Do you consider professional essay editing services "cheating?"

[ixitixl]

I was looking at some before/after essay of some of my friends who wrote their own personal statements and then submitted them to professional essay editing services. The improvement was astonishing. In some cases, the style was entirely transformed. I'm just curious what you all think. Do you think it's fair? If you were on an adcom and you found out a particular candidate used such a service what would you do?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[twinklz]

I wouldn't go so far as to say its cheating. But I would say you have the potential to misrepresent yourself to the adcom committee.

In my humble opinion, if I was an adcom I would "re-evaluate" the candidate with a different mindset. But then again, where do you draw the line.

It would be silly to submit a personal statement without having someone (or multiple people) proofread it.

So where does correct commas turn into rewriting style....who knows?

 

[Street Philosopher]

i think the personal statement is over-valued anyway. i don't think it's cheating, but i wouldn't use it because i want to control how i present myself. but that's a luxury i have because i'm a gifted writer.

 

[finnpipette]

as long as the content is the same, i think it's fine. it's like having a friend look over your essay. i personally think they're a little lame, but if you're desperate and don't have people around who know you well and can proofread for you...go ahead.

 

[dr.doolittle]

I agree that you'd be misrepresenting yourself. Not a good first impression. Can't imagine that it'd be too hard to figure out who's used that kind of service since there are plenty of other written questions you'll have to answer and stylistic differences would be obvious. If you need help, why not post something here for review? People who don't know you may be able to give you a more honest assessment than family/friends. If you do have folks you know review things for you, ask them to give you constructive criticism and then DO NOT get angry/defensive/etc. If you tend to lose your cool, have them write comments on your paper. Read their reviews when they're not around and give yourself a while to see if their points are valid. By writing and editing your own work, you'll improve your writing skills and present yourself (not a professional essay writer).

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by ixitixl
I was looking at some before/after essay of some of my friends who wrote their own personal statements and then submitted them to professional essay editing services. The improvement was astonishing. In some cases, the style was entirely transformed. I'm just curious what you all think. Do you think it's fair? If you were on an adcom and you found out a particular candidate used such a service what would you do?

I mean, does it give you an advantage: probably.

But all med schools suggest you have someone or multiple people read over your essay. How is this different than having your buddy, who is an English PhD read the essay and suggest improvements in mechanics and word choice? I guess the difference is here you are paying for it?

As long as the content is all yours, and so is the style: mainly only flow, mechanics and worse usage are improved, it seems OK to me... but I'm not an AD COM.

Coops

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by ixitixl
I was looking at some before/after essay of some of my friends who wrote their own personal statements and then submitted them to professional essay editing services. The improvement was astonishing. In some cases, the style was entirely transformed. I'm just curious what you all think. Do you think it's fair? If you were on an adcom and you found out a particular candidate used such a service what would you do?

I think in the end its really up to the person to look at their original essay and the new one and say: "Is this essay really mine, or was it written for me?"

Coops

 

[Optimist]

I don't think it's cheating, if you've already written the essay, and they are just improving it. It's about the same as having a family member/professor do the same, which IS explicitly suggested by med schools.

 

[HollyJ]

I don't think it's cheating. I think it's a waste of money.

 

[DD214_DOC]

I heard through the vine that many schools don't even bother with the essays. Perhaps this is one of the reasons?

 

[lola]

i used one, and i wouldn't consider it cheating at all. of course, i suppose it depends exactly how much the editor changes your essay. all mine did was switch the order of a couple of paragraphs and suggest some wording changes. i used some of her wording changes and ignored others b/c i didn't feel they sounded like something i would write.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I think that professional essay editing services is not "cheating". Why? - I say.. Once I needed to edit my research paper and I found domywriting service and after 2 days I got a research paper! Maybe I'm lucky.

So you bumped a 13 year old thread to say that paper editing services aren’t cheating because you got them to edit a class paper for you once? Solid.

 

[WhereMyLiberalsAt]

So you bumped a 13 year old thread to say that paper editing services aren’t cheating because you got them to edit a class paper for you once? Solid.

Nah brah, this is low key spam!

I think that professional essay editing services is not "cheating". Why? - I say.. Once I needed to edit my research paper and I found domywriting service and after 2 days I got a research paper! Maybe I'm lucky.

Soooo.... Do you like, get paid per post or just own the scummy company?

 

[deleted804295]

I think that professional essay editing services is not "cheating". Why? - I say.. Once I needed to edit my research paper and I found domywriting service and after 2 days I got a research paper! Maybe I'm lucky.

You just bumped a 13 year old thread...

 

[863168]

So you bumped a 13 year old thread to say that paper editing services aren’t cheating because you got them to edit a class paper for you once? Solid.

At least they're starting to use the search feature instead of creating new threads.

 

[de Ribas]

So you bumped a 13 year old thread

sometimes I feel like people are in a competition who will bump the oldest thread.

This is the oldest bumped thread I have seen so far.

 

[de Ribas]

At least they're starting to use the search feature instead of creating new threads.

I think if it is an old thread with the same topic you searched for, it probably got all the answers you are looking for. No need to bump just to insert your 0.02.

Unless it's a very significant question that was not discussed in the thread which will be very beneficial to everyone else.

Even then, just start a thread with your "important" question.

 

[DD214_DOC]

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

The only potential concern is money and economic advantage for those who can afford it. But the thing is that being economically privileged gives you a huge advantage as a pre-med:

-you can buy expensive MCAT materials
-you can eat out and save time normally spent as cooking and doing groceries for something else
-you can afford mock interviews and other application services
-you can buy expensive tutors
-you don't have work so you have much more free time
-you can afford a more comfortable apartment near your college, compared to someone who either spends time commuting or those who can't study in their room because they share it with 3 other people
-you can afford to apply to more schools
-you can afford class materials (I was in a class that literally required a $150 platform access to a homework website and some people just had to take the 5% hit on their grade)

In general, whether or not you come from money affects a huge part of your life. And being pre-med also pretty much consumes your life. These two parts of your life influence each other in ways you may not even be able to imagine.

So even if it is unfairly advantageous..... it's just a small part of a larger phenomenon