Monday, September 10, 2012
Your Topic, Yourself: College Essay Series Part 2
Every year it happens. One student or more, perhaps consciously, but more frequently subconsciously or unconsciously, scares the heck out of his or her classmates by writing an awesome college essay on an original topic. I always hope this isn't the first kid up to read at the college essay workshop. Then there is that long, awkward pause during which all the applicants look at each other as if to say, "How am I going to write like that?"
Things came to a head in one of my workshops a few years ago. During my work with small groups, two different essays surfaced as "The Great Ones." One was drafted by a young man whose father had been laid off and spent his son's junior year being Mr. Mom. The other was composed by a young lady whose father had died of cancer the year before. Both pieces were compelling and needed very few revisions to speak of -- and both left the rest of the students wondering but not daring to say, "How am I going to write like that if nothing like that has ever happened to me?" This is a good question, arguably an egotistical one, so you're smart not to say it out loud. Be assured that thousands of teenagers would choose four more years with their deceased parent over four years of college if they ever had any choice.
Nothing tragic need happen for you to write a great college essay. In fact, I would say that the majority of excellent college essays I have read have been entertaining and a delight to read. Of course, I may be a little biased, having usually coached young people through the process, but even so, it's worth reinforcing here. I've seen college essays about Barbie dolls, Oreos, germaphobia, dance team, boating, substitute teachers and tattoos. All of them were great, and none had tragedy as a prerequisite. So stay resolved to find the best topic for you.
Another mistake that often gets made is to write about the topic you think other people want to hear and to try to wrap it up with a neat little bow. Remember that a college essay is one of the few essays that can end with a beginning. Be open. And know that sincere writing is believable. If an experience didn't change your life, don't write about it as if it did.
Very early in my teaching career, a student came to me for extra help with his essay. He wrote about his experience volunteering for a special swim program at the local Y. I looked at the draft and asked him how frequently he still volunteered. He said he had quit after the first two weeks because he didn't feel comfortable there. It amazed me that he managed to crank out two pages on something that meant so little to him, but he was convinced that he had to write about volunteering. I told him that I had a younger brother with special needs, that I knew how hard the people in his school and group home had to work, and that it was an insult to anyone who did dedicate their lives to that field to write something like that. I asked him if he wanted to go into special education or social work. He said he wanted to major in business.
By the time we were finished talking, he decided to write about his family landscaping business, how he had worked for his dad and uncle every summer since he was 13 and what that work had taught him. All of the sudden, he looked confident and hopeful. When you arrive at the right topic, you just know. And sometimes it's one of the most obvious things in your life, the thing that consumes you. This young man, as it turned out, had designed and built 20 fully functional koi ponds by his seventeenth birthday. That process was eventually what he wrote about. And it was what made him decide to pursue a major in landscape architecture with a minor in business. Never underestimate the writing process as a means of discerning what really and truly matters to you. Your college essay can decide your future, because if it's written well, your college essay personifies you.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thoughts on the College Essay: Part 1
The college essay is the one piece of writing that students always want to be perfect. Students understand all too well the far-reaching implications of a college essay. This is why they struggle to arrive at a topic that will market them well.
Eight years ago, after my husband and I got engaged, I embarked on my search for the perfect wedding gown. Five bridal boutiques and about 50 dresses later, I found it. I've heard of women who say that the first dress they try on is "The Dress" -- those lucky ladies! By the time I found my bridal gown, I had been through several minor meltdowns. Often, I share this story with my students, because I walked down the aisle in that dress, and I was a very happy bride.
I hope you see my analogy. In the same way that I had collected a plethora of pictures from bridal magazines thinking that they were all ideal dresses for me, I was surprised, when I tried them on, at how "not me" they looked. Students may think that they know the perfect essay topic, but they shouldn't be shocked if they start to write ideas down and don't like them very much. It takes time, so start early.
When it comes to college essay drafts, I ask students one question when they walk in for an initial writing conference with a paper for me to "look over." Before I ever read word one, I ask, "On a scale of one to ten, one being not very willing, and ten being totally willing, how willing are you to part with what you've written and start from scratch?" A student's response to this gives me a clear sign not only of his or her passion for the piece, but also a straightforward indicator of approach to the writing process. Once that question is answered, I can conduct my "PQP" conference. I praise the strengths of the piece, I question the writer on points to consider for development, and I offer my suggestions for how to polish the piece. It might take two or three conferences like this before a student really feels confident. Or it might only take one. It all depends on the student's willingness to be recursive.
