why even have college application essays anymore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus people get so hysterical. People have been cheating on the essay forever- doesn’t mean we should retire it.

Your kids will need to write essays to get into lab research, internships, fellowships, grad/professional school, clubs, scholarships, and more. If they do not begin learning how to write about themselves, they will quickly fall behind everyone else.

No, people haven’t been cheating on their essays “forever.” Forever ago, the essays were simple one-page affairs typed on a typewriter. There was no pressure. They were a far cry from the loaded essays students are expected to write today - tell a “story”!

I agree with the others; they should be done with. Too much manipulation, too much dishonesty.

Could make the same arguments for GPA. We can’t trust a students grades aren’t just GPT at this point. Some schools have no ai policies.

[Anonymous]

Yep, seen many"essays that worked" that just aren't good or don't say much about the applicant. It's all so dumb.

Maybe bring back the interview instead. They they can "get to know the applicant" and there's no cheating. Just as subjective as the essay review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, seen many"essays that worked" that just aren't good or don't say much about the applicant. It's all so dumb.

Maybe bring back the interview instead. They they can "get to know the applicant" and there's no cheating. Just as subjective as the essay review.

Interviews usually weren’t for actual evaluation- it was to keep alumni relationships strong. We don’t have actual interviews in the US, because we don’t expect mastery of a subject like Oxbridge.

Choosing your applicants based on one interview that isn’t even technical reeks of inequality.

[Anonymous]

You're spinning around about the wrong things.

Either you are bored and have no kids going through the process this year (and like to pontificate), or you don't realize everything you can/should be helping your kid with NOW to get in a great position for improving their candidacy and app narrative before Labor Day, so you are procrastinating?

This thread is just a waste of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, seen many"essays that worked" that just aren't good or don't say much about the applicant. It's all so dumb.

Maybe bring back the interview instead. They they can "get to know the applicant" and there's no cheating. Just as subjective as the essay review.

Only if you make faculty do the interviews. Alumni interviews are a massive waste of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jesus people get so hysterical. People have been cheating on the essay forever- doesn’t mean we should retire it.

Your kids will need to write essays to get into lab research, internships, fellowships, grad/professional school, clubs, scholarships, and more. If they do not begin learning how to write about themselves, they will quickly fall behind everyone else.

No, people haven’t been cheating on their essays “forever.” Forever ago, the essays were simple one-page affairs typed on a typewriter. There was no pressure. They were a far cry from the loaded essays students are expected to write today - tell a “story”!

I agree with the others; they should be done with. Too much manipulation, too much dishonesty.

Could make the same arguments for GPA. We can’t trust a students grades aren’t just GPT at this point. Some schools have no ai policies.

Hearing anecdotally that AI cheating in high school is common

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, seen many"essays that worked" that just aren't good or don't say much about the applicant. It's all so dumb.

Maybe bring back the interview instead. They they can "get to know the applicant" and there's no cheating. Just as subjective as the essay review.

Only if you make faculty do the interviews. Alumni interviews are a massive waste of time.

Alumni interviews are also hugely biased in favor applicants who look like the interviewer or the interview’s children and their friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're spinning around about the wrong things.

Either you are bored and have no kids going through the process this year (and like to pontificate), or you don't realize everything you can/should be helping your kid with NOW to get in a great position for improving their candidacy and app narrative before Labor Day, so you are procrastinating?

This thread is just a waste of time.

OP here - if this is directed at me, I actually kinda agree with you gets to a point where u just have to deal with things in life, whether they make sense or not. I do have a kid going through process and like another on thread they are a recruited athlete, and yes they are procrastinating! He keeps telling me not to worry, he will write an essay and have chatgpt edit it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, seen many"essays that worked" that just aren't good or don't say much about the applicant. It's all so dumb.

Maybe bring back the interview instead. They they can "get to know the applicant" and there's no cheating. Just as subjective as the essay review.

Only if you make faculty do the interviews. Alumni interviews are a massive waste of time.

Alumni interviews are also hugely biased in favor applicants who look like the interviewer or the interview’s children and their friends.

+1, I've always distinctly disliked the alumni interview process and was happy to see my kids not have to experience it. It also assumes alumni know anything about how to select a student for their college when most students at competitive colleges don't know why they were accepted over other students, at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree - essays should be eliminated - unless you're applying for, say, creative writing.

