The Flat Earth Society

Other Discussion Boards => Philosophy, Religion & Society => Topic started by: Lord Dave on April 29, 2017, 06:07:24 PM

Title: Your double space isn't double enough!
Post by: Lord Dave on April 29, 2017, 06:07:24 PM
http://www.chronicle.com/article/Dozens-of-Colleges-Upward/239895

I know a rule is a rule but come on... if there was an example of "Deny it any way you can" this would be it.

Title: Re: Your double space isn't double enough!
Post by: Rushy on April 29, 2017, 07:28:55 PM
Well, if you allow leniency on the format you're basically letting some students insert more content than others. If my essay has 4 four lines per inch and yours has 3, I'm getting more words per page, which makes it unfair for all other applicants.


Also, "apply some common sense, people!" is the dumbest reasoning you can ever have when dealing with law, especially law that grants people money.

Title: Re: Your double space isn't double enough!
Post by: Rama Set on April 29, 2017, 08:11:27 PM
Failure to follow application rules is an extremely efficient way of weeding out unworthy applications too. Callous, to be sure, but it's not like it's an uneven playing field. Every applicant should have had time to review their application for compliance.
Title: Re: Your double space isn't double enough!
Post by: Lord Dave on April 29, 2017, 08:31:35 PM
Well, if you allow leniency on the format you're basically letting some students insert more content than others. If my essay has 4 four lines per inch and yours has 3, I'm getting more words per page, which makes it unfair for all other applicants.


Also, "apply some common sense, people!" is the dumbest reasoning you can ever have when dealing with law, especially law that grants people money.


Except it was a college administrator that failed, not students.
Title: Re: Your double space isn't double enough!
Post by: Rushy on April 29, 2017, 08:55:43 PM
Well, if you allow leniency on the format you're basically letting some students insert more content than others. If my essay has 4 four lines per inch and yours has 3, I'm getting more words per page, which makes it unfair for all other applicants.


Also, "apply some common sense, people!" is the dumbest reasoning you can ever have when dealing with law, especially law that grants people money.


Except it was a college administrator that failed, not students.

I don't see how that affects my point. Just replace "students" with "administrators".
Title: Re: Your double space isn't double enough!
Post by: Lord Dave on April 29, 2017, 09:37:27 PM
Well, if you allow leniency on the format you're basically letting some students insert more content than others. If my essay has 4 four lines per inch and yours has 3, I'm getting more words per page, which makes it unfair for all other applicants.


Also, "apply some common sense, people!" is the dumbest reasoning you can ever have when dealing with law, especially law that grants people money.


Except it was a college administrator that failed, not students.

I don't see how that affects my point. Just replace "students" with "administrators".
1. A word count is likely part of it, thus your argument is irrelevant since more words would fail you anyway, formatting being irrelevant.


2. Formatting is not so you have precise word count.  Part of it is legebility.  Most of it, like all rules of grants, is to deny them.


Normally, when you have to award a grant but have limited funds, you make up rules to use in deciding between two equally valid groups.


However, if an organization has been doing the grant for decades, does it make sense that suddenly they'd be denied?  Unless there was a sudden surge of exceptional programs that forced the department to cut out a very successful one with decades of history, this screams funding cuts.


As I said, the formatting rules are for deciding between close competitors.  And it wasn't just one organization awarded either.  So call me paranoid but this looks exactly like a "deny any you can with any technicality".




But we won't know until we get the award list.  But I am sure either not all the money was given out or it was given to new programs that are more in line with DeVos's ideology.
Title: Re: Your double space isn't double enough!
Post by: Rushy on April 30, 2017, 09:51:44 PM
Well, Dave, I guess some of us just expect people to read the rules before playing the game.
Title: Re: Your double space isn't double enough!
Post by: Roundy on May 01, 2017, 11:15:33 PM
I was under the impression that formatting has always been important for college entrance  essays. Surely being able to properly follow directions is something recruiters value (and indeed should).