Essay writing company?

[TravelingCoopers]

I've been off the forum for a few weeks and wow it looks like my question has stirred quite a response.

I'm truly amazed at some of your stories about kids and parents with deep pockets who are allowed redos after being caught, or worse, making an entire class redo an assignment because of a few students! What ticks me off more than a child/young adult doing things like that is when parents completely back them up thinking their child has done no wrong. I was talking to a friend of mine who teaches at a (let's say not so demanding university) and he has this happen to him all the time. Once he failed a student and his parents tried to sue the university. it's absolute madness. Poor guy had so much crap to deal with on the job and that was not the kind of cherry on top that he needed.

My niece has a good head on her shoulders, but I still worry about her getting caught with the wrong people and peer pressured into things.

I really appreciate all your comments and stories.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

There have been several "cheating scandals" at various high school in our area in recent years. In response, all of the schools have put anti-cheating procedures in place, and have come down hard on offenders.

DS was a freshman last year and his English class was very writing intensive. One of the first things the teacher discussed with the class was the fact that you can buy essays online on almost any topic. His rule was that any essay written at home had to be turned in online using Google Chrome. Every essay would be run through the software to determine whether or not it was purchased online. After the essay passed that check, the teacher would read it. The only hand-written essays allowed were those written in class, in one class period. If you didn't finish in class and wanted to finish the essay at home, you had to type it up and turn it in online.

Anti-cheating measures can often go overboard and punish kids who did nothing wrong. In May, a high school in our area gave an AP History exam to something like 200 students. Several weeks later, it was determined that the desks they used were placed too close together to meet the rules dictated by the test. The kids had no idea. They just walked in, sat down, and took the test. The principal said the test was given on a Saturday and they had to call in staff members to proctor the testing rooms. They arranged the desks so they could fit all of the kids into a certain number of rooms. They should have paid extra staff members and opened up several more room. As a result, all of the test scores were thrown out and the kids had to retake the test weeks later.

 

[usd2bmd]

I didn't know that particular site, and wow it looks professional. It's also more affordable than I would've believed; today's high school students seem to have a whole lot more money in their pockets than we did at that age. I do notice that it doesn't even address the major issues that should cross every student's mind: Is this ethical? Am I likely to get caught?

As a teacher, I'll point out a couple things though:

- It doesn't take me long to "get to know" my students' writing, and when something extra-good or extra-bad pops up, I notice. And I question. Some of my writing is done in class. If a student's in-class essays are garbage, while their take-home work is wonderful, I notice. I may not know whether the stuff is being written by a girlfriend or parent (more common than you'd believe) or whether it's purchased, but I'll smell a rat a mile away.

- The plagiarism software that we have today is very good; however, if this site is providing individual essays for each purchaser, then it won't catch the purchased essay -- the software works by storing past essays, so the essay is caught THE SECOND TIME it's submitted. The first person who turns it in won't be caught. Most kids who cheat simply copy something off the internet, and that's what the plagiarism software catches. Moreover, I can catch that myself very easily: When writing seems, um, out of a student's league . . . I go to a paragraph in the middle of the paper (because students are careful in the beginning, but they get lazy) and pick a couple sentences with, um, unlikey language choices . . . and I pop them into google. Voila! Evidence! I'm right more often than I'm wrong.

Going back to the purchased essay concept, of course, the obvious question is, As a purchaser, how do you KNOW the writer didn't already give this essay to someone else? A person who would write for such a site has already proven he has no regard for academic ethics, so why do you think he'd "play fair" with you? You have no way to know whether you're actually the first purchaser or the fiftieth. And if you're not first, the plagiarism software will catch you.

- The big thing kids HATE to write is the research paper, and it's pretty much impossible to use a site like this for a research paper. Why? Because, as an English teacher, I'm going to require X number of note cards by this date, the outline by next week, the introduction by that date, etc. That's hard to fake.

- If her teacher ever catches her using someone else's writing, that teacher will never forget it and will probably say to the next year's teacher, "Keep an eye on so-and-so. I did catch her cheating once." I personally would not write a college recommendation for a student whom I'd caught cheating, and I would explain WHY I didn't feel comfortable with it. This could easily go beyond one little essay grade.

Regardless, your niece probably mentioned it because she's curious about whether you'll approve or disapprove. You have to come down hard on the side of NO, We don't do that in our family. You know that she needs the practice in composing her thoughts on paper.