I advise students not to ask too many people their opinions on the essay once it feels complete. It's important to seek out people who will give you feedback on the content of the piece. In the final stages, find someone who can proofread well, but don't worry about mechanics until that point. Remember, too, that students often need to write more than one college essay, and they are not "one size fits all." It's important to answer the question asked on the application, not the question you wish you were asked. Just as job candidates need to rewrite their resumes for a specific company's requirements, students need to write focused essays for their applications.
Eight years ago, after my husband and I got engaged, I embarked on my search for the perfect wedding gown. Five bridal boutiques and about 50 dresses later, I found it. I've heard of women who say that the first dress they try on is "The Dress" -- those lucky ladies! By the time I found my bridal gown, I had been through several minor meltdowns. Often, I share this story with my students, because I walked down the aisle in that dress, and I was a very happy bride.
I hope you see my analogy. In the same way that I had collected a plethora of pictures from bridal magazines thinking that they were all ideal dresses for me, I was surprised, when I tried them on, at how "not me" they looked. Students may think that they know the perfect essay topic, but they shouldn't be shocked if they start to write ideas down and don't like them very much. It takes time, so start early.
When it comes to college essay drafts, I ask students one question when they walk in for an initial writing conference with a paper for me to "look over." Before I ever read word one, I ask, "On a scale of one to ten, one being not very willing, and ten being totally willing, how willing are you to part with what you've written and start from scratch?" A student's response to this gives me a clear sign not only of his or her passion for the piece, but also a straightforward indicator of approach to the writing process. Once that question is answered, I can conduct my "PQP" conference. I praise the strengths of the piece, I question the writer on points to consider for development, and I offer my suggestions for how to polish the piece. It might take two or three conferences like this before a student really feels confident. Or it might only take one. It all depends on the student's willingness to be recursive.
I advise students not to ask too many people their opinions on the essay once it feels complete. It's important to seek out people who will give you feedback on the content of the piece. In the final stages, find someone who can proofread well, but don't worry about mechanics until that point. Remember, too, that students often need to write more than one college essay, and they are not "one size fits all." It's important to answer the question asked on the application, not the question you wish you were asked. Just as job candidates need to rewrite their resumes for a specific company's requirements, students need to write focused essays for their applications.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Getting the Knack of Vernacular
Sentence completion tasks on standardized tests are a measure of a student's understanding of both syntax and range of vocabulary. There are thousands of unfamiliar vocabulary words that could potentially appear on the SAT. To save everyone involved having to buy out the notecard aisle at Staples to make thousands of flashcards, I'm going to make this a lot easier...
Remember those episodes of Dawson's Creek where Jack would say things like: "I don't believe in perfect love. But I do believe that there are people whose lives are inextricably intertwined"? <= When was the last time you heard a sophomore in high school say that? As Emory University English professor Mark Bauerlein asserts, very few adolescents would compromise their status in a peer group by using scholarly or erudite vocabulary in a social setting -- and what setting isn't social in high school? Of course, direct vocabulary instruction will always improve comprehension, so whatever vocabulary is being covered in school is a great place to start. Ask your child's teacher or check the school's website for information about vocabulary instruction. If teachers post the week's vocabulary, try to use it in conversations. Words like esoteric or argot might not come trippingly off the tongue during dinner conversation or on your morning commute, and if so, go with what you know. A great place to start is to suggest a word to your child when he or she uses an adverb such as very, really, so or extremely before an adjective. So if he says "I'm so hungry," you might respond with, "If you're really famished..." or if she says "I was really annoyed," you could ask "How irate were you?" It's best to engage, but not to correct when it comes to cultivating vocabulary.
The skill of figuring out what a word means -- or trying to problem-solve to get the definition before looking it up -- is also of great value. When test day comes, the dictionary won't be around, so encouraging guessing at the definition and walking your teen through the deconstruction of a word is actually of equal or higher value than just looking it up. Petitioning your child to help you think of the right word is another sneaky but effective strategy. It helps them understand that words have nuances and that not every thesaurus option is ideal. One of my college professors was a real aficionado of the word pejorative. He used it all the time. The first few times he used it, I tried to look it up, but it has a unique spelling. I was looking up prejorative -- which isn't a word. Years later, finding that definition, even when I misspell the word, is a cinch. But back then, until I kept hearing the word in context, I couldn't figure out what it meant.
The research on vocabulary tells us that repeated exposure to words ensures retention of them. Students need to use their vocabulary words in speech and writing or they will lose them. But they also need to learn how to problem-solve to determine the meanings of words when they don't have a reference source close at hand. If they learn how to walk themselves through that process, they will feel much more secure on test day.
