Wed, Feb 2

HOMEWORK:

• Final edits to the college essay
• Compare your essay to the peer review rubric - any edits?
• Complete the play 

Handout (.doc): Peer review for the college app essay 

Web site version: Peer review for college app essay

An additional handout will be given in class that reviews the admissions essay composition process. This handout is only available in class, not electronically.

Tue, Feb 1

HOMEWORK TONIGHT:

• Make edits to your college app essay - bring polished version two classes from now

Mon, Jan 31

Peer review of essays 

Tue-Wed, Jan 25-26

DUE TODAY: Demonstrate work on the app essays in class

HOMEWORK:

• Develop TWO app essays - each based on a different prompt and bring them THURSDAY
• Answer the four questions below

FOCUS TODAY: Concentrated work in computer lab on constructing the college app essay

1. Two college essays are expected tomorrow when you arrive
2. Thursday is a ½ day, Friday a full day
3. Thu (tomorrow) we do peer review for the 25 minute period, and you select which essay to polish
4. The polished essay will go in next semester’s grade book
5. Limit essays to one page, single-spaced (each)
6. The final grade of the semester to be entered will be your write-up of which text contained the most important message for humanity
7. We begin next term w/ the ancient Greeks and the tragedy “Oedipus Rex” (“Oedipus the King”)

• Common questions on admissions essays and tips for handling them
• Sampling of 100 admission essay topics 
• Proposed essay topics for free response 
• Do-don't tips for composition of the admission essay 

Try these searches:

• Common college application essay questions
• Search for specific questions from colleges in which you are interested
• At least one public university/college
• At least one private university/college

Questions for today:

1. What is it you believe the colleges are interested in hearing through these essays? What aspect of your investigation today gave you this conclusion?
2. What differences do you notice between the common app questions/public school questions and private school prompts, if any? 
3. If given a choice of prompts, what type of prompt do you think is best suited to you? Why?
4. What type of prompt is least suited to you? Why?

SELECT TWO PROMPT TYPES AND WORK WITH BOTH. BRING TWO ESSAYS ON THURSDAY - ONE FOR EACH PROMPT. 

Mon, Jan 24

DUE TODAY: Response the question of which text presents the most impt message for humanity

HOMEWORK:

• What aspect of approaching the app essay did you take away from the video?
• Review the prompt types (see links below) - both common and uncommon. What kind of prompt do you prefer? 

FOCUS TODAY: College admissions essay video

Interviews and approaches in video - interviews with applicants to Harvard

Question: What aspect of approaching the app essay did you take away from the video?

Review the following links at home: What kind of prompt do you prefer?

• Common questions on admissions essays and tips for handling them
• Sampling of 100 admission essay topics 
• Proposed essay topics for free response