...Tips for a Great College Essay Why write an essay? The purpose of the essay is to convince admission officers whom you’ve never met, in less than ten minutes, that you would be a good match for their colleges. At the most basic level, it allows admission officers to evaluate your communication and writing skills. In addition, the essay allows admission officers to discover more about you as a person – a side of you not shown by statistics like grades and SATs. The essay gives information about your history, attitudes, interests and creativity; it gives a sense of your values and goals. What admission officers are doing is creating a community…looking to see how you would fit in that community, what would you bring to that community and what sets you apart. How the essay is evaluated • • • Is your writing mechanically sound? Is your writing style comfortable? Can you write a good sentence? Can you write a good paragraph? Do you address the question asked? Can you form a thesis? Can you discuss a theme? Is your argument logical? Can you get in and out of the essay with some finesse? Do you write with style, nuance and creativity? Do you write with a distinctive voice? Choosing a topic Choose the essay topic that appeals to you most. The topic is less important than your delivery Remember: there is no right or wrong answer. The college just wants to know who you are and how your mind works. Bad essay topics - there are bad essays, not bad topics; but be...
Words: 876 - Pages: 4
...Tips for a Great College Essay Why write an essay? The purpose of the essay is to convince admission officers whom you’ve never met, in less than ten minutes, that you would be a good match for their colleges. At the most basic level, it allows admission officers to evaluate your communication and writing skills. In addition, the essay allows admission officers to discover more about you as a person – a side of you not shown by statistics like grades and SATs. The essay gives information about your history, attitudes, interests and creativity; it gives a sense of your values and goals. What admission officers are doing is creating a community…looking to see how you would fit in that community, what would you bring to that community and what sets you apart. How the essay is evaluated • • • Is your writing mechanically sound? Is your writing style comfortable? Can you write a good sentence? Can you write a good paragraph? Do you address the question asked? Can you form a thesis? Can you discuss a theme? Is your argument logical? Can you get in and out of the essay with some finesse? Do you write with style, nuance and creativity? Do you write with a distinctive voice? Choosing a topic Choose the essay topic that appeals to you most. The topic is less important than your delivery Remember: there is no right or wrong answer. The college just wants to know who you are and how your mind works. Bad essay topics - there are bad essays, not bad topics; but be careful about the following:...
Words: 876 - Pages: 4
...1. Why are you applying? • For example why you want to study at higher education level. • Why that subject interests you. • What your ambitions are when you finish your course. 2. What makes you suitable? • Skills, knowledge, achievements and experience you have that will help you do well. • These could be from education, employment or work experience, or from hobbies, interests and social activities. • Take a look at the activities on the Planning your future page to see some of the things it could be useful to mention. • Explore your options • Undergraduate • When to apply • Filling in your application • Personal statement • Reference, pay and send • Tracking your application • Results • Student number controls • Fraud and similarity • Performing arts • Postgraduate • Teacher training • Flexible and part-time • International • Starting your studies • Student finance • Mature students • Parents and guardians • Advisers and referees Your personal statement Write a personal statement that shows you'd be a great student – to persuade unis and colleges to accept you on their course. • Course tutors use personal statements to compare applicants, so try to make yours stand out. • Remember it's the same personal statement for all courses you apply to – so avoid mentioning universities or colleges by name, and ideally choose similar subjects. If they're varied then write about common themes – like problem solving or creativity. Personal...
Words: 9243 - Pages: 37
...Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life, 2/e II. Using What You’ve Learned to Share Information The McGraw-Hill Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life, Second Edition 4. Writing to Share Experience © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2011 13 Reading, Inquiry, and Research ■ PART 2 | Using What You Have Learned to Share Information 57 TANYA BARRIENTOS Se Habla Español MEMOIR he man on the other end of the phone line is 1 Tanya Maria telling me the classes I’ve called about are firstBarrientos has rate: native speakers in charge, no more than six stuwritten for the dents per group. Philadelphia “Conbersaychunal,” he says, allowing the fat vow- 2 Inquirer for more than els of his accented English to collide with the sawedtwenty years. off consonants. I tell him that will be fi ne, that I’m familiar with 3 Barrientos was born in Guatethe conversational setup, and yes, I’ve studied a bit mala and raised of Spanish in the past. He asks for my name and I in El Paso, Texas. Her first novel, Frontera Street, was supply it, rolling the double r in Barrientos like a pro. published in 2002, and her second, That’s when I hear the silent snag, the momentary Family Resemblance, was pubhesitation I’ve come to expect at this part of the exlished in 2003. Her column “Unchange. Should I go into it again? Should I explain, conventional Wisdom” runs every the way I have to half a dozen others, that I am Guaweek in the Inquirer. This essay originally appeared...
