1.   UMass is now using the essay partly as a proxy for affirmative action, which is being used far less this year, officials said.

2.   Using essays instead of multiple-choice questions on exams makes it harder for students to cheat, Hardy said.

3.   Duan argued that his essay was used without permission and that by using excerpts instead of the whole article Ma and Ling distorted his theories.

4.   He also questioned whether the essays were being used to get around restrictions on affirmative action.