1. 2020 Talks: The College Essay
Mrs. Daley and Ms. Loscalzo

2. Welcome to our English Teachers!
What questions do YOU have for the pros about the college essay?
How can you stand out in an essay?
How can you prepare now and over the summer?
Is editing and revising really that important?
Is it OK to humble brag about myself in an essay?

3. 2019-2020 Common Application Essay Prompts
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.

4. 2019-2020 Common Application Essay Prompts
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?

5. 2019-2020 Common Application Essay Prompts
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

6. 2019-2020 Common Application Essay Prompts
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.

7. 2019-2020 Common Application Essay Prompts
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

8. 2019-2020 Common Application Essay Prompts
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. 2019-2020 Common Application Essay Prompts
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

10. Most Popular/Common Choices
“During the application year, the most popular topic of choice was: “Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.” (24.1%). The next most popular topics were: “Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.” (23.7%), followed by “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?” (21.1%).”

11. Tips from SUNY Begin with a List Create an Outline
Make a list of your positive qualities, strengths, personality characteristics and traits. What makes you unique? What makes you think? Have you experienced failure? Has a belief been challenged?
Create an Outline
Your essay should consist of three parts - an introduction (one paragraph), body (several paragraphs) and a conclusion (one paragraph). Create an outline, decide where to include examples and write your first draft. Don't worry about making it perfect; just let your ideas flow. You can fix mistakes and improve your writing in later drafts.

12. Tips from SUNY Have a Focus Strive for Balance
Your goal should not be to include all of your accomplishments and activities (that is what an activities resume is for). The most engaging essays tell a story and have a clear focus. A thoughtful and detailed narration of a difficult time in your life tells far more about you than a list of competitions won and honors achieved.
Strive for Balance
Be careful about bragging and using your essay to explain perceived injustice. Use humor cautiously and be honest. The essay is one way to ascertain whether you can write well and support ideas with logical arguments.
Creativity and Originality Count
This is your time to shine! Identify a topic or talk about something that is unique and different Or, breathe life into a mundane subject by approaching it differently.

13. Essays that Worked- Examples from Colleges
worked/2014-essays-that-worked
application-essays/

14. Survey