<p>and also, for essay #2, when they say they don’t look for a research paper, do we have to insert sources MLA format?</p>
<p>^ I’m confused about #2 as well. Previous posters have said that we shouldn’t really be talking about ourselves, and that we should be analyzing the situation, but the prompt says that our essays “should represent your own views and thoughts; it should not be a research paper.” So then are we supposed to talk about why we care about the subject? Are we not allowed to have any examples or evidence?</p>
<p>The second prompt is a little confusing in that respect, yes. I’m having issues with it. The way I took it, we shouldn’t have unsubstantiated claims (i.e., yes, include sources and in-text citations wherever possible), but at the same time, it shouldn’t be a strict reading of the facts. It shouldn’t be too formal (I doubt we need a bibliography as long as it’s clear where we got our sources in the paper itself). As for me, I’m writing it in the “I” voice, inserting my own opinions, but I am also using support from other sources.</p>
<p>I think what they mean for essay 2 (or at least the way I’m approaching it) is that it should be kind of like an editorial on an issue you care about - of course you can have examples and maybe even evidence if you need it, but it is supposed to be mainly your point of view, not primarily research about the subject.
@belly: I’m not personally citing anything in mine so I can’t be sure, but as they say it should not be a research paper I can’t imagine they’d be too picky about how you cite whatever it is you want to cite.</p>
<p>@Qualitative That’s pretty much how I’m approaching it too. It’s primarily my own opinion, but there are examples in there where I need it. It’s less formal than my critnal (which I wrote in a fairly formal tone), but more formal than the other essays, which were primarily my own opinions and written in a slightly more colloquial way.</p>
<p>For essay 1, does anyone else tackling a nonfiction piece?</p>
<p>I interpreted it as: Your opinion, but focus on the issue, rather than going out of the way to provide personal examples.</p>
<p>I’m almost done, just need to get 1 and 3 out of the way. Changed my mind though, seems like Cornell I is where it’s at, not Michigan II.</p>
<p>@belly Not that I know of, but that’s okay, it’ll just make yours stand out more!</p>
<p>I love reading peoples’ preferences. Cornell I doesn’t interest me as much as the others. For me, Cornell II is where the party is. :D</p>
<p>So how long are you Essay 5s? I don’t think I’m going to get more than 400 words total. :P</p>
<p>belly, I’m analyzing a nonfiction piece. </p>
<p>Exactly, it’s cool to see what everyone else is interested in. I keep changing my mind on if I like Michigan II or Cornell I best. I’d be content with any of them though :]</p>
<p>I think I have in the range of 400-500 words for essay 5, I have to stop myself from rambling on though haha.</p>
<p>Mine is exactly 675 words, but that’s only because I’m hopelessly verbose. All of my other essays are as close to 1500 as I can get.</p>
<p>It looks like a lot of people here are nearly done with the first drafts of their essays already. It seems like we’re beating our procrastinating tendencies with flying colors (or at least I am!).</p>
<p>Haha Kelime, I’m exactly the opposite. Michigan II is the least appealing to me, and Cornell I is the second least appealing. I love Michigan I and Cornell II (though I would also be happy with any. TASP!!! lol)
Essay 5 for me is like 450 words.
And I still have a full 1.5 first drafts to do, but I am going to work on that now.</p>
<p>Qualitative, that’s my thought process. Stick me in Cornell I. I don’t care. I just want to go to TASP! :D</p>
<p>I have half of essay 2 to finish. Once I’m done with Physics notes, I’ll do that.</p>
<p>I think I’ve actually decided not to apply at all.
I didn’t get the chance to work on any essays over break because of the other work I’ve had to do, and I’ve already promised my guidance counselor I would attend NJ Scholars if I got in. The chances of being rejected from that and getting into TASP are unlikely.</p>
<p>If I try to work these essays in before the 24th, they’ll either be really bad, or take too much time away from schoolwork. Since IB started, all my time management skills have been off balance. Plus, I have tons of CAS activities I could work on over the summer.</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone else!</p>
<p>@littlepenguin That sucks, that you couldn’t find the time to do the application. Oh well, NJ Scholars seems like an amazing program regardless, so I hope that you get in. Thanks for the good luck wishes. (: You too!</p>
<p>What’s everyone’s actual seminar order? We’re taking about first choices, so we might as well rank them all.</p>
<ol>
<li>Cornell II</li>
<li>Michigan I</li>
<li>Michigan II – these two are interchangeable, I don’t care either way.</li>
<li>Cornell I</li>
</ol>
<p>Yeah, I agree, that sucks but good luck with NJ Scholars! I’m sure it’ll be fun and well worth it :)</p>
<p>My actual preference is:
- Michigan I
- Cornell II (my first two are very close in preference though)
- Cornell I
- Michigan II - I really don’t like this one but I’m sure the actual seminar would be better than it sounds and I’d be perfectly happy in whatever seminar they want to put me in haha.</p>
<p>WHOA. I leave collegeconfidential and the thread was on page 15 and I come back and now…PAGE 18! 
Hehe, the one that I’m having the most trouble with is the critical analysis. I have an idea and I have a book, it’s just the part of putting all my ideas into words. AHHH.</p>
<p>My seminar order is:
- Michigan II
- Cornell II (I actually want to go to both Michigan and Cornell II! If only that were possible.)
- Michigan II
- Cornell I</p>
<p>Aw, that’s too bad, but good luck with the non-TASP pursuits!</p>
<p>Mine (at the moment, still subject to change at my fancy though since most are pretty close) is:
1.Michigan II
2.Cornell I
3.Michigan I
4. Cornell II</p>
<p>@rainycloudy Hee. That’s predominantly my fault. I’m kind of stalking this thread because I have nothing better to do with my time. I am a little obsessed with TASP. (: I had a lot of trouble with the critnal as well, so you’re definitely not alone there. I’m still kind of hesitant about it, because I sort of examined the themes that made the book so popular and used evidence from the book to support my claim. I’m not sure if it’s exactly what the reviewers are looking for, but it’s what I thought of first and I’m sticking with it. Now I’m having more trouble with essay 2. Everything else came fairly easily, though, thank God.</p>
<p>My goal is to finish essay 2 and edit essay 4 (it ended up being a little over 1500 words) so that I can drop them on my teachers’ desks tomorrow morning and they can edit them as soon as possible.</p>
<p>I wish that I could go to all of the seminars. They all look absolutely amazing.</p>