<p>@Kelime: Maybe it would be more useful to stick to a main idea in the text so that you have more evidence to prove your thesis with. But if you feel like you can get enough evidence (from your chosen text) on some obscure subject mentioned in the text, by all means, you should go for it. I don’t know specifically what you’re trying to do since we’re on a public message board here, but I’m sure you can find a way to make it work, provided that you’re given enough evidence.</p>
<p>@ #pi (I’m assuming that’s pi): Wow! Writing about a piece of music – that’s really creative. I hope it counts as text. I just had an epiphany, so I’ll probably end up writing about a movie. I won’t specify which one, though though I will keep Little Prince on the list of potentials.</p>
<p>Is anyone else having trouble with their conflict essay? I am having issues in making sure that it doesn’t sound too “whiny.” That’s my biggest concern with that essay, that it sounds like I’m a spoiled kid who just didn’t get what she wanted. I’m trying not to stress too much over it and just let the words flow, but I just want to know if others have maybe been having the same issue?</p>
<p>@CallistaHogan I think that as long as you’re honest, that’ll come through. Also spend a little more time on what it taught you, as opposed to how you felt when you didn’t get whatever it was.</p>
<p>How many books are around average for a booklist? I read a LOT so I’m not sure how many books I should include. I have 24 right now, after cutting 10 or 12.</p>
<p>@coachella23: Yeah, I decided to rewrite the part of the essay that felt like I was whining and now I am much happier with the essay. Now I’m just focusing on the lessons I learned from the experience I’m writing about. The resolution’s probably going to be a little bit cheesy, but then again, I’ve been reading past threads and lots of other essays from previous years were thought to be cheesy, so I’m not worrying too much about it.</p>
<p>As for the booklist, I have about 18 books and 3 periodicals, but I might be adding more as I have more opportunities to read over the next couple of weeks. I’m not even worrying about the book list, though. Some people might have a few dozen books, others might have only ten. It doesn’t form that much of a basis for admission, from what I’ve been reading.</p>
<p>Don’t sweat the booklist! Its main purpose is to give the interviewers something else they might discuss with you if they’re not familiar with the book/film/artwork/piece of music you wrote your essay on.</p>
<p>It doesn’t technically matter at all what book/movie/artwork etc. you write about, only that you say smart things about it. However, two caveats: 1) don’t pick super-popular stuff, or stuff everybody reads in school, unless you have something really striking to say about it. TA gets tons of essays on the same few books and they get hard to tell apart after a while. You want to be indicating to the readers that you are a quirky, interesting person, but if those readers have plowed through umpty-ump essays on Atlas Shrugged, it’s a lot harder to seem unique if you’ve sent in the umpty-ump+1 essay on Atlas Shrugged. 2) on the other hand, if you pick something that the application reader will not know, then it’s hard to seem clever as well. If your literary tastes run to obscure works, be sure to give enough background so that even an ignorant reader can understand what you’re driving at. Sometimes this will mean providing a little more plot summary or character description than you would have to if you were, for instance, writing an essay about Hamlet for your AP English class.</p>
<p>Jingle, I agree with your advice wholeheartedly. I wouldn’t pick the quintessential books we read in schools (examples include The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Moby Dick), just because they have been analyzed to death and it would be difficult to find something to say about it that the reviewers haven’t already seen in other essays. HOWEVER, if you can find something fairly original and intelligent to say about it, then go for it. It’s certainly not my place to say what someone can or can’t write about for their critical analysis. I would also try to pick a novel and a thesis that somehow reflects your viewpoints, but that’s just me.</p>
<p>I am using these essays to pour my heart out to the reviewers, almost. They want us to show them who we are, and by gum, that’s what I’m doing. I’m not stressing about the book list, but I am dedicated to making my essays the best that they can possibly be.</p>
<p>hey does the second topic have to be a problem or any topic? and what about the critical analysis… any ideas? How are the chances if it is not a very well acclaimed book</p>
<p>@ephemeral27 The second essay can be about absolutely anything under the sun. Just as long as it’s something you’re passionate about, then you can write about it. Same thing goes for the book. Maybe pick a book that you have an interesting take on? If it’s not a very well-acclaimed book, arguably you might need to do a tad more summary on the plot than a person doing, say, The Great Gatsby, but that shouldn’t harm your chances if you have a good thesis.</p>
<p>How formal are you guys making your essays? Like, are you guys avoiding contradictions and stuff? For essays 3-5, are you guys essentially writing personal narratives? </p>
