College Essay Assignment
College Application Essay
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any of you will be asked to write a personal essay this year for either admission to a college/university or for consideration for scholarships. Typically, these assignments force you to focus on yourself, your values and beliefs, the experiences and people who have influenced you, and your personal and professional goals. This information is meant to help you with the process of thinking about what you will write for your essays for college admission and/or scholarships. If you have not done so, go online to the school(s) to which you expect to apply and see whether or not there are essay requirements so that you can begin to think about what you will write. I will be glad to look over your essays and help you improve them.
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o help you focus on your goal of writing effective essays, here is a list of the purposes of admissions essays—how admissions officers use essays:
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1. To get to know the student in a more reliable, specific, and personal way than the numbers and the recommendations provide
2. To provide a view of a special commitment to learning, school, etc.
3. To show something about what and how you think—your thought process
4. To show priorities, values, and the ability to synthesize and connect information
5. To show how you get something out of an experiences (see the meaning in an experience)
6. To explain grades or exceptional circumstances in your background (If there are very special circumstances in your life—an illness, a family situation, a disability—this is something you will want to address.)
7. To evaluate the fit between student and college
8. To show writing abilities—organization, analysis, interpretation—and your mastery of the conventions of standard written English
a. Writing is important in college. Some schools require writing samples or that you take a writing test to place you in classes. Since your ability to interpret, analyze, and express yourself clearly, correctly, and vividly will be crucial in most of your college courses, your college application essay will be looked at in these terms.
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ssay Writing Hints
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1. Whatever other advice you receive, be yourself. Regardless of the question, the essay is about you.
2. Know yourself:
a. What are your preferences? What are your interests? If you don’t know, it’s time to figure it out.
b. What are your values? What do you believe?
c. How do you think? Are you spontaneous or careful? Are you whimsical or methodical? Are you a leader or a supporter?
3. Respond to the topic suggested and stay within the length recommended. Imagine yourself as the admissions officer.
a. The essay should be precise. Be specific. Stay on subject.
b. Be vivid and clear.
4. Narrow your focus. Don’t tell EVERYTHING you know. Less is more. Select one thing about yourself and focus on that. A small, interesting fact will shine most brightly.
5. Structure your essay: Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.
6. Use the essay to elaborate on something which is not otherwise evident in reading your application (e.g., a talent, interest, political view, or achievement).
7. Don’t send your résumé in essay form. They already have an activities and previous work experience list on the application. Trust that they read it. Think of something else. Deliver your message with power. Write with certainty.
8. Address your weaknesses by making them implicit strengths.
9. If two schools should have similar topics, proof carefully to verify that your comments are generic or you have changed the specifics (“My blood runs true blue” wouldn’t work for State or Clemson; “I feel most energized in the cool of the mountains” won’t work well for UNC-Wilmington).
10. Generally speaking, admissions officers are looking for evidence of ability, motivation, creativity, self-discipline, and growth potential.
11. Don’t be too grave, but don’t be too cute either. This is not the time to attempt a comedy routine unless you have some experience and success with humor.
12. Don’t procrastinate. Write this essay as though a small part of your life depended on it. Write a rough draft, edit it, and edit it again. When you are ready to write the final copy, allow yourself plenty of time so you don’t make careless mistakes.
13. Write your own essay. You don’t want to end up with a packaged product. Admissions officers can tell!
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riting Checklist [pic]
After writing and editing your rough draft, review again:
1. Scratch out any of the following words: a lot, very, really, nice, things, stuff, there is, there are, there was, it is, it was, always, never.
2. Scratch out any words that seem like slang: hang out, cool, dude, etc.
3. Scratch out any clichés: e.g., last but not least, sad but true
4. Scratch out any generalizations, stereotypes, or vague statements: e.g., I had a normal childhood, Everyone knows the feeling
5. Scratch out any words you know are too pretentious.
6. Scratch out any words you don’t know.
7. Eliminate all contractions.
8. Avoid passive voice.
9. You are allowed to use first-person pronouns in this essay (I, me, myself, my, mine).
10. Search for the subject and the verb in each sentence. Correct any sentence fragments.
11. Evaluate the length of your sentences. Don’t overuse either long or short sentences. Make sure you do not have any run-on sentences. Use your comma rules packet.
12. Make sure any number under 100 is written as a word: e.g., twenty-two
13. Do not start paragraphs with the words “First, Second, Third, One, Two, Last, Finally, etc.
etters of Recommendation
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1. Ask someone who knows you well and who can communicate that knowledge. Recommendations ask, “How long and in what capacity have you known this individual?” Knowing you for only a week or two as a student in this class this year will not lead admissions people to trust the stated opinions. Choose someone who has taught or coached or employed you for at least several months.
2. Ask well ahead of time, and ask whether the person feels he or she can be positive. If this person hesitates, ask someone else!
3. Provide a stamped envelope along with the correct forms filled out fully for your part of the information.
4. Provide a résumé of your accomplishments along with your interests, goals, and other pertinent information so that the writer can add background to the letter.
5. Waive your rights. Teachers will write more.
6. Make sure you ask politely if the letter has been completed about a week before the deadline: “Mr. X, I want to thank you for writing my letter to Skidless U. I’m just checking today to see if my file is complete. Have you had a chance to get to the letter?”
7. Give appropriate thanks. Your writers usually spend hours composing these letters on your behalf, and a thank you note or other small, tangible gift is a simple courtesy.
*On the following pages, you will be evaluating two essays to determine if they work or not. Mark up the essays and write notes about the merits and/or shortcomings. This will help you with your essays.*
This page is posted separately.
Evaluate the following using what you’ve learned to determine whether this is an effective essay. Mark it up.
An Essay About Yourself. This writer was asked to provide a personal statement about herself.
If someone were to ask me to describe myself, I would have to say that I am a person of many interests. I enjoy a simple life, yet I am not afraid to try new things.
I have been fortunate enough to become exposed to a variety of lifestyles at a very early age. During my travels to Europe, I was able to visit Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. There, I learned about different cultures and how other people live. Watching and meeting people is one of the many things that I enjoy.
Since the age of four, I have been dancing with “Dance Capri,” a countrywide Italian-American folk dancing group. My involvement in this organization has introduced me to people who are interested in the same things I am. We enjoy learning about our Italian heritage and pride ourselves in keeping up the folk dancing tradition.
Along with dancing, traveling, and meeting new people, I enjoy skiing and gymnastics. I usually ski in Vermont during my vacations, but last year I had the opportunity to ski in Quebec, Canada, for a week. I have always been on gymnastics teams, during the school year and the summer, and although I never won any special honors, I enjoy competitive gymnastics meets, especially the balance beam. For me, competing with a team has taught me what working for one common cause and reaching a common goal are like.
One of the most relaxing hobbies I enjoy is cooking. When time permits, I bake and I prepare special meals for my family. I learned how to cook through various cooking courses that I took when I was younger. In high school, I could only fit one food preparation class into my program.
Along with this class, I enjoyed a variety of other courses in high school. However, the ones I liked the most were jewelry, Italian, and history. I believe, though, that I made the most out of every course I took in high school.
Out of school, I invest a good deal of time in various part-time jobs. My work experience includes cashier and hostess work in an Italian restaurant, and my present job, which is working as a Gal Friday in an insurance company. I also babysit when I have the time.
High school was and still is a time of growing and maturing for me. Although working hard and getting good grades has always been my first priority, I also established and set many of the values that guide my life today. I can confidently say that in my senior year of high school I am ready to meet the challenges of college. I am ready to move on, and I see a bright future ahead of me.
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