<p>Son’s finishing up his essays for a few schools now & we’re second-guessing the focus & wondered if anyone had some quick feedback?</p>
<p>Several have general instructions such as “tell about yourself in 250+ words.”
Given this opening, son has spent a section of his essay describing how he had a ‘low point’ during his soph year in which he ‘didn’t focus’ but when discovered an interest (his soon-to-be-college major) he turned things around academically.</p>
<p>This seemed necessary to explain why a kid w/34 ACT and a 3.85 UW gpa jr year (several AP classes) had some Ds and Cs (ugh) plus a few Bs in his soph year (all honors courses, though, so weighted gpa is still okay). </p>
<p>Essay looked good, then we started wondering if it was wise to focus so retrospectively on something in the past (even though son discussed his current, academic passion as the reason for his turn-around). </p>
<p>Just about to hit ‘send’ on some priorty-deadline apps, but thought I’d see if anyone had a thought on this, perhaps? </p>
<p>Thanks so much for any thoughts.</p>
<p>PS Has anyone used a website that offers to edit your essays?</p>
<p>I think if he doesn’t mention it, the schools may assume he just gets bad grades every other year. My son had a bad soph (and not so great frosh) year and explained in his essays what happened to change his achievement from a blah GPA to straight A’s junior year. The high test scores and strong upward trend will help your son.</p>
<p>Jolynne - This is another topic that’s been discussed in a couple of older threads. Yes, it’s important for the college to get an explanation of that rancid period. But it’s also important to show how your S shines, and the 250-word essay may be the best opportunity for that. It’s sometimes suggested that the student is better served by the GC providing a letter of explanation about any “out of character” events in HS. This option may or may not be available to you. Good luck!</p>
<p>Yeah, many colleges will let you submit an “additional info” essay or letter that can be used to discuss this, and the GC’s letter can be used to discuss this.</p>
<p>I would imagine that the two rules of thumb on this topic for grad school apps also apply to undergrad apps. They are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>It looks classier to have a recommender (or, for undergrads, GC) talk about a student’s reason for doing poorly (unless perhaps there’s an overcoming-obstacles essay prompt, something that grads don’t usually get).</p></li>
<li><p>For discussion of what happened to help more than it hurts, the cause of the problem should be sympathetic, in the past, and unlikely to recur.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I agree with the part posters - my D took a GPA hit due to migraine problems this past quarter (had to take SATIIs in the middle of one - OUCH), and GC is going to mention that in his rec…</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for that input! GC wrote and mailed a rec letter to 9 colleges yesterday (her only day in the office during the summer) so we no longer have the option of having ‘GC cover it’ re: the bad year. Although in the ‘background sheet’ son gave to GC, he discussed his tough year, mentioning that he ‘didn’t have a goal,’ etc, so maybe she’ll discuss that. Which could make his essay reduntant, but hard to know what to do re: that. </p>
<p>Re: the reason for the problem year – frankly, we can’t really fight the facts (son was bored, rebellious and – after years of never having to study & still getting As–didn’t feel like putting out the req’d effort). Not particuarly sympathetic, I’d imagine. So, he’s going w/a ‘I’ve changed much since then & am now focused on my goal’ (which is true and ideally implies that this goal will continue to be motivating throughout college–which, most hopefully, it will!)</p>
<p>I am taking a page from what others on CC have been “telling” me - let your son write his essay. It is he who is applying for college, not you or “we”. </p>
<p>Personally, I don’t think bring attention to a “low” point is a good thing. The essay should be about who he is and what is his passion, not his grade or ACT. Again, this is just my $0.02.</p>
<p>Dad II – that’s true. I am kind of involved in the essay thing (likely more than I should). I just know it’s absolute & complete torture to force son to sit down & write and essay completely on his own—he’ll procrastinate for months (has done this in the past). With the need for early apps because of a gpa/test score disparity, it kind of has to be pushed. I figured someone would point out the use of the plural pronoun on this subject! :-)</p>
<p>Now re-thinking (son’s!) essay…don’t think he mentioned ‘low point’ in his–maybe just to GC.</p>
<p>JS, I hope you see my comment as with good will. I understand 100% of your feeling. I had some of those moments when I pull my hairs and/or a power core. Believe me, you have not seen any thing yet until when you see your child working an essay at 11:58 with a deadline of 11:59. But, it is your son’s application. </p>
<p>
is a big no no as per many CCers’. “your son may do the best under pressure” or “he may already have everything under control”, or “leave him alone” will be some of voices.</p>
