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COLLEGE ESSAY ASSIGNMENTPlease read the following quotes and consider them for a moment. How well prepared are you? How will you continue to prepare yourself?“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” –Benjamin Franklin“I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” –Abraham Lincoln“Unfortunately, there seems to be far more opportunity put there than ability.…We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.” -Thomas Edison“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.” –Winston ChurchillThese men were great men, and they had a common realization: the importance of preparation. You are in the process of preparing yourself to become your future self. Who will you be? How will you become that person? Well, here is a start: your college essay (I know, so cheesy!).*NEED INSPIRATION? Check out exemplar essays at and/or : Please complete the following steps.Read the Naviance essay prompts. Keep these in mind while you are doing the brainstorming plete the essay brainstorming exercise to help you start generating ideas, AND determine which Naviance prompt best fits your brainstorm findings.Type your essay and place it in the class folder.Provide the prompt with the word count requirements.Proofread your essays (I suggest reading it out loud. I know it feels weird, but so many times we make mistakes we don’t see when we read silently).Adhere to the word count and provide word count at the end of your essay.Peer editing: have a classmate revise your essay using the checklist providedProofread your essay AGAIN (READ IT OUT LOUD OR have someone read it to you. I know it feels weird, but so many times we make mistakes we don’t see when we read silently. Our brain will read what we mean and not necessarily what is actually on the paper.). Remember that writing is a process. Multiple revisions are part of that process. Use all the resources available to you to make sure you have the best essay possible (as your older siblings, cousins, parents, another teacher, anyone who is willing to look at it to revise it). I will look at your essays once again but as a final step of this process. The revision I grade should NOT have any typos, run-ons, fragments, misspellings, sentence structure, paragraph structure, or awkward writing.Print your essays and bring them to class on _________________.NAVIANCE ESSAY PROMPTS1. 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. [No change]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? [Revised]3. Reflect on a time when you?questioned?or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your?thinking? What?was the outcome? [Revised]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. [No change]5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or?realization?that?sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.?[Revised]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??[New]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.?[New]BRAINSTORMING EXERCISEBrainstorming Questions for the Personal EssayMost of these questions can be followed by “Why?” or “Explain.”What’s the toughest decision you made today?What’s the toughest decision you made this year?What’s the toughest decision you ever made?What have you forgotten?If you were guaranteed the answer to one question, what would it be?What’s it like being you right now?What makes you nostalgic?If you had two hours left on earth what would you do?What’s the most beautiful word in the world?Who makes you laugh more than anyone?What did your father teach you?What did your mother teach you?What’s the best gift you’ve ever given?Best gift you ever received?How many times a day do you look in the mirror?What do you bring most to a friendship?If 100 people in your age group were selected randomly, how many do you think they’d find leading a happier life than you?What is or was your best subject in school?What activity do you do that makes you feel most like yourself?What makes you feel supported?Whom do you secretly admire?What time of the day do you feel the most energetic and what do you usually do in those moments?What’s something you never leave home without?What’s a recurring dream you have?What makes you feel safe?What’s the best thing that ever happened to you?What do you want people to say about you once you’re gone?What’s the coolest thing about science?What’s the best money you ever spent?What’s a bad habit you have?What are you grateful for?Whom are you envious of?What’s an image you’ll never forget?Describe a near-death experience.If you had a clone, what would you have the clone do?What’s your idea of Heaven?What’s your idea Hell?When did you know?What can you do better?When are you most yourself?What superpower would you most like to have?If you were granted three wishes, what would you do with the second wish?What is your actual superpower?If you won 100 million dollars, what would you buy first?What's the best sound in the world?What’s perfect about your life?What song do you sing only when you’re alone and what memory does it bring back?Describe a moment you were so embarrassed you wanted to disappear.How many times a day do you think about money?Who has been the biggest influence on you in your relationship to money?What's one thing you're certain of?Describe one of your colossal failures.What makes you cringe?What does your inner voice tell you?What crime have you considered committing?What's great about your mom?What’s great about your dad?Which day would you gladly re-live?What are you awesome at?What do you want people you meet for the first time to think about you?When were you most afraid?What are you terrible at but love to do anyway?What weapon would you carry during the Zombie Apocalypse?Which of your five senses would you keep if you could only keep one?What’s something you love to make?What do you cook better than anyone?What do you wish you’d invented?What would you like to invent?Out of 100 random people, where would you rank yourself in terms of your intelligence?Where do you want to be right now?If you could be someone else for a day who would it be and why?What makes you feel powerful?What’s the meanest thing you’ve ever said?What’s the meanest thing someone has ever said to you?What three words would you have on your grave stone?What’s your first thought when you wake up?What’s one thing