<p>In today’s topic I'm going to tell you a little about "College Essay". As you all know this is a big part of your admission process. Some of you guys might ask why is that? Take me for instance, let's say that I'm a admission officer. When a lot of students send their application to me, I have to either accept or deny them. But coming up with that decision is not a simple process. Let's say I get two student's application that are the same. Meaning that their GPA, Ranking, SAT Scores, and SAT Subject Scores are the same, not mentioning EC's and such. But when I get two good students like that I can only take one. So what do I have to do as an expert? Well, that's when I have to read their "College Essays" and decide which is better. See, even though most of you guys might be straight A's and well educated students, but there's a small chance that you might not get accepted to your dream school. This is why I recommend you all to start working on your "College Essays" right now. You don't know how many students have got denied from their dream school, simply because of not having a well developed paper.</p>
<p>In part 1 of this guide, I'm going to tell you a little about Pre-Writing:</p>
<ol>
<li>FREEWRITING</li>
</ol>
<p>Free writing is probably the best-known prewriting technique. It works well when you have</p>
<p>some thoughts on a topic, but can’t envision them as an essay. Free writing also functions</p>
<p>as a developmental tool, nurturing isolated ideas into an essay-worthy one. People who use</p>
<p>technique often surprise themselves with what comes out on paper. It is common to discover</p>
<p>a thought or point you didn’t realize you had. Specifically, free writing means spending a</p>
<p>predetermined period of time writing nonstop, focusing on a specific topic. In fact, free writing</p>
<p>might better be called “flow writing,” because the most important aspect to this prewriting</p>
<p>technique is the flow, or momentum, that comes when you stay with it. It works best when</p>
<p>you write in full sentences, but phrases are also effective. The key is to keep writing without</p>
<p>regard for grammar, spelling, or worthiness of ideas. Your speed will help keep you from</p>
<p>being able to edit or throw out any ideas.</p>
<p>KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL FREEWRITING</p>
<p>◆ Resist the temptation to look back at what you have written during the process.</p>
<p>◆ If you can’t stay on topic, keep writing anything to maintain the flow.</p>
<p>◆ Do not censor yourself; your free writing is not going to be seen by others, so</p>
<pre><code> commit every thought to paper.
</code></pre>
<p>◆ Follow your ideas wherever they lead you.</p>
<p>◆ When finished, read your free writing with a highlighter, noting the most interesting</p>
<pre><code> and strongest ideas.
</code></pre>
<p>◆ Try the process again after you have focused your topic; more ideas may be</p>
<pre><code> generated.
</code></pre>
<ol>
<li>BRAINSTORMING OR LISTING</li>
</ol>
<p>Brainstorming is similar to free writing in that it is a timed, flowing exercise meant to elicit</p>
<p>many thoughts and ideas on a given topic. However, instead of putting whole sentences or</p>
<p>phrases to paper, this prewriting technique involves creating a list. It might contain various</p>
<p>individual thoughts or ideas that make sense in a particular order, and/or ideas that are linked</p>
<p>together by association with previous ideas. Unlike free writing, brainstorming works well</p>
<p>in a limited amount of time. Even with the twenty-five minutes allotted for the SAT essay,</p>
<p>it is worthwhile to spend a few moments jotting down your ideas before beginning to write.</p>
<p>Putting your ideas on paper will be especially helpful on the SAT, where your goal is to establish</p>
<p>a point of view on a topic and support your position.</p>
<p>HOW TO BRAINSTORM</p>
<p>◆ If you are not already being timed, set a timer for at least five minutes (the more</p>
<pre><code> time you spend, the more and better ideas you will probably come up with).
</code></pre>
<p>◆ List every word or phrase that comes to mind about your topic. If you have not</p>
<pre><code> selected a topic, write in answers to the questions, “What do I have to say to
my audience?” or “What do I want my audience to know about me?”
</code></pre>
<p>◆ As with free writing, do not edit or censor any ideas, and ignore the rules of spelling,
grammar, and punctuation.
◆ When you are finished, look over the list carefully. Cross out useless information
and organize what is left. Categorize similar items.