<p>Jolynne, my D’ interviewer, an admissions officer from a selective LAC, asked D about her grades. D honestly mentioned her one and only C which she got in an advanced math class after switching schools (GCs did not know her Jr. High did not offer a pre-req. course for this advanced math, and by the time GC and D realized that, it was too late to switch classes, so D had to do a lot of catching up while balancing several honors classes, band and sports!). The admissions officer suggested writing a short explanation and incorporate it into her Common App. in the space for “other” stuff. D did write a very honest paragraph without blaming anyone, explained how she was able to bring her grade up, and apparently it worked.</p>
<p>I don’t think an explanation of bad grades is an appropriate topic for a main essay. Main essays should focus on giving the reader a new insight into you not found elsewhere in the app. I once read that for “tell us about yourself” essays, write as if the reader will need to pick you out of a crowd based on the personality traits you revealed, not a laundry list but an indepth reflection. Show what makes you, you.</p>
<p>An explanation of grades is more a subject to be covered under “additional information”, and one concise paragraph is about right. Accept responsibility and tell how you have learned from the experience.</p>
<p>Don’t sacrifice essay quality in a rush to get apps in early. Take your time and really let your S think it through. It’s quality, not timing that will get him into the schools. Good luck.</p>
<p>The Common App has/had a space to answer the question, “Is there something else you would lie to tell us about yourself?”, or something to that effect. My older daughter used it to explain her lower grades in English - she had a very tough teacher for two years in a row. She put a positive spin on it by saying she learned more in this teacher’s class, even though it meant a lower grade, and that in the end she realized she would be better prepared for college.</p>
<p>Not to provide too much public info (hoping I won’t regret this) but son, in his essay, has really only one sentence about ‘not always seeing the point about working hard in school’ which was reflected in grades. Prior to that mentioned participating in CTY, having all As and mentioned his 11th grade turn around of all As in a schedule w/a few APs. So it (bad year) is sort of sandwiched in between a discussion of his prior ‘it was all easy for me’ story (true enough, thru middle school & most of 9th) and the ‘I eventually saw the light & got a high gpa in 11th’ denouement.</p>
<p>It’s sort of the story of his HS life and his toughest obstacle to overcome so far (in a pretty great, suburban kid life). It just happend to be a self-generated challenge, rather than external. Somehow, I see those internal challenges as valid – and not always succesfully overcome by many. </p>
<p>I may be partial to this story because I watched him live through it and come out focused and mature–maybe admissions officers wouldn’t care as much & it’s still too negative?</p>
<p>I’ve shown son the comments here & am asking him if he’d like to revise.</p>
<p>The Application Essay is a precious opportunity to tell a story that highlights the most positive quality a student wants colleges to know.</p>
<p>It seems to me that wasting this opportunity talking about grades – good or bad – is probably not the most effective use of the application essay. Better to talk about the exhilaration of skateboarding or interacting with a young child in a community service project or gazing at stars in the planetarium or taking photographs in the streets during an anti-war rally or cataloging your bug collection or something that brings some vibrancy to the application.</p>
<p>interesteddad—that’s right! Just now I showed son this thread. I said, “you should come up w/something that’s more ‘you’ than things I suggested.”</p>
<p>He came up w/an intro so much more interesting and creative than I ever, every would have thought of myself. (mom re-learning the same lesson again & again–let them be themselves…). </p>
<p>~ trying to stay out of it & let him write away… ~</p>
<p>Keep this in mind, transcripts, test scores, teacher recs, and GC rec all show who he is as a student. The essay is his opportunity to show who he is as a person. Don’t be afraid to show the non-intellectual side. The best essays usually have nothing to do with academics, but rather give the reader a look into another facet of the student. Intelligence will shine through in a well written essay, no matter the subject.</p>
<p>The kids are afraid to cut lose with their essays. They get this idea that college essays should be like school assignments. I kept asking my daughter… what did he look like? How was he dressed? What did he say? Trying to get her to pull me into her story.</p>
<p>The best college essays bring the reader into a story featuring a living, breathing 17 year old interacting with the world in some - hopefully interesting - way.</p>
<p>Good points, my-3-sons & iteresteddad! I’ll show your advice to son; hopefully it will help him make it as ‘real’ as possible & convey his true perceptions/voice.</p>
<p>I believe that the Common App has a place for supplemental info (at least it used to.) If so, consider having him write a short statement there that doesn’t interfere with the excellent esssay advice above.</p>
<p>Jolynne – I don’t think your son should discuss his grades in the application. He should focus on the positives, on bringing life to his application. Your son’s GC is the best person to explain aspects of his academic record that need explanation. The GC can do that in the counselor recommendation. Make sure the GC knows what he/she needs to know to explain your son’s situation.</p>