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GUIDEDPATH HOSTED WEBINAR:

Five College Essay Questions Every Counselor

Should Be Able to Help Their Students Answer

Webinar Presented: July 7, 2014

Guest Presenter: Ethan Sawyer, The College Essay Guy

View Recording: MyCCAnet Videos

View Document Share: Slideshare.net/MyCCAnet

The 5 Questions Students Ask All the Time:

1. How do I figure out what to write about?

2. How do I structure my essay?

3. How do I outline my essay?

4. How do I revise my essay?

5. How do I bring my essay to life? (aka: How do I make it not-boring?)

There are three things to remember when teaching: know your stuff, know whom

you are stuffing: and then stuff them elegantly.

-Lola May

1. What do I write about?

a. Using an ESSENCE OBJECTS EXERCISE helps student explore what’s important

to them.

i. It is the best, most efficient brainstorming exercise. It is useful for

describing “the world you come from”. An essay prompt in the University

of California application or the “tell us your story” in the Common App.

ii. RESOURCE #1: Hear audio file of exercise:

http://www.collegeessayguy.com/guide-objects-exercise/

b. Using the VALUES EXERCISE helps students explore core values and

dreams/aspirations.

i. RESOURCE #2: View list of values and description of exercise:

http://www.collegeessayguy.com/guide-values-exercise

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c. Seven Brainstorming Questions

1. What’s the toughest lesson you’ve ever had to learn?

2. What was the hardest thing you ever had to overcome?

3. What is your life question?

4. Describe a time when your belief system was formed, tested or

changed.

5. I wouldn’t be who I am today without ______________________

6. (If you have a specific career/major in mind) Why am I a (fill in the

blank with your career aspiration).

7. What experience shifted your molecules? (In other words: you were

one way. Then [this thing] happened. They you were another way.)

ii. My favorite quest: Is this my DEEPEST story?

2. How do I structure my Essay?

a. Identified 4 types of College Essays:

a. A good college essay should either:

1. Go deep, discussing one moment that fundamentally changed your

life

2. Go wide, discussing many different elements of your life.

b. Use two narrative structures:

ii. Narrative: causal connections (to go DEEP)

1. Use SCREENPLAY writing techniques to structure essay

A. Status Quo

B. Inciting Incident/Status Quo change

C. Raising the Stakes

D. Moment of Truth

E. New Status Quo/Outcome

2. Narrative is useful for essay types A and C

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iii. Montage: thematic connections (to go WIDE)

1. Use a FOCUSING LENS- to bring everything together

A. Make it visual

B. Write about what you know

2. Montage is useful for essay typed B and D

A. See TheCollegeEssayGuy website for examples of each type

of essay.

B. Tips and links to the essay types are included in each

GuidedPath account.

3. How do I outline my essay?

a. Decide on the big chunks. (information needed)

b. Connect your challenges (past) to your career (future)?

i. Use the VALUES exercise to identify top, personal values.

ii. YOUR CHALLENGES YOUR VALUES YOUR CAREER

c. Tips:

1. Reverse engineer your essay. Start with the end (your career) in

mind. What qualities are needed to make an excellent _________?

Identify how you have demonstrated those qualities.

2. Once you identify your career, how do you end the essay? Use your

values.

3. Use 3 part structure:

A. Challenges (25%)

B. What I did about it (50%)

C. What I learned (25%)

d. Challenge: How do you describe who you are and what you’ll bring to a college

campus in an interesting and cohesive way? 3 Tips:

1. Identify a potential career/path using Find My Spark (in

GuidedPath), Do What You Are, or other career exploration tool,

then write B type essay.

2. Find a framing device based on something you love. Examples:

i. I love scrapbooking: The Scrapbook of My Life

ii. I love Applied Math: How I See the World Through

Applied Math

iii. I love traveling and language: How Traveling and

Language Have Shaped My Life

3. Use qualities you would like to show. End essay by naming values

that will be important to you no matter what career you choose.

4. How do I revise my essay? and 5. How do I bring my essay to life (make it non-

boring?)

a. Begin with a problem that must be solved

b. Show first, then tell.

i. The “show” demonstrates you are a talented writer.

ii. The “tell” demonstrates you are a critical thinker.

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RESOURCES:

- View PRESENTATION:

http://prezi.com/k5s40pijybth/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

- View RECORDING:

- https://www.youtube.com/user/myccanetvideos

- View Ethan’s RESOURCES:

- http://www.collegeessayguy.com/guide-index/

- Sign up for Ethan’s 6 week webinar series:

- http://www.collegeessayguy.com/counselor-webinar

- Have your students sign up for Ethan’s 6 week

webinar series:

- http://www.collegeessayguy.com/student-webinar

View other PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT webinar recordings

- Topics include: Trending in College Admissions, College Admissions in the 21st Century,

Counseling Students Who Think They Can (a whole series).

Sign up for Summer 2014 webinars: Ready, Set, Go!