1. The College Essay What is it? What is the purpose? What is the assignment?

2. Considerations Think of how bored admissions officers are by these essays. Think of their reason for looking at these essays. Think of the essay as an opportunity.

3. Tips Be honest. Simplify: one idea/one story Describe vividly and with details. Don’t limit yourself to monumental events.

4. Common Errors Gimmicks Negativity Repetition Controversy Self-pity Grandiloquence

5. Be Careful in Your Wording He was a modest man with an unbelievable ego. I enjoyed my bondage with the family and especially with their mule, Jake. I would love to attend a college where the foundation was built upon women.

6. More Awesome Lines If Homer’s primary view of mortal life could be expressed in a word, it would be this: life is fleeting. My mother worked hard to provide me with whatever I I needed in my life: a good home, a fairly stale family, and a wonderful education.

7. Make It Stop It was like getting admitted to an Ivory League school. I’d like to attend a college where I can expose myself to many diverse people. I look forward to attending your collage.

8. Grandma? Hint: If you’re going to write about grandma or grandpa, they should be interesting. AND—you must be clear about how THEIR story relates to YOURS

9. Mom? Here’s why I didn’t talk to my daughter for 3 days. I’m not proud of it, but…

10. Opening Strategies We’re going to look at a few opening strategies for essays.  I want you to think about how effective they are and why.  I want you to be ready to imitate some of these openers.

11. Opening Strategies: Is the following opening effective? Why or why not? “Widowed, alone, children and grandchildren flung wide from California, she fills her days with little things.”

12. Opening Strategies: Character Description Try a description of the person involved. Imitate the sample: “Widowed, alone, children and grandchildren flung wide from California to New England, she fills her days with little things.”

13. My Example Ragged, tired, socks and shoes flung to all corners of the room, the English teacher sinks into a chair, wine glass clutched in her ink-smeared hand, to cry the day’s troubles away.

14. Opening Strategies What makes this opening different from the last? Is it effective? “Her walk is slow, hesitant, leaning slightly forward from the waist. Her hands, swollen and misshapen with arthritis, have traceries of blue veins across the back. They are never still.”

15. Character Description: Physical Characteristics Try imitating the sample: “ Her walk is slow, hesitant, leaning slightly forward from the waist. Her hands, swollen and misshapen with arthritis, have traceries of blue veins across the back. They are never still.”

16. My example  Her voice is harsh, ugly, cutting into her students. Her throat, swollen and misshapen with overuse, tires from the frequent yelling. It is forever scarred.

17. Brainstorming & Structure

18. Brainstorming Even if you haven’t picked a topic, make a list of the events, people, and experiences that have changed you or made you the person you are. Which events, people, and experiences make the best stories?

19. Narrative Structure Chronological Order or Flashback?  Do you want to start with the beginning of the incident and slowly work your way forward to present day?  When I was fourteen…  Do you want to begin with a description of the situation now and flashback to the significant moment?  I look at her now as she…. But our relationship wasn’t always so wonderful….

20. The most important things I’m sorry to tell you, but they are DICTION and GRAMMAR Yes, word choice. Watch out for repetition (unless it’s a stylistic choice). Proofread! Did I tell you about Boob Duke?