Scholarships, internships and many other awards generally require applicants to write some kind of essay explaining why they deserve the award. But are essays the best means of assessing someone’s capabilities? Some people might argue that other means, such as portfolios or certificates, might be better indicators of how deserving someone is. But should applicants be able to articulate their strengths in writing? Should essays or direct evidence play the primary role?
As someone who lacks any ability to sufficiently articulate my thoughts in the moment without putting pen to paper, I would be lost without essays. I believe that, for most scholarships and awards, jobs and internships included, the people charged with selecting applicants are looking for the most-well rounded candidates. I think most employers and people in similar situations would agree that writing and related skills in spelling, grammar, vocabulary, etc., are very much a part of their personal selection criteria. And I think it makes sense that essays play such a large part. Writing is something that is assessed at nearly every step of the traditional education process, at least in the United States. Spelling, grammar and vocabulary are all major parts of elementary education. I think the assumption that people should be able to write and clearly articulate an idea is not at all unreasonable, as long as we hold high expectations for the education system in America.
If those reading the essays assume that people should generally be on the same level when it comes to just the writing aspect, the only other factor in an essay becomes the ideas and the critical thinking. I would describe the actual writing as a boat and the ideas as supplies in the boat. The boat is always a boat and should always be recognizable as a boat. Writing is made up of words and grammar; writing itself is not much more than that, save for stylistic differences and the like from person to person. The real value in writing comes from the ideas, which are the objects you can put in the boat. The boat is built to transport things across bodies of water. The boat alone has no real purpose.
I think it is very reasonable to accept essays as a primary tool for evaluation of candidates for scholarships, internships and other awards. Language is a huge part of any culture. Words are how we communicate ideas, so it makes sense that you should be able to communicate through writing what you believe your accomplishments to be.
I would agree with those who say it is impossible to deem hard evidence, such as portfolios, insignificant. Hard evidence gives concrete proof of how hard the candidate works and what kind of work they do. Anyone can write amazing words about amazing things they may not have even done. According to the tradition of North Korea’s current regime, the late leader Kim Jong Il not only invented the hamburger, but also played the best round of golf ever recorded, complete with 38 under par and five holes in one. The truth is that words do not mean much without evidence.
However, I believe that essays are still better demonstrations of ability and how much a candidate deserves an award. An essay, even without strict evidence for each idea presented within, still allows a potential employer to determine whether or not the candidate has demonstrated understanding and original ideas. Those would be indicative of having worked with and having thought critically about the subject matter. Hard evidence has its own disadvantages. Portfolios and certificates only tell an employer so much. They only show the outcome of what may or may not have been hard work by the candidate. Portfolios show results. Rarely do they give someone any indication of the work that went into producing the result. Results can be faked, especially if not based on application guidelines. If I were asked to submit accomplishments in a portfolio, I believe I could do a pretty good job of piecing together things I haven’t actually done. I think it is a lot more difficult to fake understanding a subject to the point where one can clearly and concisely piece together an essay.
That is why I believe that essays have a major advantage over hard evidence. There are not many ideas and concepts that cannot be illustrated through writing. I do believe that hard evidence should be part of the process, but I do not argue against an essay’s being the main part of the process. I think providing an essay in an application has a lot more advantages than providing evidence in the form of a portfolio or a certificate. I do not want the hiring party deciding for me what my work means. I want to tell them what it means, why I did it and what I hope to do next. Maybe in 2050 humans will have invented a way to analyze someone’s brain to determine motivation and desire, but until some better means of proving ability comes along, I think essays are the way to go.
