View
219
Download
2
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Navigating the College
Admissions Essay: Pitfalls and Promise
Steven Engel, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Tim Green, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Gary Wiener, Pittsford Central Schools, New York
Acceptable Identities: Two Stories
Robert and Harriet
RobertSuccessful studentTalented athleteEssay on a difficult decision and the lessons learnedCentered on leaving team to focus on personal goalsMy view vs. his view
Harriet Solid student Literary magazine editor Theater Volunteered Model UN
Harriet
I was the youngest in the group by far, and perhaps not the most conventional of twelve year-olds. Instead of spending summer at the beach, I was studying and performing Shakespeare. But my age didn’t matter; I was warmly welcomed. From my first moment there, I could tell that Front Porch Theater was different, wrapped in an air of magic unlike anything I had experienced before.
Shape-Shifting Portfolio People “A person today is invited to see him or
herself as a portfolio of skills, experiences, and achievements, something like a walking résumé.” (Gee, 2006).
Working-class students: social, affective, dialogic world of
interaction Upper-middle-class students:
information, knowledge, argumentation, and achievements built out of these
Background of the college essay Ivy League admissions in 1920s Designed to capture applicant's
“character” In response to Big Three's concern
about the “Jewish Problem” (Karabel, 2005).
Number of Colleges Using the Common Application
Common Application
More than a writing test Emotional test Cultural test Identity test Writing test
Emotional
Cultural
“Turns”
Identity
Expression and
Organization
Gee, 2003; Newkirk, 1997; Ferdman, 1990; Paley, 1996
Implications