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PJam1989 · Post by **PJam1989** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 7:39 pm

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CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 7:58 pm

Normally, optional essays are not footnoted. It would help if you shared the specifics.

PJam1989 · Post by **PJam1989** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:06 pm

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CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:08 pm

I don't think that you need to formally cite a source in this situation. Just state that you got the info. from The College Board in the body of the writng.

Redamon1 · Post by **Redamon1** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:11 pm

PJam1989 wrote:My pleasure. I am writing an essay to Penn explaining how I have traditionally performed bad on standardized tests. I use my SAT scores to support this statement, and compare my SAT scores to those projected on The College Board (Official SAT Score Website). Wasn't sure if I needed to cite the website at the end of the essay, or if the information in the essay was good enough. Pat

If you cite your source in the text, that will be good enough. No need for footnotes. E.g. "The College Board, in a 2012 study titled "Name of Study," has found that blah blah blah."

Don't cite too much stuff though... It will quickly get dry.

ihenry · Post by **ihenry** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:20 pm

To me this looks a bit weird. Are you going to title your optional essay "An Inquiry into the Failure of Predicativity of Standardized Tests for Pat's School Performance"?

I think just acknowledging casually like "according to collegeboard" would be fine.

PJam1989 · Post by **PJam1989** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:33 pm

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Maplesyrup · Post by **Maplesyrup** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:38 pm

lol rock on

ihenry · Post by **ihenry** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:42 pm

PJam1989 wrote:Not to sound like a dick Hen, but Penn puts the optional essay there for a reason, and the optional essay specifically addresses the concept of standardized tests. So yea, in a more humble way, that's what I will write about.

Sure you want to address it. It's just that this is a personal topic, and putting citation at the end makes it overly formal. Just write in a narrative way and there shouldn't be problems.

fats provolone · Post by **fats provolone** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:49 pm

just my 2 cents but i think this essay prompt is asking more for a personal explanation of why you will succeed in law school despite your low GPA and/or LSAT than a well-researched critique of standardized testing.

Traynor Brah · Post by **Traynor Brah** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:52 pm

fats provolone wrote:just my 2 cents but i think this essay prompt is asking more for a personal explanation of why you will succeed in law school despite your low GPA and/or LSAT than a well-researched critique of standardized testing.

This. Pretty certainly not going to make a difference though.

fats provolone · Post by **fats provolone** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:55 pm

Traynor Brah wrote:
fats provolone wrote:just my 2 cents but i think this essay prompt is asking more for a personal explanation of why you will succeed in law school despite your low GPA and/or LSAT than a well-researched critique of standardized testing.
This. Pretty certainly not going to make a difference though.

i mean these have to be basically indistinguishable.

"why do I think my high [GPA/LSAT] is more representative of my potential for law school success than my low [LSAT/GPA]? because my [GPA/LSAT] is high, and my [LSAT/GPA] is low."