Remember those episodes of Dawson's Creek where Jack would say things like: "I don't believe in perfect love. But I do believe that there are people whose lives are inextricably intertwined"? <= When was the last time you heard a sophomore in high school say that? As Emory University English professor Mark Bauerlein asserts, very few adolescents would compromise their status in a peer group by using scholarly or erudite vocabulary in a social setting -- and what setting isn't social in high school? Of course, direct vocabulary instruction will always improve comprehension, so whatever vocabulary is being covered in school is a great place to start. Ask your child's teacher or check the school's website for information about vocabulary instruction. If teachers post the week's vocabulary, try to use it in conversations. Words like esoteric or argot might not come trippingly off the tongue during dinner conversation or on your morning commute, and if so, go with what you know. A great place to start is to suggest a word to your child when he or she uses an adverb such as very, really, so or extremely before an adjective. So if he says "I'm so hungry," you might respond with, "If you're really famished..." or if she says "I was really annoyed," you could ask "How irate were you?" It's best to engage, but not to correct when it comes to cultivating vocabulary.
The skill of figuring out what a word means -- or trying to problem-solve to get the definition before looking it up -- is also of great value. When test day comes, the dictionary won't be around, so encouraging guessing at the definition and walking your teen through the deconstruction of a word is actually of equal or higher value than just looking it up. Petitioning your child to help you think of the right word is another sneaky but effective strategy. It helps them understand that words have nuances and that not every thesaurus option is ideal. One of my college professors was a real aficionado of the word pejorative. He used it all the time. The first few times he used it, I tried to look it up, but it has a unique spelling. I was looking up prejorative -- which isn't a word. Years later, finding that definition, even when I misspell the word, is a cinch. But back then, until I kept hearing the word in context, I couldn't figure out what it meant.
The research on vocabulary tells us that repeated exposure to words ensures retention of them. Students need to use their vocabulary words in speech and writing or they will lose them. But they also need to learn how to problem-solve to determine the meanings of words when they don't have a reference source close at hand. If they learn how to walk themselves through that process, they will feel much more secure on test day.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Lure of the LOR
Letters of Recommendation, or LOR's as I refer to them, are highly valuable in an applicant's file. Since I have been writing them for over 15 years, there are some universal truths I have gleaned from the entire process of being a teacher reference. When I review much of this with students, they are often surprised at the details I share. Here are some of them:
1) Ask early, personally and specifically. When you want a recommendation letter, visit a teacher in person, not on the fly during passing periods in the hallway or on your way in or out of the classroom. If necessary, e-mail to see when you can meet your teacher, but do not request a recommendation over e-mail. After you have spoken live (before or after school and by appointment is best), it's fine to communicate digitally about some of the minutiae. Your request should come in the spring for fall applications. Many teachers limit the number of letters they write and want to stagger their work over the summer. So ask early, and make sure to be specific about why this particular teacher is the ideal person to write your letter. Never leave paperwork in a teacher's mailbox or on his or her desk in lieu of making the request. And while this might sound funny, it has happened more times than I can count: ASK. Students have come in to see me in the past (or swung past my desk as class begins or closes) and said something like, "Just to give you the heads-up, you'll be getting an e-mail from so-and-so about my application." I have treated these as teachable moments in which I usually ask the student to reflect and rewind. I have even said, "That was not a request." Then we have a do-over, or I ask the student to come and see me at a better time when we can speak.
2) Give the teacher a list of your favorite learning experiences from his or her class. This can be done via e-mail after the teacher has accepted your request. Colleges want specifics from your instructor, and this list will help prompt his or her memory. With over 100 students each year, many teachers might need this specific data. Consider how you would answer these questions if you were asked them by your teacher: Which text/unit of instruction did you connect the most with in class? What activities did you find most beneficial to you personally throughout the course of this year? When you came into my classroom, what were your expectations? How did you grow over the course of the year? Why did you take my class (if not a required class)? In the past, many students have given me a list of their activities and awards, which is not of use to me as an instructor who is asked to share academic anecdotes. Colleges want specifics about the classroom, so help your teacher help you.
3) Minimize the clerical work as much as possible. This means that if you are applying to ten schools, it is likely best to fill out as much information as you have access to complete on the reference forms. This includes but is not limited to: Your teacher's name, the school address, your teacher's e-mail address, the name of the course you took, etc. Anything that you could look up and fill in should be done. It also helps to e-mail your teacher this completed form as a PDF. Envelopes should be stamped, addressed, return addressed, and so on. It sounds picky, but in many cases, it makes a difference, impresses the person who is writing the letter and expedites the process. So splurge on the self-adhesive mailing envelopes -- I appreciate not having to lick ten of the cheaper ones.