Finally, though this is very off-topic, I'll throw it in: If your niece needs help with her writing, I suggest you work on organizing her thoughts. That's the #1 reason kids don't write well -- they don't want to stop and plan, they don't want to outline, they just want to throw something on paper, and stream-of-consciousness isn't a good method for writing. Kids who are able to categorize and organize their ideas can almost always write a good paper. The best starting place: Jot down notes. They don't have to be written into a formal outline, but writing them down forces the student to think through what is to be written.

Every paper my daughter had to write in school had some sort of schedule like the one listed above.
Topic due
note cards due
outline due
rough draft due
final draft due.

Not sure how you would fake it. My daughters writing has always been a struggle, but (thank goodness) she never considered paying someone else to do it.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Every paper my daughter had to write in school had some sort of schedule like the one listed above.
Topic due
note cards due
outline due
rough draft due
final draft due.

Not sure how you would fake it. My daughters writing has always been a struggle, but (thank goodness) she never considered paying someone else to do it.

You write the paper first and then work backwards, pulling the info from the paper as the other components are due. Or, do like I always did. Still leave the paper for the last minute and throw together any old garbage for the note cards and outline along the way. Then claim the final draft "took a different direction" by the time you got to the end.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I didn't want to overstep my mark and I'm sure a lot has changed since my school days, but what do people think of this kind of service?

It's cheating. Pure and simple. It's playing games with the system and not learning the material.

 

[gwynne]

Zombie thread bumped by...what appears to be advertising.

 

[mnrose]

Nm...zombie thread

 

[aprilchem]

Its not right to do and, I would greatly discourage my kids (and let them know I would be disappointed in them) from doing this. However, in my ds high school it is very common. The kids (and parents) have more money than sense. And you know what happens when they get caught? They get a do over. Now in most cases they can't get a 100% but they can get an 80% if their new paper warrants.

This past semester my ds English class had 10 kids that got busted because Turnitin found they were plagiarizing. The teacher had to meet before a disciplinary committee to see what the punishment should be (should there be a question?) and they were going to make the WHOLE class re do the paper just in case they missed anyone cheating. In the end the cheating kids got to redo the paper.

And these are the kids my kid has to compete against for class rank and GPA. Its very frustrating.

This doesn't happen at the college level, at least in my experience. I'm on the Academic Integrity Board at my institution and we routinely suspend or expel students for plagiarizing. Many students assert "this is the way I did it in high school" and we don't take that as an excuse or mitigating circumstance - one instance and you're out.

 

[NewRVLady]

Another Zombie

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

9 out of 10 zombies surveyed say the brains of cheaters taste better.

 

[scrapquitler]

Aside from the moral aspect, let her know that teachers are wise to this. When I was in college the teachers started using anti-plagiarism software that scans your paper word for word and compares that to online literature. If it was more than a certain % match, you'd be failed. My husband was taking a class and really did write a paper from scratch but his words (lots of citations) produced like a 70% match so the teacher did make him go back and change some things.

I also agree that schools consider this cheating and depending on the honor code, you can be expelled.

This. Many or maybe even most of the teachers and our local high school run every paper thru some software like this to see if the work is plagiarized.

If you use an essay writing service, then the essay is not YOUR work.

 

[LBIJim]

When I was in college, I made a very pretty penny editing papers on the side. Since I'm incredibly fast reader- I would even read the book and edit your essay, for a fee, of course!

I would edit and rewrite papers for fellow college students, for, of course, a fee (or beer), but I didn't do the actual writing. Also, I was a fast at typing and made some bucks doing the work for the people too lazy or unable to type.

There were no internet essay sources back in the stone age, but the school newspaper always had a few ads in the classified section. "Term Papers, 1000's to choose from in every subject. Fast service." Of course there was the disclaimer that they were meant as "study aides only," but nobody was fooled. I did hear a story that two students in the same class turned in identical purchased term papers.

I turned in the same paper I wrote in high school for a college American Literature course. Comparison/contrast between Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Roderick Usher from Edgar Allen Poe's Fall of the House of Usher. Practically verbatim, with a few minor changes. Got an A both times.

A paper I wrote on Urban Mass Transportation in a business course was also submitted in an Urban Sociology course. That one was probably about 75% the same.

