NOTE: this page is under construction but still has quite a bit of information on it. Date and time of last edit: Sept. 18, 2017 - 12:45pm.
Before you start your essay, you should make sure your writing time is spent as efficiently as possible. In other words, don't just randomly go about it; have a plan.
>>> In a hurry? If you're just looking for curated resources from a picky English teacher who has previewed them, click here.
Planning your essay
Step 1: Research Essay Requirements for your Safety, Mid-Range, and Stretch Schools
Use BigFuture, U.S. News, Princeton Review, and any other known college search service. Then, make sure you are reading the application material from the college's own web site. In other words, see the details with your own eyes.
Step 2: Track the Details of the Colleges' Application Requirements
Mrs. Huish is currently creating a tracking form that you can download, to be uploaded by the end of the day on Monday September 18, 2017. It will be a PDF that you'll be able to download and print.
You'll also be able to pick them up. Probably in 206 and Guidance. More to follow.
Step 3: Advice about how to choose your topic
Once you've narrowed your prompt choices down to 3-4, "speed date" the prompts, spending ten minutes writing to each of them. The one that you don't want to stop writing is a good bet.
These videos from Khan Academy are tremendously helpful
Step 4: Ask for the help and tools that you need
If you need or want a graphic organizer, index cards, Post-It Notes, colored paper, highlighters, pens, pencils, or any other writing support you can think of, stop by to see one of your teachers. Most of us stash these kinds of tools away, and we're more than happy to share with a student who is motivated. :)
OK, but how do I look at my own writing, critically?
First level of critical reading: Adherence to the prompt - ask yourself this focus question, as you read your essay:
Did I stick to the topic that the prompt is asking for?
(When I am under deadline, and my brain isn't working well, I actually write my focus questions on a Post-It notes that I keep with me).
Second level of critical reading: Ideas
The easiest way to know this is to:
Third level of critical reading / self-editing: Consistent Voice
The easiest way to check this is to see if you can "hear" yourself, whichever version of yourself you started with, throughout every paragraph. Not suggesting that you're fake, but we all have a more formal and informal version of our personalities - even in writing. Is yours consistent throughout your essay? If you can't tell, ask someone who knows you well and cares about your future if they could read it. Then, ask them whether your personality was consistent throughout.
To be added soon, including focus questions and supports:
Fourth level of critical reading / self editing: keep it to the real / raw / person on a page
Fifth level of critical reading / self editing: look for and fill "pits of vagueness"
Sixth level of critical reading / self editing: time for another read aloud
Seventh level of critical reading / self editing: variety of sentences
Eighth level of critical reading / self editing: floppy diction and passive voice
Ninth level of critical reading / self editing: every sentence serves a purpose, or it's gone
Tenth level of critical reading / self editing: MUGS, a bit at a time
Eleventh level of critical reading / self editing: read your essay, end to beginning.
I voice-to-texted this part, so it's in the midst of being updated for grammar and punctuation. For now, though, here is the meat of it.
So when you're looking at your college essay the first thing that you do is you make sure that you have truly answer the prompt make sure you first deconstructed it and taking care of any places where it's big for you and unclear secondly then you go through and you make sure that your voice is consistent and that's usually a big issue for people either they have gone off topic or their voice is inconsistent and by voice I mean writers voice third if there's in this is Kay what you do is you look for the place whereThe real in the raw are in the essay so if you had to get rid of absolutely everything in the essay and you wanted to make sure the story got told where is that and sometimes it's easier to give it to a friend who loves you so constant reader and know what constant reader would say you can't get rid of this because this is you want to page after that go through and look for places where you have pits vagueness after that you go and you start doing your copy editing