Competitive Colleges with no Supplemental Essays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend in admissions and they know many applications have fake essays, they see repeats. But you just can’t know for sure and it takes time to check for that stuff.

That's interesting. Has your friend ever said what they do when they recognize an essay? Is that kid immediately disqualified, or have they let in kids who have done that if their numbers are high enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Denison is on that Forbes list as “no essay required.”

After DS applied RD, Denison asked him to complete a Why Denison essay to stay in the running, despite the fact that he has a very high GPA. So as far as I can tell, the “no essay” requirement is a way to maximize applications while still requiring an essay of the kids they would like to accept (or, they will reject and yield protect if the kid doesn’t submit the essay).

DC applied RD. Same issue, but just didn't bother to respond to the extra essay request nor the interview. Let's see how it turns out. The application had no fee so zero cost and not a lot of effort.

Our student did visit and have an interview. Hopefully that was sufficient to show interest. He missed the "optional" essay email and deadline because I think they only gave him a week or so to complete it, during a busy time in January, and he hadn't been expecting it. We'll see what happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Denison is on that Forbes list as “no essay required.”

After DS applied RD, Denison asked him to complete a Why Denison essay to stay in the running, despite the fact that he has a very high GPA. So as far as I can tell, the “no essay” requirement is a way to maximize applications while still requiring an essay of the kids they would like to accept (or, they will reject and yield protect if the kid doesn’t submit the essay).

DC applied RD. Same issue, but just didn't bother to respond to the extra essay request nor the interview. Let's see how it turns out. The application had no fee so zero cost and not a lot of effort.

Our student did visit and have an interview. Hopefully that was sufficient to show interest. He missed the "optional" essay email and deadline because I think they only gave him a week or so to complete it, during a busy time in January, and he hadn't been expecting it. We'll see what happens.

They sent that email multiple times between December and early Feb, if I recall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

I don't think having an "unfortunate event" is the point, it's OVERCOMING adversity, which all the colleges are happy to read about and encourage.

We live in an advanced country. We expect our kids to be normal and be kids. Normal kids shouldn't penalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

The US system is not set up for the most “qualified candidates with the highest scores” to always be admitted.
That is not how “holistic admissions” work, and these schools do not want classes filled with only the “highest scoring” candidates.

DP. Highest scores do not necessarily equate to most "qualified."

100% agree. And these personal thoughftful essays - while they are flawed - are a way to really figure out who these kids are and what type of impact they might have on campus. Scores and grades dont tell you that.

You need a kid who stands out from the crowd or the field. Otherwise everyone just blends together like a giant group of vanilla boring kids.

The most interesting candidates are the ones who have so much more going for them than a 4.0uw, high rigor, and a 36 ACT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

The US system is not set up for the most “qualified candidates with the highest scores” to always be admitted.
That is not how “holistic admissions” work, and these schools do not want classes filled with only the “highest scoring” candidates.

DP. Highest scores do not necessarily equate to most "qualified."

100% agree. And these personal thoughftful essays - while they are flawed - are a way to really figure out who these kids are and what type of impact they might have on campus. Scores and grades dont tell you that.

You need a kid who stands out from the crowd or the field. Otherwise everyone just blends together like a giant group of vanilla boring kids.

The most interesting candidates are the ones who have so much more going for them than a 4.0uw, high rigor, and a 36 ACT.

Every single kid is different and unique
Examples of kids who stand out would be winning national hacker competition, international science olympiad, national art competition, along those lines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

The US system is not set up for the most “qualified candidates with the highest scores” to always be admitted.
That is not how “holistic admissions” work, and these schools do not want classes filled with only the “highest scoring” candidates.

DP. Highest scores do not necessarily equate to most "qualified."

100% agree. And these personal thoughftful essays - while they are flawed - are a way to really figure out who these kids are and what type of impact they might have on campus. Scores and grades dont tell you that.

You need a kid who stands out from the crowd or the field. Otherwise everyone just blends together like a giant group of vanilla boring kids.