3. CONCEPT MAPPING/ WEBBING</p>
<p>Mapping and webbing are graphic (visual) organizers that allow you to investigate the relationships between a number of diverse ideas.Concept mapping is a simple process best used</p>
<p>for exploring topics that are not complex. To make one, draw a circle, and add spokes radiating</p>
<p>from it. Put your central idea or subject in the middle, and add subtopics or related</p>
<p>ideas around it in any order. Or, draw a box with your subject written in it, and continue</p>
<p>adding boxes, connected to each other by arrows, showing the development of your idea.</p>
<p>As with other prewriting techniques, do not judge yourself during this process. Write down</p>
<p>any and every thought you have on your subject.</p>
<ol>
<li>TAKING STOCK WITH THE 5 WS</li>
</ol>
<p>Asking “who, what, where, when, and why” is a formula used by journalists, detectives, and</p>
<p>researchers for getting a complete story. This technique is particularly useful for choosing</p>
<p>an essay topic, and for focusing a topic once you have made a selection. There are two sets</p>
<p>of questions for taking stock; one suited for an impersonal or research-type essay, and the</p>
<p>other geared toward a personal essay. Unlike some of the other prewriting techniques, taking</p>
<p>stock should be done deliberately, with great thought given to each question. Do not</p>
<p>rush or include every idea that comes to mind. Even if you are being timed, take a moment</p>
<p>to give the best answer you can for each question. The better focused your answers are, the</p>
<p>more information you will have to use in your essay.</p>
<p>If you are writing a research paper or other type of non-personal writing, and your topic</p>
<p>is already selected or assigned, concentrate on the standard W’s:Who,What,Where,When,</p>
<p>and Why. These questions will help you to quickly develop a great deal of information about</p>
<p>your subject. Every question won’t apply to every essay, and the prompts that follow each W</p>
<p>are meant to be taken as suggestions. Be flexible and use the format as it best fits your topic.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Who:Who is involved? At what level? Who is affected?</p></li>
<li><p>What:What is your topic? What is its significance? What is at stake? What are the</p>
<p>issues?</p></li>
<li><p>Where:Where does your subject occur? Where is its source?</p></li>
<li><p>When:When does your topic occur? When did it begin/end? When must action</p>
<p>be taken to deal with it?</p></li>
<li><p>Why:Why is it our subject of interest? Why did it develop as it did? Why should</p></li>
</ol>
<p>others be interested in your topic?</p>
<p>Admissions essays and some exit essays are intended to be personal, so you must focus</p>
<p>on yourself. Take time answering the personal, taking-stock questions below. This process</p>
<p>involves a different set of W’s, meant to elicit key information about yourself and about the</p>
<p>topic if it has been chosen.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Where have you been (chronological history)?</p></li>
<li><p>What have you accomplished or achieved?</p></li>
<li><p>What do you do with your time when not in school?</p></li>
<li><p>What are you good at? What are you passionate about?</p></li>
<li><p>Who are/were your major influences?</p></li>
<li><p>READING GOOD WRITING</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Consider your print diet: what are you reading in your spare time? This is an important</p>
<p>question because what you read can influence what you write. The computer science term</p>
<p>“garbage in, garbage out” applies. If you are reading mediocre writing, it won’t help your</p>
<p>essay, but if you consistently read great writing, it can make a difference with your own.</p>
<p>Syntax, structure, and style can improve under the influence of writers who are masters at</p>
<p>their craft.</p>
<p>The following list is based on suggestions made by English professors and teachers, college</p>
<p>counselors, and admissions officers. It includes books and periodicals that cover current</p>
<p>events, book reviews, science, history, race relations, sports, and other topics. Choose</p>
<p>essays that appeal to you; there is no need to force yourself to read about something you</p>
<p>are not interested in.</p>
<p>PERIODICALS</p>
<p>◆ Harper’s (weekly magazine): essays, fiction, and reporting on political, literary,</p>
<pre><code> cultural, and scientific affairs.
</code></pre>
<p>◆ The Economist (daily newspaper): London publication covering world news,</p>
<pre><code> finance and economics, science and technology, books and arts, and business
news.
</code></pre>
<p>◆ The New Yorker (weekly magazine): political and business reporting, social commentary,</p>
<pre><code> fiction, humor, art, poetry, and criticism.
