Thursday, February 28, 2008

Mr. McKenna's Common Application Essay from High School

If you could have lunch with one person (living, dead, or fictional), who would it be and what would you discuss?

I could say that I would like to have lunch with Einstein, but I worry I would not be able to understand a word that came out of his mouth. I could say that I would like to have lunch with Gandhi, but discussing the effectiveness of non-violent resistance would be a little too heavy for a light lunch. And, if I was feeling risqué, I could say that I would enjoy having lunch with some supermodel, but then lunch would be filled with awkward pauses and embarrassing glances. Nobody enjoys a lunch with awkward pauses and embarrassing glances. So maybe I would have lunch with you- the person who is reading these words this instant.

We would not have a sterile conversation of canned answers to interview-like questions about "what I have to offer to your institution" or "what quality I feel best exemplifies a leader". We could discuss any topic that interests me. The topic could be reptiles; I have bred and raised various species and know more about them than most people should. The topic could be skiing; something I have done since I could walk and have competed in. Alternatively, if you were attacked by a snake while skiing at a young age, we could talk about something less traumatic- the socially critical poetry of Ezra Pound (my favorite poet), the radical architectural style of Mario Botta (my favorite architect), or the masterful storytelling of J.D. Salinger in Nine Stories (my favorite book).

I hope that I have enough to say about any of the above topics that we would make it through the main course without resorting to talking about the weather. By the time we got to dessert our conversation would show me that you are not some Wizard of Oz-like application machine hidden behind closed doors, and show you that I am far more interesting than a transcript, an S.A.T. score, and a 500-word self description.

Professional Writing Unit

A complete portfolio will consist of the following:


A finalized writing sample (the Common Application essay)


20

A cover letter


20

A resume


20

The rough draft of the writing sample showing your edits


15

A revised essay of your poetry project’s essay on an American poet’s poem


15

A chart displaying your strengths, weaknesses, and improvement strategies


10

When complete, this portfolio will:

  1. list and explain your experience
  2. introduce yourself and your goals
  3. show your writing abilities
  4. illustrate your ability to revise and rethink
  5. exhibit your ability to revise writing
  6. display how you can continue to succeed in your work

Writing Sample: Many colleges, universities, and employers need an essay or a writing sample that demonstrates you are competent in your written communication. Additionally, many colleges and universities now accept the Common Application essays—you need to write a finalized draft of this essay. Consult your notes from class. (2.25-3.4)

Cover Letter: In general, a cover letter should follow this outline: 1) first paragraph - Why you are writing 2) middle paragraphs - What you have to offer and 3) concluding paragraph - How you will follow-up. The cover letter should, if possible, address a certain position you wish to have (whether that be college or a certain job). Consult your notes from class. This should be 1 full page. (3.5-3.11)

Resume: In an acceptable and professional format, you will include all the necessary parts of a resume, such as your name, address, goals and objectives, education, awards, any work experience, and your interests. The resume should be less than one page. Consult your notes from class. (3.12-14)

Rough Draft of Writing Sample: You need to include the rough draft of the writing sample that illustrates your own revisions.

Revised Essay of the Poetry Project: You must take the essay you wrote on an American poet in your project and revise that essay. (Throughout)

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Improvements Chart: You will create a finalized version of a chart detailing your writing strengths and weaknesses followed by specific strategies you can use to improve those weaknesses in your writing. We will work on this throughout the weeks. (Throughout)

*The resume, cover letter, writing sample, and revised essay must be typed: size 12 font, Times New Roman, 1 inch page margins. The Resume and Cover Letter must be single spaced. The 2 essays should be double spaced.

*You can use my room, the library, or home. Include no fancy graphics or pictures.

*I am also strongly encouraging you to submit an electronic version of those four documents. Each should be in Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Word (.doc), and the file name should be in the following format (McKenna_Shawn_Resume.doc, McKenna_Shawn_CoverLetter.doc, or McKenna_Shawn_WritingSample.doc). Email them all to me when they are all complete—NOT ONE AT A TIME.

*Your portfolio should have a cover. That is your choice. The documents must be in the order displayed above.

*The last piece in your portfolio must be this paper.