<p>Hello everyone–I also just stumbled upon this rather lengthy thread and I’d just like to start by saying I’m sure you all have the best of intentions and really are just looking for support when posting.</p>
<p>But I’d also like to entertain the <em>insane</em> notion that, perhaps, TASP is not the singular experience on which the rest of your existence will depend. I would love to attend TASP over the summer and it’s the most compelling and challenging summer program I have ever come across. That being said, I don’t think it’s entirely out-of-line to say that one does not have to attend TASP to have an intellectually-enriching summer. Maybe a bit of perspective and a deep breath will allow everyone to stop stressing so incessantly about essays! Life goes on. Part of the reason I say this isn’t just for you guys, but also to convince myself, because I feel rather intimidated after skimming through this forum. </p>
<p>Just try to understand that if you truly value intellectualism and critical thinking and essentially everything that TASP values, you CAN find these experiences in other ways. </p>
<p>I hope you all do try to find some perspective (and I really do not mean that in a negative way–I think I need some as well) and I hope the essays are as stress-free as possible! :)</p>
<p>P.S.–please don’t come and kill me in my sleep just because I seemingly just bashed the TASP experience. I promise that wasn’t my intention. Plus, I’m a really light sleeper.</p>
<p>i just wrote my first 1,000 word essay for this… i’m having second thoughts, trust me gerogeorwell, i’m not the ‘rest of my existence depends on this’ person, just the ‘rest of my day will be spent on writing these essay’ person</p>
<p>Don’t worry pinkumbrella10, my previous comment really had nothing to do with you or one particular person (I know it looked like I was responding directly to your comment, but it was more just a general statement relating to everything I’ve read so far); I just felt like the atmosphere overall on this thread is unnecessarily paranoid. And it’s a paranoia that won’t help anyone in writing her essays (nor, imo, does it prove that you guys are any more passionate about TASP than am I). Again, I really do hope that your essay-writing goes as well as possible, considering the circumstances.</p>
<p>Haha I was actually contemplating doing my critical essay on A Mango-Shaped Space for a bit, very niceee </p>
<p>I’m with you on the “TASP isn’t the end all be all blahblahblah etc” but then I’m still getting my hopes up soooo high for it haha. But yeah, its good to keep in mind that there are alternatives. Such high competition, so few spaces… Good luck to everyone trying for it though, once the essays are finished to satisfaction it’ll be all good :]</p>
<p>I consider this application process to be like a practice run for college applications. Because essentially, this is very similar to college admission processes. The competition, the desire, the small number admitted and …THE PROCRASTINATION. (For me, at least.)</p>
<p>I can’t imagine that they would know if you read it in school.
It’s just a question of maintaining a decent amount of integrity throughout the application process… not that lying about books is the end of the world.</p>
<p>I’ve finished 2 (~1200) and 4 (~650). I might get someone to look over them/edit them myself. I think my ideas are original and my logic sound, but my writing style feels a bit clunkier than usual. Meh, I think it’ll pass. Judging by my preliminary ideas, the other two should easily hit 1000.</p>
<p>@Ivy2016: Well, this is going to screw one of us over. I’m also a Pennsylvanian Indian with interest in Mich. II. D:</p>
<p>Hello! I just found this thread also, and I was wondering how creative the 1st essay (the critical analysis) can be. I’ve narrowed it down to 4 choices, and one is The Little Prince (yes, the French children’s book – don’t laugh at me but I really do love this book) and one is a non-fiction book and another is a movie. Are all of these choices acceptable, if I do happen to pick one of these?</p>
<p>@rainycloudy - OHHH I’m with you on the procrastination, cause I know that’s gonna be what kills me in the end!</p>
<p>@pinkumbrella10 - I’m thinking that the various schools read differing books, so as long as you don’t give them something that looks as it could double as an essay for AP English or whatever then I’m sure you’d be fine.</p>
<p>@Tyeirs - I was wondering that too, but I’m not sure how many liberties we can take on the analysis… Like how far off base we can go from the text etc?
They’re pretty broad on what you can analyze though, I’m sure whatever you pick would be just fine.</p>
<p>Ah I see. So all of them would be fine… That doesn’t help my selection process
Mmm whichever one I do, I want to really go crazy with the analysis on this one and have fun since it’s no school essay :)</p>
<p>okay just realized that i’m actually NOT applying because this program is not for the sciences
I just spent 3 hours writing the essays!!! I CANT BELIEVE THIS</p>
<p>Tyeirs: Yeah, I’m going to be spontaneous and write with no restrictions. (Okay, SOME restrictions) But since this isn’t some essay for school…FREEEEEDOM. </p>
<p>Kelime: For the past few years, my New Year’s Resolution has been to stop procrastinating. Unfortunately, I’ve been procrastinating to start my resolution. Hopefully, this year will be the one! (YEAH RIGHT.)</p>
<p>Pinkumbrella10: OH NO! Don’t be frustrated, you should still apply. It’ll be a good experience!</p>
<p>@pinkumbrella10 - Ahh, that’s annoying. So no chance of a humanities program? I know I’m more science-based but still want to do this (really badlyyy haha). But too bad :/</p>
<p>@rainycloudy - Hahahh, exact same thing here. Everytime I procrastinate I swear I’ll never do it again - next assignment, right back to where I started! Ohh well.</p>
<p>@ no one in specific - So, for the critical analysis, could we just go on tangentially about some idea that the author mentions in the work? Like, talk about the idea in a different application than originally intended but still pertaining to it?</p>
<p>Well the prompt says to “formulate an argument about the text and support it” so I’m assuming that you say something about the text and then use quotes or text in the book to support it. I interpreted as kind of like an english essay for school.</p>
<p>That’s actually a really good idea that I might steal. Just kidding; I already know what I’m writing about for essay #1 (analysis of a famous Russian symphony–won’t specify which one, though )</p>
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