Essays that Work Convey a real and memorable sense of the applicant Are honest and distinguish the applicant from any other Should give a vivid sense of your personality Show a personal concern about something, not simply a generic “concern”

Common Application Essays Please write an essay (200-500 words) to import into the online Common Application on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence. continued

Common Application essays, cont. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.,) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you. Topic of your choice. Available online after July 1st at: www.commonapp.org . . . Link download forms!

What to Write About Colleges will give you prompts which fall into several major topic areas Why go to college? Why here? Focus on the personal, not on social or economic reasons Examples of answers that work Who are you? What you think of yourself; self-knowledge is a pre-requisite for understanding the world Be honest and search for qualities you have, not those you wish for

Topics Continued Tell us a story about yourself Suggests your values, clarifies attitudes, and breathes life into your personality Focus on a specific incident or event Don’t make the story a lecture with a POINT What is important to you? Your choice should have some direct, personal bearing on your life Try out more than one answer and submit the one you like best

Topics Continued What would you like to tell us about yourself? Avoid submitting a re-heated essay Consider explaining anything unusual that has influenced your school or home life Use a style of writing that sounds like you

Spawning Ideas Begin keeping a journal (anything that catches your eyes or ears…write down!) Try free-writing, non-stop writing for 10 – 15 minutes a day Re-read your free writing and circle ideas or phrases you like that seem as if they might be good essay topics Lists: write a list of items down quickly, such as a list of people important to you, or a list of books you’ve read

Ideas (continued) Create a timeline of your life…lifelong themes, key events, and personal interests may appear that can be essay topics Brainstorm with a friend, teacher, coach, parent: sometimes the power of working with someone else will help you come up with a topic

Writing in 3 Stages Playful inventors Shapers of our experiences Editors of what we have written “And because I found I had nothing else to write about, I presented myself as a subject.” Montaigne

Assumptions about Writing Good writing is correct writing. I must know what to write before I begin. I begin by restating the question. I try to make the first draft the final draft. Correctness counts, but good writing involves much more. I discover what I think by writing. I begin by engaging my reader. I write and rewrite until I get it right.

Assumptions (continued) It’s impressive to use big words. I keep my reader’s interest by postponing my real point until the end. More is better. The right words – often a small word – is always best. I don’t keep my reader guessing. I aim to make every sentence interesting. Less is more. Precision is better than volume.

Peer Reviews Questions you can have your reader answer about your essay: What stands out most in this draft? What’s your favorite part? How could I build upon it? If you could change one part, what would you change? Which words or phrases do you remember? What do you want to hear more about? Describe the voice you hear in the draft? What does it reveal about me?