Editing Your College Child's Essay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your parents are barely literate does that hurt your chances of admission?

Yes, but the essay would likely be the least of your worries.

Actually it could make a winning essay topic.

And is a good example of why kids whose parents did not go to college should get a boost in admissions. They have none of the resources and advantages that kids with college educated parents have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only parent who does not do this?

Probably one of very few.

Please. This is a skewed forum of UMC parents who have time to post on the Internet during the day. My parents were immigrants and didn’t touch my college essays. There are millions of kids in the same boat. My college roommate had an admissions consultant work on her essay with her. It’s not a level playing field by any means but that’s the nature of the application process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Am I the only parent who does not do this?


Probably one of very few.


Please. This is a skewed forum of UMC parents who have time to post on the Internet during the day. My parents were immigrants and didn’t touch my college essays. There are millions of kids in the same boat. My college roommate had an admissions consultant work on her essay with her. It’s not a level playing field by any means but that’s the nature of the application process.

On this college forum, please don't reference your own college experiences when giving advice. Things have changed dramatically over the last 15-20 years. Everything is different now.

[Anonymous]

I tell the third graders I work with that they should always have someone else edit/proofread their work if possible. It is normal for them to exchange papers with another student and help each other, and/or work with a teacher to edit/proofread.

I always had my mom edit my high school and college writing, even though I'm a good writer. Even though I was in my thirties when I went to college. She was an editor by profession, her suggestions were always helpful.

I can't imagine why not, although the changes/suggestions should be added with a red pen if possible so the writer can see how their writing would be changed, and also, if possible, go over it with them if you are suggesting anything more than proofreading for errors.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you edit. My mom wrote my essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Am I the only parent who does not do this?


Probably one of very few.


Please. This is a skewed forum of UMC parents who have time to post on the Internet during the day. My parents were immigrants and didn’t touch my college essays. There are millions of kids in the same boat. My college roommate had an admissions consultant work on her essay with her. It’s not a level playing field by any means but that’s the nature of the application process.

On this college forum, please don't reference your own college experiences when giving advice. Things have changed dramatically over the last 15-20 years. Everything is different now.

First, you don't know my age so you don't know it's been 15-20 years since I've been in college. Second, people on this forum reference their own experiences all the time. Third, if I'm not mistaken, there are plenty of immigrant children, children of non-English speaking parents and low-income children today whose parents are not or can not capable of slaving over every last pronoun in their kids' essays. But sure, tell yourself that "everyone does it" if that makes you feel less guilty.

[Anonymous]

Well that makes me feel bad! My parents didn’t even see my essays. Only I edited them. Maybe that’s why I did so well in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well that makes me feel bad! My parents didn’t even see my essays. Only I edited them. Maybe that’s why I did so well in college.

+1 Mommy's helicoptering will only get you so far. Once you're in college, you'll have to write your essays on your own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well that makes me feel bad! My parents didn’t even see my essays. Only I edited them. Maybe that’s why I did so well in college.

+1 Mommy's helicoptering will only get you so far. Once you're in college, you'll have to write your essays on your own.

I believe this thread is about *editing*, and you’d be a fool to submit any paper without having another set of eyes go over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I will probably help my rising senior brainstorm ideas. I'm hoping his English teacher assigns the essay early in the school year and I would prefer that he get feedback that way. (He is not applying to top schools).


No matter when the teachers assign it, it will be too late. My kid was done by the time these actually got assigned.

He submitted an early draft (since he had to do something) and got some crappy feedback (by crappy I mean the feedback was not high quality and didn't give him what he would need to improve - it was not good editing work on her part). There were no further rounds in class. I would not count on this.

All good writing is edited. If you don't want to be the person to do this for your kid, make sure your kid gets input from somewhere.

PP here. My older kid (who graduated two years ago) didn't have anyone but her FCPS English teacher look at her essay. I never saw it. It wasn't too late. It was fine and she was accepted everywhere she applied. The college application process doesn't have to be high stress. Younger DC is applying to schools that are either safeties or low matches and I suspect that his essay will also be fine for his purposes.

I may show him some published sample essays so he understands what makes a "good" essay. His main problem will probably be taking the prompts too literally and the samples should help with that.

[Anonymous]

My kids’ HS encouraged kids to have parents/others edit papers. Only one of my kids did this (of 3) and I’ve continued to edit through her first two years, assume I’ll do for next 2.
My middle DD has always been a go it alone kid and did all her apps for college by herself but she was down to one essay for school she really wanted and put it off put it off put it off and then I just had my oldest write it for her. All 3 kids were shocked but it got job done. She graduated 2 years ago, worked a year and is packing up for her first year at University of Penn law school. I never felt guilty for a second or thought she cheated into her (top ranking) college. She’d proved herself through 4 years of HS with 4.3 gpa etc etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well that makes me feel bad! My parents didn’t even see my essays. Only I edited them. Maybe that’s why I did so well in college.

+1 Mommy's helicoptering will only get you so far. Once you're in college, you'll have to write your essays on your own.

I believe this thread is about *editing*, and you’d be a fool to submit any paper without having another set of eyes go over it.

I guess I'm a summa cum laude Ivy league grad fool. I didn't know anyone who submitted papers, with the exception of a thesis, that were edited by others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well that makes me feel bad! My parents didn’t even see my essays. Only I edited them. Maybe that’s why I did so well in college.

+1 Mommy's helicoptering will only get you so far. Once you're in college, you'll have to write your essays on your own.

I believe this thread is about *editing*, and you’d be a fool to submit any paper without having another set of eyes go over it.

I guess I'm a summa cum laude Ivy league grad fool. I didn't know anyone who submitted papers, with the exception of a thesis, that were edited by others.

Yeah me either. But what do I know — I only got into two elite universities without anyone else looking at my application essays, and then graduated in the top 10% of my class at a top 25 research university before graduating with honors from a top 10 grad program. Clearly I know nothing about how to succeed in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well that makes me feel bad! My parents didn’t even see my essays. Only I edited them. Maybe that’s why I did so well in college.

+1 Mommy's helicoptering will only get you so far. Once you're in college, you'll have to write your essays on your own.

I believe this thread is about *editing*, and you’d be a fool to submit any paper without having another set of eyes go over it.

I guess I'm a summa cum laude Ivy league grad fool. I didn't know anyone who submitted papers, with the exception of a thesis, that were edited by others.

Yeah me either. But what do I know — I only got into two elite universities without anyone else looking at my application essays, and then graduated in the top 10% of my class at a top 25 research university before graduating with honors from a top 10 grad program. Clearly I know nothing about how to succeed in school.

And here you are at 8pm mid week slumming it with all us schumucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well that makes me feel bad! My parents didn’t even see my essays. Only I edited them. Maybe that’s why I did so well in college.

+1 Mommy's helicoptering will only get you so far. Once you're in college, you'll have to write your essays on your own.

I believe this thread is about *editing*, and you’d be a fool to submit any paper without having another set of eyes go over it.

I guess I'm a summa cum laude Ivy league grad fool. I didn't know anyone who submitted papers, with the exception of a thesis, that were edited by others.

Yeah me either. But what do I know — I only got into two elite universities without anyone else looking at my application essays, and then graduated in the top 10% of my class at a top 25 research university before graduating with honors from a top 10 grad program. Clearly I know nothing about how to succeed in school.

And here you are at 8pm mid week slumming it with all us schumucks.

+1 so insufferable.