College Personal Statement Peer review!

Knowing the prompt… Make sure you know which prompt the writer is responding to. Read it if it is written down, ask if it’s not!

Read! Read the entire essay, without making any marks or comments. Creepiest reading owl ever…

First thoughts… Talk to the text: what did you like about it? Underline parts you like, and explain next to it why you like it. What didn’t work for you? Underline parts that need some help, and explain what can be changed.

Responding the prompt… Find evidence that this writer is definitely responding to the prompt properly. Explain what the writer is trying to show with this evidence. Find parts in the essay that are straying away and are not related to the prompt. Give advice on how to make it connect or if it should be deleted.

Organization… Explain to the writer why this is organized in a way that makes it easy to follow. Identify examples to show what you mean. OR…explain how the essay can be reorganized to make it easier for the reader to follow. Identify paragraphs to be moved or ideas to be added or deleted to help with this.

Voice… Explain to the writer if his or her voice is appropriate for this audience and purpose. Find evidence in the essay to show what you mean. Audience=college admission counselors Purpose=to show who you are, why you would be good for this school, and to showcase your writing skills.

Editing… Help the writer with major errors, like using commas properly or spelling!

Talk it out! Now tell the writer what you wrote and help him or her to understand how the essay could be improved.