Personal Essay (60 pts.)MillerDual Credit English
Remember that the essay is part of the résumé and cover letter assignment which is worth a total of 100 points. The résumé and cover letter are due on Tuesday, September 14. The personal essay timeline appears below.
- Monday, September 13, 2010 – personal essay assignment delivered
- Thursday, September 16, 2010 – prewriting (required for one of the prompts below or specific to a scholarship essay or college application)
- Friday, September 17, 2010 – personal essay rough draft due (peer edit in class)
- Wednesday, September 22, 2010 – final draft of personal essay due
Below the “generic” personal essay assignment is presented. If students have a personal essay to write for a college essay or scholarship application, they may write that essay instead. Students must turn in the prompt and other important information for their personal essay. If a student does not have a personal essay prompt for a scholarship or application, he should select one of the prompts below to explore.
University of Chicago Prompts (minimum of 250 words requested)
- Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
- Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
- Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
- Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
- A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
Essay requirements/requirements if writing the “general” essay based on the University of Chicago prompts:
- Minimum 250 words
- First or third person (absolutely no second person allowed)
- MLA format
- School appropriate
Again, if a student has a specific personal essay assignment, he must turn in the appropriate information with his final essay.