AP Literature & Composition

Presentation adapted from the following materials: McGraw-Hill’s

Writing an Outstanding College Application Essay (2005); Rudy

Santacruz’s presentation; UC Berkeley Admissions Presentation

This is your opportunity to: Introduce yourself to the people who are trying to

decide whether or not to invite you to their campus. Imagine it is a face-to-face interview…what would you

say? The most important thing is to BE YOURSELF!

Show that you are effective communicator (e.g., literate and engaging).

Provide information to support/explain the rest of your application. This includes filling in any gaps or answering any

questions/issues that may be raised by your application. This is also your opportunity to include anything that is

not mentioned elsewhere in your application. Differentiate yourself from other students with similar

applications. Remember that you only get ONE chance to make

a first impression!

Do not use your essay to restate information that is already in your application or to list every accomplishment, activity, award, or personal quality. Focus on one aspect of your life in each essay.

Examine the prompt carefully so you know exactly what is required.

Brainstorm and see if there are any topics with potential.

Keep an open mind. Focus on aspects of your life that you are

passionate about, that describe who you are as a person, that are relevant to your future goals, and that show you will be a successful college student.

What type of essay will I write? Think of this as a narrative: you are telling a story,

with lots of concrete details, to an audience in order to capture their interest and help them to understand you better

What tone will my essay have? Formal or informal, objective or personal, serious or

humorous, sarcastic or reverent, etc. Remember to be appropriate and not negative Also, avoid clichés and attempts to be wildly creative

or hilariously funny—the odds of achieving the effect you intend are probably not good.

The tone you choose should be reflective of your personality. Don’t try to be someone you are not.

For Discussion: Think about one or two words that you would use to describe your personality or that others would use to characterize you. What tone best conveys these words?

Write with a focus and a clear voice. Pay attention to clarity of thought, organization, and

syntax. This also includes things like tense consistency, use of active

voice, etc.

Engage the reader. Your narrative should have a conversational, yet appropriate,

tone.

Illuminate your ideas with details, examples, and anecdotes. YOU NEED TO INCLUDE CONCRETE EXAMPLES!!!

Avoid sounding like a thesaurus. Nothing is more awkward or turns readers off more than the use

of pompous or inappropriate words. Imagine you are having a conversation with the reader (but again, be appropriate).

Keep it within the assigned word count. UC: 1000 words total; no less than 250 words

Check to see that you have addressed ALL the requirements of the prompt.

Remember: minimum eligibility will NOT get you accepted Leadership (consistency)

This cannot be emphasized enough, even if you were “only” a participant

Improvement Academic Challenge (rigor) Overcoming Struggles

Remember not to complain or make excuses—use this opportunity to take responsibility and show the readers how you have overcome obstacles in your life

Involvement in your community (consistency) Extracurriculars (consistency again)

It is not just about what you did in high school, but about what you will bring to the university of your choice.

Did you take advantage of the opportunities that were given to you, or did you waste them? The last question readers will ask themselves, after

reading your entire application, is “What more could this student have done?”

Your essay should grab the reader’s attention (make your voice heard!)

The purpose of the opening is to identify you as a unique individual and to introduce the topic and the tone of the essay.

Consider using a quotation (be careful to avoid a cliché), a piece of dialogue, a rhetorical question, a startling statement, an engaging anecdote, a challenge, a revelation, an interesting fact, etc.

Try two or three openings to get you started and get your creative juices flowing.

May be explicit or implicit: Explicit response makes direct reference to the

words of the prompt Implicit response presents a situation that

illustrates the prompt without actually using its exact wording

For Discussion: Thinking back to the words you used to describe yourself, which opening would work best to convey those words?

Elaborates on the situation established in the opening/introduction.

Presents a sense of who the writer is (you). Consider particular strategies: cause-effect, contrast-

comparison, definition, description, exemplification, narration, etc.

Consider organization: chronological order, most-to-least important point, least-to-most important point, specific to general, general to specific, etc.

Consider details: What subtext about you is revealed by your choice of specifics?

Again, you MUST include CONCRETE EXAMPLES!!!

Consider diction: What does your choice of words reveal about you?

Consider syntax: What does your sentence structure tell the reader about your command of the English language?

Consider connective tissue: the words and phrases that link each of your points to both your opening and the prompt.

Remember: your goal is present yourself as worthy of consideration for admission to this particular college or university!!!

Does not need to be a summary or restatement.

May be explicit or implicit. Some good ideas:

Make a final dramatic point

Reveal an insight gained from the ideas presented in the body of your essay

Connect yourself to the college (or system of colleges)

Leave the reader with a provocative, final point about you

Create an open-ended invitation to get to know you better

Your words form the reader’s initial impression of you.

The reader will read between the lines to form an opinion of whether or not you will be a good fit for their college.

Qualities they are looking for: Enthusiasm Intelligence Uniqueness Scholarship (not $) Ability to communicate The fit for this college (do some

research!)

Don’t be afraid to begin en media res (in the middle of things).

Don’t be afraid to pat yourself on the back (but don’t gloat, and avoid pomposity).

If you address a negative topic or issue, do your best to link it to a positive outcome or insight.

Choose one facet of an experience, and polish it for a single effect on the reader.