Hey guys! I am in the process of applying to Colorado College and am having trouble in the supplemental essay that talks about the 3-week block plan. Any suggestions?
I am planning to major in Neuroscience or Psychology and minor in French.
I’m assuming you are referring to the question that asks you to design your own block? If so, my advice is as follows…
This is a chance to show your intellectual curiosity, to reveal a side of you that might not be apparent on the common app. There is no right or wrong way to approach this question. They are asking you to design a 3.5 week block that you would find interesting. It doesn’t have to be an uber academic block- it just needs to appeal to your own interests/curiosity. Try to have fun with it. This is your chance to suggest an amazing college class!
You don’t need to come up with a syllabus, but it might help to give an idea of how the course would flow (or at the very least address the topics you’d cover). Keep in mind field trips are a big part of the block plan experience so feel free to incorporate one or two (or the entire class) and think big if it would be fun and amazing. The field trip doesn’t actually have to be realistic! Also keep in mind a unique feature of the block plan is the ability to bring in visiting professors since they don’t need to commit to an entire semester. For this essay it can be fun to bring in experts in the field you are delving into… even if s/he is dead or if it’s completely unrealistic s/he could teach the class.
Good luck and let your imagination take over. There really isn’t a right/wrong way to write this essay but do make sure you get to write about something that interests you.
I must agree with lr4550. If you understand CC, you understand how important it is to learn outside the classroom. I can’t imagine anyone writing an essay without an amazing field trip would get admitted. My essay / block included a trip to Manhattan to a very narrowly defined museum. I would actually beg the school to make my class a reality if I could.
The other key is passion. Forget about what you think they want to hear. Turn something you love into a class with lots of discussions, guest speakers and a remarkable field trip. CC wants to see passion. As lr4550 suggests, the class need not be feasible, it must only be interesting and show your passion.
My D17 did it in a similar format to the college course descriptions, and had fun with the name of the class (punny). Try combining your interests into one interdisciplinary class! It’s a fun exercise.
Thank you guys for all the help! I appreciate it.