Telluride Association Summer Program ( TASP ) 2008

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
401

<p>thepapercrane: I concur with what Lobster said. :) If the topics are of even slight interest to you, GO FOR IT. It's an experience that is broader than just the seminar. Way broader. In fact, if you are not SUPERSUPER interested, or don't know much about the topic, take it as a learning experience. TASP can be eye-opening in many ways. :) And also, a lot of kids go into seminars having no previous knowledge of the subject matter. That's why you go to the seminar in the first place: to learn!</p>

<p>Mihan: That sounds super cool! But...wait for Telluride to get back to you on that. ^_^ If they let you do it, let us know how it goes!</p>

<p>Dtermined or whatever: "WHY IS TASP SO AWESOME?" <em>cracks knuckles</em> I'll try to be brief. Colleges might love it because it has a low acceptance rate in proportion to the number of people who apply, it's pretty awesome, and the kids who go are excellent. Why is TASP awesome in itself, regardless of whatever colleges think about it? TASP brings together 16 (or 32) brilliant young minds to live together for 6 weeks. And by brilliant, I mean all sorts of brilliant. Some kids are brilliant in art, others in acting, others in science, others in dealing with people, and others in everything. Don't feel insecure when applying, though. Don't feel intimidated when I use that word. I just honestly think all the kids I met were brilliant. :) Semantics aside, TASP brings together those people, makes their seminar revolve around an interesting topic that fosters discussion. Then there are pubspeaks, which are essentially oral presentations on w/e topic you find cool, which ALSO foster discussion. There's the aspect of community service (you have to do at least a few comm. service projects to give back for this opportunity), the aspect of self-governance (you have your counselors, called factota, and all, but a lot of the decisions are made by consensus of the kids, and there is a lot of freedom involved), and the aspect of friendship and bonding. That is a pretty amazing package. And it's FREE. I still can't get over that, because it's basically what made my parents let me go, and I can't thank 'em enough. All these things add up to an experience that produces a lot of AMAZING conversations, a lot of great adventures, a lot of growth, and a lot of FUN.</p>

<p>BUT, for the ubercollegeminded of you out there, TASP does NOT make it so that you can magically get into any college you want. It will NOT get you into HYPSetcetcetc. <em>YOU</em> get yourself into those colleges, and I think the correlation between TASPers and Ivies or really good colleges in GENERAL, is that kids who apply to TASP and get in generally are pretty damn amazing overall, and have a thirst for knowledge, a love of learning, a love of experiencing new things, and of going out there and DOING stuff. So kids that get into good places get into them because of the same things that got them into TASP, not BECAUSE they got into TASP. ALSO, remember, that TASPers are amazing, but the college selection process is different. Colleges care a lot about awards and grades and test scores and crap. Telluride cares more (apparently) about essays, 'cause they ask for about a million, lol. So, again, both processes take into account different things, and thus will accept and reject different types of people.</p>

<p>Basically, just 'cause you got into TASP doesn't mean you'll go to Harvard, and just 'cause you DIDN'T get in, it doesn't mean you won't. =]</p>

<p>P.S. _ sorry for not getting back to some of you this weekend. I've had family issues. I'll try to email you ASAP.</p>

402

<p>Are you guys using textual evidence in your critical analysis?</p>

403

<p>Of course. You should too...it helps.</p>

404

<p>Textual evidence is a great way to substantiate arguments in an analytical essay. :-)</p>

405

<p>wow, wish our school actually taught writing critnals. this is the first one i've ever written (sheesh, great timing). I'm probably learning more here about critnals than in my last 2 years of english. eeks</p>

406

<p>Has anyone written a critical analysis of an essay/speech before? I was reading through some threads from TASP 2007, but it seems like everyone's talking about fiction/non-fiction/poetry. How would I write one if there isn't stuff like plot/characters/setting to talk about?</p>

407

<p>maybe write about a theme? idk, you're gonna have to ask lobster, musechick, or one of those people:)</p>

