1. Happy Tuesday! 10/24/17
DO NOW:
How prepared are you to turn in your college applications today? Explain in 3-5 sentences.

2. LT/SC
Learning Target-I will be introduced to the college essay unit and all the requirements in entails.
Success Criteria-I can follow a prompt and write about myself. I can discuss the model essay with small group and whole class.

3. Write about something that you love to do.
College Essay Prompt:
Write about something that you love to do.
(maximum of 250 words)

4. Yale University Application Essay Example
The Yale University application essay: (“Write about something that you love to do”) 196 words
The sound of my doorbell starts off high, then the pitch mellows out, and the whole effect mimics an instrumental interpretation of rain finally finding a steady pace at which to fall. I have spent several minutes analyzing its tone because I have had many opportunities to do so, as one thing I love to do is order pizza and have it delivered to my house. When the delivery person rings my doorbell, I instantly morph into one of Pavlov’s dogs, salivating to the sound that signals the arrival of the cheesy, circular glory. It smells like celebration, as I love to rejoice a happy occasion by calling Papa John’s for my favorite food. It tastes like comfort, since having pizza delivered to my quiet home is a way for me to unwind. It looks like self-sufficiency, because when I was young, ordering pizza made me feel grown- up, and it still provides that satisfaction for my child at heart. Accepting those warm cardboard boxes is second nature to me, but I will always love ordering pizza because of the way eight slices of something so ordinary are able to evoke feelings of independence, consolation, and joy.
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5. Essay samples that scored well…
Personal
Weird
What did the writer do well? (repetition, metaphor, ending, etc)
Try that in your writing!

6. Common App They read EVERY essay Holisitic rubric
Research alums, awards, your college choices
Must be authentic!
Find your voice: step out and reveal your personality.
Think about your intended audience and make sure the essay is appropriate.

7. Happy Wednesday! 10/25/17
PSAT day.

8. DO NOW: What makes a good college admissions essay? Explain.
Happy Thursday! 10/26/17
DO NOW:
What makes a good college admissions essay? Explain.

9. LT/SC
Learning Target- I will be able to learn strategies and techniques to help with my college application and create a common app online.
Success Criteria- I can take notes and begin to fill out my common app for college.

10. What makes a good college admissions essay?
1. Write about something that's important to you.
It could be an experience, a person, a book—anything that has had an impact on your life. 
2. Don't just recount—reflect! 
Anyone can write about how they won the big game or the summer they spent in Rome. When recalling these events, you need to give more than the play-by-play or itinerary. Describe what you learned from the experience and how it changed you.
3. Being funny is tough.
A student who can make an admissions officer laugh never gets lost in the shuffle. But beware. What you think is funny and what an adult working in a college thinks is funny are probably different. We caution against one-liners, limericks and anything off–color.
4. Start early and write several drafts.
Set it aside for a few days and read it again. Put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer: Is the essay interesting? Do the ideas flow logically? Does it reveal something about the applicant? Is it written in the applicant’s own voice?

11. What makes a good college admissions essay? continued
5. No repeats.
What you write in your application essay or personal statement should not contradict any other part of your application–nor should it repeat it. This isn't the place to list your awards or discuss your grades or test scores.
6. Answer the question being asked.
Don't reuse an answer to a similar question from another application.
7. Have at least one other person edit your essay.
A teacher or college counselor is your best resource. And before you send it off, check, check again, and then triple check to make sure your essay is free of spelling or grammar errors.

12. Sign into common app Commonapp.org
We will be working on the following essay question for the next couple of days.
Essay #1 (Required for all applicants. 500 words maximum)
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Chose one of the communities in which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

13. Happy Friday! 10/27/17
Sub plans!

14. Happy Monday! 10/30/17
Do Now:
How far did you get on your commonapp.org from Thursday? Do you need more time to fill it out? Would you like time to research different colleges?

15. LT/SC
Learning Target-I will use the laptops to complete my commonapp.org online and/or research different things about college.
Success Criteria-I can brainstorm ideas for the college essay writing prompt.

16. College Essay Prompt
We will be working on the following essay question for the next couple of days.
Essay #1 (Required for all applicants words maximum)
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Chose one of the communities in which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

17. Class work
Please use half the class period to use laptops for completion of your commonapp or to research colleges of your choice:
Prices, admission rates, admission requirements, majors offered, campus lifestyle, etc.
The second half of class will be used to brainstorm the prompt. Please be sure to come up with the community you are going to talk about in your essay and a few examples you can use before leaving today. I will stamp your brainstorm before the bell rings.

18. Happy Tuesday! 10/31/17
Sub plans!

19. Happy Friday! 11/3/17
DO NOW:
Are you ready to peer edit your essay or do you need more time to write?

20. LT/SC
Learning Target-I will be able to write a 500 or less word college essay based off a prompt.
Success Criteria-I can write my rough draft of my college essay in my WNB.

21. Today you will begin to draft your essay
Today you will begin to draft your essay. Use your notes from research to help guide your writing. Remember this is just a ROUGH DRAFT of your admissions essay.
Some things to remember while writing:
Voice: make this essay personal to you. Step out and show your personality through your writing.
Include your research: use specific INTERESTING things that you found out from your research yesterday to let admissions know more about you. Remember this essay isn’t necessarily about why you chose that particular college, but more about how YOU would be a good fit there. Make this admissions essay PERSONAL.
Word count: as you write keep track of how much you wrote. You don’t want to go over 500 words.
Rely on one other: Use your peers for ideas or if you get stuck. Even though you are all writing the same essay, you are not necessarily writing about the same school, department, major, etc…
We will be working on some peer-editing of your essays tomorrow!

22. Class work Please start your rough draft based on your brainstorm.
I will stamp you when you are completed.
If you do not finish in class, you must complete for homework tonight.
We will peer edit tomorrow!

23. Happy Monday! 11/6/17
DO NOW:
How confident are you with your college essay as of now? Do you believe it would be “good enough” to hand in to a college admissions officers as of right now?

24. LT/SC
Learning Target- I will be able to work with a peer to ensure their college essay is the best it can be.
Success Criteria- I can fill in a sheet to give feedback to a partner about their essay and receive feedback about my own and make the appropriate changes to my essay.

25. Class Work Please read through the essays in your small groups.
Answer all the questions on the sheet based on your partners papers.
Please be honest and help your partner(s) out.
Once you have your feedback, make your appropriate changes on your paper before we start typing tomorrow.

26. Happy Wednesday! 11/8/17 DO NOW:
Did you make all the appropriate corrections to your rough draft so you can start your typing today? If so, are you ready to type? If not, how much time do you need before you can type?

27. LT/SC
Learning Target- I will be able to make appropriate changes to ensure my college essay is the best it can be.
Success Criteria- I can type out a final draft of my college essay based on a prompt.

28. Class work
Once you have your stamp to ensure you have made changes on your rough draft, you can begin typing your essay.
This essay is due Monday, November 6, 2017.