect of, "I waive my right to view this recommendation"?**
Nah, that's not an official TASP policy. That's just something that I did to let the Telluride Association know that it's confidential. If your teacher signs across the sealed flap of the envelope, there's no way you can open it and take a peek without damaging the signature.</p>
<p>should there be an underlying theme in all of our essays?
Nah, I don't think that's necessary. If your intellectual passions lie in several different fields, communicate that. </p>
<p>and also, is anyone planning on saying that they would defintely not want to attend one of the seminars?
Last year, I indicated that I didn't want to attend the Medieval Romance seminar. I would recommend ranking all but one or two.</p>
<p>HOLY CRAP THIS BOARD GOT ACTION!! >_<</p>
<p>Anyway.
Back on page 12, dandelion asked about what we analyzed. I chose "Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath, but I'd planned on "Perfume" by Patrick Suskind or "I Expected My Skin and My Blood to Ripen" by Wendy Rose.</p>
<p>lmao, oh chaotic... I couldn't submit one from school 'cause I'd NEVER DONE A CRITICAL ANALYSIS BEFORE. It was nuts. I had to look up *** one WAS online, though I knew the gist of what it entailed. XD</p>
<p>Meeeh. I used a school-essay for the issue one. Thing is, it was for Current Events class and it was an issue I truly cared about, so it was fine. </p>
<p>GPA is not that huge a deal. In any case, mine was 4.24 (weighted, I think?) in 11th grade. Max we have 'cause my school is crazy. <em>shrug</em></p>
<p>As for the critical analysis deal, just give me your email and I'll send you what the heck that is, how it's supposed to be written, blah blah, so you get an idea. I had to search for it when I applied to TASP. ^_^ If you need an example, I can also send you my analysis; no probs. </p>
<p>Transcripts = they ask for a "full transcript", meaning one that has the grades from freshman-junior year. Obviously you won't have ALL your junior year grades, but only the ones for the first semester/trimesters or so. No report cards, methinks; they don't provide the same info. In any case, just call and ask. ^^ </p>
<p>Indeed, Miss Chaotic. DB had C's... PH from another TASP had not-so-hot grades, but the kid was a freaking GENIUS. </p>
<p>No need for resumes, people. The spaces on the form are enough. </p>
<p>For how does a piece go about achieving its goal, yes. Talk about the theme, the type of language, the tone, etc... Literary devices help an author achieve his/her goal, so yes. ^^ That's what you need to talk about, essentially. </p>
<p>The hardest question I was asked... hmm... I'd mentioned in one of my essays that I had a lot of career options I'd like, so I listed a few and finished with "supreme ruler of the world", so my interviewer tied in two aspects from my essays and asked that if I were supreme ruler of the world, what would I do to change the problem with women and their body image. Something like that. XD </p>
<p>YAY PROCRASTINATION! I did some of mine the day they were due, roflmao.
Aw, fleur... don't stress. Just try. Tell that little voice in your head to shut up because just writing the essays in itself is good for experience. You'll need to do a LOT of those for college apps. <em>is having to go through that now</em> </p>
<p>My book list was... ALL fiction and modern, almost. Don't cut it down, just be honest. Mine consisted of about... 30 books? I have no idea. Maybe less, maybe more, but I saw TASPers with freakish amounts of books and periodicals. Scary, XD. Thing is, with the book list, they want to get a glimpse into your psyche and see what you're interested in. They also like to ask questions about books, if they've read them, too. I didn't include single poems or stories, nope, just books and periodicals. </p>
<p>I was sent an app, so about the need for nominations, I have no idea, but I guess they should be necessary? Just call and ask or check the site. ^^ Applying online = better because you get a few extra days for the essays. XD You still have to send in the transcripts and recs by mail, though. </p>
<p>It can't hurt, but it's not required. My list was just book titles because I was too lazy to look up the books again, lmao. Tsk, tsk. I wasn't asked about my books, though; most of the discussion revolved around my ESSAYS. :P Though if your interviewer's read some of the books and think it could be interesting to ask you about them, be ready 'cause it can happen.</p>
<p>"Academic" interests. I was confused about that one too, so I just wrote whatever the heck I wanted. Seeing as many interests CAN be taken as "classes", it shouldn't matter that much. Stuff you like to investigate, your hobbies, your favorite courses, blah blah. (And, just listing is fine.) </p>
<p>No scores necessary, as far as I know. </p>
<p>haha, no. Just get your recommender to print the rec out, put it (and the copies) in an envelope, seal it (licky licky!), and sign over the flap. That simple!</p>
<p>No underlying theme necessary. It's good to show a variety of interests and ideas. </p>
<p>Personally, I said I didn't want to go to one of the seminars, so...</p>
<p>LOL! Chaotic, you didn't want the seminar I was in! XD But it was great that we were both in the same house. UGH, CORNELL TASPS ROCK!</p>
<p><em>cough</em> Yep.</p>
<p>Muse, your posts are so cute and animated! They make me happy. :]</p>
<p>I must admit, PH is rather genius-y. Did you read his DS essays? Holy crap... -speechless-.</p>
<p>lol! I have an undying love for emoticons and laughter, so that might be the reason behind the tone of my posts. :D</p>
<p>Sometimes I think "ACK! Serious posts! No emoticons!" but I often give in and sometimes I <em>have</em> to end emails to college admissions people with a little smile.</p>
<p>Like so: Thanks. :) </p>
<p>XD</p>
<p>And YES. PH. Holy, holy mother of Jesuits. And his CHILDHOOD?!