The most interesting candidates are the ones who have so much more going for them than a 4.0uw, high rigor, and a 36 ACT.

Every single kid is different and unique
Examples of kids who stand out would be winning national hacker competition, international science olympiad, national art competition, along those lines.

I can think of a lot more. You have a very narrow view of “different and unique” - I solely focusing on top awards. That is not how AO see this question. Sure, a few of these award winner kids might be what they are looking for but not all of them.

.

[Anonymous]

Kids who win national awards are not the only kids who stand out.

Our private school College Counselor has shown us many many more successful candidates without any nationally recognized awards….

but usually a very niche type of major or interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

The US system is not set up for the most “qualified candidates with the highest scores” to always be admitted.
That is not how “holistic admissions” work, and these schools do not want classes filled with only the “highest scoring” candidates.

DP. Highest scores do not necessarily equate to most "qualified."

100% agree. And these personal thoughftful essays - while they are flawed - are a way to really figure out who these kids are and what type of impact they might have on campus. Scores and grades dont tell you that.

You need a kid who stands out from the crowd or the field. Otherwise everyone just blends together like a giant group of vanilla boring kids.

The most interesting candidates are the ones who have so much more going for them than a 4.0uw, high rigor, and a 36 ACT.

Every single kid is different and unique
Examples of kids who stand out would be winning national hacker competition, international science olympiad, national art competition, along those lines.

I can think of a lot more. You have a very narrow view of “different and unique” - I solely focusing on top awards. That is not how AO see this question. Sure, a few of these award winner kids might be what they are looking for but not all of them.

.

I said every kid is different and unique.
The other person implied most kids are boring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids who win national awards are not the only kids who stand out.

Our private school College Counselor has shown us many many more successful candidates without any nationally recognized awards….

but usually a very niche type of major or interest.

Assuming grades/scores are there, niche interest is key, along with ability to show how kid will make an impact at that school. Once on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

I don't think having an "unfortunate event" is the point, it's OVERCOMING adversity, which all the colleges are happy to read about and encourage.

We live in an advanced country. We expect our kids to be normal and be kids. Normal kids shouldn't penalized.

WTF that's like saying White Lives Matter. Listen to yourself. Brown is actively recruiting underprivileged but academically qualified students, as are all the Ivies. They're not taking any places away from your entitled princess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

I don't think having an "unfortunate event" is the point, it's OVERCOMING adversity, which all the colleges are happy to read about and encourage.

We live in an advanced country. We expect our kids to be normal and be kids. Normal kids shouldn't penalized.

WTF that's like saying White Lives Matter. Listen to yourself. Brown is actively recruiting underprivileged but academically qualified students, as are all the Ivies. They're not taking any places away from your entitled princess.

Of course All Lives Matter WTF.
It's a zero sum game. Being normal shouldn’t be penalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

I don't think having an "unfortunate event" is the point, it's OVERCOMING adversity, which all the colleges are happy to read about and encourage.

We live in an advanced country. We expect our kids to be normal and be kids. Normal kids shouldn't penalized.

WTF that's like saying White Lives Matter. Listen to yourself. Brown is actively recruiting underprivileged but academically qualified students, as are all the Ivies. They're not taking any places away from your entitled princess.

Of course All Lives Matter WTF.
It's a zero sum game. Being normal shouldn’t be penalized.

NP. OMG, what a blockhead. PP's point is that it's a good thing your kid doesn't need any additional consideration because they didn't have the adversity. No one is "penalizing" your kid when they give consideration to a kid who has endured real hardship.

PP used that phrase because no one needs to actively say White Lives Matter because that is the default. No one is saying that other lives matter less when the say BLM, btw. And being "normal" is NOT "penalized." Your kid can find plenty to write about. My "normal " kid wrote about music. Got into several T15.

