@JBStillFlying My kids have teachers my age - they teach use of commas and semicolons similar to how I learned. Plus that’s reinforced when they study for standardized tests.
@CateCAParent I agree with the two spaces after a period. However, when forced to stick within a specific character limit, I would imagine most people would be quick to eliminate the extra space.
My point is - no one has tested their assumption that “they can always tell…” and it’s annoying to hear it over and over again. It would be interesting to test this assumption.
Take a look at the JHU post on essays they liked. (https://apply.jhu.edu/application-process/essays-that-worked/) Several are clearly written by kids but there is significant variation in styles and sophistication. For all we know, adults were involved in all of these essays - or none.
We tend to ascribe superior characteristics to AO’s and forget that most are young, some right out of college. A good editor is able to improve an essay while retaining the voice of the writer. I may be jaded but I don’t think the AO’s can really tell - I think saying they can is more of a scare tactic than anything else.