WOW.</p>
<p>I showed DS (DiSik) his Stanford essay and she freaked out. haha, I guess that was a little mean of me.</p>
<p>i <3 aida.</p>
<p>musechick, if you don't mind, could you e-mail me information on the critical analysis as well? My e-mail is <a href="mailto:toastwomble@gmail.com">toastwomble@gmail.com</a>.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>YAY! I LOVE ME TOO! XD</p>
<p>Seeing as I think many people should read this, I'll post it here instead. Little dumb me never saved the website, though. Oh well. Here goes!</p>
<hr>
<p>CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF DOOM!</p>
<p>Analysis means literally picking a story apart--separating out the characters, the plot, the imagery, the setting, and so on, from one another in order to get a look at how they work together to get a theme across to a reader. </p>
<p>After stating one's idea about the theme of the story in the thesis statement, one must prove one's idea, and this follows in the body of the paper. One proves the thesis through analysis; analysis usually looks something like this: </p>
<br>
<p>give a thesis for your paper (the thesis is the jist of your argument); make a series of assertions supporting your thesis (these can consist of the topic sentences of your paragraphs), find evidence from the text that supports your assertions, and explicate the evidence in light of the assertions you have made (these make up the supporting details of your paragraphs).</p>
<br>
<p>The critical evaluation of a work is often best saved for the conclusion of the paper, though it doesn't have to be. To criticize means to judge the merits and the faults of a story. What has the author done well, and what has he done less well? Has he successfully demonstrated his theme? </p>
<p>The above analysis has focussed on one character and her thoughts and behavior; however, one does not have to write only about character. In fact, there are really very few rules to follow in writing a critical analysis. One can write an analysis devoted exclusively to a writer's use of any one element or device present in fiction. One can write an analysis by talking about a combination of elements. This is because every story is different, and writers use different elements in different ways for different reasons. Thus it is really up to the writer of a critical paper to decide what is important in an individual story and why it is important enough to be written about.</p>
<p>However, critical analysis papers should focus on a theme or a set of themes. Any writer invents characters, uses certain kinds of imagery, describes certain settings for specific reasons, and this usually has to do with an overall theme. Any main point made in a critical analysis paper should relate back to a theme, so the question of "why" a character, image or symbol appears should always be kept in mind. What is the writer's point? How does an element relate to a story's basic message?</p>
<hr>
<p>What is this story saying to the reader? What is the theme? One must decide what the main idea of the story is and express it in a single sentence which can become the thesis statement of the paper. </p>
<p>How does the story get its theme across to the reader? This is the "analysis" part of the paper. Here the writer looks at the elements of the story and relates them to its meaning; he tells how things happen, but, more importantly, he tells why they happen as they do. What literary elements stand out as important? Why has the author chosen a particular image, setting, sequence of events, etc., to express his theme? The writer should make a list of all elements and jot down how they are used in the story. He should then decide which are most important to the story's meaning. </p>
<p>How can this story be evaluated? This is the "critical" part of the paper and will serve well in its conclusion. Making a judgement means one has the opportunity to talk back, in a sense, to the author--one tells whether he did a good job or not, and why. Making a judgement about a story usually involves answering one or more of the following questions: Has the author successfully gotten his point (theme) across? Why or why not? Do all the elements of the story work together to produce a clear, unified meaning? Does this work have merit, and if so, why? Is this a "great" story or a "good" one according to Laurence Perrine's (of Structure, Sound, and Sense) criteria? Is the story universal--that is, could anyone from any country, from any era read it and get the same meaning from it and find it valuable? Why or why not? Is the author fair in his version of reality or does he have a bias--that is, is he predisposed to having certain opinions of particular people, customs, kinds of behavior? Could his or her being American, French, African, male, female, white, black, rich, poor, etc. have an effect on the way he or she views the world? Are his portraits of characters, places, and events truly insightful or does the author rely on simple stereotypes? </p>
<hr>
<p>Character </p>
<p>A character is a person in a story. Is the character being discussed static or dynamic? Is he two dimensional or complex? Does he have contradictory characteristics or is he consistent? Does his personality relate to conflicts in the story, and if so, how? Do different characters stand in for alternative ways of living and acting? Are there characters in the story with whom the reader might choose to compare the character being considered? Is the character presented directly or indirectly? What is implied by his mannerisms, clothing, speech, background, religion or lack of religion, goals, reaction to others? Does he have a value system, how is it presented, and what is it like? What do the character's actions express about him? Is there any special imagery associated with the character, and what does it imply about him? What does the narrator say about him? Is the narrator accurate and reliable? What does the character say about himself? Is his self-knowledge limited or unrealistic, or is it accurate and complete? Is he able to apply his self-knowledge and change? Are his opinions of others reliable? What do other characters say about him? Are those characters reliable, or are they perhaps overly critical, unsympathetic or blind to his faults? What are the character's motivations? Are they believable? What interactions between characters take place, and what are the results? Why are those interactions and their results important?</p>
