Personal Narrative / College Essay
Assignment: Answering one of the questions from the Common Application or other topics provided, write a personal narrative of 250 – 500 words (about 2 – 3 pages) double-spaced.
Remember to…
-Show don’t tell
-Show what you learned from an experience, activity, or person
-Use details, descriptions specifics
-Be precise, concise, and creative
-Edit carefully
Strategies to possibly utilize…
Use imagery to let the reader more clearly visualize the scene, hear the sounds, feel the atmosphere, etc. Focus on words that appeal to the senses – sight, sound, taste, touch and smell.
Use a flashback technique: begin with the present and move to your past. Return to the present at the end of the piece to unify the ending.
Develop a metaphor or symbol that represents the mood of the entire piece. This symbol can be anything – a childhood toy, a house, a trophy, a bridge.
Capture a moment of epiphany in which you experience an enlightenment and mature or understand a situation you had not been able to perceive previously.
Keep your focus narrow and personal; follow a single point or thesis.
Grading
Rough Draft (typed) – 25 points
Final Draft (typed) – 100 points(coherence and mechanics)
Common Application Topics
Option #1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it.If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
Option #2: The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success.Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Option #3: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
Option #4: Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma--anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
Option #5: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
Other Topics from area colleges:
- How would you describe yourself as a human being? What quality do you like best in yourself and what do you like least? What quality would you most like to see flourish and which would you like to see wither? (BatesCollege)
- Please tell us about your career goals and any plans you may have for graduate study. (WestfieldState College)
- Do you believe there’s a generation gap? Describe the differences between your generation and others. (DenisonUniversity)
- To learn to think is to learn to question. Discuss a matter you once thought you knew “for sure” that you have since learned to question. (BrynMawrCollege)
- You have just completed your 300-page biography. Please submit page 217. (University of Pennsylvania)
- Please tell us more about yourself. Relate one or more experiences or circumstances that have contributed to your personal and/or academic development. If you have been out of school for a year or longer, please discuss your activities during that period of time. (TempleUniversity)
Other Career Plans:
Write an essay that describes what you plan to do for the next five years to achieve the living situation you desire and how you got to this decision. Include the following information in narrative format:
-What factors/people influenced you to make this decision?
-What previous experiences do you have that lead you to this decision?
-How have you prepared/how will you need to prepare for your next step in life?
-Are you meeting your parents’/your family’s/your own expectations for your future?
-What goals do you have for further intellectual development? How will you reach these goals?
-How will you protect yourself and your loved ones in the future?
-How will you plan for your own financial well being in the future?