<p>@tongxiang77</p>
<p>Oh I hope so. The ~6% acceptance rate is making me nervous. >_< My family can’t afford for me to go to any other summer programs, so TASP is my only hope!</p>
<p>Does anyone else think the hardest essay was the critical analysis? I think I failed. /facepalm</p>
<p>^I find it difficult, but there’s a book that I really relate to, so it’s made it a bit easier for me.</p>
<p>I’m so behind… -_-</p>
<p>How personal is too personal? For the conflict essay, I’m thinking of going into depth about a pretty intense internal conflict I’ve faced…but I don’t want it to be too much. What do you guys think is the ‘limit’?</p>
<p>I’m applying for TASP this year (seriously nervous about these essays!). Anyone got any general advice regarding admission?</p>
<p>^^^ The critical analysis is definitely the hardest essay for me so far. I can’t even decide what to write it on! I’m leaning toward a popular editorial article but I have a feeling my analysis will end up being very biased. What types of sources are you guys doing your analyses on?</p>
<p>@abcdefg1</p>
<p>It’s hard to say since we don’t know what you’re writing about, you know? You’re going to have to go with your gut.</p>
<p>I’m looking at my activities section and I can’t even fill in all five spaces.</p>
<h1>fail</h1>
<p>Maybe I should give up now. Then write about this conflict.</p>
<p>I chose a very convoluted, messy internal conflict for my conflict essay. I didn’t intend for the reader to feel the same confusion and frustration that I experienced, but by the end of the essay that is what might come across. </p>
<p>No regrets ;)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Look out there. There are a lot of free summer programs. TASP shouldn’t be your only choice.
And I did think critical analysis was the hardest. You’re not alone.</p>
<p>^agreed.
Additionally, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get in. The 6% of the applicants who do are definitely, as previous posters have said, going to be exposed to a vigorous and inspiring intellectual experience. But honestly, just completing the application is a feat in itself. Not only would you have accomplished writing 5 lengthy essays in about the short span of a month, but you’re being forced into introspection. Maybe in the process, you’ll discover something about yourself that you didn’t know before.</p>
<p>Were any of u guys at TASS last year? :D</p>
<p>^ Nope. I didn’t even know the Telluride programs existed until over the summer! Now it has become an almost-obsession.</p>
<p>Only finished the book list and which program is first second etc choice an why. Still don’t know how to approach the other ones!
Also, what other free programs are there could you recommend? 
I’m international though so its possible I’m not eligible for some…</p>
<p>So how many of you actually just found out about this from the PSAT letter?</p>
<p>@chowling: i found out about this after online searching. i should’ve gotten the psat letter, but i think my mom may have thrown it away before i got a chance to see it…</p>
<p>For my critnal, i picked a nonfiction book about a topic i was really interested in. nonfiction does make the “analysis” part tricky though.</p>
<p>@tongxiang, i totally agree. regardless of if i get into TASP (which i hope i do!), writing these essays has definitely been an intensive experience that i would never have gotten from school. I encourage everyone to at least give the essays a shot.</p>
<p>I got mine through a PSAT letter. But I didn’t really look at it until now. I’m seriously beating myself over the head about it, TASP is pretty much everything I’ve been looking for in a summer program.</p>
<p>I’m having serious trouble filling in the awards/honors category. I mean, I can’t really think of anything outside of Honor Roll really (unless you count arbitrary “You Participated!” certificates). I have a pretty lengthy list of activities and leadership positions though. I’m not sure what to do about this, it’s freaking me out…</p>
<p>is bias really that bad? kinda looks like my topic/problem essay is going to be rather biased</p>
<p>I’m seriously debating doing the critical analysis on Harry Potter…
it’s either that or probably The Awakening which is the literature I read most recently but I think HP is more fun</p>
<p>(i’m not going for the traditional good vs evil friendship and love and stuff for HP if I do it, if that makes a difference lol)</p>
<p>opinion anyone?</p>
<p>I’d avoid HP unless your analysis is really unique. But that’s just my opinion. I KNOW NOTHING >_<</p>
<p>I’m doing an obscure sci-fi novel from the nineties. Yes, seriously. Anyone else with weird book choices?</p>
<p>Having a controversial topic to discuss as your critnal might actually be helpful…it’ll be easier to formulate an argument, I think.</p>
<p>@darthbarf for nonfiction, maybe you can talk about how you relate to the topic? or your position on the topic?
@spnlove HP might be interesting to analyze, given (as Leisha said), that you say something unprecedented. </p>
<p>Ahh I have no idea what to do for the opinionated essay!! asd;lkfjale;aifwej;falsdf;aseifjwa T minus 14 days. By the way, TASPlication is due on Chinese New Year. ;)</p>