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