College Essay Assignment

APLC
Fall 2011
College Essay Assignment

Pasted below is the essay requirement from the Common Application. Your first writing assignment for this course (and for Ms. Trask and Mr. Clark) is to select one of the topics below and address it in a polished and compelling piece of writing. We will keep to the following timeline:

Wednesday 8/31 - In-class work day

Friday 9/2 - Two copies of first draft due, one to Ms. Trask and one for peer-editing in class.

Wednesday 9/7 - Second drafts due for final peer editing session.

Friday 9/9 - Final drafts due.

Please write an essay of 250 – 500 words on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below, and attach it to your application before submission. Please indicate your topic by checking the appropriate box. This personal essay helps us become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself. NOTE: Your Common Application essay should be the same for all colleges. Do not customize it in any way for individual colleges. Colleges that want customized essay responses will ask for them on a supplement form.

1 Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

2 Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

3 Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

4 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.

5 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.

6 Topic of your choice.