Re-post: The College (Narrative Essay) is the most important assignment of quarter 1!

Your task: Write an essay of roughly 500 words in which you tell about a significant experience or experiences from your life that show a quality or multiple qualities that would make you a valuable addition to a college or the deserving recipient of a scholarship.
Here are some examples for you: Mckinley Student Sample  / Essays that worked
Step 1: Brainstorm
*Read some examples to get the idea.
*Use the idea generator to get ideas.
*Look for patterns in your web. Group similar ideas and events together.
*Still stuck? See me or ask your group for ideas.

Step 2: Draft
*Use narration to show rather than tell. A narrative essay tells a short and vivid story. Omit the introduction, and write 1 or 2 paragraphs that grab and engage the reader's attention and explain what it reveals about you.
*The conclusion should be brief--nail down the meaning of the events described.

Step 3: Revise
*Have someone in your group read it and tell you what he/she thinks. Ask them if they can guess the qualities you are trying to convey--Did they get it right?
*Note: Spelling and grammar errors and fuzzy narration will make your essay memorable--in a bad way.

College Application Prompts/Idea Generator:

Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 

Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? 

Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there and why is it meaningful to you? 

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
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What are your major accomplishments and why do you consider them accomplishments?

Does any attribute, quality or skill distinguish you from everyone else? How did you develop this attribute?

What was the most difficult time in your life and why? How did your perspective on life change as a result of the difficulty?

Have you experienced a moment of epiphany, as if your eyes were opened to something you were previously blind to?