Questions about the writing sample

[ADH]

Hi there;

 

When providing supporting examples in the writing sample, can you lose marks if they are factually incorrect?

 

Also, do you have the same two markers for both essays? If the answer to this is yes, is it a good idea to show variety in the use of words and sentence structure between the two essays?

 

Thanks for the help!

[thehumanmacbook]

1 marker is computer, the other is human. The score is averaged.

 

It's best not to use examples that are factually incorrect; however, that being said you can use hypothetical examples.

 

For more info please check the AAMC MCAT website.

[ADH]

Thanks for your response.

 

So it is the same person marking both of the essays?

 

And a computer marks an essay?! Besides checking for spelling, grammar, and syntax, how can it possibly detect complexity of ideas or an overall theme?

[ilikemedschools]

Thanks for your response.

 

So it is the same person marking both of the essays?

 

And a computer marks an essay?! Besides checking for spelling, grammar, and syntax, how can it possibly detect complexity of ideas or an overall theme?

 

Probably closet example would be how a software translates a complete sentence from one language to another. A powerful translation software may have the ability to pulse the actual meaning of the whole sentence rather than blindly depending on word-to-word translation mechanism.

 

And how does it pulse the meaning of a sentence? It's a question to be answered by computer science students. But basic idea could be simulating the ability of human being to interpret a sentence in different ways. Obviously, it's a complicated process, so is the creation of an automated robot.

[medisforme]

I had an example in my writing sample that was factually incorrect and I still received an S. Granted it was an innocent mistake and I didn't do it on purpose.

[obi]

You can say whatever you want really. The markers don't have time to sit down and verify everything you write since they're marking a ton of essays. However, if its something that the marker already knows is false then it might impact your mark.

 

I would say err on the side of caution and stick to using valid examples.

[thatonekid]

Thanks for your response.

 

So it is the same person marking both of the essays?

 

And a computer marks an essay?! Besides checking for spelling, grammar, and syntax, how can it possibly detect complexity of ideas or an overall theme?

You have a different human marker for your 2 essays. It's not the same person marking both of them.

[PhoenixFlare500]

I had an example in my writing sample that was factually incorrect and I still received an S. Granted it was an innocent mistake and I didn't do it on purpose.

 

Just out of curiosity if you're willing to share, what'd you say?

[m1428]

I provided examples relating to politics (politicians), corporate corruption in my home country, etc, things that the marker couldn't possibly know about unless they looked up the subjects in question... I got an R. Even if you use a factually incorrect example, you can still do well by twisting the example around so that it better fits your argument. This sort of "biased" writing has been recommended before by others who have done well in WS.

[Rext]

The general rule of thumb about faking examples is that if you get caught, you'll be penalized. Whether or not you get caught will depend on the knowledge of the person marking it

 

EDIT: And real examples are ALWAYS scored higher than hypothetical examples pending everything else being equal

[thehumanmacbook]

Use obscure examples that fit argument = awesome points. Generally it's an american...so stick to Canadian history, I think you're gold

[Rext]

There should be a like button...^Like

[kylamonkey]

macbook, I have to completely disagree with you here.

 

I wrote twice and got an R and an S. Do you know what I found to give consistently good examples? WW2 history. Everyone knows it, and it's not controversial. You must avoid taking a political position in your essay.

 

Don't use obscure examples. If the reader has to sit and figure them out then they'll be distracted. It ruins the flow of the essay. These are just my opinions, but to be honest I really think I have that section dialed (as evidenced by my scores).

 

I wrote an awesome essay once as a practice (IMO). My main example used Arnold Schwartzenegger's early bodybuilding career. Everyone knows he was a bodybuilder, so I didn't have to waste time or space writing it and explaining it. You want to emphasize how the example relates to your ESSAY TOPIC, and not waste time telling your American reader who Pierre Trudeau was. It will be awkward and your score will suffer, unless you're a really good writer.

 

Sorry for sounding high on myself in this post, but I feel my essays are really consistent, and the formula I've devised seems to work. Read a history book for fun, don't "study" it, and you'll be set with examples.

[thehumanmacbook]

True say. I haven't written it yet, so Kyla's advice should be better than mine Just quoting someone who wrote it who told me that canadian history is good.

[thatonekid]

I agree with Kyla. I used US examples (mainly political ones) because that way I didn't have to spend time making sure the reader was familiar with what I was talking about. It worked for me.