COLLEGEESSAYWORKSHOP

Saturday,August13th

AGENDA

  Introductions  Prompts

  TipsandQuestions

  Brainstorming

  Lunch11:00to11:30  WritingWorkshop

  Conclusion

COMMONAPPLICATIONESSAYPROMPTS

1.Somestudentshaveabackground,identity,interest,ortalentthatissomeaningfultheybelievetheirapplicationwouldbeincompletewithoutit.Ifthissoundslikeyou,thenpleaseshareyourstory.

2.Thelessonswetakefromfailurecanbefundamentaltolatersuccess.Recountanincidentortimewhenyouexperiencedfailure.Howdiditaffectyou,andwhatdidyoulearnfromtheexperience?

3.Reflectonatimewhenyouchallengedabelieforidea.Whatpromptedyoutoact?Wouldyoumakethesamedecisionagain?

4.Describeaproblemyou'vesolvedoraproblemyou'dliketosolve.Itcanbeanintellectualchallenge,aresearchquery,anethicaldilemma-anythingthatisofpersonalimportance,nomatterthescale.Explainitssignificancetoyouandwhatstepsyoutookorcouldbetakentoidentifyasolution.

5.Discussanaccomplishmentorevent,formalorinformal,thatmarkedyourtransitionfromchildhoodtoadulthoodwithinyourculture,community,orfamily.

APPLYTEXASESSAYPROMPTS

TopicA.Whatwastheenvironmentinwhichyouwereraised?Describeyourfamily,home,neighborhood,orcommunity,andexplainhowithasshapedyouasaperson.

TopicB.Somestudentshaveanidentity,aninterest,oratalentthatdefinestheminanessentialway.Ifyouareoneofthesestudents,thentellusaboutyourself.

TopicC.You'vegotaticketinyourhand-Wherewillyougo?Whatwillyoudo?Whatwillhappenwhenyougetthere?

ESSENTIALSOFANEFFECTIVECOLLEGEAPPLICATIONESSAY

   Thekeyquestiontoaskyourselfaboutanessayis,“Whatdoesthisessaytelltheadmissioncommitteeaboutme?”

   Theessayshouldtelltheadmissioncommitteesomethingthattheywillnotalreadyknowfromtherestofyourapplication.

   Theessayshouldtellastoryonlyyoucantell.

   Theessayshouldnotonlytellastory;itshouldexplainwhythatstorymatters.

   Theessayshouldshowthoughtfulnessand/orshoulddemonstrategrowthandchange.

   Youressayshouldbememorable.

9ESSAYWRITINGTIPSTO“WOW”COLLEGEADMISSIONSOFFICERS

1.  Openwithanecdote.

2.  Putyourselfinschool’sposition.

3.  Stoptryingsohard.

4.  Ditchthethesaurus.Swapsophisticationforself-awareness.

5.  Writeaboutwhatmatterstoyou,notwhatmatterstothem.

6.  Readthesuccessstories.

7.  Don’tpretendtobesomeoneyou’renot

8.  Followtheinstructions.

9.  Usethespacetotellthemwhatyourapplicationcan’t.

BRAINSTORMINGANDPLANNING

  BackgroundQuestionnaire

  IdentitiesandValuesChart  ShareEssays  PersonalStatementOutline

  WritingWorkshop(Music)

CONCLUSION

  RevisingEssays  Supplements

  TheCollegeEssayist  JohnsHopkins:TheEssaysthatWorked

  Questions