d.mcknight
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2010
- Messages
- 265
Does anyone think it would be an issue if I used the same essay for both my Representative and one of my Senators?
Now just to double check, one essay prompt is "why I want to attend an academy" and the other is "why I am seeking a nomination." Anyone think those are too different?
Trust me, I understand time management. I'm typically at school from 7 am to 5 pm. AND I have a hour long bus ride each way. On weekends I'm normally working, doing community service, or at some activity for my JROTC unit. So if I can save a few hours here and there, I like to do so.
When my AP English class was doing a college unit at the end of last year, I wrote that essay when we were doing admission essays. So it was for a grade, and I rewrote the essay at least half a dozen times. If the essay works for two purposes, why not kill two birds with one stone? I know the academies require time management
So if I can save a few hours here and there, I like to do so.
JMHO, but yes your essay will have to be rewritten, One is asking why an SA, you need to address the specific prompt that needs to be answered in the opening and closing paragraph. The other is asking why you are seeking a nom. The body of the essay (defense would be the same...attending an SA), however, opening and closing should be different.
The rule is the opening statement should reiterate the question.
I am seeking a nom so I can attend an SA, is not the say as I want to attend an SA so I can be XYZ.
No offense, but my son (DS2) leaves at 6:30 a.m (school starts at 7:21). and gets home at 6 M-F, his butt is at school for a lot more time than you M-F. What exactly is your point regardin the fact that you have an hour long bis ride? Additionally 2 nights a week he does not get home until 10 p.m. at the earliest since he is on the field for games on top of the fact he has to Saturday a.m. game review.
Our DS1 who went down this route left at 6 a.m.for the bus ran in the house at 2:45 to change into his swim suit to guard until 9:30 p.m so he was at work at 4. He worked 20 hrs a week for 2 yrs and 40 all summer long. On top of that he had to do at least 20 hrs per month volunteer for NHS, plus his required certification hours as a sr lifeguard. He also was a state and national TKD Olympic/National and State Champ while he carried all Honors and AP classes along with Life Guarding.
DS1 DID NOT HAND IN A DUPLICATE. Not only for MOC's, but he also did not re-use one essay for another college ap for plan B. YES. he was in AP Eng. He actually took 2 AP Eng., Lit and Eng. on top of Jump start, where he carried 9 college credits at the CC while he went to hs.
I am a hard arse MOM. I will not except an easy path. I demand from my children if you want it PROVE IT. If you fail to put effort in, I am okay with it. I am just not going to accept you give lame excuses as a defense. Sorry, but I do not accept WOAH is me. I want the best candidate. 6 to 6 for an SA applicant is not rare.
You seem to want a GET HOW HARD MY LIFE IS for your defense. I am trying to say to you, the same thing I said to my son, NOMS are competitive..... EVERYONE CAN MAKE EXCUSES! You need to make sure if this is what you want you give 150% ! You need to put everything in. and that includes not asking should I re-use an essay.
If you have to ask than you have your own doubts...don't get mad when posters agree with your fear.
As I stated, some prompts are so generic there is no other way to write it. Re-use it because you can't make it any better. However...
What you just stated in this post was I WROTE THAT ESSAY...in other words, you are not only re-using an essay for the MOCs, but re-using one from a class assignment.
SA life is not easy, I bet every candidate looking back over their SA career will say the appointment was the easiest.
In the end this statement was the most troublesome
Without a doubt you are a young candidate, and you want to attend an SA, I hope you get it. However, again, you just said to posters, this was a laziness issue since, you said "IF I CAN SAVE A FEW HOURS HERE AND THERE.
I have many pet peeves, and this is one of them.
Yes, you can reuse another essay, but ask yourself a question before you do it.
I am asking for a nomination to one of the most selective schools in the nation, and what I posted here was to say can I be lazy? In essence, that is exactly what you are saying...I don't feel like writing another one. Even the most benign prompt...life changing time... can be written from a different position.
The MOC's are not asking for a thesis. They are asking for a 1 page essay.
Life at an SA will be hard, they will force you into time management, and you won't be able to re-use essays.
I know that sounds harsh, but to me that is the truth. We didn't allow our children to re-use any essay, be it for a nom, or a college. We expected them to see it as hw at school. It was an integrity issue, and issue to prove to us they wanted it bad enough to sit up to 1 a.m. writing essay after essay.
People will flame me for being hard on this aspect, but if I sat on an MOC board and felt it was tweaked from a re-used essay, I would have no problems asking the candidate in the interview to defend the essay.
JMHPO.
I did not just reuse a class assignment. Our teacher asked us to pick two admissions essays to write. And she asked us to pick places we wanted to go. So one of them was the USNA essay and one of them was the essay for my Representative. I turned them in, she gave her feedback, I rewrote it, she gave her feedback again, so on and so forth until I was completely satisfied with my essay. Please tell me what is wrong with this.