Extra Credit Writing Assignment (optional) / 100 points (bonus)

This assignment must be an ORIGINAL PIECE OF STUDENT WRITING. No use of generative AI is allowed. You cannot use something like Grammarly to rewrite your work. Because this assignment is EXTRA CREDIT, I will not be spending much time determining if you wrote it yourself. If there is any suspicion at all, you will not receive credit.

Turn-in link for this assignment: bit.ly/ecqform

This is an optional assignment that students can take advantage of once per nine-week grading period. Students have a couple of options to choose from:

Option 1: Extra Credit Quote Response

Students can choose to type a response (750-word minimum, paragraph/essay form) to any quote* from our Great Quotes page and submit their work using the turn-in form above. The response should thoroughly answer the following questions:

(1) What does the quote mean? What point do you think the speaker was trying to make here?

(2) What's your assessment of the idea expressed in the quote? Do you agree with the speaker? Is the idea valid? Why or why not?

(3) How can you apply the quote in your life? How can you use this quote to make your life better in the future?

Option 2: College Application Essay

Students can choose to write a personal response (with a length between 600 to 650 words) to one of the prompts below* (from the Common App prompts for 2025-2026): 

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.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?