<p>Hahaha I might have misinterpreted your statements but I would certainly affirm that you misinterpreted my interest in your essays as a desire to “verify” anything hahaa. It was simply personal curiosity. You seem like an extremely strong applicant and I always wonder about the role of essays in admissions and was curious about how yours was. I apologize if I’ve offended you with the request or anything I asserted.</p>
<p>That’s an interesting concept, northcountry. I think after Jan 1, I’ll start a thread and post my essays, and leave it open for anyone else to post theirs. I’d be curious to read some people’s.</p>
<p>
Oh, not at all! and thanks for deeming me an “extremely strong applicant” but there are many extremely strong applicants who got deferred. I don’t suspect my essays or anything else was particularly weak. I guess I just don’t stand out enough.</p>
<p>Sounds good, CS. I understand your (and Stupefy’s) caution. I am altruistically motivated, but others may not be, nor have you any reason to believe me. It just seems that, if everything objective is great, then the other reasons for a deferral are essays or an inherent failing in the system of college admissions/a mistake on their part. If essays are also great, then it’s possible to conclude that there is some absurd, arbitrary element to admissions. That’s just my reasoning, and my curiosity with admissions showing – to address pigs’ highly defensive questioning of my intentions. </p>
<p>Good luck with everything, christian soldier, and you all.</p>
<p>"I guess I just don’t stand out enough. "</p>
<p>Maybe you’re right and my reasoning is flawed. Maybe you don’t necessarily need a weak spot for deferral, just a lack of “standing out.” But I hesitate to go there because, I’m still wondering whether an extremely bright student who shines extracurricularly within his/her community needs that “one big thing” for admission. Perhaps stellar essays that convey a captivating personality will do it? That, at least, is my hope, for the redemption of the college admissions process. And the only reason I wondered about your essays. </p>
<p>But I am glad we are on the same page.</p>
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well here’s the thing. There are X amount of qualified students (stats and extracurricular wise) and only x amount of spots. So I think, in a way, you are right in that the subjective (essay, recs) can be what gets one student in over another. Surely if your essay is that captivating and the adcom falls in love with you, they will admit you over someone with a blase essay. That being said, I would think most people dont have amazingly impressive/captivating/inspirational/tearjerking essays, so when it comes down to it (when students have similar stats/extracurriculars/essays) then the admissions process becomes arbitrary…or refers to something trivial like geographic location</p>
<p>i agree with Stupefy. the intrinsic problem is that there are just WAY too many qualified applicants and not enough spots. when other things are equal, there’s only so much you can do to distinguish them, and in the end, that may just keeps us out or lets us in.</p>
<p>^right
(another factor would be race, but I personally believe that factor even takes precedence over other more important things) sad, but whatever</p>