1. Writer’s Workshop
Common App Narrative

2. Choose the one that’s your best fit:
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

3. Station 1- Introductions
Station 1- Introductions Pick 2 of the strategies below and draft a beginning.
Details:
Show the smallest element of the scene you are going to tell readers about. Cue in on the tiniest of details as if we are with you or it is happening in slow motion.
The conclusion-
begin with the end/resolution/or “ah-ha” moment
An Analogy-
compare your emotion/situation to something similar
From an outsider’s perspective-
write as if you are “out of body” or as if someone else is watching you do this.
Questions:
Start with an open-ended, thought-provoking question. Then explain how that connects to your experience?

4. Station 2- Mind Mapping Create a mind map of your life or specific topic question with all things that come to mind.

5. Station 3: 10 minute free writing
Station 3: 10 minute free writing Get as much on the page as you can- no rules!
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

6. Station 4- Show (don’t tell) Select concepts & describe
Fear
Hands shaking
Knees like rubber
Covering mouth with hand
Heavy fast breathing
Heart pounding
Whimpering   

7. Station 5- Outlining Create a working outline for your essay.
Chronological- everything is in order of
time, when it happened
Cause/Effect- one thing brought about
another
Compare/Contrast- similarities and differences
of person, events, emotions, etc.
Spatial- described by where it occurred
Classifying- identifying or grouping by type of
emotion, what it taught you, etc.
Drawing conclusions- you learned/figured out
after several things happened

8. Station 6: 10 minute free writing
Station 6: 10 minute free writing Get as much on the page as you can- no rules!
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

9. Station 7- Phrasing & Synonyms
Grandpa
Family’s hero
The man who taught me how to fish
Our family’s guardian
The giver of candy bars