Personal Statement Workshop

The personal statement, or college application essay, is the most important piece of writing most students will complete, yet the narrative technique required is rarely taught in depth at the high school level. This workshop will introduce students to narrative writing with a focus on learning how to showcase the aspects of one’s personality and/or accomplishments that may not be apparent from other college application materials (such as test scores, transcripts, and the application form). To accomplish this, we will explore and work with the prompts in the Common Application used by most colleges and universities. Students will practice writing a personal statement and will receive feedback on it from their peers and instructor in a workshop format. The course will meet for two hours once a week for three weeks and will include work outside of class.