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Forbes
11 hours ago
- General
- Forbes
The College Essay In The Age Of AI
Girl writes an essay on the bed getty The college essay has been a common, central part of holistic admissions since the mid-60's. It has been used to assess how well students write and think, how well they fit the college under consideration, and also who they are. For decades, it has been one of the few parts of the process the student has complete control over, providing a unique opportunity for the student to personalize the college admissions process. Sarah McGinty literally wrote the book on the college essay, writing seven editions of The College Admissions Essay for the College Board. She is a former high school English teacher and department chair (Montclair High School, Millburn High School),a former admission director of Sarah Lawrence College, and taught at Harvard from 2003-2015. Times have changed. McGinty focuses her attention today on the future of the college essay and whether the essay is now less a reflection of the applicant's character and insight and more a pseudo-resume built through fluency in artificial intelligence. White: Has the college essay been an effective tool to assess college candidates? McGinty: The reality is the college application essay is an assignment of significant consequence with unclear criteria for an unknown audience. That's a tall order. I remember early days as a high school English teacher, under the mandate of a department chair who decreed that every student must write one (or more!) essays a week, aa significant burden for them…and for me. In the first weeks, when I had not been able to evaluate all the first round of essays before I had to assign the second, a wise and brave student came to me: 'It's not really fair to ask us to write another essay when we've not received the first one back.' She was exactly right: you need to know your audience to be heard. And the application essay leaves most writers overconcerned about correctness and driven toward a brag. White: What makes a good essay? McGinty: One word? How about 'memorable'? A favorite essay read at Sarah Lawrence College showed the young author returning home after school one day to find her grandmother ensconced in a bed in the dining room, smoking her ever-present cigarette, propped up next to a small glass of straight gin. The essay recounted both the developing relationship between author and grandmother and reminiscences of Lord Marchmain's bed in Brideshead Revisited. It seems unlikely that the author was coached to write about this. It was real, engaging, and fabulously literary…for me, an A+. There was an electric connection that day between this young woman and her reader—she had gambled on her audience and won. So you can see the prescription is pretty hard to replicate. White: Is the present choice of Common Application essay prompts effective? McGinty: They all herd you toward the brag. It has to be awesome. 'Talent,' 'obstacle,' 'challenge,' realization, 'accomplishment,' captivating idea. Wow. Kids start envying friends with tragedy and divorce in their lives. David Foster Wallace gave a memorable graduation address at Oberlin College, including an anecdote about young fishes. As they swim past, a grizzled old fish says 'How's the water?' One little fish says to the other, 'What's water?' Applicants are in the early days of self-reflection; life on a treadmill is unexamined. The application is, without a doubt, asking one of the first 'look at the water' questions—this process will continue but it has hardly started at 17. I think the Common App can produce good results with a vibe that is more collaborative and less competitive. Excellent educators and people from all areas of admission help rewrite and revise this form quite regularly. There are opportunities periodically to change the tone and also the questions. I'd vote for something like 'Tell us about something small and insignificant in your life. Help us see it clearly and know how important it is to you'? White: Adaeze "Daisy" Ogunedo, the Senior Associate Director at Smith Collegeand President-elect of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling certainly agrees. She commented to me that "I view the essay as an opportunity for the student to share their story. While applicants might see it as yet another assignment, as someone who has read hundreds of these in my career, it gives me a little glimpse into who the student is that their resume and grades don't give me. It might not be a big story about events in your life, but a quirky anecdote about how they take pictures of a certain brand of milk every time you see it. This is the students' chance to reach directly out to the admissions officer and say "Hey look. There's a person amongst all these words." Do you think this is less likely to be affected by students using artificial intelligence to write their essays. McGinty: Let's help applicants. If we do, the temptation to let Claude apply for you will diminish. The applicant should be able to enrich their application without feeling like there needs to be a start-up on their resume or a death in their family.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rahm Emanuel Joins CNN as Political Commentator