Words: 9852 - Pages: 40
...A College Education Will Get You More Money Sherri Coleman English ENG 101 March 14, 2010 Mary-Angie Salvá-Ramírez, Ph.D. In order to secure a good job, one must have a college education. A college education ensures you with a good job with great benefits. A college education, also, gives you more confidence in what you can accomplish. A college education also gives you more of an option with choosing the job that you want. A college degree opens the door for many opportunities, financial stability, a comfortable lifestyle, and emotional security. A college degree gives you more peace of mind knowing you have a degree in a specific field. With a much secure feeling on being able to afford the finer things in life. Having a college degree gives you an enormous advantage in the work field with training and more pay. Unlike a high school graduate, you have more leverage. You can choose your places of employment and your salary opposed to having to settle for what is open and in most cases, minimum wages. When you have a college education, you have the option to choose what job you want. You do not have to settle for a job because that is the only job that you can get. You can have your pick and chooses because you have the qualifications. You will not be looked at like you just did enough to get by. You will be looked at as the person who wanted more education to better yourself for a job. You will be looked at as a person who knows what you want and have taken the steps...
Words: 1544 - Pages: 7
...well supported arguments, and often when one begins to think they’ve made a decision on which they agree with, they are swayed by the other way. After reading, “Should Undergraduates Specialize?” by Patrick Allit, and, “Liberal Arts: A Practical View.” by Mark Jackson, I have formed my opinion and what I feel like is a suitable answer to the question above. I believe that students should have a choice. If they feel like they’re ready to dive into what they know they want to do, let them. But if the student feels like they aren’t one hundred percent sure, they should be able to take a wide variety of courses that allow them to eventually choose a major to specialize. Patrick Allitt is the author of the essay, “Should Undergraduates Specialize?” In this essay he compares and contrasts his own experiences in college with those of his college-bound daughter. By comparing the two, he provides evidence to his belief that having the option to specialize as an undergraduate will benefit students. This is shown in his conclusion, “Students with the right frame of mind thrive on studying diverse subjects until they’re ready, sometimes at age twenty or older, to make a stronger commitment. But let’s get rid of the idea that liberal arts is for everyone. America’s commitment to equality and to universal education is noble and invigorating. But it shouldn’t mean that one size fits all” (Allitt 7). Here Patrick is summarizing his essay, and essentially says that liberal arts may benefit some...
Words: 1613 - Pages: 7
...A Former Harvard Business School Admissions Board Member Reveals the Insider Keys to Getting In • Prepare your resume and professional record • Discover the differences between business schools • Top essay and interview strategies • Behind the scenes of the admissions process • Qualitative factors that can make you stand out • Application insights from insiders Chioma isiadinso, M.ed. former Admissions Board Member of Harvard Business School The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets A Former Harvard Business School Admissions Board Member Reveals the Insider Keys to Getting In Chioma Isiadinso, M.ED. © 2008 by Chioma Isiadinso Cover and internal design © 2008 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover photo © Punchstock Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. —From...
