<p>copy of what i wrote on the other thread…
"im going to discourage any and all admits from sending essays to anyone. it just removes integrity from the system. </p>
<p>i dont mean for this to sound elitist in any way, but i want to be in classes and live with people who get in on their own merit, and i would hope that other admits feel the same way. </p>
<p>i know many people just want “ideas” but it should be an essay about you telling your story to them. it should come straight from your heart and ur mind. the same concept written by 2 different people can and will have different results on the readers based on what they now about you."</p>
<p>That seems to be a rather selfish thing to say.
I have really enjoyed reading a lot of these posters topics, it gives me a sense of the breath and creativity of those who have gotten in exemplify.</p>
<p>I really don’t think you need to worry about the integrity of applicants as essay topics alone cannot get you anywhere. I’m sure that even if people reading these essay topics gain an idea or two about what to write, ultimately its the substance of their essay that will truly count.</p>
<p>How is that selfish? its his own words- if he is uncomfortable sharing them with complete strangers for fear that they might copy him, then his discomfort is completely validated. You should always be worrying about the integrity of faceless internet people- thats a completely realistic, smart and unselfish thing to do. If you think about what you are saying, you are calling somebody else selfish because they refuse to share their private work. Aren’t you the one being selfish by trying to get him to share his work for your benefit and the benefit of others in your position?</p>
<p>It seems like our interpretation of his posts greatly differ.</p>
<p>I interpreted his post to mean that he did not want OTHERS (“any and all admits”) to share their idea. Not sharing his private information is his privilege, and he has the absolute right to do so without being criticized. However, when he is discouraging the free exchange of helpful information, I’d consider that rather selfish.</p>
<p>“Aren’t you the one being selfish by trying to get him to share his work for your benefit and the benefit of others in your position?”
I guess if you define my selfishness as trying to work for the benefit of others in my position, then yes.</p>
<p>college admissions is all about them wanting to know you, not the person whose essay you based yours on.
i’m not saying you particularly will copy or even just reference other people’s ideas, but many many people do.
i would like to attempt to save the integrity of stanford’s admissions process. yes, i guess it is selfish that i want to make sure i have people around me who deserve to be there on their own merit.
but if you wrote your own entire essay straight from ur heart/mind about you and your achievements and got in, wouldnt you want your classmates to be people who did the same? and not people who used ideas that other people used to get in?</p>
<p>no i absolutely will not share mine, but this is my effort to convince other people to follow the same course of action.</p>
<p>if you look at the post by clowiebear, he/she asks for the actual essays, not the ideas (which were discussed in the thread originally). most of us worked hard to write them, and admissions spent months reading them and selecting admits. i think its a disservice to the university and ourselves if any admitted student posted their essay.</p>
<p>with that said, i cant stop anyone besides myself from sending anything to anyone.</p>
<p>While i agree with you on the part of applicant integrity, I myself believe that two people, even if they end up using the same essay topic, would arrive at very different conclusions based on their own personal experience and intellectual temperament. </p>
<p>Which is why I don’t see applicant integrity being antagonistic to fostering the communal sharing of ideas.</p>
<p>The sharing of essays encourages creativity and risk-taking. I believe many students would read successful essays and be inspired to be equally independent and individual, rather than “safe.”</p>