· 9 years ago · Jan 17, 2017, 08:08 PM
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30Brainstorming Training
31Manual
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33Table of Contents
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38Table of Contents
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40PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES FOR THE BRAINSTORMING CONFERENCE ......................................................... 3
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42ZOOM PROTOCOL FOR BRAINSTORMING CONFERENCE ....................................................................................... 5
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44BRAINSTORMING PROCEDURE ... ......................................................................................................................................
45BRAINSTORM PRE-Ââ€CONFERENCE OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................................................... 6
46BRAINSTORM CONFERENCE OVERVIEW: WHAT TO ACCOMPLISH IN A 45-60 MINUTE SESSION ............................................... 6
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48COMMON APPLICATION GENERIC TOPICS ................................................................................................................. 9
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51Professional Guidelines for the Brainstorming Conference
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54Purpose: As a member of our Brainstorming team, you will be required to generate ideas with students via video conference. During these sessions, you will have the chance to meet your students face-to-face, emphasize the importance of the personal essay, instill confidence in our service, and help them select the best possible topics. Since these conferences will be the first time students commit to a topic, Brainstorming plays a crucial part in putting students on the right track to writing unique and reflective essays. This document will offer you some guidelines for preparing and participating in your conference.
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57Some Notes on Professionalism
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59As one of the faces of Apolish, we ask that during your Brainstorming conference you represent yourself and our brand well so that students trust your professionalism and dedication to their application process. We want to give a unified image as a whole but, as our Specialists are scattered across the globe, this can be a bit difficult to organize. Below you will find some practical guidelines for presenting yourself as a professional member of the Apolish team.
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621. Wear professional attire
63Try to wear something office-appropriate, something you would wear to an interview.
64• Ladies: Consider a blazer or suit if available. If not, a neutral, work-appropriate dress or shirt will suffice.
65• Gentlemen: A suit and tie if available w/ jacket. If not available, a collared shirt and tie will suffice.
66• Everyone: Avoid stripes or elaborately patterned clothing as these often look odd on video. And try to stand out from your surroundings—if your background is a white wall, don’t wear a white shirt.
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692. Choose a professional location and background
70As you will not be in our office to conference with students, you want to choose a nice, neutral location to uphold a professional image. Don’t sit on your bed or in your bathtub, for example.
71• Choose a place with no background noise. If you have a loud pet, you may consider closing them in another room for the duration of the conference.
72• Avoid a public location for your conference—public locations will not only have background noise, but you want to be sure your conference can proceed uninterrupted.
73• Choose a location in your apartment/house with a neutral background, nothing that calls attention to itself.
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763. Follow these technical guidelines.
77• Audio: As English is a second language for our students, it is especially important that the audio is clear.
78o To improve audio quality and eliminate background interference, wear earbuds or headphones.
79• Lighting: When conferencing via video, you want to make sure students can clearly see you.
80o The ideal lighting source should be bright and located behind your computer for best results. Lighting placed behind you can obscure your face and above you can cast some creepy shadows.
81o Avoid fluorescent lighting as this is not an efficient illuminator and will look grainy on camera.
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84• Maintain good posture
85You want to remain professional in your bearing and manner throughout the conference.
86• Sit up straight and make frequent eye contact with the camera. You can move your video box to the top of the screen where it is closest to the camera as this may help.
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88• Consider placing your notes in a document behind the video chat box so you can look at them both without averting your gaze.
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91• Be Enthusiastic!
92When speaking for extended periods or sitting at our computers for too long, we can sometimes begin to speak in a monotone that will cause the student to lose enthusiasm as well.
93• Remember to smile! While we’re all professional and applying to colleges is a stressful time, it is also an exciting time as the student’s future is taking shape. Remain enthusiastic to help keep the student engaged and excited about his or her college journey.
94• Engage with the student frequently, making sure to ask him questions, see how they’re doing, and so on.
95• Keep in mind that you are working with a high school student and so, while you should maintain a sense of professionalism to instill confidence in our services, you should also feel free to be casual and fun with the student.
96Striking a balance in tone is essential to cultivating a comfortable, open atmosphere, and also making sure that the student maintains a level of respect for your professional authority. The student is probably nervous, so beginning in a lighthearted manner is a good way to break the ice. Ask about the student’s day, for example, and get them talking about something they are familiar with. They will be more likely to work hard if they are enjoying the conversation, so be sure to read the situation. If the student seems apathetic or tired, change the subject or take a break for a second. If the student seems nervous, don’t be afraid to crack a joke to lighten the air and get the ball rolling.
