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Hey, this is a question for all those who had posted or are in the process of posting their essays.

Why would you want to post your college admission essay on the internet? Aren't you afraid that someone might steal your ideas or essays in the process? Knowing that personal statement is the KEY to a successful admission, people are still asking for advice and suggestion. We are just as informed as you are, so why trust a bunch of strangers who have nothing but subjective views when cliquing others' essays.

I just hope that those who had posted or are posting their essays on internet to be more cautious next time.

I mean this IS common sense...no?

By Sadeyedlady (Sadeyedlady) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 12:25 am: Edit

peeople would have to be really dumb to steal an essay.

Theres no way they wouldnt be caught.

By Sadeyedlady (Sadeyedlady) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 12:32 am: Edit

i was concerned about it but all my essays are copyrighted.

and ive taken them to my interviews and shared the ideas.

so no one can really send them in.

By Aenema (Aenema) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 09:19 am: Edit

you copyrighted your essays...wow you must have a lot of free time..

By Flyguy (Flyguy) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 10:55 am: Edit

probably is just bluffing, but it is a good idea

By Whatever17 (Whatever17) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 11:14 am: Edit

lol...
ok, heres my take on things
why do ppl post essays?
well...some people dont get 800 on their verbal and they can't write good essays either. Does that make them less of a person?? Do you deserve to get a better education because you can write better? Some might say yes, I say, thats BS. Sure, it's good to be able to write well, but to deprive someone of a good education based on an essay is quite absurd.
Second, perhaps people aren't so concerned with their essays being stolen. It's kind of the same as when you let someone copy your homework. Some of you might think even that's outrageous, but some ppl just dont care. They dont have to be "fair" all the time...cause...guess what...life isnt fair. And the input ppl usually get is very helpful. It's easier for ppl to see ur mistakes than it is for you.
And...well...ppl can steal essays, whats so hard? How would someone get caught?? How would an admission officer know who's essay (if there is 2 copies) is the authentic one??
And now, if it's for diff. universities...lol, no one will ever know.
Ppl, if you've been having thoughts about jackin an essay...just do it..modify it a bit and who knows, ull proly get in..most ppl here are kinda smart.

By Penguin (Penguin) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 12:42 pm: Edit

"all my essays are copyrighted."
"you copyrighted your essays...wow you must have a lot of free time."

Actually, copyright in the United States is automatically conferred upon all original creative works, although notices of copyright and registration with the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress can make it easier to defend one's copyright.

See Title 17 of the US Code, particularly Chapter 1 for a definition of copyright and Chapter 4 for a discussion of "notice, deposit, and registration". Sec. 408(a): "registration is not a condition of copyright protection".

By Sepia (Sepia) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 12:47 pm: Edit

If you get accepted to a school, all the application materials become stored in your student records FOREVER. Yes, and whoever wrote the original essay will have his/hers on file somewhere also. Personally, the thought of having such an evidence of crime locked in file somehwere makes me very nervous. Although my essay doen't deserve a standing ovation, I wrote it, it's about who I am, and it's mine. And I can sleep well at night knowing that.

There are peobably many who cheat and get away with it. Let them. I, like many others here have way too much pride to ever cheat. To consider that I must steal a complete stranger's thoughts because mine aren't good enough would make me sick to my stomach.

By Xdtish (Xdtish) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 02:13 pm: Edit

Everyone,to be honest, I would not have taken those chances. Who knows how many Wacko Jackos are out there.

For "Sadeyelady", how exactly did you copyright your essay? I am curious and a bit taken back by your overly cautious precaution.

By Morgantruce (Morgantruce) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 03:09 pm: Edit

Basically, if you put:

© 2003, John Doe

on your document, you are well on your way to copyright protection....

