<p>ok so i’m applying to cornell’s liberal arts and sciences as my secondary option (primary option engineering)</p>
<p>for my supplemental essay for the liberal arts school (intended major mathematics), I was planning on responding to the prompt by talking about how i have been mathematically curious since a young age, and how as I have gotten older I have applied basic math/statistics principles to create different real-life applications.<br>
One of those being a girl-rating program, which takes into account several different equations based on looks, personality, etc, EVERYTHING that could possibly go into deciding whether or not to pursue a particular girl. (hahaha)
If i do this as my response, it will definitely be taken from a humorous approach, and I will also mention my other ‘creations’.</p>
<p>my question is, although this clearly shows how my life centers around mathematics, and how i apply what i have learned in every-day situations, will it come off as being a bit too racy/cheavunistic?</p>
<p>any thoughts would be great. haha i know i’m a loser, my friends challenged me to it.</p>
<p>Yes, as well as quite juvenile. I’d leave it out. Plus, how technical could a ‘girl calculator’ be? Anyone could create one, so it’s not like you’d be doing something impressive or even unique. If you want to add a sentence or two on the creation, it wouldn’t hurt too much and could add a humorous element to your essay. However, if you overdo it, it will be dangerous, quite easily leading the admissions officers to see immaturity in your personality.</p>
<p>Also, let’s keep in mind that females are on the admissions team. Even if it comes off funny to all the males, how’s it going to sound to the females?</p>
<p>I like your idea, personally. I think it would be interesting to read and would show you in more human dimensions. I don’t know about your school, but at mine the math geeks tend to be unable even to distinguish between boys and girls. Your rating system would be a nice divergence from the stereotype. =)</p>
<p>The only advice I could give is avoid sounding TOO casual. Sure you’re talking about how hot a girl is, but keep it focused on the math and avoid lapsing into colloquialisms. I’d love to read your paper when/if you write it!</p>
<p>If you want to be rejected go ahead. I wouldn’t include it or even mention it. You will sound immature, shallow, and overall like a complete idiot. Any woman who reads it and many men, will think you are immature . That being said, I think its a funny idea, just not college app material.</p>
<p>If you can sound like an intelligent and funny person through this essay, I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t get in, at least the reason for not getting in would be because of the essay, :)</p>
<p>It’s a very, very bad idea for the reasons explained above. Seriously. This is purely shooting yourself in the head. Rewrite it to rate hamburger restaurants or something.</p>
<p>I think it might be seen as off-topic and a little weird. However, it does seem kind of funny and reminds me of the book An Abundance of Katherines, which is a great book. Still, I say don’t make it a big focus.</p>
<p>hahaha thanks guys-all were comments I was half-expecting.</p>
<p>keep in mind this is not what my essay was going to be focused on, just merely a sentence or two for a little added humor to show how i’ve applied basic math principles to real life</p>
<p>thanks for all the comments, feel free to say more.</p>
<p>I think it would depend a lot on the tone of the essay, if you had had an interview before, and how you phrased it. If you only used it to show how math permeates all aspects of your life, even when it comes to dating, I think it would be fine. But if you made it sound like you only see girls the way you ‘rate’ them you’ll come off sounding chauvinistic and juvinile.</p>
<p>Those who are advising against it are one of three generalizations:
do not want you to stand out.
are girls who take offense.
are greasy math losers with no sense of humor.</p>
<p>(all jokes, please don’t flame me)</p>
<p>But honestly, I definitely think you need to do it. More than 3/4ths of the essays adcoms read are boring anyway, why not give them a laugh? Use self-deprecating humor as well. Make sure to throw a line in their about “I didn’t do this because I’m chauvinistic blah blah blah.” Really address by name any problems you could for see resulting, then you’re golden.</p>
<p>How many generic “I love math and numbers” are they going to read? A TON. How many “girl calculators” are they going to read? Exactly. That is your answer.</p>
<p>once again, thanks to all for the comments, a few in particular:
ricebunny: “math permeates all aspects of your life” << I really like this phrase, do u mind if i include it?? haha
nretni: hahahahah hilarious, and u bring up some great points, I think as well.</p>
<p>I’ll be honest, u guys are presenting strong views from both sides, and making this quite difficult for me…haha
but I have basically come to the conclusion that I probably will mention it as a side note along with discussion of the many other equations and systems I have created, namely the ‘college chances’ equation that utilizes info. learned in my AP Stats class. I am thinking about slipping it in after discussion of my equations by saying something like:
" I was also challenged by my friends to formulate the ultimate equation that would rate girls, but I promptly declined, foreseeing a future label as a cheauvanistic mathmatician" ( or something like this…?) I definitely am not going to go into depth about details (things like overlapping equations for face, body ,willingness, desire, etc. hahahah just thought u guys may wanna kno some details-it is a big hit around the school haha)</p>
<p>Personally, I hate the idea of rating human beings (but then again, why are we racing for the most prestigious college?), but I’m sure there should be a way to make you sound unchauvinistic while writing about it. Maybe you could include a short disclaimer, such as, “Although I don’t believe that one can be rated according to a formula, I was challenged by my friends to formulate the ultimate equation to rate females and did so purely for fun.”</p>
<p>excellent point, fluxxii. Thanks again for the help, everyone, I am writing my essay right now (focusing more on my ‘College Chances’ math process). I am including the GC somewhere, though.</p>
<p>any additional comments/advice would be more than appreciated (I love this site!!)</p>
<p>No, I think your biggest fear should be not sounding like yourself. The biggest thing I find wrong in these essay threads are people who just don’t sound like themselves. That once sentence you are thinking about including, do you really talk like that? No. I can tell because of what you say in your posts.</p>
<p>Be funny, be real, be yourself. Don’t write to what you think they want to hear, write to what you want to be heard as–yourself.</p>
<p>nretni: “I was also challenged by my friends to formulate the ultimate equation that would rate girls, but I promptly declined, foreseeing a future label as a cheauvanistic mathmatician”----- Is this the sentence ur talking about? haha that actually is something i would say, but if youre talking about the “math permeates my life” sentence, hahah no that’s not me.</p>
<p>but yes, I am writing my essay now and I think it is quite ‘me’ and definitely takes somewhat of a humorous, narrative approach on things.</p>
<p>-thanks for the comment, btw you’re absolutely right</p>
<p>But if that is truly something you would actually speak, then by all means–include it. I can’t be the judge of your voice, I just know I don’t speak that way.</p>
<p>Just please make sure the essay is you. Distinctively you. And not something that could be attached to any applicant’s file and still make sense.</p>