Complacent Tragedy where art thou?

[Guest avenir001]

First off, congrats on getting into med school!

You're probably away enjoying the summer & celebrating at some exotic location right now....but I hope you didn't forget about us poor premeds. I pm'd you a few days ago about WS examples which I read about in an earlier thread. If you see this post, please check your inbox...the closer the MCAT test date draws, the more I realize I really do need help with WS examples

And if anyone else has any suggestions as to how to come up with WS examples (especially for politics-related topics), I would really appreciate your input as well.

Thanks a lot!

[Guest ComplacentTragedy]

... and then I was like "SOMEONE ACTUALLY PMed ME!?!?!" and then I checked and I was all like "Oh emme gee, people did actually PM me" and then it was like "Fudgemuffins, that was ten days ago..."

 

I've never had a friend before... Oh wait, that's sex. Nevermind.

 

If you read my post titled 'Thank you ezBoards,' I most definitely will offer my meagre knowledge to anyone silly enough to want it... I don't leave Canada till Sunday anyway.

 

Avenir: MCAT is in over six weeks right? Plenty of time for you to practice WS, learn science, AND cry for at least an hour a day. That's my style. And thanks for bringing my attention to my ezInbox... And the fact that I suck at keeping contact. Also...

 

I'd stay right out of any American politics. When corruption came up, I thought of President Arroyo. And yeah, a Filipino could be marking my paper, but better to discuss Mugabe than Bush when you're taking a leader to bash. Historical politics I find are best, because historians have already 'defined' what has occured, and therefore most political bias and subjectivity have been taken from those. So when you're asked to talk about a leader defending a country at all costs, Trudeau smashing FLQ with martial law is likely more easy to defend as reasonable than you-know-who jumping at WMDs.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: I didn't get T on my MCAT. I got the 'Pirate's Favourite Letter.' But that was the best I could do at the time. So anyone who wants perfection should never read anything I post. And probably doesn't need help anyway.

 

Writing Sample:

 

Examples

I kept a list of twelve major topics that most prompts fell under. Every day, I checked news.google.ca and copy and pasted clips from stories that interested me into this. They had to have some relevance to me, else I would forget them. Sides, the quirky will keep the graders awake. Picture how many dozen papers the AAMC reads regarding 'War in Iraq' - That's true literary terrorism.

 

If you'd like my list that I kept (not updated since August 2005) please PM me your e-mail address and I'll pass it on. It's also ubercool for the interviews later on.

 

"David, tell us about something that happened in May of 2004."

"May I open this folder that I brought?"

"I don't see how that would help."

"Wanna bet, biatch?"

 

Princeton review said hypothetical was fine as well, but I didn't feel comfortable using them. I find it harder to argue a point when your evidence never actually happened. Much like my lovelife.

 

When Writing

Very important to be clear in your argument. The writing sample isn't a test of eloquency, but rather one of critical thinking. So therefore, making a direct statement is more important than:

 

"Unilateral juxtaposition refutes continuous assertion that the subject in question sucks."

 

There are three parts. While we are allowed to present our thesis, antithesis, and synthesis in any order, I ordered them in exactly the way I just stated.

 

Super Five Steps of Awesome

 

1) Take five. Minutes. Think the prompt through, and read it over a few times. There's the obvious way to look at it, and then there's the Batman way of doing so.

 

ex - "Education makes everyone equal." (Real prompt)

 

I found this is the most crucial moment of the writing sample. If you jump into your vehicle and just drive, you'll never find the nearest McDonalds on time. But if you take a moment to map....

 

Give yourself this time to actually think through and consider the examples you will use. Write them down on the scrap. Sometimes it sounds great in your head - then you realize

 

"Fudgemuffins... that wasn't an actual example... that wasn't even relevant... that wasn't even English... I'm writing on the table!!"

 

2) First Paragraph - Thesis:

 

What does the prompt say AND how/When is it true?

 

You'll notice that you'll have to mention what the prompt says, as it's actually asked in the WS by the AAMC. Since you're stating what it means, you may as well describe when it's true. So, uh, do it.

 

Why it's Batman: I figured most people looking at this is going to write

 

"PEOPLE WHO READ CAN READ AND READING MAKES PEOPLE EQUAL. OH, AND HIGH SCHOOL IMPORTANT TOO CAUSE THEN YOU CAN ADD."

 

Let's try something fun.

 

Canadian Example: Nelly McCleung, women's rights activist. She travelled across Canada educating citizens about the equality women should have. Making them equal. Cause ya know, that's the point. You can throw in some Martin Luther King Jr. action or something in too if you're quick.

 

3) Look at your watch.

 

Really. Like, seriously. You need to write something in your last paragraph. So partition your Antithesis time and Synthesis/Conclusion time accordingly now.

 

4) Second Paragraph - Antithesis:

 

How/When is the prompt wrong?

 

I figured most people would discuss how Harvard graduates are suddenly more respected than uh, _____ school. Or how doctors get paid more than uh, AAMC employees, or something pretentious like that.

