Write Your College Application Essays (Jrs & Srs in High School Only)
Students will write their Personal Statement for the Common Application, as well as other application essays as needed. I have taught the Common App essay several times, and I have also taught the UC System's "PIQ" essay.
Beth Fehlbaum, M.Ed.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(11)
What's included
10 live meetings
10 in-class hoursAssignments
2-4 hours per week. Students are expected to come to class prepared, with their assignments completed by the given deadline so that I have had time to review them prior to class.Grading
The "grade" the student receives will be essentially pass or fail; i.e., it is expected that by the conclusion of the last class, the student will have produced a submission-worthy Personal Statement.Class Experience
Intermediate Level
Students will learn how to write an engaging personal statement essay suitable for the Common App Personal Statement. My class is structured this way: (a) Overview of the lesson, including the homework assignment that will be given. (b) Discussion of the high points of the chapter of COLLEGE ESSAY ESSENTIALS that we are studying that particular week. (c) Student questions/discussion of what is expected of them in order to meet the objectives of the week. (d) When we progress into the drafting portion of the class, students who are willing to share their work-in-progress can take advantage of feedback from classmates and me.
Learning Goals
Students will complete the class with a Personal Statement completed that is suitable for submitting with their college application.
Students will build an awareness of plot structure in the context of writing a Personal Statement for the Common App.Students will study mentor texts and analyze them for writer craft.
Syllabus
10 Lessons
over 10 WeeksLesson 1:
Brainstorming
Examine the Common App Personal Statement prompts and identify how the exercises done in class today relate to the prompt you think you would choose. Then, free- write: let your thoughts flow down your arm, through your fingers, and onto the screen. At this point, you are striving to commit abstract concepts to “paper.” 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Structure
-Cause and Effect vs. Thematic
-Narrative
-Status quo
-Inciting incident/Status quo change
-Raise the stakes
-Turning point/Moment of truth
-Denouement/The final act
- Montage:
--Find a focusing lens
- Summary: Narrative vs. Montage
Return to the paper you wrote last week in which you allowed your thoughts to flow onto paper. Consider what you have written: which of the structures studied tonight would be most appropriate for the raw information you compiled? 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Common App Prompts
-Examine the Common App prompts and classify them according to type.
Based on the Common App prompt you chose, identify it according to type, and research powerful words, phrases, and examples that relate to your life with respect to the prompt. Feel free to do this with more than one prompt if you wish. 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing the Essay
Apply the appropriate “Type” to the prompt you have chosen—the goal is to bring a rough draft to class next week, where you will learn to revise it. 60 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Learning Needs
I am willing and able to work with students who typically learn at a slower pace than others. My specialization for 26 years has been struggling learners.
Parental Guidance
This class is LIVE, and we work in Google Classroom. If a student must miss a class, they may watch the video of the class or request a make-up session.
Students who join class after the first session will be offered 1 make-up session per missed class, as payment for the full cost of the course is required. While we will continue progressing in the regularly scheduled classes, I will work with the parent and student to schedule make-up sessions.
I am occasionally using Ethan Sawyer's "College Essay Guy" website and referencing his YouTube channel. No account is required for use of these materials. Ethan Sawyer's videos are suggested/embedded in Google Classroom as supplemental resources; however, I do not take valuable class time to show them.
The CommonApp website contains the prompts the students will choose from for their personal statement. No account is required to use it.
I use Google Classroom as my teaching platform. A gmail account is necessary to access it, and a code is also required to join it. That code is on this page for you to use for your child to join the classroom. A link to it is embedded in a post on Google Classroom.
The book, COLLEGE ESSAY ESSENTIALS, is available from Amazon and other booksellers. It is completely appropriate for students for the purpose of writing their personal statement, and it is a very useful tool for this class. I have had students take this class in the past without the book, and they did okay; however, there are times that the level of info is so extensive that being able to look back at the actual chapters and study example essays can be beneficial to all students in this class. If my child were in this class, she would have the book.
Pre-Requisites
Students should come to class with an awareness of their strengths, accomplishments, both academic and extra-curricular, and familiarity with the Common Application submission process. Students enrolling late will receive make-up sessions.
Joined October, 2020
5.0
11reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Texas Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from Texas A & M-Commerce
Bachelor's Degree in English from University of Texas at Arlington
I have taught this course for three years on another platform and successfully guided students--even the most reluctant of writers--to discover that they have what it takes to produce this essay that is integral to the college admissions process. I am skilled at assisting students with line-editing and meeting the word count, as well as assisting them in generating ideas. Reviews
Live Group Course
$550
for 10 classes1x per week, 10 weeks
60 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 16-18
8-10 learners per class
