Thursday Sep 5 2013 Write five adjectives that best describe who you are Then identify three personal experiences which exemplify each quality DoNow Agenda The Common Application or the Common App ID: 405095
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Adjectives & Experiences
Thursday, Sep. 5, 2013
Write
five
adjectives
that best describe who you are.
Then, identify three personal experiences which exemplify each quality.
Do-NowSlide3
Agenda
The Common Application (or the Common App)
Analyzing College Essay Samples
Homework:
College Essay: Draft 1
(due Monday, Sep. 9)Slide4
The Common Application
The Common Application (or the Common App) is an undergraduate college admission application that applicants may use to apply to any of 500+ member colleges and universities in the United States and various other countries.
Colleges that require the Common App include:
Boston College
Boston University
HarvardTufts Massachusetts College of Liberal ArtsSlide5
The Common Application Essay
A significant portion of the Common App is the college essay, which has
updated
for the 2013-2014 application.
“The
essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you
distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)" Slide6
Common Application Essay Prompts
Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please
share your story
.
Recount an incident or time when you
experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
[shows confidence & introspection]Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? [shows analytical ability; connects your environment to your identity]Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your
transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.Slide7
Common App Essay Tips
Memorable Moment:
narrow your focus by identifying a memorable moment, write about a single frame within the reel of your life
Bold Beginnings:
c
atching the reader’s attention via descriptive lang., action, dialogue, or an intriguing statement
Explode a Moment: “explode” a part of your experience by describing the associated senses (sights, smells, etc.) Show, Don’t Tell: distinguish between telling how you feel and showing through the use of action words. Extended Metaphor: try to include a metaphor/symbol that that continues throughout your essaySlide8
Bold Beginnings
Collage admissions
staff, while evaluating students on their
total
merit, take notice of the first lines that make essay-
reading a particular pleasure. Here are some of their favorite openers: I have old
hands.When I was in eighth grade I couldn't read.I change my name each time I place an order at Starbucks.On a hot Hollywood evening, I sat on a bike, sweltering in a winter coat and furry boots.I was paralyzed from the waist down. I would try to move my leg or even shift an ankle but I never got a response. This was the first time thoughts of death ever crossed my mind.The spaghetti burbled and slushed around the pan, and as I stirred it, the noises it gave off began to sound increasingly like bodily functions.Slide9
A
college essay is simply
ONE of
MANY
factors which contribute to an applicant’s acceptance or rejection
(i.e. SAT scores, GPA, extracurricular activities)Slide10
College Essay Samples
The following essays were taken from
MyEssay.com
, an online college essay assistance service, as well as from previous
Boston Public School seniors
. Read and evaluate each essay. Identify
whether you believe the essay was strong enough to grant the student admission into the identified college. What worked? What didn’t? Which essays helped the students get accepted to these schools? Which ones didn’t?Slide11
College Essay Rubric
2
+ 3 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1
15
x 5 = 75% Slide12Slide13Slide14Slide15
Homework
Read
THREE
of the remaining five
college essay samples and
complete the back of the rubric provided
. Also, select one of the Common Application essay prompts, and compose a formal response (remember, no more than 650 words)DUEMonday, September 9