Look out, Scott Jennings! CNN said it hired Rahm Emanuel, the former Obama advisor and Chicago mayor, as a senior commentator on political and global affairs. Emanuel most recently served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan. More from Variety Trump Is on a Winning Streak in War on Press: Is the Sullivan Decision Next? CNN's Jake Tapper Reveals Second Season of 'United States of Scandal' 'Fed Up With Fake News': CNN Juror Would Have Awarded Up to $100 Million in Punitive Damages His hire comes as CNN has tried to lure conservative and center-right viewers by enlisting the aforementioned Jennings, a former Bush advisor whose presence on the network has increased in recent weeks. Jennings appears frequently in Washington political panels and on the primetime show 'NewsNight,' and even recently made a foray into CNN's more traditional news programming. His support for the policies of the Trump administration has brought him directly into on-air conflict with several CNN anchors, who often accuse him of grandstanding. Emanuel could serve to balance the scales. A former chief of staff in the Obama White House, Emanuel is known for having a blunt demeanor. 'You have to be idealistic enough to know why you're doing what you're doing, and then ruthless enough to get it done,' Emanuel told a group of graduate students at Stanford University in 2017. CNN has seen its viewership erode noticeably since the 2024 presidential election, and recently reworked a good portion of its weekday schedule. Emanuel served as a U.S. Congressman from Illinois for six years, and also worked as an advisor in the Clinton administration. He holds a bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College and earned a master's degree in speech and communication at Northwestern University. Emanuel is represented by WME, but not by his brother, Ari Emanuel, who is CEO of Endeavor the talent-and-sports conglomerate that is the agency's corporate parent. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
Associated Press
05-02-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Marquis Who's Who Honors Matthew B. Smith, MD, for Contributions to Psychiatry
UNIONDALE, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 4, 2025 / Marquis Who's Who has honored Matthew B. Smith, MD, for contributions to psychiatry. Within the field of psychiatry, there are practicing professionals who leave behind a lasting legacy through the patients they have served and the lives they have improved. Dr. Smith is a psychiatrist whose exceptional career has earned acclaim from publishers and organizations such as Marquis Who's Who. Over his 43 years of practice, Dr. Smith has developed advanced expertise in assisting patients with addictions and mood and personality disorders. Furthermore, he has conducted and published research that has furthered the knowledge and dialogue within psychiatry. Dr. Smith is recognized as a leading figure in psychiatry for the lives he has touched and the insights he has shared. Early Education and Pursuits Growing up, Dr. Smith lived in several different countries, as his father worked for the American Foreign Service. He credits his father as a significant role model in his success. From 1970 to 1971, Dr. Smith completed coursework in theater at Sarah Lawrence College, a private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. Pursuing his interest in the humanities, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English and philosophy in 1972 from Haverford College, a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Medical Training and Certifications Dr. Smith began his medical training in a pre-med program at Columbia University, an Ivy League university in New York City. He was accepted into the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and graduated with a degree in medicine in 1981. He completed an internship and residency at New York University from 1981 to 1988, followed by a fellowship in academic psychiatry in 1989. He maintains a medical license in New York and board certification through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Thriving Psychiatric Practice Dr. Smith has practiced psychiatry for over 43 years. He holds expertise in treating patients with adult attention deficit disorder (ADHD), brain injuries, mood and personality disorders and addiction. Dr. Smith now works as a private practice psychiatrist. For 35 years, his office in New York City has treated a diverse array of patients. His services include individual, group and couples therapy, psychopharmacology and neuropsychiatry. Over his many years of practice, he has cultivated a particular interest in helping those with addiction and mood and personality disorders, honing his techniques and treatments. Awards and Recognition Dr. Smith's long and successful career in psychiatry has garnered him attention and acclaim. Previously featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Millennium Magazine, Smith received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to psychiatry. Academic and Creative Works Beyond his clinical endeavors, Dr. Smith has made additional contributions to psychiatry through research. He has published his research and findings in various professional papers and opinion articles. He also has a passion for writing and performing poetry, frequently reading his original poems at venues across New York City. Past Achievements and Future Endeavors Of all his career achievements, Dr. Smith takes great pride in his involvement in advancing psychiatric research and the papers he has published. He also finds exceptional meaning in his experiences with his patients and the connections he has forged. Looking ahead, Dr. Smith plans to focus on his creative pursuits. He hopes to publish more non-psychiatric writings, including his poetry, within five to 10 years. He will also continue partaking in his other hobbies, such as traveling and enjoying the arts through visiting museums and galleries. As a celebrated psychiatrist who has touched many lives through his practice, Dr. Smith will continue positively contributing to his patients. About Marquis Who's Who®: Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website,