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100Zoom Protocol for Brainstorming Conference
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1031. The Writing Consultant will email or WeChat you to schedule a conference and will suggest some possible times. Keep in mind that, due to the time difference, times are scheduled in the morning (around 8 or 9 AM) or in the evening (8 or 9 pm).
104However, if students are studying in the U.S., Zoom conferences are scheduled after their classes end (around 3:30pm-4:00p.m). Also, be sure to note the U.S. time zone that the student is in, and coordinate scheduling with the Writing Consultant accordingly.
1052. After agreeing to a time, the WC will schedule the Zoom meeting using one of the official
106Apolish Zoom accounts.
1073. A few minutes before your meeting, please log-in via Zoom where you will see the following screen:
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1334. Click on “Meetings†on the bottom and then find the meeting scheduled for you and the student. Simply “Start†that meeting to begin brainstorming with the student!
1345. During the meeting, you should also use the green “Share Screen†button in the chat window to share your ideas with the student.
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136Brainstorming Procedure
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140Brainstorm Pre-Conference Overview
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1421. When the Writing Consultant sends an email to request a Brainstorming Conference, they will include the completed Brainstorming Worksheet, which provides relevant information about the student’s and his/her preliminary ideas on how to respond to the essay prompts.
143The Writing Consultant will also send a Client Information Form, which provides relevant information about the student, including their TOEFL score, SAT/ACT score, potential school list, and intended majors.
144 - It’s important to note these test scores and potential school list in order to gauge a preliminary sense of the student’s level in order to write an appropriate Brainstorming Ideas Sheet. However, keep in mind that scores don’t give the whole picture, so be ready to adapt during the conference.
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1462. After receiving the student’s worksheet, the Writing Specialist should prepare for the conference by doing the following:
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148a. Develop three essay ideas for the student using the Essay Ideas template.
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150b. Then, send those ideas to the student at least 24 hours before the meeting so that they can review your suggestion. This gives the student the chance to become familiar with what you will discuss and develop any questions they might have.
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152It is best to develop two interesting, original ideas to the extent possible given what the student has returned to you. Try to think of topics, stories, themes, and situations that are not so common and that you feel would really make the student’s essay stand out.
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154Then, develop one safety topic. This guarantees that we have a product to give the student at the end of the conference and helps us maintain a sense of preparedness and professionalism. For the safety topic, feel free to pick a more common topic such as changing schools, moving to a different country, etc. but as usual, try to bring out the originality of this typical story by including unique details from the student’s worksheet.
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158Brainstorm Conference Overview: What To Accomplish in a 45-60 Minute Session
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1601. 5-10 Minute Self-Introduction: Spend the first few minutes of the session introducing yourself and the Common Application.
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162a. When you introduce yourself, describe your expertise and professional knowledge. You could mention schools that your previous students have been admitted to and how long you have been helping students prepare for college applications. If you are new and
163have little experience in this, you can mention accomplishments of the team as whole to help show the effectiveness of the product. Keep this introduction brief, however, as this conference is about the student.
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165b. Second, emphasize the importance of the common application to their college chances. Some students believe that test scores are the most important factor to admissions, so it is important to communicate the significance of the personal essay. You can describe how the essay offers the only opportunity for students to distinguish themselves as individuals with dreams, passions, and personal histories rather than as simply numbers on a test sheet. In other words, Apolish is a valuable service and we want to convey its value. With that in mind, emphasize the importance of choosing a topic and sticking to it.
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167c. Finally, reiterate the broad aims of the personal essay. You can frame these goals as the
168three P’s of the personal essay:
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170i. Personal: The focus of the essay must be on the most distinctive and unique qualities of the student’s identity and life experiences.
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172ii. Positive: Though the essay can and should have moments of inner or interpersonal conflict, the overall tone of the essay should be positive and optimistic.
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174iii. Precision: It’s more effective to hone in on a single meaningful event in the student’s life rather than try to squeeze an entire life story into 650 words.