4) Avoid asking a teacher who has not had you in class recently. Writing a letter of reference for someone I had as a freshman or a sophomore is not really fair to the candidate if it can be helped. The best letters I have written have been for students I had for more than one year and in more than one class, since I can attest to growth over time and a variety of different class experiences. And, of course, those students who have been editors on publications I have advised or officers in classes I advised are much more likely to get a lengthier recommendation from me. Colleges appreciate those letters and send plaudits to teachers who take the time to write them. Dartmouth University and The University of Delaware are two specific schools that come to mind whose admissions officers send those.
5) Know before you go. I have declined students for letters of recommendation, and it is not a comfortable experience for either party involved. Before asking a teacher for a LOR, reflect on ALL of your experiences with him or her. I do not enjoy telling a student that his or her poor behavior in my class, frequent absences/tardies, chronic late assignments or incidents of academic dishonesty are reasons for declining him or her, but on principle I will not accept the task of recommending a candidate if I believe it compromises my professional integrity. Students are sometimes shocked and hurt when I tell them my reasons for not being able to write a reference for them. Most of my reasons to decline a student are not about academics. Poor choices made at athletic and co-curricular events or crass behavior in non-classroom environments often determines my decision to decline a candidate for a LOR. Some concrete examples include: violating school dress code, leading peers in a tasteless chant at a pep rally, using foul language in the hallways or cafeteria, making derisive comments about teachers or administrators, and regularly littering in common areas. Consider that a teacher observes students outside of directly instructive environments such as the hallway, the cafeteria, study hall, homeroom, the library or computer lab, and buses. With all of this in mind, consider all of the experiences you have had with a teacher before you request a recommendation. Also remember that an instructor can contact an admissions officer after a recommendation is submitted to rescind it or to raise an objection. I have done this a few times with students who began to make poor choices in their second semester of senior year.
6) Practice your pitch. When making your request, avoid statements like, "You're the only person I know who can do this," or "My other teachers aren't as good of a writer as you." If you can't think of specific reasons why this is the best teacher to write your letter of reference, then rethink the request. I might not be the best person to write a letter for a prospective math or science major. All teachers are writers, not just the teachers of writing, and we take the requests seriously. In fact, some of us hope you will ask us!
7) Attitude is gratitude. Follow up with your teacher reference after application crunch time is past. Write him or her a thank you note or an e-mail. It need not be lengthy, but it is the considerate thing to do. One guidance counselor I know keeps a stash of blank thank you notes in her desk, and before she and a student mail out final applications, she makes sure that the student writes one to each teacher if it has not been done already. I have gotten any number of gifts from students for writing LOR's, and while I am very appreciative (and make sure to practice what I preach by writing a thank-you note for the thank-you gift!), it is the sentiments of the note that I most value. Candles, sweets and gift cards are always great, but they are not at all expected. Don't feel pressured to get your reference writer a gift. Just as his or her words will make a difference on your application, your words are all it takes to make a difference to your teacher. Also, drop a note or an e-mail to your reference when you gain admission to an institution and/or have made your final choice. We like to know, and we will congratulate you!
8) Waive goodbye. Some instructors will copy you on their letter, and others won't. You should waive your right of access to the recommendation regardless, and do not request to see a copy.
PS: While this advice is intended for those seeking college admission, the directives can also be applied to students who are applying to summer programs, specialized academic programs and the like.
1) Ask early, personally and specifically. When you want a recommendation letter, visit a teacher in person, not on the fly during passing periods in the hallway or on your way in or out of the classroom. If necessary, e-mail to see when you can meet your teacher, but do not request a recommendation over e-mail. After you have spoken live (before or after school and by appointment is best), it's fine to communicate digitally about some of the minutiae. Your request should come in the spring for fall applications. Many teachers limit the number of letters they write and want to stagger their work over the summer. So ask early, and make sure to be specific about why this particular teacher is the ideal person to write your letter. Never leave paperwork in a teacher's mailbox or on his or her desk in lieu of making the request. And while this might sound funny, it has happened more times than I can count: ASK. Students have come in to see me in the past (or swung past my desk as class begins or closes) and said something like, "Just to give you the heads-up, you'll be getting an e-mail from so-and-so about my application." I have treated these as teachable moments in which I usually ask the student to reflect and rewind. I have even said, "That was not a request." Then we have a do-over, or I ask the student to come and see me at a better time when we can speak.
