<p>I know I shouldn’t go over two pages but is it okay if I just have a page? Can any former-TASPers help me out here?</p>
<p>@epigramimpelled, for the seminar preference “essay” they don’t actually want an essay, so 700 may be too much if you’re just stretching for length. and judging from the last sentence of the prompt, “Your answers to this question will help us to place you in an appropriate semiar if you are selected,” they won’t even use this to judge whether you qualify to be a TASPer.</p>
<p>ATTENTION ALL TASPLICANTS:
Can y’all do me a favor?
Can you plox do the following?
- Breathe
- Not inspect this post for every possible caveat/freakout opportunity possible
- Please please please, RELAX. </p>
<p>Espesh that third one. Y’all are getting way too caught up in the details, which is only making you more angsty and neurotic. All these little things–word count, number of pages, formatting, topic specificity or originality–they aren’t what make you a great applicant. While you definitely want to respect their limits and prompts, ultimately, a reader won’t peruse an app and think, “Wow, this word count is just right, and she formatted this book title really well, and I like that her topic was kind of specific but not excessively quirky…forget her actual arguments and stories–let’s admit her!” As Bill Stott might say, piffle! You get interviews, you get acceptances, because of ideas, not finicky things like word counts. Write what you want! If the death penalty is an issue you’re passionate about, then write about it! If you want to analyze a children’s book instead of The Fountainhead, do so! If you think an incident involving bullying (either as the victim or perpetrator) and what you learned from it define you in some way, write about it! Quit worrying so much, and just write. </p>
<p>/sermon</p>
<p>^Please baby to do this.</p>
<p>I’m honestly not freaking out or anything. I’m just genuinely wondering whether it’s okay to have essays that are only half the word limit.
If the answer is yes, only the idea presented matters, then I’m going to happily continue my essays and finish up my app. If it’s no, I’m going to go back and add some more substance. That’s all I really wanted to know.</p>
<p>Beyond the word limits they specifically give you, don’t worry about them. If you think you have conveyed all that you want to convey, you don’t need to write any more.</p>
<p>okay…
I willl…
No coming on here until I finish two essays.
I think</p>
<p>I honestly think I wrote better essays by bookmarking this thread and not returning to it until all 6 responses had been drafted.</p>
<p>And I will go as far as to say this: ideas matter more even than style. Not everyone at my TASP was an amazing or even an accomplished writer, but they all brought something distinct and unique to the house. One of the least developed writers, technically and stylistically, became one of the most important people of my summer. They’re not my closest friend from TASP, but without their presence my TASP would have been utterly different.</p>
<p>Short essays can be very effective. But usually the longer the better, only because you have more to say and more space to say it in. If you think you accomplished everything you needed to say in only 1 page, then so be it.</p>
<p>I’m now a high school freshman from China who will very probably go to the States as an exchange student in my junior year.
And here are my questions:
- Has any mainland Chinese student previouly attended TASP?
- Will I be considered an ‘international’ student after studying for one year in the US?
- Will it be an advantage if I get good scores in SAT/TOEFL(for int’l students)?</p>
<p>I emailed the TA and he said there are 3-8 int’l students each year and many Chinese have applied. </p>
<p>Btw how’s my english lol</p>
<p>Decided not to write anything until the last possible weekend day before deadline 
</p>
<p>But if I have questions, I’ll probably still pop in here. </p>
<p>@ gonnastop - You’re a frosh dude! I think you gotta chill out, you have a couple years. And answering 1 and 2 -</p>
<p>Well 1 can be answered by logic? He said a lot of Chinese applied so thus I’m assuming at least one mainland Chinese kid went to TASP. . .
2 - I think you’re still international because you don’t have a greencard or permanent residency. </p>
<p>Don’t know about 3. . .</p>
<p>What do they look for in TASPlicants?</p>
<p>I don’t know why I’m asking, obviously I shan’t be applying, but I’m just curious.</p>
<p>They’re looking for YOU!</p>
<p>But in all serious on the website they say what they’re looking for. It’s quite general and I’d like to think that anyone seriously interested in doing something like TASP over the summer would have the qualities they want.</p>
<p>I really wish I’d found CC earlier, I’d definitely have applied. But now I’m a senior just done with college apps. Too late. :(</p>
<p>No, I meant, based on who got in and the people you met, what do you think they look for? Why are so many rejected?</p>
<p>I don’t even know why I want to know, haha.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>From what I’ve seen, test scores count as much for international students as they do for local students: not very much. Your English seems pretty good, and if you can write good essays, then you have a shot. Now, stop stressing! You’re still 2 years away from applying.</p>
<p>Everyone says the essays have to be 2 pages or less? But 1500 words is more than 2 pages? what font are you all using?</p>
<p>I think people are saying two pages or less because that is what the limits were last year. I guess this year they made it 1500 words, which is pretty similar to two singled spaced pages in twelve point font with one inch margins.</p>
<p>And Quisi I honestly can’t say. Everyone I have met through TASP is very distinct. The only thing I can say is that they all really think critically about themselves and their experience. There are so many rejected applicants because the program is small and has an international reputation for excellence. They receive a lot of applications (~1000) for very few spots (50).</p>
<p>One question for TASP alumni: I have heard a lot about how liberal TASP is. I know that they are looking for many different types of diversity, but would it be bad if some of my essays were from a very conservative point of view, such as how much I detest political correctness? Are liberal ideas infused into the seminar topics, or are they more prevelent in the students? I know that everyone is somehow a minority, but would something like this be too different from the basic ideals of everyone else?? This should not sound like I’m whining or panicking, I’m just trying to get some perspective so I have a good idea of what I’m getting in to.</p>
<p>The two factota at my TASP were a devout Catholic conservative and an ex-Communist socialist. It amused us.</p>
<p>“Political correctness is a reactionary term against the loss of privilege.”</p>
<p>But, yeah. I’m not judging your essays, and the TASP committee is looking for a richness of ideas and the ability to defend your views, not necessarily what those views are (unless they’re really offensive, I imagine). I’d imagine the reading committee has a diversity of opinion. </p>
<p>Be yourself in the essays.</p>