Ah, yes. The dreaded Common App for applying for college. The kids stress out about the essay part the most, by far. Lots of complaining…not always lots of actual writing and revising.
It’s pretty much the only thing my juniors and seniors can think about from August to November (besides TikTok). It just makes sense to lean into that and help them write the best responses they possibly can. Even awesome writers and motivated students can use a push, and these guides can be the needed nudge that pushes them from a “meh” response to a great one.
I created four, question-guided organizers help students write the best possible college entrance essays. The topics have been taken directly from the Common App site, Marquette University, or Yale. With a little bit of editing/whittling, they’ll be under the 400-word limit. You can check out a sample that shows the whole thing if you click here.
My goal with the writing guides was to address the following issues:
- “When will I use this in real life?” Literally RIGHT NOW. Four original writing prompts pulled directly from the 2023-2024 Common App for colleges or from the admissions pages of Marquette or Yale.
- You know how sometimes you have to stand behind a kid and ask them questions to get them to write? This guide does that so you can float the room (and avoid repeating the same 20 questions 28 times every hour). Break the “I don’t know what to write” cycle.
- Easy to push out as a Google Cloud assignment. My district is absolutely FREAKING OUT about paper use, so we’ve been “strongly encouraged” to have students complete as much as possible digitally. Besides, it makes the most sense for them to write their papers digitally so they can copy and past into the CommonApp.
This unit includes digital guides in Google Docs for four topics, as well an an assessment rubric.
Topic #1: Reflect on a time when you have worked to enhance a community to which you feel connected. Why is this effort meaningful to you? You may define community however you like.
Topic #2: Reflect on a time when you exchanged ideas about an important issue with someone holding an opposing view. How did the experience lead you either to change your opinion or to sharpen your reasons for holding onto it?
Topic #3: 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?
Topic #4: 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?
Multi-Paragraph Essay Assessment Rubric
Here’s how I plan to use these materials in my own junior and senior classes next fall…
Assign students to write rough drafts using the guides of all four topics. Then, have them choose the one they feel is strongest or has the most potential to revise into a polished, final copy as an assessment. You can even have them upload it to the Common App as part of the assessment.
*My building runs on a modified block schedule, so we’ve got one 50-minute class period and two 90-minute class periods per week.
My 50-minute-class bellwork is E2E Monday Musings.
My 90-minute-class bellwork is E2E Story Shorts (for freshmen, sophomores, or juniors) or E2E Interview Savvy (for seniors).
I plan to pair these narrative writings with activities from my Whole-Year ELA Survival Pack (it’s only $19 and I swear it’s good) or my E2E Reflecting on Mortality Digital Short Story Unit (for a more turnkey setup when I was busy sponsoring STUCO and had subs).
I like to choose one of the topics to model for the students. I develop and write in real time using the projector in my room and a copy of the guide. I do a paragraph; they do a paragraph. You can do this just the first time, or you can do it every time, depending on your students’ skill levels.
Keywords: Secondary, ELA, ELL, SPED, modifications, accommodations, writing, personal narrative, writing organizer, college entrance essay, common app essay, college prep
