letters of recommendation & essay workshop new haven reach october 18, 2014
TRANSCRIPT
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION & ESSAY WORKSHOP
New Haven REACH October 18, 2014
Check-in• Check in with your mentor on Common App-
• Have you completed all the basic information sections? (Applicant, Demographics, Family, Education, Academics)
• Have you filled out the activities section of the Common App?
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONReaching out to your teachers
What is the Letter of Rec?• Most schools require two academic letters of
recommendation• On Common App, a form that teachers fill out about you,
work habits, personal traits• The process for having teachers fill this out depends on
your high school, but often use Naviance• Did your school explain the process for getting these
letters?• If not, talk to your counselor!
Who Should You Ask?• Which teachers should you ask?
• Teachers that teach subjects you are interested in, majoring in, doing well in
• Preferably junior year• Personal relationships—teachers who know you
• Try to pick two teachers in different subject areas• I.e. Math and history• Art and science
How to Ask for a Letter• Ask about 1-1.5 months before your deadline• Email or meet with your teacher in person
• Talk to him/her about your engagement in the class, mention any challenges you overcame, tell them what you learned in class
• Basically, show them a more personal side of yourself, as a student
• Give them a copy your resume and “brag sheet”• The brag sheet is where you give your teachers insight into your
goals, academic attitude, and personal experiences
• Make sure to clearly explain deadlines and process!• If they haven’t submitted the letter two weeks before
deadline, send them a reminder email.• Remember to thank them after submission!
Additional Recommendations• Your counselor will send a letter of recommendation also• Provide same information (resume, “brag sheet”) as you
did for your academic teachers• Meet with counselor about academic goals, college plans
—this will help your counselor to get to know you!• Remind your counselor as deadline approaches• Thank him/her after submission• For some colleges, can also submit a supplementary
letter of recommendation• Coach, extracurricular adviser, religious leader
• For these, the submission process varies a lot by college• Sometimes, colleges ask applicants to send these letters by mail
directly
ESSAY WORKSHOPOne of the most important components of your application!
Common App Personal Essay• Capped at 650 words• Tell colleges who you are, what defines you, what is
important to you, and what has shaped you• What will set you apart• Through essays, colleges are looking for interesting
students who would fit their student body!• Get creative! (formatting, content, voice, writing style)• Topics are on Common App website
Essay Resources• Your mentor!• English teacher• Friends and family• www.NewHavenREACH.com• Essay-writing guide books
• 100 Successful College Essays
Common App Prompts
Framework for Brainstorming
Words to
Describe You
• Think of 5 words that would describe your personality, passion, work ethic, beliefs, or your relationships etc.
• These can be good and bad, but he more specific you can be the better!• For example: Tenacious, Procrastinator, Interested (family lineage), Family man, Hopeful idealizer• Highlight the aspects most important to you.
Stories
• Think of 4-5 stories that encompass, one or more of these attributes.• What does the story reveal about you?• What makes the story interesting?• Situation, Task, Action, Results, Learning (STAR-L)
Pick a
story and go!
• Write that intro• Write in the present tense• Write, trash, write, and wait until you have your epiphany
Types of Essays• Narrative
• Tell a story• Use details, can get creative with this one
• Descriptive• I.e. “Tell us about your role model”
• Explanatory• I.e. “Why ___ college?”
• Analytical• This one will usually ask you to discuss a certain issue (social,
current event)• Displays intellectual curiosity, openness
Some Creative Techniques• In media res
• Don’t waste words describing the story, just jump right into the middle of the setting of the story.
• Then provide some context for the setting but make the setting interesting!
• Drive toward your final sentence.
• Quotes• Vignettes• Including dialogue• Very descriptive details
• Adjectives• Objects• Active verbs• Senses
Sample Intro
A thin crusted pie with a glazed, orange sweet potato filling rests on the plaid table cloth. The sugary aroma dissipates throughout the kitchen, dressed with spices, a Tony Sachery cookbook, cast iron skillets, and Magnetite pots and pans. The pie rests between an elderly woman, with wide glasses, on one side of the table and the teary child she attempts to console seated on the other side. That young boy is me, and the old woman was my confidant, my mentor, my friend, and my “Grandma,” Mrs. Agnes James.
Body Paragraphs• Do not stick to the five paragraph format• Get to the meat of the story• Highlight the transformation• Zoom out: your story should have an overarching
message or concept to convey
REACH BOLDLY.
Sample BodyWhen I was younger, my parents sent my brother and me to my grandparent’s house for much of the summer. As a result, Grandma had a significant role in raising me, teaching me not only through her words, but also through her actions. As the daughter of sharecroppers, she placed a special emphasis on work ethic, always reminiscing and discussing her jobs as lunchroom cook, factory worker, mother, and caregiver in her early life. She would always sit me down, look me in the eyes and say, “Work hard so you can take care of your family,” but I never realized the gravity of her statement until I arrived home one day and noticed a plate of crisp honey-baked ham and Cajun rice on the kitchen counter for me, despite her being bedridden that morning with leg pains, shivers, and cold sweats. Then I realized the whole meaning behind her actions - her being, and her ethic was for others, and I quickly applied those values to my life, doing as much as I can in school, participating in debate to be politically educated for others, and joining the Community Service Leadership Corp to directly affect others through projects and mission trips.
Conclusion• Bring it full circle
• Reference a simple artifact from the intro (i.e. the pie, or the table cloth)
• State what you’ve learned and what you will do moving forward.
• What will you bring to the college campus?• How has the story you’ve told changed you?• What do you hope for moving forward?• This is really a time to re-highlight some of the key words
to describe you.
Sample ConclusionWe had a long conversation, about my performance during my junior year, girls, and life in general. She ended her conversation by saying, “Do your best, ya hear? You have a bright future ahead of you,” and going back to sleep. Those were the last words I heard from my Grandma. When I received the news that she died that cold February 12th day, I instantly remembered her final words to me and began to reflect on how I fell behind my first semester of junior year. I chose to only do debate, my grades were slipping, and I was getting in more trouble with my family. Instantly, I realized I had forgotten what my Grandma taught me those warm summer days. After reflection, I was resolute to create that bright future my Grandmother envisioned. My second semester of junior year became my best in every way possible, and I believe I owe it to Grandma to embrace the bright future she saw for me.
Drafting & Revision• Start writing early!• Work hard on brainstorming• Don’t be afraid to re-write and change ideas• Go through multiple drafts and edits• Put drafts down for a few days, then look at them again.• Have multiple people read it such as your REACH mentor,
college counselor, English teacher, parent, friends
Personal Statement vs. Supplements• Supplements are usually more creative• Often specific to school (“Why Yale?”)• Or ask you to write on a specific topic
• “Write a letter to your future roommate”• “Tell us your favorite joke and try to explain the joke without ruining
it”• “What matters to you, and why?”• “Imagine looking through a window. What are you seeing and why
is it meaningful to you?”
Let’s Look at Sample Essays!• What kind of student wrote this essay?
• How do you know the writer has these traits?
• What do you think of the topic?• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the writing
style?• Is there anything that catches your attention—something
you would want to use in your writing?
QUESTIONS?We’re here for you!
REACH BOLDLY.