Some further details:
(a) General Provisions. -

Whenever a work protected under this title is published in the United States or elsewhere by authority of the copyright owner, a notice of copyright as provided by this section may be placed on publicly distributed copies from which the work can be visually perceived, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

(b) Form of Notice. -

If a notice appears on the copies, it shall consist of the following three elements:

(1)

the symbol (AF) (the letter C in a circle), or the word ''Copyright'', or the abbreviation ''Copr.''; and

(2)

the year of first publication of the work; in the case of compilations, or derivative works incorporating previously published material, the year date of first publication of the compilation or derivative work is sufficient. The year date may be omitted where a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work, with accompanying text matter, if any, is reproduced in or on greeting cards, postcards, stationery, jewelry, dolls, toys, or any useful articles; and

(3)

the name of the owner of copyright in the work, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner.

(c) Position of Notice. -

The notice shall be affixed to the copies in such manner and location as to give reasonable notice of the claim of copyright. The Register of Copyrights shall prescribe by regulation, as examples, specific methods of affixation and positions of the notice on various types of works that will satisfy this requirement, but these specifications shall not be considered exhaustive.

By Sadeyedlady (Sadeyedlady) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 03:14 pm: Edit

you can copyright your essays just by taking them to the post office.

and my parents insisted

By Vulcano (Vulcano) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 03:22 pm: Edit

ok, u say that there is no chance about getting caught? what if you post an essay asking for help and someone takes it and improves and and sends it before you do? to the same college? there would be alot of trouble, imagine if someone applied just for the hell of it, to get you screwed...i find it stupid to post essays, show them to your friends, not to strangers

By Xdtish (Xdtish) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 03:43 pm: Edit

thank you for your 2-cent input

By Sadeyedlady (Sadeyedlady) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 03:48 pm: Edit

"ok, u say that there is no chance about getting caught? what if you post an essay asking for help and someone takes it and improves and and sends it before you do? to the same college? there would be alot of trouble, imagine if someone applied just for the hell of it, to get you screwed...i find it stupid to post essays, show them to your friends, not to strangers "

you wouldnt be screwed if they're copyrighted. and why would anyone do that?

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 03:50 pm: Edit

To answer the original question (how boring, I know): people will show strangers their essays to get the extremely valuable input of strangers. After all, the admissions staff do not know you; consequentally, people here have the same perspective on your work as the admissions committee does. I read SoozieVT's daugther's essays when I met up with the two of them; they said that it was nice to have an outsider comment on them to see what comes through.

Regardless, in response to the original concern (that being stealing essays), I would recommend that you not put them up online, but email them to people whom you at least have some trust with. The parents are great, as they really have no incentive to steal your work.

By Flyguy (Flyguy) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 03:52 pm: Edit

who cares?


© 2003, Flyguy
All Rights Reserved.

By Jason (Jason) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 05:06 pm: Edit

who cares?

By Jason (Jason) on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 05:07 pm: Edit

Oh crap. Now I'm in trouble.

By Flyguy (Flyguy) on Saturday, December 13, 2003 - 10:37 pm: Edit

LOL, you rule man. Thanks for playing along, lmfao ;)

By Morgantruce (Morgantruce) on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 12:15 am: Edit

By the way, putting a copyright notice on a college application essay is little insurance (or protection) against it being stolen and submitted to a college.

Most of you write on computers. Get in the habit of saving your drafts often---essay1.doc, essay2.doc.... essay8.doc. Save and KEEP all eight drafts on your hard drive. If anyone ever accuses you of stealing something, immediately email them ALL EIGHT copies of those files to prove how your work progressed.

By Minibrit (Minibrit) on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 12:23 am: Edit

I have my handwritten copy, it has a bunch of scratch outs and stuff. Will colleges tell you if they think you plagerized or will they just plain out reject you?

By Sadeyedlady (Sadeyedlady) on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 01:22 am: Edit

oh yeah i forgot..i submitted a few of mine last year to get into a summer writing program.

theres just no way a person wouldnt get caught plagiarizing another person's essay who's applying to the same school.

By Bern700 (Bern700) on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 04:30 am: Edit

actually Sadeyedlady...at most schools just a regional rep. reads your app./essays (someone who is familiar with your region of the US or world [if intl.]) then they discuss your app with the dean and an associate dean and the three make a final decision. So basically if you have the misfortune of copying an essay of someone within your same region then they will know you cheated and probably be rejected but if the person is from another region then there is a possibility that you wont get caught.