<p>I’m really quirky and my essays reflect that; I’m just worried that I come off as weird. :/</p>
<p>On another note, you guys seem really spiffy; I hope that we all meet each other over the summer!</p>
<p>(I’m not stalking this thread just waiting for responses. Not at all. <em>whistles</em>)</p>
<p>@divinechaos I’m not consciously avoiding contractions. Mostly I’m just writing in my own style, but I’m trying to spruce it up a bit. For the last few essays, I’m trying to be as personal as I can. Quirky isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as long as you’re not being quirky for quirky’s sake, if that makes sense. “Just be yourself” is the best advice I can give you. Write in your own style and your personality should come through, regardless of whether you’re formal or informal or what. </p>
<p>I agree with you. I desperately want to attend TASP, because it seems like such an amazing experience. I’ve never been outside of my home state (at least when I could remember it), so I would learn so much and have so much fun being away from my family for a while. If I get in, it would be like a dream come true, honestly.</p>
<p>@ divinechaos -> I haven’t really been trying to be formal either - the only one where I’d say that’d really be necessary might be for the book analysis? I don’t think they’ll mark you down though, since it’s more focused on the ideas you’re trying to express instead of stylistic quirks. Haha, the vibes I’m getting is that they don’t mind if people are off-base, just as long as it isn’t an act to make an impression? So yeahh, like others have said, be yourself and all that jazz!</p>
<p>@CallistaHogan -> (If you didn’t see me lurking the board, then I didn’t see you doing the same. We’ll call it even!)</p>
<p>Same as all the above, TASP would be amazing to get into… Haha I’ve already managed to psyche myself out about it, on the slim chance that I make it in!</p>
<p>Haha, Kelime, me too. I’m already getting super excited about it, even though I know the slim chances that I’ll even get an interview. It just seems like the intellectual experience that I have been searching for. </p>
<p>What seminar do people have their eye on? I really want to attend Cornell II, but both of the Michigan seminars look amazing. I’m not too keen on Cornell I, but I’m sure that it would be as wonderful as the other three.</p>
<p>Callista, I agree. Cornell ll seems the most interesting. :)</p>
<p>Even though the chances for an interview is extremely slim, I read that if you do make it that far, it’s likely the admins will ask for your transcript. Would your junior year first semester grades be included in that, and if they were not up to par with your usual standards (AP incentives…woot!) would that prove detrimental to your chances?</p>
<p>@irishtraveler Completely. <em>nod</em> I just love the variety in the topics, but I love how broad Cornell II seems to be. It seems like it will examine the difference between girlhood and boyhood: a topic that is increasingly interesting in this time of gender questioning and what it means to a boy, what it means to be a girl, and other questions like that. It also talks about the difference between childhood and adulthood, a topic that I am interested in and that seems to come up a lot in my AP English class. Of course, Michigan I seems to have that broadness (discussing freedom all the way from ancient Greece to modern America), but I was just immediately drawn to Cornell II.</p>
<p>As for the transcripts, I read in last year’s thread that the transcripts are predominantly to see if you are a dedicated student or not. If you have Bs in a couple of classes, I don’t think that it will hinder your chances. As long as you’re not failing your classes or anything like that, I’m sure it won’t be detrimental. And if you have AP classes, then it definitely won’t harm you. (:</p>
<p>Not sure if junior grades will be included in that. My first semester probably will, because it will have ended by then, but it probably depends on the school.</p>
<p>Ah finally one more essay… #2 hahaha. Gonna have to brush up on what I’m going to be talking about though. I’m most interested in Cornell I I’ll be pretty sad if I don’t get an interview… like someone else said, I psyched myself up even though I know it’s a low chance D:</p>
<p>I’m reading threads from previous years and I am probably getting way too psyched up for my own good, considering there will probably only be a 14% chance I’ll get an interview. (Better than the 5% chance I’ll actually get in, but… I’m thinking positively!) I’m beginning to doubt my essays too, which means this is going to be a LONG three weeks of editing before I submit my application, haha.</p>
<p>I’ve been working on my essays all week instead of doing schoolwork. So now I have to read about a hundred pages of Moby Dick for tomorrow… Sigh.</p>
<p>@youwrotethis I finished reading Moby Dick, but now I have to do Physics notes. Fun. But at least I will probably finish my last essay (#2 as well!) afterwards. :D</p>
<p>@belly You can choose any textual work that you like. As long as you can analyze it, you can pick it.</p>
though I will keep Little Prince on the list of potentials.</p>
I’ll be pretty sad if I don’t get an interview… like someone else said, I psyched myself up even though I know it’s a low chance D:</p>