Do colleges know about EssayForum?

I was wondering if colleges knew that students posted their essays on essayforum. And if colleges use some sort of program to check for plagiarism, will our essays on essayforum show up as plagiarism?

No, because our full name shows up. It is our essay. Right? lol

For my view, i think essays posted in the essayforum are plagiarism, becasue i use it for practising how to write an essay effectively. There are no reasons why it become plagiarism.

One thing to remember is do not copy other people's essays; that would be the problem.

Here are my suggestions

I don't know, just because our full name shows up doesn't mean it is ours. I could probably type out an essay someone else posted and claim it as my own. I could just leave out that person's name.

I am not sure. But, the essayforum said that the turnitin does not consider as a plagiarism source in here. So, I think even colleges know about it, they will not consider as a plagiarism. Because, they know fairly well about this forum, I am sure that here is only a place to proofread from other people.

Huh I doubt colleges have time to visit essayforum with all the time consuming applications process.

If by chance an admissions officer comes across similar essays (and this isn't unlikely since many people may get too inspired by an essay), they'd probably copy-past a sentence or two and let Google point them to the source. The original author should be fine, but the others will definitely not be looked at so highly.

For example, Abi posted his essays (abcdefu.wordpress/2009/05/06/stanford/) and it ranks highly in Google for accepted Stanford essays. You can bet a ton of people are going to rip parts off from him, and admissions officers will notice.

It seems like Panyapon meant to type "are not plagiarism." I agree; it is good to practice and learn from one another, but never copy paste anything from someone's essay!


Yes, this is an important observation. But even if essayforum did not exist, you could find essays and articles online and submit them as your own. So, it is not essayforum that is the problem. It is the Internet. And even before the Internet people still stole each other's writing.

Essayforum is a writers group like any other. We collaborate and help each other. So... I hope colleges know about essayforum. It is a good thing to do, and I think we all improve our writing. Your concern is understandable, though.

Still, if any education professional complains about our scholarly collaboration, tell them to talk to me! I have no patience for educators who are stuck on an obsolete paradigm. The Internet age is an age of collaboration, and knowing that fact is important for students' success.

:-)

i dont think its plagarism but a way to get heard.it all about us.

same i dont think its plagiarism at all
i mean once i was completely stuck at this one prompt i opened this site and went through other ppls work to understand how to go about the prompt---my answer was completely different but this website helped me a lot when i got the writer's block!!

hence,, please dont copy stuff cuz ppl might be applying to same colleges at the same time and the examiners can clearly differentiate who's work it was in the first place

I wouldn't really care if colleges knew because I would never put up my college application essays ^_^ (especially because I found out we can't take them off after it is sufficiently helped).

I mean, I was introduced to this forum by this kid who went on here to look at people's supplementary essays to the specific colleges and then take their phrasing or "ideas/approaches" and used them. The person was a great writer so it didn't sound much like plagiarism but you could definitely tell the source of the person's "inspiration."

I don't want to be that victim.

Yes, that's where we have to remind ourselves that the cheaters just lack confidence and feel unable to do what others can do. So, we have to have compassion. But still, it is good to guard your work! That's why we encourage everyone to set up an EssayForum membership with their full names so that the name appears next to the essay with the date it was posted, etc.

After a while, with so many schools and applications, I bet everything ends up sounding the sme as everything else. I think Nikita mentioned in another thread that she loves Strunk and White's Elements of Style (I do too). It is one good resource for developing your own unique, powerful style. Even if people steal some of my words, they can't steal my style of expression.

:-)

Um, I think that was me.

My bad! It's true, that was the post I was thinking of when I mentioned that. It is funny to say we love a little book about the rules of grammar, written a half a century ago or something, but... it is actually so funny and cool. For example, one rule of style I remember s, "Do not affect a breezy manner."

10 points for anyone who researches that and explains it.

:-)

I didn't research that but just off the top of my head, I think that is a warning against trying to sound laid-back and easy-going out of arrogance. Consider that "affect" can imply an ostentaious attempt at appearing higher than oneself--like speaking in a British accent because you believe it shall make you sound elegant and refined. "Breezy manner" I assume to something like a person feigning to carelessly or contemptuously wave something off as insignificant or unimportant. All of this brings to mind, for me, a tall man walking through a horse stable in all of his shining, expensive horse-riding equipment and fashion, with his snooty nose up in the air, non-chalantly walking to his horse while assuming an air of superiority. As he and another rider, more humble in appearance and personality, ride up to the starting point, he falls of his horse. His facade has crumbled. In conclusion, do not, like this gentleman here, affect a breezy manner.

Okay Maria, you get the 10 points for your great imagery and intuition.

I don't think breezy necessarily means pompous, though. I think it can mean the writer takes her time, adding lots of unnecessary phrases to sentences that are already too long, and even though the essay does not say much at all it takes a very long time to say it. The breezy writer is in no hurry and, like bird that flies north, east and west before finally heading south for the winter, takes the reader all over the place before getting to the point. After having made the point, of course, the writer continues to banter on and on. The reader probably already understands, but the writer goes on and on, feeling like the essay improves with the addition of more words... but the reader is already sick of reading! Ho hum, breezy breezy.

