Writing the Admissions Essay


 

Wed, Feb 2

 

HOMEWORK:

 

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:

 

Mon, Jan 31

 

Peer review of essays 

 

Tue-Wed, Jan 25-26

 

DUE TODAY: Demonstrate work on the app essays in class

HOMEWORK:

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”)

 

 

Try these searches:

 

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:

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?