 

[JakeBrum]

I`ve never been caught at school by any teachers in plagiarizing someones work, but pretty sure - if such happen could do the job myself twice. In our country school the were no stuff helping teachers to find literal cheats. Well, as for me I don`t really find this thing a criminal. Nowadays students got plenty of variants where to find the necessary information, and the main sometimes is not to do it yourself, but to find it faster then others, especially at work. So I don`t blame those guys who use essay writers via net companies. That can be considered as a hiring experience and help others to earn money. By the way many writing companies provide FREE plagiarism checker (for example this one), interesting - how would modern teachers deal with that?

 

[pryncess527]

I used to think that too, until I actually started using "the process" on my own -- and IT WORKS! And it is so much easier than kind of winging it, making it up as you go -- especially if you're writing lengthy papers with loads of sources. Later when I worked as a tech writer, I used a modified version with computer files instead of note cards.

I think what high school students hate is the enforced timeline. Structure in writing doesn't come naturally to most students, so a system is necessary.

I recall hating this process when it was first introduced to me, but it was a lifesaver later on. My 8th grade English teacher taught us to write a research paper this way. It seemed silly and pointless to me because I could easily write a 5 - 15 page paper without that type of organization. BUT, later in life, when I was floundering with my Masters thesis, in a moment of panic I decided to revert back to what I'd learned in 8th grade and it proved to be a lifesaver for something that long (easily 3-4 times longer than anything I'd written up to that point).

I'm sure there are other valid methods, and that this one may not work for all styles, but I was (eventually) very grateful it had been introduced to me!

 

[ptcbass]

Ok, so is it ok to write your paper and than pay a service to critique it for you before handing it in? Does anyone do this? At lest this way it would be your own work.

 

[pryncess527]

Ok, so is it ok to write your paper and than pay a service to critique it for you before handing it in? Does anyone do this? At lest this way it would be your own work.

In most cases, yes. I might still check with the instructor though, it's not common, but I do sometimes see instructors who specifically say no outside help.

 

[ptcbass]

In most cases, yes. I might still check with the instructor though, it's not common, but I do sometimes see instructors who specifically say no outside help.

We homeschool but my son will be in college before I know it. I am just trying to think ahead to what might be on the no no list. We currently don't use any services but I am sure he will hear about others that do.

 

[Gracie09]

In most cases, yes. I might still check with the instructor though, it's not common, but I do sometimes see instructors who specifically say no outside help.

I disagree. The colleges I have worked for would say it's cheating. All colleges provide access to a writing center or other tutoring service to help students learn skills they need. It's is a skill they need to learn. What happens when they have to write a report for work. They can't send it to an outside company to edit. There may be coworkers that will read it for them but then again maybe not.

 

[declansdad]

It is flat out cheating, so no. Some people at my school do offer proofreading services, which I think is marginally more acceptable - some people are bad speller/writers and, as long as they write the essay themselves, having a second person read it doesn't seem as dishonest. Still not crazy about the idea, though. Let's hope they don't have to take an exam or write an in-class essay at the end of the semester, because the results probably won't be pretty

There is nothing wrong with proofreading, both doing it yourself and having someone else read it as well. In fact it should be encouraged.

I've known about these for awhile and even participate in one as a writer.

They are all over NYC and unless your kid is a genius most struggle in the private school sector. What I do isn't outright writing the paper but maybe embellishing a paper a little bit. A kid writes the assigned admission paper and then I go in and in red write a better way for them to say what they are trying to say.

A little bit of my morals knows it is wrong and cheating but hey I get $100 a paper to fix the work of 5th graders. If they get into a school that they can't keep up with due to my help it isn't my problem when the flunk out. Most of the parents even know their kids aren't going to cut it but it is the prestige of being at one of the top schools in the city that they want. They don't care if the kid gets in and then struggles the entire time.

Haha I took no offense. I know it is unethical but my boyfriend's sister is a guide for admissions in NYC specializing in elementary school and middle school. Her conern is just getting kids into the school and past that it is up to the parents to keep them there. She makes a ton of money and although it is unethical as I pointed out I make 100 for about 2 hours worth of work on my part. She even comes to me because I cost less than the companies that are here in NYC and provide the same service. I also make sure it sounds like a 12 year old wrote it and not a late 20s adult with a BA.

What you and your boyfriend's sister are doing is far from being a little bit wrong.

 

[firecracker725]

There is nothing wrong with proofreading, both doing it yourself and having someone else read it as well. In fact it should be encouraged.






What you and your boyfriend's sister are doing is far from being a little bit wrong.

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