ESSAY WORKSHOP

New Haven REACH November 1, 2014

Check-in• Check in with your mentor on Common App-

• Have you completed all the basic information sections? (Applicant, Demographics, Family, Education, Academics)

• Have you filled out the activities section of the Common App?

• Workshop your Common App essay!

ESSAYSShowing the colleges who you are.

Common App Personal Essay• Capped at 650 words• Tell colleges who you are, what defines you, what is

important to you, and what has shaped you• What will set you apart• Through essays, colleges are looking for interesting

students who would fit their student body!• Get creative! (formatting, content, voice, writing style)• Topics are on Common App website

Common App Prompts

Framework for Brainstorming

Words to

Describe You

• Think of 5 words that would describe your personality, passion, work ethic, beliefs, or your relationships etc.

• These can be good and bad, but he more specific you can be the better!• For example: Tenacious, Procrastinator, Interested (family lineage), Family man, Hopeful idealizer• Highlight the aspects most important to you.

Stories

• Think of 4-5 stories that encompass, one or more of these attributes.• What does the story reveal about you?• What makes the story interesting?• Situation, Task, Action, Results, Learning (STAR-L)

Pick a

story and go!

• Write that intro• Write in the present tense• Write, trash, write, and wait until you have your epiphany

Types of Essays• Narrative

• Tell a story• Use details, can get creative with this one

• Descriptive• I.e. “Tell us about your role model”

• Explanatory• I.e. “Why ___ college?”

• Analytical• This one will usually ask you to discuss a certain issue (social,

current event)• Displays intellectual curiosity, openness

Personal Statement vs. Supplements• Supplements are usually more creative• Often specific to school (“Why Yale?”)• Or ask you to write on a specific topic

• “Write a letter to your future roommate”• “Tell us your favorite joke and try to explain the joke without ruining

it”• “What matters to you, and why?”• “Imagine looking through a window. What are you seeing and why

is it meaningful to you?”

Activities Blurb• Topic: Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular

activities or work experiences.• Less than 1000 characters, or 150 words• Best writing technique: be straightforward, concrete

• Not a narrative (story-telling)

• Write about an activity that really makes you happy• Elaborate—reveal why you spend time doing this activity• Don’t be redundant! If you have already written about an

activity in your personal statement, don’t write about it again.

OPEN DISCUSSIONEssay topics, techniques, writing style– any questions?

ESSAY WORKSHOPWork with your mentor!

To do:• Create an essay checklist of your schools, the essay

prompts for each, and your topic• Strategize to minimize the number of essays you have to write–

remember, you can recycle!

• Finalize Common App essay, if you haven’t already• Pick an activity to write about for the activities blurb

• What angle will you take on?

Assignment• By next week, draft your activities blurb!• Keep in touch with your mentor so you don’t miss

deadlines! They are just around the corner.

QUESTIONS?We’re here for you!

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