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1762. 15-30 Minute Overview: Clearly go through each of the ideas you developed, spending around
1775-10 minutes on each idea. Give the student a broad idea of each topic so that they will be able to choose which one they want to write about by the end of your explanations. Use the screenshare function of Zoom so the student can follow along on your Essay Ideas worksheet. Throughout the brainstorm, take notes on the Essay Ideas document, typing down key points and phrases that the student brings up. This will make the student feel that you are taking their words seriously, and it is also essential to have notes for the Brainstorming Essay Outline post-conference. talking about each idea but no more than ten.
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179i. Take the lead: You should feel free to push the student in the direction you think will yield the strongest essay, offering encouragement about the more generative ideas and themes and your reservations about the less unique topics.
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181ii. Summarize: When explaining an idea, provide a brief summary of what you think the framework and outline of that potential essay will look like. This can be general but should give the student a picture of the plot, major conflicts, themes, and closing reflection. This will give you an opportunity to reiterate the strength of certain essays over others.
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183iii. Choose a topic: While you can briefly ask the student’s opinion after going through each idea, you want to cement your role as the instructor so we recommend going through each idea first and then, at the end, asking the student for their preference. If the conference goes well, it should be fairly clear which idea fits the student and his experiences best.
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1853. 30-Minute Consultation: After the topic has been chosen, spend the last half of the conference developing it and establishing an outline for moving ahead. This part of the conference should be thought of as a conversation between you and the student, so make sure to engage the student by asking questions to draw out the themes and deeper meanings behind the story.
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187a. Explain essay structure: Once a topic has been chosen, write out Anecdote, Context, Rising Action/Turning Point, Reflection, and Concluding Image. Briefly explain what each section entails, and note that not all essays must stick to a rigid structure like this if they want to experiment. However, a general narrative of this form is highly encouraged. Go through each section with the student throughout the remaining time, taking notes in the appropriate section.
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189b. Reiterate the topic: Begin by reiterating the selected topic, covering all major plot points that will appear in the essay. To engage the student, you can ask them to reiterate the plot back to you. This way you can be sure that the student understands the gist of the topic.
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191cb. Narrative: If you have not already come up with an overarching story for the essay, do so now. For example, if a student tells you about a passion for environmentalism, ask them when, where, and why they got involved in this issue. This narrative should be long enough to fill a 650 word essay but short enough that it doesn’t ramble or feel crammed into the word limit. Ideally, the story should contain no more than 3 or 4 scenes.
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193dc. Anecdote: After discussing the overarching story, hone in on an anecdote that serve as the introduction for their essay. Explain that an anecdote is a brief and interesting story that should begin their essays. The best anecdotes provide rich descriptions, are clever or
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196lightly humorous, and/or plant the reader right in the middle of the story’s most dramatic moment. Agree on an anecdote to tell.
197i. Don’t be afraid to write down more than one anecdote as a potential idea. If the student has two moments that they’d like to begin with, inform the student that he may try writing both, and one will most likely come more naturally (and thus be the one to pick). If both come naturally, the student should trust the Editing Specialist to help him pick which one best suits the essay. Encourage the student to experiment at this early stage, especially if they are eager!
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200ed. Body paragraphs: Once you’ve nailed down the anecdote, slowly and carefully go over the essay’s overall structure. Lay out the key points, paragraph-by-paragraph, that you think the essay should cover.
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202i. As you go through these paragraphs, continue to involve the student by asking questionsing about the details of the essay so that they feel that their personal stories remain their own. In addition to questions about plot and theme, this could include asking them to describe the setting or explain an emotion that they felt.
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204Flesh out the essay so that you know enough about the student’s topic and life to help t hem write an essay true to their experiences.
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206fe. Reflection: Tell the student that the essay should end with a reflection. Explain that the reflection should express the student’s concise, insightful, and oftentimes philosophical thoughts on the topic discussed in the essay. Go over some possible themes of the essay and ask the student to reflect on why an experience was meaningful. Make sure that the reflection is unique and develops organically out of the student’s story and topic.
207g. Concluding Image: Inform the student that the Concluding Image is optional, but that it’s a nice way to ensure the essay feels unified. As the old saying goes, the Concluding Image “wraps the essay in a bow.†The most successful Concluding Images often return to the anecdote, or something alluded to near the earlier half of the essay, with a slight twist at the end, hinting at the student’s development throughout the story.
