Ticked

Okay, I'm applying to participate in a summer seminar at University of Notre Dame this summer, and part of the application is the "Student Essay" which is some prompt on identity and how it guides your actions; how you use it to lead and support the welfare of society.

So yeah, these essays (the application kind) are typically around one and a half to two pages in length, I'm thinking. I write what I consider to be a substantially coherent essay (not to toot my own horn), and I'm feeling pretty confident in my chances of being selected (40 students from around the country are chosen).

Imagine my gross ire when I find out that the "Essay" part of the application is (or at least should be) better termed a "Short Response" of around 250 words maximum.

It's not just the fact that I spent a veritable amount of effort into this essay, it's that I was exceedingly proud of what I had written, and was consequently dismayed to have to have seen it be hacked and diluted down to 296 words (Yes, above the limit. I couldn't stand to do much more without compromising the entire cohesion of the essay, in my point of view). Now it's lost all personability and flair that it ever had. I went from being honestly exultant of what I had written to deeply ashamed of my entry, and the agony of having to water down my writing was almost too much to bear.....

Just really ticked right now.

wow I didnt know some one could get angry finding out they only have to write 250 words instead of pages for an essay. lol

The issue is likely that you are taught throughout high school to write a lot of fluff to obtain the lowest word requirement amount, and higher the page count = higher the grade. Coincidentally, this creates a generation of people whose writing will include seven words where one would more than suffice, Stephanie Meyer is the poster child to that shit.

In college, the professors care about the content, not some frivolous page/word requirement. In fact, I remember my old English professor would dock people when they would drone on in their paper, trying to use over sophisticated language to impress him no doubt. Even I got a paper back once with a bright red line across a lot of fluff I wrote, with the note "Get to the point." He would not grade my paper until I "cut the fat", so to speak.

This exercise probably was just to see how many people could get to the point in the most concise, coherent, and complete manner possible. Admittedly 250 words is a little extreme, but anyone who can write a superb paper on an all-encompassing subject like that in 250 words is fairly impressive. You likely were not the only one to break the limit.

Of course, the more cynical approach is they simply didn't feel like reading 500-750 word essays with the large amount of entries they must have.

Think of it this way......

You write a beautiful, flowing passage. Wit; lyrical tone; seamless transitions; it's got 'em all. You're genuinely proud of what you've accomplished and are glad that you put time into it; you're confident that others will agree wholeheartedly.

Then, you're forced to strip all of that down into a virtually meaningless.....blob of words. All that was there, lost.

Wouldn't you be angry that all that potential amounted to nothing....?

Shiki wrote:The issue is likely that you are taught throughout high school to write a lot of fluff to obtain the lowest word requirement amount, and higher the page count = higher the grade. Coincidentally, this creates a generation of people whose writing will include seven words where one would more than suffice, Stephanie Meyer is the poster child to that shit.

In college, the professors care about the content, not some frivolous page/word requirement. In fact, I remember my old English professor would dock people when they would drone on in their paper, trying to use over sophisticated language to impress him no doubt. Even I got a paper back once with a bright red line across a lot of fluff I wrote, with the note "Get to the point." He would not grade my paper until I "cut the fat", so to speak.

This exercise probably was just to see how many people could get to the point in the most concise, coherent, and complete manner possible. Admittedly 250 words is a little extreme, but anyone who can write a superb paper on an all-encompassing subject like that in 250 words is fairly impressive. You likely were not the only one to break the limit.

Of course, the more cynical approach is they simply didn't feel like reading 500-750 word essays with the large amount of entries they must have.

The point wasn't that I was writing fluff (which I definitely was not). I know that consice is usually the way to go (Elements of Style ftw), but my problem is that I am psychologically unwilling to submit to the fact that I will never be able to touch on everything I want to get to, speaking in general.

Of course, if they had called it a Short Response instead of an Essay from the beginning, perhaps none of this would be happening >_>

You have too much pride in yourself.

I myself Like to think I'm one of the better writers in my school, (KY, meh) and I still suck if it has to be handwritten.

I put a bit of fluff, not too much, as it bores me to death to find the write word, when 7 others will work, pick one and stick to it.