Words: 89633 - Pages: 359
...teaching Flannery O’Connor’s short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Adriana Obiols Roca ‘16 / Swarthmore College Spring 2014 a project completed for Prof. Peter Schmidt’s English 71D, “The Short Story in the U.S.” Swarthmore College, Fall 2014 Objectives: students will… * Understand the differences between direct and indirect characterization and be able to identify examples of each. * Understand the uses of irony and foreshadowing in the story as well as more generally in literature. * Become acquainted with Flannery O’Connor and her writing style, particularly with her use of the grotesque. * Explore the complexity of the themes present in the story and the characters O’Connor has created, especially the Misfit and the grandmother. * Exercise a variety of critical thinking and analytical skills in order to form ideas and opinions about O’Connor’s story and her writing strategies. * Practice reading comprehension and summarization. * Employ and practice writing skills in an essay assignment. Necessary preparation: The teacher should have familiarized him or herself with Flannery O’Connor’s life and work before the lesson by using the links provided below. It is also important that the teacher review definitions of the terms characterization, irony, and foreshadowing (see below). Students are expected to have read Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” as well as her essay “Some Aspects of the Grotesque in Southern Fiction”...
Words: 2765 - Pages: 12
...Professor Habbestad English 104 2 December 2013 The Pleasure Scale As we go through life we will experience different events that will help shape the scales that we use in life. Biss talks about how pain is our own experience and no one else can feel the same intensity of pain that we feel at any given point in the day. I believe that it can also be turned around no one can feel the same type of pleasure that I feel. There is no way that I can write a scale of pleasure that fits every person that is on the earth; the only scale that I can make is one where I use the pleasure that have happened to me during my life time. As we age we tend to go through events that will change our outlook on life. Something that may have been a pleasure to us when we were younger may not be pleasure to use when we are older. Take for instance playing on the playground as a young child, that was to time of the day we all waited for we got to go outside and play on the jungle gym. That would not bring me pleasure it would make me depressed just for the fact that I can no longer play on the jungle gym because I am not small enough to enjoy to the level that I would want to. 0 Imagine a world where there is no such thing as pain. Now that you have done that do you think that there would be pleasure in that world? If there is no pain there can be no pleasure they go hand in hand. If you have never felt pain then how can you know what pleasure is? Biss talks about how there is not an absolute zero...
Words: 2804 - Pages: 12
...Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts Peter A. Facione The late George Carlin worked “critical thinking” into one of his comedic monologue rants on the perils of trusting our lives and fortunes to the decision-making of people who were gullible, uninformed, and unreflective. Had he lived to experience the economic collapse of 2008 and 2009, he would have surely added more to his caustic but accurate assessments regarding how failing to anticipate the consequences of one’s decisions often leads to disastrous results not only for the decision maker, but for many other people as well. After years of viewing higher education as more of a private good which benefits only the student, we are again beginning to appreciate higher education as being also a public good which benefits society. Is it not a wiser social policy to invest in the education of the future workforce, rather than to suffer the financial costs and endure the fiscal and social burdens associated with economic weakness, public health problems, crime, and avoidable poverty? Perhaps that realization, along with its obvious advantages for high level strategic decision making, is what lead the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to comment on critical thinking in his commencement address to a graduating class of military officers. Teach people to make good decisions and you equip them to improve © 2013, 2011, 2006, 2004, 1998, 1992, Peter A. Facione, Measured Reasons and The California Academic Press...
Words: 14085 - Pages: 57
...his way back. The book, while on the surface seems like a little bibliography about Crawford’s life is actually more about human excellence and why it is undervalued today. According to the author Americans have lost the appreciation and value for hands on work because of the belief that the only valuable work is work that is performed intellectually. Crawford argues that high schools made a mistake by dismantling shop-class programs and instead preparing students to become “knowledge workers.” He says that our society believes...
Words: 1896 - Pages: 8
...Contact Us We write: Essays Research Papers Coursework Thesis Dissertations Term Papers UK Essays # Count of pages: Number of words: Choose your academic level: Term: Discount Code (optional): Discount: 0% Price: $0 Official PayPal Seal website security Types of Essays A big problem that most students and new essay writers run into is “How to write an essay.” usually roughly all essays follow a common structure of writing which comprises of an introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Once the writers are lucid about the technique of writing an essay and how to write an essay outline, the next step that they face up to is how to move toward a particular research paper topic. And what type of writing works best? Students often complain about a certain type of essay they have been assigned with. It seems to them that writing within essay type boundaries doesn’t allow them to think out the box, limits their potential. But writing a paper without any directions could be even more confusing than the class assignment you got. Do not think about the limitations as of the prison walls, but as of the walls in your room where you feel free to paint murals or change nothing whatsoever, simply being in control of it, being yourself. Tweet Quick Navigation through the Types of Essays Page Basic Types: Narrative, Descriptive and Persuasive How Can We Help Personal Essays Argumentation Essays Information Essays Analysis...