Work on your empathy. Have some respect and compassion for a kid who has overcome or is working through adversity. Be thankful your kid doesn't have to go through that. And get it through your thick skull that that does nothing to disadvantage or penalize your kid. Good grief.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Denison is on that Forbes list as “no essay required.”

After DS applied RD, Denison asked him to complete a Why Denison essay to stay in the running, despite the fact that he has a very high GPA. So as far as I can tell, the “no essay” requirement is a way to maximize applications while still requiring an essay of the kids they would like to accept (or, they will reject and yield protect if the kid doesn’t submit the essay).

DC applied RD. Same issue, but just didn't bother to respond to the extra essay request nor the interview. Let's see how it turns out. The application had no fee so zero cost and not a lot of effort.

Our student did visit and have an interview. Hopefully that was sufficient to show interest. He missed the "optional" essay email and deadline because I think they only gave him a week or so to complete it, during a busy time in January, and he hadn't been expecting it. We'll see what happens.

They sent that email multiple times between December and early Feb, if I recall.

There's quite a lot of college email that's going into spam. Need to stay on top of both the inbox and spam folders, and add colleges to the safe list, to catch these emails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essays are dumb when you don't even know who actually wrote it.

Kids have worked hard for years and schools should have plenty of data and information already.

No need to burden the kids more.

I think they are really important in some instances. Have you read the book, Getting into Brown? There's a girl from LA whose parents were immigrants from South America with menial jobs and very little income. She woke in the night to find out her father had been stabbed (or shot, I can't remember). She talked about handling this crisis as a family and as an individual. She was a top student at a low performing school in a tough area (obviously) and excelled at Brown, becoming a doctor herself, ultimately. So her essay was crucial in terms outlining the kind of difficulties she faced and facilitating the social change that helped her move from a place of poverty and danger into one of academic success.

Having an unfortunate event shouldn't be a major factor for getting into academic institutions.
I'm sure that girl would have been done fine at any good school, get into a medical school, and became a good doctor without the sorry story.

I actually like essays, but it should be done in SAT style.
At the test center, they give everyone same prompt and time limit.
Students write about their thought, logics, etc. You can incorporate your personal experiences as appropriate for the topic.
School can actually see the students thought process and writing skills, etc. etc.

Current system is so messed up.

I don't think having an "unfortunate event" is the point, it's OVERCOMING adversity, which all the colleges are happy to read about and encourage.

We live in an advanced country. We expect our kids to be normal and be kids. Normal kids shouldn't penalized.

WTF that's like saying White Lives Matter. Listen to yourself. Brown is actively recruiting underprivileged but academically qualified students, as are all the Ivies. They're not taking any places away from your entitled princess.

Of course All Lives Matter WTF.
It's a zero sum game. Being normal shouldn’t be penalized.

NP. OMG, what a blockhead. PP's point is that it's a good thing your kid doesn't need any additional consideration because they didn't have the adversity. No one is "penalizing" your kid when they give consideration to a kid who has endured real hardship.

PP used that phrase because no one needs to actively say White Lives Matter because that is the default. No one is saying that other lives matter less when the say BLM, btw. And being "normal" is NOT "penalized." Your kid can find plenty to write about. My "normal " kid wrote about music. Got into several T15.

Work on your empathy. Have some respect and compassion for a kid who has overcome or is working through adversity. Be thankful your kid doesn't have to go through that. And get it through your thick skull that that does nothing to disadvantage or penalize your kid. Good grief.

My family is Asian immigrants. My parents didn't speak English and were poor.
I couldn't go to a dentist when my tooth was hurting. I had to figure out everything by myself.
I went to VT and turned out fine. I didn't need any extra credit or empathy from anyone.
I've worked hard and now a middle class.

Sorry the girl in the example had hardship. Great for her she turned out normal not doing drugs or anything like that.
That doesn't warrant significant extra credit in admissions to academic institutions. The social service and should have proved necessary assist. I'm absolute glad my tax is used for that.
Harvard thought they could discriminate against Asians.
We need better standards and rules.