</code></pre>
<p>BOOKS</p>
<p>◆ The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology for the Classical Era to the Present,</p>
<p>Philip Lopate, editor (Anchor, 1997): over 75 essays written in the past 400 years</p>
<p>by writers around the globe.</p>
<p>◆ The Best American Essays 2003, Robert Atwan and Anne Fadiman, editors</p>
<p>(Mariner Books, 2003): annual publication since 1986—any year is fine; all volumes</p>
<p>include a wide range of subjects.</p>
<p>◆ The Best American Magazine Writing of 2003, American Society of Magazine Editors,</p>
<p>editors (Perennial, 2003): includes pieces on science, sports, current</p>
<p>events, personalities, and fiction.</p>
<p>◆ The Best American Science Writing, Oliver Sacks, editor (Ecco, 2003): 25 essays</p>
<p>on subjects representing most of the sciences, originally published in wide- and</p>
<p>small-circulation periodicals.</p>
<p>ORGANIZATION METHODS</p>
<p>With the exception of concept mapping and webbing, prewriting notes need organization</p>
<p>before the writing of a first draft. There are many effective ways to organize your material</p>
<p>before you start your first draft, so don’t get hung up trying to find the one right way. Some</p>
<p>people like outlines, both creating them and working from them. Others find them ineffective</p>
<p>and should look at different techniques for imposing a scheme onto their prewriting</p>
<p>notes.</p>
<p>OUTLINE</p>
<p>Creating an outline begins with a reading of your prewriting notes. First, group related ideas</p>
<p>together, looking for major topics (which can be headings) and minor ones (which can be</p>
<p>subheadings, examples, or details). Define your major points, and rearrange them until they</p>
<p>make sense and follow a logical progression. You will be able to see the relationships between</p>
<p>your ideas as you outline them, and determine their importance (major point, minor point,</p>
<p>example, detail). If you need more supporting details or facts—subcategories—you can add</p>
<p>them now. As you outline your information, use one-word topics, short phrases, or write</p>
<p>out full sentences for each point on your outline.</p>
<p>If your prewriting notes are somewhat organized, you can use the outlining feature included</p>
<p>in most word-processing programs to create an outline. Otherwise, arrange them yourself in</p>
<p>a standard outline form using Roman and Arabic numerals and upper and lower case letters:
I.</p>
<p>A.</p>
<p>B.</p>
<p>1.</p>
<p>2.</p>
<p>a.</p>
<p>b.</p>
<p>Once you have completed an outline, revise and refine it by following these steps:</p>
<ol>
<li>Write down your overall goal for your essay. What are you trying to say to your</li>
</ol>
<p>readers?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Go over your outline and circle, underline, or highlight your major points or</p>
<p>images. Do they all support your goal?</p></li>
<li><p>Brainstorm words and phrases that will accurately and concisely express those</p>
<p>points (jot them down in the margin of your outline, or use a separate sheet of</p>
<p>paper).</p></li>
<li><p>Use this list and your outline to guide your writing. Do not allow yourself to</p>
<p>stray from your goal or your major points.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>PYRAMID CHARTS</p>
<p>As you reread your prewriting notes, answer the following:</p>
<p>■ What is the purpose of my essay as a whole?</p>
<p>■ What are the major parts of the whole, and how can they be categorized?</p>
<p>■ What are the minor parts of the whole, and how do they relate to the major</p>
<p>parts?</p>
<p>■ What details can I use to illuminate both major and minor parts?
The answer to the first question is your thesis. Place it at the top of the pyramid. Below</p>
<p>it, write the major parts and join them to the thesis with lines. Next, write the minor parts</p>
<p>beneath the major ones, connecting them with lines. Finally, your details should be added</p>
<p>under the parts to which they correspond.</p>
<p>LIST</p>
<p>If you are having trouble with the highly structured outline or pyramid, try listing. Picture</p>
<p>someone reading your completed essay. They will not see the framework behind your words,</p>
<p>but instead will encounter each word, and thus each idea, one at a time. In other words,</p>
<p>reading happens sequentially. With that in mind, organize your notes into a list based on</p>
<p>one of the following strategies:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Order of Importance: rank supporting ideas from most important to least important,</p>
<p>or vice versa.</p></li>
<li><p>Chronological: organize your ideas in the order in which they did happen or will</p></li>
</ol>
<p>happen.
3. List: create a roster of items of equal importance.</p>
<ol>
<li>General to Specific: state supporting details, then the main point, or vice versa.</li>
</ol>
<p>FOR YOUR REVIEW</p>
<p>■ Remember to use a variety of prewriting techniques, including free writing,</p>
<p>brainstorming, webbing, and concept mapping.</p>
<p>■ Try different organizational methods such as outlines, pyramid charts, and lists.</p>
<p>■ Don’t forget that what you read affects your writing, so make sure you read the very best!</p>