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210hf. Summarize: At the end of the consultation, summarize the main points you covered so far. Recap the essay’s structure, emphasizing the details of the anecdote and reflection. Ask the student if they have any final questions about the essay.
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2124. 5-Minute Conclusion: To conclude, emphasize the hard work the student has done and inform them of the next steps.
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214a. Tell the student that you will be sending the Writing Consultant a typed up outline of the chosen essay topic within the next 48 hours (see the BS Outline Training Manual for more on writing this outline).
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216b. After the student receives the outline, they should begin work on the first draft of the essay.
217If the student seems worried about composing the first draft, remind the student that essay writing is a process and that a Specialist will be with them the entire way. You should also let students know that they can contact you through the Writing Consultant with questions about the outline or how to proceed.
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219c. Thank the student for their time and encourage them to continue working hard.
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258Common Application Generic Topics
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261Introduction
262Note: This document is for Wwriting Sspecialist instructional use only. Please do not distribute this handout to students.
263This handout highlights a broad range of topics according to two categories. The first category contains “Topics to Avoid.†Students should not write about these topics under any circumstances. The second category contains “Generic Topics.†These topics are written so frequently, that revising them into a unique essay may prove exceedingly difficult. However, this should not dissuade the student from writing about these topics altogether. Instead, it is the responsibility of the Wwriting Sspecialist to use caution and discretion when choosing to advise students on these topics.
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266Topics to Avoid
2671. Ignorance or bigotry: Under no circumstances should students show any sort of prejudice.
268a. Example: Many students sometimes write stories that contain inappropriate judgments toward homeless people and the poor. This is inappropriate because these attitudes show insensitivity toward the reality of suffering and adversity.
2692. Topics that show an inability to reflect on oneself.
270a. Example: Some students fail to recognize that their previous behavior had negative consequences.
271For example, one student expressed ill feelings toward classmates who did not agree with his opinions. By the end of the essay, the student still held to those negative feelings toward other people.
2722. Topics that are inherently and solely boastful or topics that seem too extraordinary to the point of skepticism .
273a. Example: Students should avoid bragging. While we want to express the student’s best qualities, it’s important to note the difference between sharing one’s talents and experiences, versus expressing narcissism and vanity. For instance, a student may want to tell a story in which they believed themselves to be “the very best†at something, but often, this story comes off as pretentious.
274a.b. Example: While we want to encourage students to share their most unique experiences, and while this is rare, there are times when a topic seems “too good to be true.†Make sure to be respectful of the student at all times, and don’t accuse them of fabricating—rather, try to point them in a slightly different direction by offering your personal opinion on the topic.
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2763. Topics that portray illicit activities or activities that could put someone in danger.
277a. Example: Students should not mention any form of previous drug abuse. Even if the student has overcome this period of their life, and can reflect on it critically, colleges will view this negatively. Substance abuse on college campuses is widespread, so administration will take note of a student’s likelihood to relapse into addiction. Regardless of the student’s achievements, colleges simply cannot take the risk.
2784. Topics that glorify or show a tendency toward violence.
279a. Example: Some students write stories about their love for violent video games. This may be an honest expression of the student’s interests, but you should still avoid this topic. As a general rule, if the darker elements of a student’s essay are too vivid, those elements will distract from any constructive reflection the student may offer by the end.
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282Generic Topics
2831. Listing Accomplishments: Students should not use this essay as an opportunity to brag about achievements described elsewhere in their application. While these experiences may be the background or context for another story, the student must not focus on these achievements as the core of their essay.
284a. The travel journal
285i. These students write only about their experience travelling to a foreign country. The lesson from this experience is usually unsurprising – It opened their eyes to different worldviews and ways of life.
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2881. Suggestion: Students can use the main essay as an opportunity to discuss their own culture and background. What is something unique or unexpected that the student gained from these travels? This can make the essay more personal and meaningful, while also showing the student’s ability to reflect on their own
289situations.
290b. The resume
291i. These students are usually high achievers and want to impress the reader with their accomplishments. They struggle to narrow their essay topic to something meaningful, so they include as many achievements as possible in the space provided.
2921. Suggestion: Focus on only one of those experiences and explain the story behind it in a unique way. Rather than choosing the experience that is most impressive,
293focus on the experience that is the most meaningful for the student personally.