408

<p>And also, Alkhira, I skipped one grade (which two did you skip?), but I think it all depends on whether you can fit in with older students. I fit in perfectly fine, and I usually forget about any age differences. I also went to camp this past summer with students from different ages, but I found myself hanging out with people quite a bit older than me anyway.</p>

409

<p>HAPPY NEW YEAR, MAY you tasp wished come true
Hey it's 2008 in Germany already. I just rode home 9 miles by bike, it's foggy as hell, freezing cold and one can hardy see 6 meters. Wearing glasses and having drunk a few beers does not make it easier either ;-)
I will make a cup of fresh brewed coffee, check my stock and finally go to bed
Good luck to all of you and may your wishes come true, especially those about tasp</p>

410

<p>19 minutes until New Year's here! better make some resolutions...</p>

411

<p>Happy New Year! :)</p>

<p>A critical analysis can be written about a speech/essay, methinks. You can talk about the tone, the purpose of the essay, how the speech-giver emphasizes certain things, you can analyze the arguments in it, or take a position (like, in such and such spech, ______ is being a twat and dissing women, and this is how he/she is doing it and blahblah). Stuff like that. :)</p>

<p>And D-Yu, TASP critnal = my first critnal ever, lmao.</p>

412

<p>Neltharion: I think your only concern with Red Wheelbarrow might be its length. I settled on Roethke's "Dolor" for my critnal, I chose to do straight-up literary analysis (the use of consonance in line 3 serves to blah blah blah...). I barely squeezed a page and a half out, and I was sucking every last bit of meaning out of a very meaningful (but 13-line) poem. However, I didn't really go into depth with my personal response to the poem or any somesuch, so if you are taking a different approach, I bet you'll be fine.</p>

<p>D-Yu: I am from Hicktown, USA, and have won hardly anything since middle school, and I got in.</p>

<p>Remember:<strong><em>95% Essays</em></strong>*
Seriously.</p>

413

<p>And Prost Neujahr to you, henn G. I had a freezing, foggy, earlier New Year as well. What region are you in?</p>

414

<p>hey all!
i'm working on my app,
and i emailed TASP to confirm i could do my critnal on a song,</p>

<p>but if i do it on a poem/song (it's a poem, but not a classical one) and i use the online application, should i include a copy of the poem/lyrics?</p>

<p>i'm sure they could easily be googled, and i might just end up picking a book, but i was just wondering :]</p>

415

<p>Whoohoo! they're letting me do my "add-a-chapter" thing for the critnal!!
Ha. Now I'm done with my essays.</p>

<p>well....my first drafts.. ;) haha..
Now I've gotta get to work on proofreading and such..gah</p>

416

<p>So far I am nearly done with my critical analysis and proofreading it i feel a bit off colour about what i've written. I do not know wether anybody feels the same, that your essay is either brilliant or completely insane, as my argument is a bit strange "All quiet on the western front and its contribution to pacifism as a successor of the sermon on the mount although it was written as a personal processing" (o_O)
Have to start tinkering on it now....</p>

417

<p>Thanks much for the answer, LindeeK.</p>

<p>Another question [or rather, concern]: How informal is too informal, do you think? One of my essays [haha, like the only one I've started; booklist doesn't count] sounds much more like a conversation than an actual...paper.</p>

<p>I'm probably worrying too much over all this...</p>

418

<p>I'm living in the flatlands of the lower rhine in North Rhine-Westphalia where fog is quiet common, but is hasn't been that bad all year long, one could harly see his own firework.</p>

419

<p>Is the analysis the argument? They tell us "it will be important for you to make an argument", but is the actual argument just analyzing the text and saying this is how the author gets his point across?</p>

420

<p>I just realized I REALLY need to finish my application before the deadline.</p>

<p>The TASP deadline is January 25th and my first ever SAT is the 26th, one day later. If I spend all my time up until then finishing my application then I wouldn't get a lot of time for intense preparation. This is ALSO the same week as finals at my school.</p>

<p>SO much fun! =]</p>