It has
been some time since I have blogged and a lot of great things have happened and
are happening. Since it is college
application season, it is appropriate to write about my experience while
teaching students how to write a personal statement.
College
Seminar is an elective for high school seniors.
While an ideal set up would be that ALL seniors take College Seminar, it
is still an effective venue for the seniors who are currently enrolled. I wanted the students to have experience in
writing the personal statement for college.
Now, this should have happened in junior year. Realistically, it happens during the college
application season. I took the time to
create a brainstorm activity using a mind map and finding example college
admissions essays. I found example
essays on the web and from the FISKE book called Real College Essays that Work.
1st
Activity: Brainstorm, as a class, what
makes a good personal statement? This is
what we came up with.
Group
Brainstorm: Students are given two mind
map graphic organizers and two personal statement examples. The groups identified the parts of the
personal statement that worked and what needed improvement.
Individual
Brainstorm: Students are asked to choose
topics that they would like to write about.
Topics should be what the student feels comfortable sharing and nothing
that would get the student in trouble.
Rough
draft and Final Draft: Students
submitted a rough draft and I had individual meetings to discuss the
topic. Although I am an English teacher
first, I read the personal statements from a counselor perspective. It is great when an English teacher reads
them, but colleges are looking for content.
I do not like to crush students’ dreams and tell them that their story
is not good enough (yes, I have witnessed this!). How can I tell a student that their life is
not worthy? I am counselor! Instead, I give suggestions on how to “spin”
the story. Yes, it is wonderful that a
student gets straight “A’s” but so does every student applying to College
A. One story that stands out is a story written
by a student who has not experienced tragedy.
She loves and appreciates her family and helps out her mom when she
can. Her “spin” was deviating from the
sad story. It was fresh.
Students
had the opportunity to choose which personal statement they would write because
every student is different. In
California we have 2 public college systems.
The California State University (CSU) and the University of California
(UC) and many of our students will apply to California private colleges that
are on the Common Application. Students
chose their personal statement based on which system they would submit
applications.
The CSU
and UC application will close on Saturday, November 30th. Every year the UC system crashes and every
year I remind students to get in their application BEFORE November 30th. Right now, I am checking that students
submitted college applications (the luxury of working at a small school) and
will begin writing letters of recommendation for private colleges and EOP
recommendations for the CSU. I enjoy
this part of application season. I get
to brag about the student.
Students
are already receiving acceptance letters from the CSU and I can’t wait to
celebrate this huge accomplishment with my caseload of students. Usually, when I receive a copy of an
acceptance letter (I require that students submit this to me) I jump up and
down and scream and students look at me like I am crazy. I always tell them that this a huge
accomplishment and not everyone gets accepted to college. They continue to look at me strangely. I do not care because I will always jump up
and down and scream for my students. I
am also a cheerleader by heart.
I can’t
wait to blog about Red Ribbon Week, our
1st Coffee with the Counselor and the College Spotlight.