In an ideal world, they’d administer essays in a timed, supervised setting so you could see how the kids can actually write without paid essay coaches and AI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, seen many"essays that worked" that just aren't good or don't say much about the applicant. It's all so dumb.

Maybe bring back the interview instead. They they can "get to know the applicant" and there's no cheating. Just as subjective as the essay review.

There is an entire expose of how North Koreans are faking zoom interviews and getting hired for jobs, with the interviewer thinking the person is located in the US and thinks the interviewee is some random white or other non-Asian candidate.

https://www.wsj.com/business/north-korea-remote-jobs-e4daa727?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAitrKhs1bnjXdDqeJkTYsoyL1y2MbZtN45iGdu_L46OHvz941PwvgrxBBgEMnE%3D&gaa_ts=68961f4a&gaa_sig=MOnNjDwWkphfmaNdiCuPDH85pQ18PdMBVlQHSWui3VIKYePawvs-e7V3izJYUESILf6DLQZvaYb5-U69ptB9AQ%3D%3D

Only if you do the interviews in person, which would require AOs fanning all over the country and would be timely and expensive (meaning, that won't happen).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree - essays should be eliminated - unless you're applying for, say, creative writing.

In an ideal world, they’d administer essays in a timed, supervised setting so you could see how the kids can actually write without paid essay coaches and AI.

The purpose of the essay isn't writing? I think people need to read up a bit on admissions. It is a place to demonstrate your voice, purpose, and goals. If it was just to see writing quality, they'd just require Ap English Lang and get this over with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:chatgpt is ridiculously good - just watching sam altman this am on the enhancements and I decided to put in “college essay” 500 word prompt about nature impacting and shaping my life. The result was so insanely thoughtful and authentic it’s kinda scary. time to eliminate the essay, zero protection against this - although it does level the playing field where poor inner city kid can compete with Biff from Great Falls

There was a college session kid attended at which an admission person (can't remember what college) showed participants a sample of two or three essays one being slightly longer. The participants were asked to give feedback - what they thought was good or not. Kid said most comments were "essay was good" or "the second essay was more personable". At the end, someone asked what the Admissions rep thought, and he/she said both were written by AI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, seen many"essays that worked" that just aren't good or don't say much about the applicant. It's all so dumb.

Maybe bring back the interview instead. They they can "get to know the applicant" and there's no cheating. Just as subjective as the essay review.

There is an entire expose of how North Koreans are faking zoom interviews and getting hired for jobs, with the interviewer thinking the person is located in the US and thinks the interviewee is some random white or other non-Asian candidate.

https://www.wsj.com/business/north-korea-remote-jobs-e4daa727?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAitrKhs1bnjXdDqeJkTYsoyL1y2MbZtN45iGdu_L46OHvz941PwvgrxBBgEMnE%3D&gaa_ts=68961f4a&gaa_sig=MOnNjDwWkphfmaNdiCuPDH85pQ18PdMBVlQHSWui3VIKYePawvs-e7V3izJYUESILf6DLQZvaYb5-U69ptB9AQ%3D%3D

Only if you do the interviews in person, which would require AOs fanning all over the country and would be timely and expensive (meaning, that won't happen).

So if they’re found to have lied, they should get kicked out of college. Immediately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, seen many"essays that worked" that just aren't good or don't say much about the applicant. It's all so dumb.

Maybe bring back the interview instead. They they can "get to know the applicant" and there's no cheating. Just as subjective as the essay review.

There is an entire expose of how North Koreans are faking zoom interviews and getting hired for jobs, with the interviewer thinking the person is located in the US and thinks the interviewee is some random white or other non-Asian candidate.

https://www.wsj.com/business/north-korea-remote-jobs-e4daa727?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAitrKhs1bnjXdDqeJkTYsoyL1y2MbZtN45iGdu_L46OHvz941PwvgrxBBgEMnE%3D&gaa_ts=68961f4a&gaa_sig=MOnNjDwWkphfmaNdiCuPDH85pQ18PdMBVlQHSWui3VIKYePawvs-e7V3izJYUESILf6DLQZvaYb5-U69ptB9AQ%3D%3D

Only if you do the interviews in person, which would require AOs fanning all over the country and would be timely and expensive (meaning, that won't happen).

So if they’re found to have lied, they should get kicked out of college. Immediately.

How would they find this? No AO is going to remember the face of the person they interviewed via zoom 10+ months prior.