College Application Essay Support Program

Summer Writing Requirement for Seniors: One of Your College Essays

Due Date

A hard copy of the essay is to be submitted on the first day of class of your English class in August.

Required Prompt

Your essay may use as its prompt any of the following:  

1. two of the UC essay prompts; or
2. one of the Common Application prompts; or 
3. a prompt from another college or university to which you intend to apply.  Please note: if you select option (3), you must attach a hard copy of the prompt to the essay that you submit. 

Required format: 

• Word-processed
• MLA format, but with no citations (you won’t be citing sources)
• Include, at the top of the page (before the essay itself) an indication as to which prompt the essay addresses, e.g., “Common Application Essay Prompt #3,” or “UC Prompt #1,” or “See attached prompt from __________ College.”
• At the end of the essay, include the word count of your essay. Also include the word count limit established by the prompt, if there is one.

Grade Value

• 30 points in the homework category

The essay, as submitted, will be given to your counselor for review; that way, when you meet with your counselor in the fall, work has begun on what will evolve into a finalized college application essay.

So Where Do I Begin?

We highly recommend that you read over the following guidelines prior to beginning your essay: 

1. Consider the Following before You Begin Writing
2. Suggestions Once You Start Writing
3. Some Cautionary Notes
4. Some Correctness and Style Tips
5. Improving Your Style
6. Style Tips

Optional College Essay “Camp” for Seniors

Each of you is invited to attend a two-day session designed to assist you in the development of a college admission application essay.  Each day will begin with a general training session, followed by time for individual assistance.  Counselors and members of the English Department will be present to provide such assistance.

This service is offered to you free of charge.  However, you must pre-commit to attending (see below) so that we may anticipate numbers attending.

When:  Wednesday, August 1, 2018, 1:00 – 4:00 and Thursday, August 2, 2018, 1:00 – 4:00
Where: On campus, location TBD (based on number attending)
RSVP: You must sign-up to attend no later than July 15, 2018; do so at the following link.

Please note: You are strongly encouraged to bring a first draft of your college essay with you to the camp.  This first draft may serve as the basis for individual assistance.

Individual Appointments to Review Your College Essay

October “College Essay Days” = No Homework for Seniors!

During early October, several days are set aside when seniors will be assigned NO HOMEWORK IN ANY OF THEIR CLASSES!  This will allow them some concentrated time to work on essays and supplements due as a part of their college applications.

For October, 2018, those “College Essay Days” are Wednesday, October 10^th through Wednesday, October 17^th.  On each of those days, no assignments will come due in any classes for seniors—and this includes no assigned reading.