Words: 2955 - Pages: 12
...the top MBA programs》,作者为Don Martin. 2. 第一部分为115份真实的ESSAY, 分别来自于17个不同背景的申请人. 3. 第二部分为对21个常见ESSAY问题的分析，包括问题的关键，常见错误，正确的回答方式. 个人认为这一部分比真实的ESSAY更重要. 4. 由于文件采用扫描和文字识别方法输入, 可能存在一些错误. 5. 此文件仅供CHASEDREAM网友参考使用, 请尊重原书版权, 切勿用于商业用途. Xiearmyxiearmy 零四岁末于美国穷乡僻壤 Chapter I Application Essay Examples INTRODUCTION This appendix contains 115 actual essays written, by 17 different applicants, for leading MBA programs. They address dozens of different essay topics. The applicants and their essays have been selected to give you the widest possible range of materials from which to profit. The first four applicants all applied to the University of Chicago. They were chosen by Chicago’s admissions director, Don Martin, according to my desire that they be from four very different people and of average quality for those admitted. In other words, these essays will show you exactly what you are competing against. They are of perfectly acceptable quality, but they should not discourage you. If you follow the lessons of this book you should be able to surpass each of these efforts. The second set of three applicants—Melissa, Doreen, and Carol—is taken from Columbia University’s files. Columbia’s admissions director, Linda Meehan, was asked to supply several applications, again from people of widely differing backgrounds, but this time of superior quality. I think that this group’s applications are of a somewhat higher...
Words: 76050 - Pages: 305
...11 Position Papers I f you like to argue, you will enjoy writing position papers and argument essays. The purpose of a position paper or argument essay is to explain both sides of a controversy and then argue for one side over the other. This two-sided approach is what makes position papers and argument essays different from commentaries (Chapter 10). A commentary usually only expresses the author’s personal opinion about a current issue or event. A position paper or argument essay explains both sides and discusses why one is stronger or better than the other. Your goal is to fairly explain your side and your opponents’ side of the issue, while highlighting the differences between these opposing views. You need to use solid reasoning and factual evidence to persuade your readers that your view is more valid or advantageous than your opponents’ view. In college, your professors will ask you to write position papers and argument essays to show that you understand both sides of an issue and can support one side or the other. In the workplace, corporate position papers are used to argue for or against business strategies or alternatives. The ability to argue effectively is a useful skill that will help you throughout your life. 221 CHAPTER AT–A–GLANCE Position Papers This diagram shows two basic organizations for a position paper, but other arrangements of these sections will work too. In the pattern on the left, the opponents’ position is described up front with its...
Words: 11159 - Pages: 45
...Character astrology signs. After reading brief descriptions of astrology or sun signs, figure out which signs you think three of the main characters/people from the book were born under. Tell who the three characters/people are, a brief summary of what they do in the book, and the sign that you think fits them. Write an explanation of why you think they fit the sign. As you are explaining why they fit that sign, be sure to recap events from the book to support your thinking—drawing on their actions, attitudes, and thoughts from the book. Here are a couple of links to websites you might want to use as you research different astrology signs: http://www.starlightastrology.com/signsindex.htm http://www.astrology-online.com/persn.htm 2. Heroes and superheroes. Pick a character/person from the book you read. First, describe the character/person--who is she, what did she do in the book, what are her beliefs, etc. Then, select two or three people your character/person would think of as a hero or superhero. Describe the characteristics of that hero or superhero and why those characteristics would be important to your character/person. Also describe which characteristics your character/person would most want for himself/herself that the hero or superhero possesses. As you write, remember to justify your thinking by describing your character and giving specific examples from...
Words: 5264 - Pages: 22
