for the "why school X" essays, is it acceptable to criticise other schools?

College Essays
1

<p>Or would it be seen as insulting to the school you’re applying to that you’re elevating them because you are listing undesirable traits about other schools?</p>

<p>Right now I am considering writing about how I am excited that the school is in the middle of pushing forward groundbreaking work in eight subfields of linguistics, and how I want to talk to all their professors as they all have interesting theories; one suggests that competing versions of Middle English syntax is in part due to Norse speakers learning English as a second language, and thus, having to competing strata.</p>

<p>However, I also want to say that the linguistics departments of many other schools have unimpressed me – for example, there are no schools offering linguistics as a major in my state; there are many schools around the country I have rejected as a choice because they do not offer all three of my desired majors: linguistics, bioengineering and economics. Schools that I have found that offer linguistics as a major have often unexciting departments with uninspiring research – with none of the radical hypotheses I myself like to propose. </p>

<p>Should I just leave this out?</p>

2

<p>sounds great to me. you want to talk about why that college is superior to others. doesn’t sound insulting at all.</p>

3

<p>Strongly disagree with lakshmi52. Write why your favorite attracts you- you can make your point by implication (i.e.- it offers 3 fields you are excited about) without invidious comparisons which may make you sound presumptious and arrogant.</p>

4

<p>(ps…apologies to lashmi52 if I missed the irony. Sometimes it’s difficult to catch in print)</p>

5

<p>I am against criticizing other schools. Imo, discuss what is good about school X, not what is bad about others.</p>

<p>Criticizing other schools does nothing to distinguish you in a positive way from other applicants, nor does it persuade that you are truly interested in school X. By criticizing other schools, you are presenting yourself as one prone to criticize others. For all the reader knows, you are busy criticizing school X in your application to school Y.</p>

6

<p>Don’t waste your words/characters on criticizing other schools. This an essay about how great their school and their program is, not a list of grievances about another school.</p>

<p>Focus on what’s impressed you about their linguistics program and why it’s attractive. Avoid mentioning other schools at all, they don’t care about your opinion about another program.</p>

<p>Use examples of how you’d utilize specific aspects of their program.</p>

7

<p>Agree with lakshmi52 and his sarcasm</p>