2) Give the teacher a list of your favorite learning experiences from his or her class. This can be done via e-mail after the teacher has accepted your request. Colleges want specifics from your instructor, and this list will help prompt his or her memory. With over 100 students each year, many teachers might need this specific data. Consider how you would answer these questions if you were asked them by your teacher: Which text/unit of instruction did you connect the most with in class? What activities did you find most beneficial to you personally throughout the course of this year? When you came into my classroom, what were your expectations? How did you grow over the course of the year? Why did you take my class (if not a required class)? In the past, many students have given me a list of their activities and awards, which is not of use to me as an instructor who is asked to share academic anecdotes. Colleges want specifics about the classroom, so help your teacher help you.
3) Minimize the clerical work as much as possible. This means that if you are applying to ten schools, it is likely best to fill out as much information as you have access to complete on the reference forms. This includes but is not limited to: Your teacher's name, the school address, your teacher's e-mail address, the name of the course you took, etc. Anything that you could look up and fill in should be done. It also helps to e-mail your teacher this completed form as a PDF. Envelopes should be stamped, addressed, return addressed, and so on. It sounds picky, but in many cases, it makes a difference, impresses the person who is writing the letter and expedites the process. So splurge on the self-adhesive mailing envelopes -- I appreciate not having to lick ten of the cheaper ones.
4) Avoid asking a teacher who has not had you in class recently. Writing a letter of reference for someone I had as a freshman or a sophomore is not really fair to the candidate if it can be helped. The best letters I have written have been for students I had for more than one year and in more than one class, since I can attest to growth over time and a variety of different class experiences. And, of course, those students who have been editors on publications I have advised or officers in classes I advised are much more likely to get a lengthier recommendation from me. Colleges appreciate those letters and send plaudits to teachers who take the time to write them. Dartmouth University and The University of Delaware are two specific schools that come to mind whose admissions officers send those.
5) Know before you go. I have declined students for letters of recommendation, and it is not a comfortable experience for either party involved. Before asking a teacher for a LOR, reflect on ALL of your experiences with him or her. I do not enjoy telling a student that his or her poor behavior in my class, frequent absences/tardies, chronic late assignments or incidents of academic dishonesty are reasons for declining him or her, but on principle I will not accept the task of recommending a candidate if I believe it compromises my professional integrity. Students are sometimes shocked and hurt when I tell them my reasons for not being able to write a reference for them. Most of my reasons to decline a student are not about academics. Poor choices made at athletic and co-curricular events or crass behavior in non-classroom environments often determines my decision to decline a candidate for a LOR. Some concrete examples include: violating school dress code, leading peers in a tasteless chant at a pep rally, using foul language in the hallways or cafeteria, making derisive comments about teachers or administrators, and regularly littering in common areas. Consider that a teacher observes students outside of directly instructive environments such as the hallway, the cafeteria, study hall, homeroom, the library or computer lab, and buses. With all of this in mind, consider all of the experiences you have had with a teacher before you request a recommendation. Also remember that an instructor can contact an admissions officer after a recommendation is submitted to rescind it or to raise an objection. I have done this a few times with students who began to make poor choices in their second semester of senior year.
6) Practice your pitch. When making your request, avoid statements like, "You're the only person I know who can do this," or "My other teachers aren't as good of a writer as you." If you can't think of specific reasons why this is the best teacher to write your letter of reference, then rethink the request. I might not be the best person to write a letter for a prospective math or science major. All teachers are writers, not just the teachers of writing, and we take the requests seriously. In fact, some of us hope you will ask us!
7) Attitude is gratitude. Follow up with your teacher reference after application crunch time is past. Write him or her a thank you note or an e-mail. It need not be lengthy, but it is the considerate thing to do. One guidance counselor I know keeps a stash of blank thank you notes in her desk, and before she and a student mail out final applications, she makes sure that the student writes one to each teacher if it has not been done already. I have gotten any number of gifts from students for writing LOR's, and while I am very appreciative (and make sure to practice what I preach by writing a thank-you note for the thank-you gift!), it is the sentiments of the note that I most value. Candles, sweets and gift cards are always great, but they are not at all expected. Don't feel pressured to get your reference writer a gift. Just as his or her words will make a difference on your application, your words are all it takes to make a difference to your teacher. Also, drop a note or an e-mail to your reference when you gain admission to an institution and/or have made your final choice. We like to know, and we will congratulate you!
8) Waive goodbye. Some instructors will copy you on their letter, and others won't. You should waive your right of access to the recommendation regardless, and do not request to see a copy.
PS: While this advice is intended for those seeking college admission, the directives can also be applied to students who are applying to summer programs, specialized academic programs and the like.
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