Name: ______English 12
Date: ______Period 8
I.
Common Application Essay Option 1 - Share Your Story
Tips and Strategies for an Essay that Discusses Your Background or Story
The first essay option on CA4, the new version of the Common Application launched in 2013, asks you to share your story:
Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
This popular option appeals to a broad spectrum of applicants. After all, we all have a "story" to tell. We've all had events or circumstances that have been central to the development of our identities. Also, so many parts of the application -- test scores, grades, lists of awards and activities -- seem far removed from the actual features that make us the unique individuals that we are.
If you choose this option, spend some time thinking about what the prompt is really asking. On a certain level, the prompt is giving you permission to write about anything. The words "background" and "story" are wonderfully (horribly?) vague, so you have a lot of freedom to approach this question however you want.
That said, don't make the mistake of thinking that anything goes with option #1. The story you tell needs to be "central to [your] identity," and it needs to make your application more complete (the application "would be incomplete without it").
As you explore possible ways to approach this first essay option, keep these points in mind:
· Think hard about what it is that makes you, you. If you end up telling a story that hundreds of other applicants could also tell, then you haven't fully succeeded in tackling the question of identity that stands at the heart of this prompt.
· Your "story" or "background" isn't a single event. Being voted Prom Queen and scoring that winning goal may be impressive accomplishments, but by themselves they are not stories about the formation of your identity.
· Your "story" or "background" can take a variety of forms. Did you grow up in a difficult domestic situation? Did you live in an usual place that had a significant impact on your childhood? Did you or someone in your family have significant challenges to overcome? Were you surrounded by people who had a major influence on your development? Did you move frequently? Did you have to hold a job from a young age? Do you have a particular obsession or passion that has been a driving force in your life for years?
· Make sure your essay is adding a rich dimension to your application. You have 650 words to present yourself as an interesting and passionate individual who will be a positive addition to the campus community. If your essay is repeating information that can be found elsewhere in your application, then you're wasting this opportunity.
· Keep "diversity" in mind as you write your essay. By diversity I'm not referring to the color of your skin or your ethnic background (although these can certainly be a part of your essay). Rather, if a college admits 2,000 students, the school wants to see 2,000 individuals who each has a unique story and background to bring to the campus environment. The strongest colleges and universities do not have homogenous student populations. These tips for an essay on diversity can help you think about this issue.
· If you don't think you have a story to tell, you are wrong (at least I've never met a student who didn't have an interesting background). You don't need to have grown up in a yurt in the Himalayas to have a background that is worth narrating. A Connecticut suburb produces its own meaningful stories.
A final note: No matter which essay option you choose, keep in mind the purpose of the essay. The college to which you are applying uses the Common Application which means the school has holistic admissions. The college wants to get to know you as a person, not just as a list of SAT scores and grades. Make sure your essay captures YOU. The admissions folks should finish reading your essay with a much clearer sense of who you are and what it is that interests and motivates you. Also, make sure your essay paints a positive portrait. The admissions folks are considering inviting you to join their community. They will not want to extend an invitation to someone who comes across as insensitive, self-centered, boastful, narrow-minded, unimaginative or indifferent.
Last of all, pay attention to style, tone, and mechanics. The essay is largely about you, but it is also about your writing ability.
II.
Common Application Essay Option 2 - Learning from Failure
Tips and Strategies for an Essay that Explores a Time You Experienced Failure
The second essay option on CA4, the new version of the Common Application launched in 2013, asks you to discuss failure:
Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
Many college applicants will be uncomfortable with this question. After all, a college application should highlight your strengths and accomplishments, not draw attention to your failures. But before you shy away from this essay option, consider these points:
· Growing and maturing is all about learning from our failures.
· No college anywhere, ever, has admitted a student who hasn't failed at times.
· It's easy to boast about our accomplishments. It takes a greater level of confidence and maturity to acknowledge and examine our failures.
· A student who can learn from failure is a student who will be successful in college.
· Every single one of the thousands of applications a college receives will highlight successes, awards, honors, and accomplishments. Very few will show the type of confidence and introspection required to explore failures.
If you can't tell, I'm a fan of this prompt. I would much rather read about an applicant's learning experience from failure than a catalog of triumphs. That said, know yourself. Prompt #2 is one of the more challenging options. If you aren't good at introspection and self analysis, and if you aren't comfortable with exposing a wart or two, then this may not be the best option for you.
Break Down the Question:
If you do choose this prompt, read the question carefully. Let's break it down into three parts:
· Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. This is the exposition of your essay -- the description of the failure that you are going to analyze. Keep in mind that the action requested here -- "recount" -- is the easy part of your essay. Recounting doesn't require a lot of high-level thinking. This is the plot summary. You'll need clear, engaging language, but you want to make sure you do the "recounting" as efficiently as possible. The real meat of your essay that is going to impress the admissions officers comes later...