Haha, thank you XD I think I am what they call a "visual learner" because it is easier for me to explain things with pictures than with words...a week or so ago I was explaining my decision to use the word vehemently by saying that it reminded me of an furious orator shouting at a large crowd, with his fist pounding the air and saliva flying out of his mouth...or maybe I just do it because it amuses me--I find these situations funny for some reason

Yes, that is definitely a good point, in fact, I think that advice is more important that restraining the desire to be the aforementioned gentleman (I keep bringing that up--I just find it funny). The reason my mind went to a "pompous" notion was mostly because of the word "affect." They used that word quite a bit in the 19th century & since I like to read a lot of books from that time period my mind just instantly made the connection with "affectation," which is more of a desire to impress (like using a big word like antidisestablishmentarianism when it doesn't make any sense in context but sounds fancy) than a desire to "digress"...or use many words to say very little... At any rate, I find your interpretation of "breezy" to be more useful.

maybe that is because vehement reminded your subconscious mind about "venom" and ...

...the image of saliva spitting out arises in your mind.

Ha ha, I have never actually seen the word antidisestablishmentarianism until now...

That makes sense, I can't imagine that a subject relevant to this word would come up very often. I just know it because it has been popularized as "the longest official word in the english language." I really like it though bc its so long because of all the extra bits like "anti-" and "dis-" that have been added onto it--basically, it reminds me of a cake...and I like cake XD Plus, I love European History so the concept the word encapsulates is, to me, pretty nifty =D

What the hell is that thing? I just thought you were trying to be funny, which you are by the way.
:)

Thank you! Now I get to talk about one of my favorite fields...

Let us tackle the layers of this funky word:

antidisestablishment arianism
The establishment this word refers to is the Roman Catholic church

The "dis-" refers to the breaking up of that establishment--namely, England's (King Henry VIII) split with the church (because he wanted a son & his post-menopause wife had not produced one & he wanted to marry a younger girl whose head he would later have chopped off. Lovely gentleman, no?)

The "anti-" refers to the feelings of those who did not want this split to occur. The were against (anti) the disestablishment of the Roman Catholic church in England.

The "-arian" refers to someone possessing this ideology. The humanitarian or vegetarian

The "-ism" makes the word refer to the whole body of thought related to this concept

That's how I like to think of it at least, it makes more sense for me then going to a dictionary and reading through the lengthy, convuluted definition. Plus, as I said previously, I like cake. XD

Oh, and about "vehement," I think the spitting made the situation more comical (though that is an interesting point...is that what your subconscious thinks of? =)...like I was imagining a teeny tiny man with an unproportionatedly large fist wiggling high above his head and his voice being kind of squeaky bc he was so tiny...I had two views: one was like a dramatic close-up of a dictator and the other was like a zoom-out of a caricaturish animation...I know, I am odd xD

Hmm...I can see the layers of the cake you love so much.

I thought that a "disestablishmentarian" is someone who opposes any established order. So that would make an "antidis..blah blah" someone who is against the other someone. You're right it becomes too complicated. Your interpretation is better.


My subconscious won't be allowed to think that way if I was sitting in the front row listening to that gentleman of yours. I'd be more focused on things like windshield wipers.

Hahaha! That's a good point! =D

I was referring to this comment:

Oh, yeah. I can see the connection.

I have no way of knowing what my subconscious mind thinks of. That is why it is called subconscious!

By the way, that's a cool discussion of antidis.. etc.

But you have ways of guessing at it and inferring. That's why they call it psychology! XD

Speaking of the subonscious, a book I read recently discussed how we can have feelings and prejudices in our unconscious while, consciously, we may feel the complete opposite! Harvard did a study with a nifty short test that you can take on implicit.harvard.edu But, I advise against itif you are unprepared for harsh realities. I think it is awesome, anyway. I even told my psychology teacher about it & she loved it and shared it with the whole class...so yeah, go psychology!


It was fun...haha no one likes to spell out the whole word XD

I don't like those tests. They make me seem prejudiced when I'm not!

It does not necessarily mean that you are prejudiced. The way our society is organized--such as the noted emphasis on a white ideal--influences and conditions people to have unconscious preferences that may be the polar opposite of the way they truly, consciously feel. For instance, many African Americans have taken this test with the result showing a preference for European Americans over African Americans. They are not self-hating racists. The IAT measure "immediate, automatic associations that tumble out before we've even had time to think." There is much more that can be said on that issue but my point is that the tests are not designed to make people seem prejudiced nor do the results mean that someone is prejudiced. Anyway, I'm not trying to change your mind or force you to accept the tests, I merely offer you a mini-defense.

Yep, great points Maria. The thing is, our minds make "associations" with everything, and that is how we learn. Associations are indeed prejudice, but it's our ability to think critically that really determines whether we are prejudiced in the common sense of the word. Some people cannot think clearly enough to notice when their minds make ridiculous, prejudicial associations.

First of all, this talk of "antidisestablishmentarianism" inspired me to write an essay, so I would really like to thank everyone!


One of society's great misfortunes =(

I guess they do because while i was searching for universities,they kinda state something of this nature...

you all are professional
can you all help me correct my essay?

Please do...we all are here to ask for an assistance and also to be our brother's keeper...
feel free..

sorry my english was bad can you use some easier words?

Okay just feel free to post your essay..

giggyluv43 you still here? help to correct my essay ... please...

Hi Edward, I'm going to go check out your essays right now...

:-)

Hi all

It's a good job if you can show me how to rewrite a sentence more academic, for example to get 7.0 in IELTS
Thanks all.