Editing Your College Child's Essay

[Anonymous]

It is hard to believe that any person's essay wouldn't benefit from another pair of eyes. If your child wants you to review the essay, then you should! While I am no great authority on writing, I have been published in magazines and peer-reviewed journals, and my work has always benefited from someone else reviewing and editing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to believe that any person's essay wouldn't benefit from another pair of eyes. If your child wants you to review the essay, then you should! While I am no great authority on writing, I have been published in magazines and peer-reviewed journals, and my work has always benefited from someone else reviewing and editing it.

No one is arguing about the benefit of a second pair of eyes on written work. People are saying that not every kid has the opportunity they to get a second pair of eyes so it’s not an equal playing field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to believe that any person's essay wouldn't benefit from another pair of eyes. If your child wants you to review the essay, then you should! While I am no great authority on writing, I have been published in magazines and peer-reviewed journals, and my work has always benefited from someone else reviewing and editing it.

No one is arguing about the benefit of a second pair of eyes on written work. People are saying that not every kid has the opportunity they to get a second pair of eyes so it’s not an equal playing field.

That's a pretty ridiculous argument. It is like saying that just because "every person" can't afford to buy a Mercedes then no one should be able to buy one. Nothing in life is "equal"; the most appropriate goal is "fair". And it is completely fair for two children to have the option of having another person, parent or otherwise, review and edit an essay. There is no reason why an applicant could not choose to have a friend, parent/guardian, coach, pastor or rabbi or priest, random person at the gas station, teacher or person other than a parent/guardian review and edit the essay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to believe that any person's essay wouldn't benefit from another pair of eyes. If your child wants you to review the essay, then you should! While I am no great authority on writing, I have been published in magazines and peer-reviewed journals, and my work has always benefited from someone else reviewing and editing it.

No one is arguing about the benefit of a second pair of eyes on written work. People are saying that not every kid has the opportunity they to get a second pair of eyes so it’s not an equal playing field.

And? not every kid has the opportunity to get SAT tutoring. Should no kid get SAT tutoring? Not every kid has the opportunity to go to a private or well-equipped public high school, or do extracurriculars, or have parents who are knowledgeable about the college app process (or a school counselor), or have teachers who care enough to look over essays, or or or...

What bizarre logic.

[Anonymous]

My oldest daughter wrote her essays for her first two colleges in three days. Early admissions. One of it was the college she wanted to attend. Got into both and then refused to apply to more prestigious colleges. I later found out that some of the parents were paying anywhere between $15K-$25K to professional writers to write the essays for their children. Anyways, we did not realize that this was a long process because we are basically clueless immigrant parents.

We did a better job with my middle child and I am sure we will improve on that for the youngest.

[Anonymous]

I actually wrote three college essays for friends’ children. I am a writer by profession. All three got into top schools.

Help your kid. Yes, go over his essay with a fine tooth comb for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually wrote three college essays for friends’ children. I am a writer by profession. All three got into top schools.

Help your kid. Yes, go over his essay with a fine tooth comb for him.

Privilege. Those lazy kids didn't deserve to be at those top schools.

[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.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually wrote three college essays for friends’ children. I am a writer by profession. All three got into top schools.

Help your kid. Yes, go over his essay with a fine tooth comb for him.

Privilege. Those lazy kids didn't deserve to be at those top schools.

Shame on you for using your "profession" to help kids cheat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually wrote three college essays for friends’ children. I am a writer by profession. All three got into top schools.

Help your kid. Yes, go over his essay with a fine tooth comb for him.

Privilege. Those lazy kids didn't deserve to be at those top schools.

Shame on you for using your "profession" to help kids cheat.

Shame on both of you for not realizing the first pp here is a troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually wrote three college essays for friends’ children. I am a writer by profession. All three got into top schools.

Help your kid. Yes, go over his essay with a fine tooth comb for him.

Privilege. Those lazy kids didn't deserve to be at those top schools.

Shame on you for using your "profession" to help kids cheat.

Shame on both of you for not realizing the first pp here is a troll.

I'm not sure about that. Rich people pay for these services all the time. But if you have an anonymous poster troll detector I'm not sure why you're on this forum rather than making millions off your invention.

[Anonymous]

There is so much nonsense on this thread and bitterness and jealousy.

You have to understand that the essays are only one factor in an application and in many places, way down on the list of priorities. In some places, like Canada they are not even a factor.

The kids who get into colleges and attend them, ALL deserve to be there, that is why they are there. Some may appear more "deserving" to you than others, but that is just your subjective take on it and really its nothing to do with you and none of your business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is so much nonsense on this thread and bitterness and jealousy.

You have to understand that the essays are only one factor in an application and in many places, way down on the list of priorities. In some places, like Canada they are not even a factor.

The kids who get into colleges and attend them, ALL deserve to be there, that is why they are there. Some may appear more "deserving" to you than others, but that is just your subjective take on it and really its nothing to do with you and none of your business.

They don't deserve to be there if someone is writing their essay for them. That's cheating and in most schools that would be an honor code violation or grounds for expulsion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is so much nonsense on this thread and bitterness and jealousy.

You have to understand that the essays are only one factor in an application and in many places, way down on the list of priorities. In some places, like Canada they are not even a factor.

The kids who get into colleges and attend them, ALL deserve to be there, that is why they are there. Some may appear more "deserving" to you than others, but that is just your subjective take on it and really its nothing to do with you and none of your business.

Not if someone else contributed to their essay -- then they cheated and they most certainly do not "deserve to be there." So that statement is just false.

[Anonymous]

^^ last two posters, you are exactly the idiots I was writing about.

Every single student accepted and attending college deserves to be there. Its not your decision or judgment who does or does not deserve anything. I just can't be bothered with such a bovine crowd.