1. DO NOW- Journal Consider the college essay topics. Why do you think these topics were chosen? Write a separate response for each topic. Consider the college essay topics. Why do you think these topics were chosen? Write a separate response for each topic. Essay A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Essay A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Essay B: Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself. Essay B: Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself. Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there? Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there? HALF-PAGE MINIMUM, ALWAYS DATE YOUR JOURNAL

2. The College Admissions Essay

3. College Essay Topics Usually ask you to discuss: YOU YOU Where have you been? Where have you been? What are your ideas? What are your ideas? Where do you want to go? Where do you want to go? What do colleges want to see? What do colleges want to see? A story A story A plan/lesson learned A plan/lesson learned

4. Tips Be Professional – Proofread to ensure excellent grammar/spelling. Use Times New Roman font. Be Professional – Proofread to ensure excellent grammar/spelling. Use Times New Roman font. Write Intelligently – They want to know you’re smart so avoid clichés and overused words such as “like”, “so”, “really”, and “very”. Write Intelligently – They want to know you’re smart so avoid clichés and overused words such as “like”, “so”, “really”, and “very”. Remain Focused – Write a STORY. Don’t get sidetracked. Don’t list achievements that have nothing to do with your narrative. Remain Focused – Write a STORY. Don’t get sidetracked. Don’t list achievements that have nothing to do with your narrative. Stand Out – Use hooks, colorful adjectives, figurative language, and plenty of voice. They read hundreds if not thousands of essays, you have to work to get noticed. Stand Out – Use hooks, colorful adjectives, figurative language, and plenty of voice. They read hundreds if not thousands of essays, you have to work to get noticed.

5. Topics Essay A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Essay A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Essay B: Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself. Essay B: Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself. Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there? Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

6. Peer Editing Checklist Homophones - Make sure they are using homophones correctly (where/were/wear, there/their/they’re…etc.). Complete Sentences - Check for fragments and run-ons. Capitalization – Check the proper nouns. 1 st Person POV - Remove second person (you) and rhetorical questions (“Are you ready for the best essay ever!?”). Organization - Is it organized into paragraphs with transitions? Focus - Is it focused on one event or aspect of their lives or many? Interest - Is the story interesting? Make sure it contains voice, figurative language, and colorful descriptive adjectives.