you wake up to in the middle of the night worrying about?If you could tell someone something anonymously, what would it be?Whom would you like to forgive and forget?If you could get rid of one of your responsibilities today, what would it be?What type of person angers you the most?What is your greatest strength?What is your worst weakness?How do you show your love for others??Why are you here in this room right now?When is a time you forgave someone or were forgiven for something?What’s the biggest mistake you ever made?What are you hiding?What’s your unanswerable question--the question you seem to always be asking yourself?What are you ashamed of?What is stopping you?What’s a secret you have?How do you secretly manipulate people to get your way?When was the last time you apologized?What is the biggest lie you tell yourself?What’s the moment you left childhood behind?What's missing from your life?Do you believe in a higher power?What are you ready to let go of?What are you not saying right nowBrainstorming Questions for the Personal Essay 2: Finding the perfect essay topicAcademics:What’s your main academic area of interest?Why does this matter to you?When did this interest first start to matter to you? Was there a specific event that sparked your interest?How did your interest evolve over time?Did you ever face a really big challenge in continuing to learn about or study this topic?Was this challenge the result of your gender, race, or religion?Was this challenge the result of your family’s socio-economic background?or the result of the culture of the place you lived?Would you still pursue this academic interest if you earned a very small income with your future job in this area?Activities:What’s an extracurricular activity you do that’s incredibly rare?What’s an extracurricular activity that has shaped your personality and character?Why does this activity matter so much to you?When did this activity first start to matter to you? Was there a specific event that sparked your interest?How did your interest in and commitment to this activity evolve over time?Have you done something with this activity that no one else you know has done?Did you ever face a really big challenge in continuing to pursue this activity?Was this challenge the result of your gender, race, or religion?Was this challenge the result of your family’s socio-economic background?Was this challenge the result of the culture of the place you lived?Life-events:Is there something you’ve done or experienced that changed you forever in a positive way?How did this event make you more mature, compassionate, self-aware, determined, or strong?Is there a day from your life that you reflect on often? Why is this day so memorable to you?Are you similar to or different from your parents / siblings? What made you this way?When did you feel like you didn’t fit in with a group of people? What made you different than others?Is there something (non-academic / extracurricular) that you devote A LOT of time to? Why do you do this?What have you done that didn’t earn you praise, attention, or success?What makes you feel like your life is meaningful and important to you?What is one thing that you would never change about yourself or your life experiences?Once you’ve created your list of topics, you’ll need to start narrowing them down. For each topic, ask yourself:Is this a topic I care about?Is this a topic that I’ve cared about for more than 1-2 years?Is this a topic I think shows something about my character and personality?Is this a topic that shows something impressive and / or unique about my achievements or activities?Is this topic memorable to me? Do I think about this fairly often in my life?Am I the only student in my high school class who would write about this topic?Does this topic show only positive things about my character, maturity, and perspective on life?Would I be interested in reading about this topic if someone else wrote about it?Could I write 10 pages about this topic (far more than you’ll need to write, of course)?If the answer to most or all these questions is “yes!” you’ve probably landed on an ideal topic for you! And get started with writing your personal statement!?ESSAY TEMPLATEFirst and last nameAP Literature Period #Ms. TrujilloDateRevisions by: List the names of everyone who revised your essayName of college or Common App Essay Prompt with directions (for example, word count)Your essay…double spaced (enter word count in parenthesis at the end of your essay).COLLEGE ESSAY EDITING CHECKLISTDIRECTIONS: Use the following questions to edit your peer’s college essays. Remember that even though we need to develop a thick skin and shouldn’t shy away from helpful criticism, be kind in your feedback and, most importantly, offer suggestions.Does the essay fully and clearly address the prompt? Mark areas that are not clear or that need elaboration.Has the writer used the prompt to come up with ideas that are unique and interesting? This is, of course, a matter of opinion. Identify which ideas you found interesting or areas/details that could be developed to make it more interesting.As a whole, does the essay “work”? Does it keep the reader’s interest throughout? Identify the areas that work and the areas where you lose interest. Explain why you lost interest.Does the essay take any creative risks? Does this risk pay off? Why or why not?What is the overarching main idea, theme or thesis statement? Is it clear?Is the main idea of the essay supported by details that are concrete, lively and interesting? Mark areas where ideas need to be supported.Does the writer stay on task and avoid unnecessary tangents? Identify unnecessary tangents that could be deleted.Is the writer’s voice and tone consistent and interesting throughout? Identify shifts in voice or tone.Does the essay reveal something about the writer? What do you learn about him/her?Does the essay have a definite beginning, middle and end? Are transitions in place between sentences and paragraphs, making for a smooth read? If not, add transitions or suggest ways to transition.Is the essay free of grammatical, spelling and mechanical errors? Make sure to correct these errors if you find them.Does the essay communicate that the writer is a strong candidate for admission? How? Where? Can they add this or strengthen this? ................
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