<p>--
Plot </p>
<p>The plot consists of the events that take place in a story, plus the conflicts and suspense involved as the events take place. The plot should never be summarized; instead, one should assume that whoever reads the critical analysis paper already knows the sequence of events. Instead, one should talk about how and why things happen. Everything happens in a story for a reason, so whenever an event takes place it should be related in some way to the author's purpose. What emotions does the reader experience at different points in the plot? These are clues to conflict and suspense? What are the conflicts--man versus man, man versus nature, society, or himself? Could any events be compared or contrasted? How do the conflicts relate to the story's theme? Is there any symbolism or imagery connected to an event that helps the reader understand the event's meaning? Is the plot suspenseful? If so, what creates the suspense--for example, which conflicts, dilemmas, important information unknown to a character? Why is the ending "true-to-life" or unrealistic? Is it crystal-clear and final, or is it indeterminate (open-ended)? Does the ending make sense when compared with what happens in the story? Does irony occur with an event or with an ending?</p>
<p>Conflict </p>
<p>The main character or protagonist of a story usually has a conflict to deal with. What does the protagonist or other characters in question struggle against? How is the conflict revealed through plot, characterization, narration, dialogue, etc. Which events are particularly important in the progress of the conflicts? In other words, what are the turning points of the story? What characters or ideas are opposites in the story? Is this a story of man versus man, man versus nature, society, destiny, or himself? Is there a combination of these conflicts? Are there any choices that the character must make? Does the story show conflicting ways of looking at a person, problem, or event? </p>
<p>Setting
The setting consists of characters' surroundings. In what era and what nation do the characters exist? What objects appear? Does the author mention a setting simply as a matter of course, or does he describe a setting to create an atmosphere or to give clues about the characters and events? What events are tied to certain settings? How does the connection effect the meaning of the events? What imagery belongs to a particular setting, what does it imply? Is the setting symbolic in any way? Is a certain setting associated with a fantasy for a particular character? Do certain characters seem to belong more in one setting than in another, and if so, why? Does a character change when he enters a new setting? Does the new setting actually cause him to change, or does it bring out hidden aspects of his personality?</p>
<p>Point-of-View
Look at Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense for a detailed discussion of the various types of point-of-view. Point-of-view, which is often called narration, has to do with the way information is presented in the story, and, as a result, what readers can know about characters and events. What one knows effects the interpretations one can make--the meanings one can get out of a story. Does the story change point-of-view? How does the change effect its meaning? If one of the story's characters tells the story, how does this effect the meaning? Is he a major or a minor character? Does he present events accurately and interpret them fairly? How do his flaws, virtues, advantages, disadvantages effect his storytelling? </p>
<p>Tone
Tone reflects the author's attitude toward the characters and events in his story. Is the writer detached (lacking emotion) or is he involved? Is the writer's attitude admiring, approving, warm, or disliking, cold, bitter or perhaps even angry, harsh, or condemning? Is his attitude light-hearted, playful, or comic, or is it grand, lofty, or serious? What is it about the author's writing that reflects the attitudes you find in the story? Does the writer understate or overstate his idea? Does he exaggerate or does he use irony? Does he write plainly, simply, matter-of-factly? What kinds of description does the writer use? Are his adjectives glowing and vivid or are they calm and bland? How does the author's manner of description, and thus his attitude, change from character to character? Are there particular images that seem to point to a particular attitude on the writer's part? Does the characters' situation or setting relate to or reflect the story's tone?</p>
<p>Irony
Irony is defined as a discrepancy between appearances and what one knows to be true, or between what one might expect to take place and what actually does. Is there a difference between what a character says and what the reader knows to be true? Does the story emphasize a difference between appearance and reality, between an expectation and an actual fulfillment? Is an outcome of a story the opposite of what one would think it would be? Does a character say one thing but mean the opposite? All of these situations signal irony. How do these situations relate to the story's theme? </p>
<p>Symbol
A symbol is simply something that means more than what it is; it has a different, abstract meaning apart from its literal significance. It can be an object, a person, a situation, an action, or any other thing presented in a story.</p>
<p>=0 Thanks, that helps a lot.</p>