· How did it affect you... This is the second most important part of your essay. You failed, so how did you respond? What emotions did failure evoke? Were you frustrated? Did you want to give up or did failure motivate you? Were you angry at yourself or did you project blame onto someone else? Were you surprised by your failure? Was this a new experience for you? Be honest as you assess your reaction to failure. Even if you were affected in a way that now seems inappropriate or an over-reaction, don't hold back as you explore the way that failure affected you.
· what lessons did you learn? This is the heart of your essay, so make sure you give this part of the question significant emphasis. The question here -- "what did you learn?" -- is asking for higher level thinking skills than the rest of the prompt. Understanding what you learned requires self-analysis, introspection, self-awareness, and strong critical thinking skills. This is the one part of prompt #2 that is truly asking for college-level thinking. The best students are those who assess their failures, learn from them, and move on. Here is your chance to prove that you are capable of this type of thoughtfulness and personal growth.
What Counts as a "Failure"?
Another challenge with this prompt is deciding on your focus. What type of "failure" will lead to the best essay? Keep in mind that your failure does not need to be, as my son would phrase it, an epic fail. You don't need to have run a cruise ship aground or ignited a million-acre forest fire to choose this essay option.
Failures come in many flavors. Some possibilities include:
· A failure to apply yourself. Did laziness or over-confidence make you under-perform academically or in an extra-curricular event?
· A failure to behave appropriately. Did your conduct in a situation insult or hurt someone? How should you have behaved? Why did you behave the way you did?
· A failure to act. Sometimes our greatest failures are those moments when we do nothing. In retrospect, what should you have done? Why did you do nothing?
· Failing a friend or family member. Did you let down someone close to you? Disappointing others can be one of the most difficult failures to come to terms with.
· A failure to listen. If you're like me, you think you're right 99% of the time. Many times, however, others have a lot to offer, but only if we listen.
· Failure under pressure. Did you choke during your orchestra solo? Did you bobble the ball during an important play?
· A lapse in judgment. Did you do something foolish or dangerous that had unfortunate consequences?
This list could go on and on -- there's no shortage of ways to fail. Whatever failure you write about, make sure your exploration of the failure reveals self-awareness and personal growth. If your essay doesn't show that you are a better person because of your failure, then you haven't succeeded in responding to this essay prompt.
A final note: Whether you are writing about failure or one of the other essay options, keep in mind the primary purpose of the essay: the college wants to get to know you better. On a certain level your essay isn't really about your failure. Rather, it is about your personality and character. In the long run, were you able to handle your failure in a positive way? Colleges that ask for an essay have holistic admissions, so they are looking at the whole applicant, not just SAT scores and grades. By the time they finish reading your essay, the admissions folks should feel that you are the type of person who will succeed in college and make a positive contribution to the campus community. So before you hit the submit button on the Common Application, make sure your essay paints a portrait of you that makes a positive impression. If you blame your failure on others, or if you seem to have learned nothing from your failure, the college may very well decide that you don't have a place in the campus community.
Last of all, pay attention to style, tone, and mechanics. The essay is largely about you, but it is also about your writing ability.
III.
Common Application Essay Option 3 - Challenging a Belief
Tips and Strategies for an Essay that Reflects on a Time You Challenged a Belief
The third essay option on CA4, the new version of the Common Application launched in 2013, asks you to refect upon a time when you challenged a belief:
Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
The focus on a "belief or idea" makes this question wonderfully (and perhaps paralyzingly) broad. Indeed, you could write about almost anything that you've ever openly questioned, whether it be your school's daily recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, the color of your team uniforms, or the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing. Of course, some ideas and beliefs will lead to better essays than others.
Choosing an "Idea or Belief":
Step one in tackling this prompt is coming up with an "idea or belief" you have challenged that will lead to a good essay. Keep in mind that the belief could be your own, your family's, a peer's, a peer group's, or a larger social or cultural group's.
As you narrow down your options, don't lose sight of the purpose of the essay: the college to which you are applying has holistic admissions, so the admissions folks want to get to know you as a whole person, not just as a list of grades, test scores, and awards. Your essay should tell the admissions officers something about you that will make them want to invite you to join their campus community. Your essay needs to show that you are a thoughtful, analytical, and open-minded person, and it should also reveal something that you care about deeply. Thus, the idea or belief that you reflect upon shouldn't be something superficial; it should center on an issue that is central to your identity.
Keep this points in mind as you brainstorm your topic:
· The belief can be your own. In fact, your own belief can be an excellent choice for this essay option. If you are able to reevaluate and challenge your own beliefs, you are demonstrating that you are a student who has the type of self-awareness, open-mindedness, and maturity that are essential ingredients for college success.
· The belief or idea can take many forms: a political or ethical belief; a theoretical or scientific idea; a personal conviction; an entrenched way of doing things (challenging the status quo); and so on. Realize, however, that some beliefs can send your essay into controversial and potentially risky territory. Tread carefully if you plan to explore one of these ten bad essay topics.