The Road to Writeby Andrea Gorman and Barbara Simmons
Finding Pathways to the College Essay
The Essence Box: Brainstorming Food for Talk – Prompts to Inspire Self-
Awareness◦Examples from www.foodfortalk.com
TED Talks◦Share some of these with your students
Values/Objects Exercises◦Try this yourself *
* http://www.collegeessayguy.com
Is this a topic leading toward an essay that only I could write?
Is this something I feel strongly about? Would you want to read an essay about
this topic? Is this original? How many essays on
this topic will someone in admissions have to read?
Are you the only one who could have written this essay ?
* from the NVCC-Annandale Reading and Writing Center
Choosing a Topic/Prompt
Remember that human beings read your words ~
◦ We need to hear your voice. – William Conley
◦ If you’re not funny, now is not the time to experiment. – Michael Thorp
◦ Serious thinking and reflection. – Peter Osgood
◦ We want to see a slice of your life that is the most meaningful to you. – Lloyd Peterson
◦ …we get a good idea of how the student thinks through the essay. – Elizabeth Moser ** see Gen and Kelly Tanabe, Accepted! 50 Successful College
Admissions Essays
Fueling Up for your Road to Write
First lines --- the starting point for the road to write ~◦As writers, your students are taking themselves
and their readers on a journey The writer AND reader will know more than when
they started out ~ INCREASED KNOWING
Continue to ask yourself “why am I writing this essay?”
** from Sheila Bender, Writing it Real
Checking the Map for Cities
When your initial direction changes….follow!
New roads, new insights
Trust – the best “compass” for the writing journey
Our greatest summons is reallyto see the things of this world ~ Rilke
Detours and Directional Changes
Fears ~◦That what we have to say is not important
◦That we are not up to the task of doingthe experience justice in our writing
Responses ~◦What is your occasion to write?◦Ask: Why are you writing this essay
right now?
Other Roadblocks
Destination – Final Stopping Point Souvenirs at the end of the trip◦Remind your students that they can use their
road-trip memories for other “roads to write”◦Keep souvenirs of “upper-case” and “lower-case”
moments you’ll remember for your next “road trip”
New maps?◦Remember to fuel up with
TED Talks Brain Pickings ~ www.brainpickings.org NY TIMES ~ Corner Office feature every Sunday