College Essay Bootcamp: Day 1

Starter

1. What is your attitude toward peer critiquing? 
2. What makes for a BAD peer critique?  What makes for a GOOD peer critique?

Class Biz

• School photos tomorrow during advisory!
• A Note on how I'm assessing seminar reflections
• Mission/Vision -- I'll grade them once you've put your final versions  in the form embedded above.  This will be a part of your portfolio and will just be in the gradebook as 0 points, turned in or not. Those types of assignments will be good discussion points for the ENGAGE category of your portfolio

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Mission/Vision Workshop Peer Critique: Get in groups of 2-3 and take turns sharing your problem/why/mission/vision statements. Here are questions for the critiquers:

• Does the presenter have a clear "why"?  
• Does the Mission Statement clearly express the WHAT in an easy to understand manner?  What word choice would you recommend? What can be cut? What needs refinement? Is the mission concrete/tangible/achievable/realistic?
• Does the Vision inspire you? Why? Does it identify the vision for how the "world" will be different as a result of the fulfillment of their mission? How is the word choice? Can it be more inspiring, clear, concise?  How?
• Talk about the challenges you see in achieving each of your mission/visions.
• Help each other identify  some ways to overcome these challenges. Think about support systems you might need, or PEOPLE you could call on to help you, etc...

Refinement time! (10 minutes)

1. Apply feedback from your peer critique to polishing your mission and vision statements.
2. Complete the survey embedded at the top of this blog when you're done refining!
3. Be ready to share ONE of your vision/mission statements

TRANSITION: Welcome to College Essay Boot Camp ​
1 minute: Close your eyes, take 5 deep breaths-- get settled and anchored into this new phase of the day, and class.  Now, think about how you feel about the college application process. Scan your body. Notice how your body feels. Perhaps there is tension in your chest, etc…. Just notice those for now.  Take three more deep breaths and when ready, open your eyes

College Essay Reflection Prompts (answer these questions on a notecard for Ashley)

1. How do you FEEL about the college application process in general, and writing college essays in general?
2. Why do you feel this way? 
3. What do you THINK about the college application process? 
   1. Do you think it is valuable? A necessary evil? Something YOU have to do, something you GET to do?  
4. Why are you applying to college? Is this something YOU’VE truly chosen? 
5. Define your OWN purpose for writing a college essay.  

Whole Class Debrief: Can I have at least 5 people share their purpose? 

College Essay Bootcamp Overview-- Read this document closely: College Essay Boot Camp 

• What questions do you have? 
• What piece of student feedback struck you as particularly helpful?

Let’s look at the list of resources on my Documents page

• College Essay Guy is amazing!  You need to email to request access to the free guide, but it is worth it! Do it! We’ll check out the various resources he has listed in that guide real quick….

Where Are You?
The corners of the classroom have been labeled with numbers 1-4.  Go to the corner that best represents your current status in regards to college essays.  Use the following criterion:
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Which phrase best describes your current situation in regards to college essay writing?

1. I haven't started yet, and don't have a clue what the outcome might look like.
2. I have a prompt and have started writing, but I'm nowhere near done.
3. I have finished at least one essay, but it would benefit from some more refinement
4. I have mostly finished my college essays, but still have a few more and/or supplementary writing I can work on and refine.

Support Groups
We'll form groups of 4, with students from each corner so there is a mix.  You will be working in/with your support group at different points throughout the College Essay Boot Camp to help answer questions, provide suggestions for each other, serve as sounding boards, etc.  After your group is formed, go to the link for Support Group Scheduling.  MAKE A COPY of this document, and work with your group to fill it out. You'll run through the following tasks:

1. Discuss where you each are in the writing process and what support you need from each other/Ashley/internet and then send one student from your group to fill out the table Ashley posted in the classroom.
2. Review deadlines (see Support Group handout linked on DP if you were absent!)
3. Review resources- Go to the “documents” page of my DP and read through the titles of all the extra resources so you know where to find them when you need them. TONs of helpful stuff if you’re stuck! 
4. Create a schedule by filling out the bottom table on the Support Groups handout​