@wontonandrice You’re probably fine, but if you want to PM me and explain your topic and its similarity to the seminar, I’d be happy to give you advice!
@Rachellik2 Unfortunately I don’t think you can go back into the application and edit it, but you can always send them an email, and, as others have said, definitely work it into the interview if you get to finalist stage. I had the same thing happen to me (I know some of you here are familiar with the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - I had listed a story as having won a regional Gold Key, but after I submitted my app it went on to national judging and won a Gold Medal), so I just worked it into my interview). Good luck on your competition!!
@alfonsobroderick I read parts of my accepted essays in a video I made for you guys here, and also link the full versions in the description box below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2KA5X-LEKc Hope this helps! Also, awards are not the most important part of the apps - it’s really all about the essays
@5toryt3ll3r
Hey, I just wanted to let you know that you helped me a lot during the registration phase, especially with writing the essays you were a very good help!
@adventure21 Awww, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so happy I was able to help you out, and I really appreciate hearing that ? TASP is an amazing experience and I want you all to have the smoothest application process possible and maximize your chances of getting in. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions whatsoever!
Just submitted my application. Time to spend the next three months trying to forget about it lol. Does anyone else hate applying for these things? I’m freaking out about my essays now–I have a feeling that at least one of them is going to read as really awful. Well, here’s to the best! Good luck to everyone who has applied so far and everyone who has yet to apply!
@FlameAlchemist Good luck!! We’ll get through this time together! I know exactly what you mean about the essays. I think my last essay so 3a and 3b are bad. I just didn’t know what to write about. We’ll see what happens next…
@adventure21 I was really interested in storytelling so that was my first choice followed by humour, feminism, and the citizenship one.
@butterbear09 I made mine pretty personal, but more about expressing the big details that made me up. I’m not sure if that is good or not, but hope that helps.
just stumbled across this thread! finished all my essays and now i’m proofreading them, will probably submit tomorrow good luck to everyone applying!
am i the only one who’s had a really good time writing these essays? i’ve never written a personal narrative this long before (or anything this long that wasn’t a research paper or textual analysis), let alone four of them. it’s tough, especially working out how to structure my ideas, but it’s been pretty fun. and it makes me less stressed about the other apps i’m finishing because they’re all like 250 word essays lmaooo
@adventure21 from favorite to least favorite: feminism, personal writing, humor, education. i like all of the topics, though, and i’d be really happy with any of them!
@butterbear09 mine are very personal lol (especially the third one about hurting someone and regretting it - that one’s essentially 750 words of venting about what’s going on in my life right now). as long as you’re not using too many graphic, uncomfortable details and/or talking about doing illegal stuff, i’m guessing more personal/introspective is better than less. i’m not an application reader, though.
@chrysalism no, you weren’t the only one. they have been such good essay guidelines that i think i have written good essays (hopefully). my first two essays have become very personal, based on experiences that i have had so far. the last essays, 3a and 3b, i don’t think they’re as good as the others that i wrote because i think i haven’t had the experiences, but well i still wrote almost 500 words. good luck for you!
@5toryt3ll3r do they provide u with laptops, or do we need to bring our own? my laptop is kinda old, im applying to TASS but there weren’t any alumni present in the tass 2020 discussion, plus how was the dorm life? was it hard to adjust? sorry for asking a lot, ty in advance!
I was in TASS '19 and sorry dude they don’t provide laptops or computers for personal use. However, at the Cornell branch we were always welcome to go to Cornell’s library and do work there or your peer can let you borrow a laptop. For dorm life, you’ll adjust very well quickly and efficiently. Everyone’s super nice and really chill and you’ll be close friends with everyone before you know it. If you have any more questions to ask don’t be afraid to reach out!
Hey! For essay 2, it asks for a topic, text, or idea. What if I did a musical album? It’s almost nearly a story spoken out loud, and I could absolutely write the essay on it no pressure, but I’m worried since it isn’t one of those three concepts…
Hi! Just signed up for this website, haha. Just a question (although I’m sorry because it seems kind of obvious but I wanted to doublecheck): for the ‘favorites’ section, should we stick to our “intellectual” favorite things…? Or if we have favorites that aren’t necessarily academic (say, if one has an interest in the Percy Jackson books), should we put them there as well?
Also, I currently have “books, short stories, films, tv shows, works of art, music, and plays” for my favorites - would that be enough, or should I add more?
@iltoria You should say what your favorite things are. Not your favorite things that make you look intellectual for liking them, your favorite things. Sure, there’s gotta be a little bit of self-censorship involved (if your favorite book is Fifty Shades of Grey, probably don’t write that), but write what you legitimately like.
At first, I added a bunch of classic lit to my favorites list, then deleted it when I realized I only vaguely liked the books I’d added and was just putting them on my list because I thought they made me look good. If I’d gotten asked about, for example, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart in an interview, I probably wouldn’t have been able to speak passionately about it.
And yeah, that sounds fine. Mine is books, films, television, newspapers, magazines, and music.
@1990surge If you can write passionately about it, then yeah, I’d say you’re probably fine. Pretty sure a kid got in a few years back writing about a Justin Bieber song.
I ranked mine personal writing, citizenship, humor, feminism. @chrysalism I definitely enjoyed writing mine too! It was a great self-examination process, and I think it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the prompts more than the usual bland ones, and I’m glad I had the experience of writing the essays, as I think it was valuable regardless of whether I’m accepted or not. Still, the actual judging part makes me nervous, as I’m sure at least one of my essays will read as really flawed. @iltoria Definitely put your favorite things! I had to get rid of a couple items on my list, as I realized I didn’t really like them that much, even though they were ‘classics’. My list ended up being pretty anime/manga, sci-fi/fantasy heavy, but I felt it reflected my interests, so I hope they’re cool with it.
Also, awards are not the most important part of the apps - it’s really all about the essays
Does anyone else hate applying for these things? I’m freaking out about my essays now–I have a feeling that at least one of them is going to read as really awful. Well, here’s to the best! Good luck to everyone who has applied so far and everyone who has yet to apply!
good luck to everyone applying!