 

So I went with something that has zero subjectivity - the law. People with an MBA, by Canadian law, MUST be paid more money for the same job than as just a guy with a bachelors. Teachers with a Masters in Whatever get paid more than those without that, even in the high school level, despite teaching the same number of classes (at least what I was told by my IB English teacher).

 

That way I felt I avoided problems in regards to the grader disagreeing with me. Ahd hey, subjectivity rawks. But after writing a strong and pretty objective antithesis point, I could throw in the Harvard argument, or even bring in a new one, like how Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard. Ooooh, irony!

 

5) Paragraph Three - Synthesis:

 

When is this true, when is it not true, what is the deciding factor?

 

I find conclusions like these are rushed, due to overtime first two paragraphs. Try to avoid that.

 

Ideally, the best WS papers have convincing arguments on both sides of the prompt. So here, show why you're still a reasonable person despite this obvious contradiction.

 

In this example, I discussed something to the idea that when education is available to all people, it brings equality. But when education is available only to certain groups (rich who can afford their PhDs, beautiful people...), that inherently means inequality will be created.

 

----------

 

Lastly, anyone who doesn't know what a Pirate's Favourite Letter is should forget everything they just read. They 'AAAHHRRRR' humourless.

 

- David

 

Wow, kudos to anyone who reads this entire post and doesn't scream 'LIAR' into the sky.

[Guest citrinez]

awww. this post made me smile and giggle;) thankx

[Guest Jochi1543]

Complacent Tragedy,

I want to have your lovechild.:hat

[Guest avenir001]

:lol

 

Jochi, I think you can call him David now...

 

And David, thanks a lot for taking the time to reply with such a thorough, useful, and hilarious post :lol

I've done a few WS exercises for practice and I feel somewhat comfortable with the setup of the essay...that is, once I figure out what examples to use, the rest usually flows and I don't find it too difficult to somehow resolve the conflict and come up with a reasonable concluding paragraph.

My main problem is that I find it difficult to come up with examples in such a short time...especially for some topics like politics which I haven't cared to read/learn much about over the years. Lately, I've been trying to make up for my ignorance and catch up on such, uh, important topics...but like you said, while Wikipedia is great for obtaining detailed background knowledge, it takes me forever to find good examples this way. It would be more efficient to start with a couple of examples for each topic and then use Wikipedia to fill in the gaps or perhaps even find links to other similar examples. That's what's so great about you sharing the examples you've found and I can't thank you enough for that. My email address is asteroid5577@hotmail.com        

Again, thanks a lot for all your help.

[Guest Jochi1543]

You shoulda seen that steamy PM he sent to me after I made that comment...:hat :rollin

[Guest ComplacentTragedy]

"Complacent, I want to have your lovechild."

"Jochi, I'm not ready to have a baby."

"Why not?"

"People already think I'm pregnant."

"You're not that fat."

"You've only seen me online."

"And in my dreams."

"Nightmare actually."

"Right, that's why I was screaming..."

 

^^

 

Yes, steeeeaaammmy hot. Last time I sang a lovesong for a girlfriend while playing the ukulele. And even then I'm pretty sure my love advice is better than my med stuff. A ukulele.

 

Citrinez, where were you during grade school talent night? Oh right, nonexistant - just like every other person who would have laughed at my knock knock jokes.

 

Avenir, it seems to me that in fact, you have a wealth of examples already available to you. But perhaps, the difficulty in your case is finding ways to use those examples when the prompt hits you in a different way. Don't worry, I just watched five hours of 'House MD Season One' straight; I know critical thinking.

 

You mention politics are your weak points, but don't forget how political alot of your knowledge is. So if you talk about how say, 'Politicians Do Everything to Get What They Want,' and draw blanks (like myself in bed) when brainstorming, consider what you do know. Everyone knows Hitler. That guy is a polititian.

 

Famous politicians like Stalin, Mao, Trudeau, who are pretty well known, all have traits that you can fall back on should your five minutes of prep during leave you hanging (tee hee).

 

"Politicians Put The Needs of the Many Over the Needs of the Few"

 

Mao's cultural revolution and Great Leap Forward left many starving in order for China to progress.

 

"Politicians Put Their Own Individual Needs Ahead of Their Constituents"

 

Mao's cultural revolution and Great Leap Forward consolidated his dictatorship in the process.

 

As for "politics which I haven't cared to read/learn much about over the years" go to the cbc.ca website and check out their 'inDepth' section for relevant topics... just get the jist of it to work with, the thought of the argument takes precedence over the level of detail.

 

Then find your favourite polititian (someone not well known perhaps) find out where he or she screwed up (Wiki 4 evah) and remember that it will be useful to you sometime.

 

Belinda Stronach said I should keep my hair if I like it.

 

- David

 

She's so rich. And smart. And pretty. And rich.

[Guest foos101]

To Jochi1543 and Complacent Tragedy, can you guys check your ezboard inbox. I think I sent a PM but I'm not sure I did it right cause no one is responding. Thanks!