294c. “I’m so luckyâ€
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296i. These students try to show themselves as aware of their privilege in society. At some point, they probably took an extracurricular trip to a poorer location, which made them aware of the existence of poverty and of their own privilege. This probably won’t impress admissions. Remember that admissions officers are paid very little to review essays, so
297not many would identify with this kind of story.
2981. Suggestion: If the student is aware of their sense of privilege, they should not just conclude that they are thankful for what they have. Instead, what is the student’s call to action? What problems are they aware of in society, and how would they use their privilege to address them?
299d. Do-good experiences (mission trips)
300i. These students want to impress the reader with their sense of compassion. Usually, the student went on a special summer trip to do a community service activity. Chinese students may describe this as travelling to the countryside to work in a village. In their reflection, they write that that they gained a sense of compassion toward the people they served.
3011. Suggestion: Focus on specific personal details of the trip that might appeal to admissions officers who may not understand Chinese society or culture. Many students had parents that grew up relatively poor or in the countryside so they can use this as an opportunity to discuss their background and family history which would make it more personal.
302e. Organizing a club
303i. These students try to impress the reader with their achievements in a particular club or organization. The lesson usually relates to the importance of leadership, compromise, and cooperation to achieve success.
3041. Suggestion: Focus on the events that contributed to the student’s decision to create or join this club. Try to find a personal anecdote that would help explain the student’s decisions to care about certain issues and contribute to them in a meaningful way.
305f. Directing a performance
306i. These students try to impress the reader with their achievements in a particular performance, either musically or theatrically. In their reflection, the student uses this story to explain their love for music/performance as part of their identity.
3071. Suggestion: Dig deeper to uncover why the student holds these passions. What about their identity or personality has led them toward this interest? Try to find a personal anecdote that could explain the student’s identity on a deeper level.
3082. Death, divorce, and other tragedies: These students discuss events that are emotionally challenging, but the essay only discusses their feelings in response to the event. However, if the event has clearly deeply affected the student, they can use this material, but they should reflect on the significance of this event to their current identity, rather than simply showing their emotions.
309a. “The death of my grandfather when I was seven.â€
310i. The death of a family member almost always has a significant impact on a student’s childhood. However, when students only write about their emotional response to the tragedy, the outcome of this story is usually predictable.
3111. Suggestion: Usually, the tragedy is so far in the past that it is hard to make it relevant to the student’s identity today. Instead of writing about the direct impact of the death, focus on an activity or life decision the student made in response to the event. Then, reflect upon the significance of that decision to the student’s personality and identity.
312b. Dealing with your chronic illness
313i. These students describe daily life dealing with their current condition. While struggling with this condition may show adversity, students do not always use this story to reflect on their personality or their growth.
3141. Suggestion: Focus on the challenges the student faced with the condition, and the choices they made to manage it. Did they do anything unusual or creative to adjust to their daily responsibilities?
3153. “The most important person/thing in my lifeâ€
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317a. These students praise a single person in their life who has cared for them. In most cases, this person is a parent/guardian figure who has given them support through childhood. If the student chooses to describe their parents as caring and protective, this may portray the student as privileged or dependent. In many cases, students actually portray their parents as controlling, which isn’t very positive.
318i. Suggestion: Look for ways in which this figure shaped the student’s own dreams, aspirations, and goals. What are the values or lessons that the student gained from this
319person? How will the student apply those lessons to their own future?
3204. Sports
321a. Your team losing a match
322i. If the student is an athlete, this is by far the most common essay that they will write.
323These students either lost an important championship match or they failed to place on the varsity team. In response, they lost interest in the sport, but eventually worked hard to overcome the loss.
3241. Suggestion: Choose this topic only if the student’s English/writing abilities are insufficient for a more personal topic. If so, try to pick out an interesting or unexpected lesson that the student gained from the experience. Also, you could focus on the personal experiences between teammates when preparing for the competition. What did the experience teach the student about preparing for major challenges within a team? Did they learn any lessons that could be applied
325outside of a sporting environment?
326b. You leading your team to victory
327i. This narrative tends to come together with the previous one. In this case, the team is about to lose a competition, but then the student miraculously gains the courage to guide the team to victory, which supposedly shows confidence and leadership.
3281. Suggestion: Similarly to the previous case, you should pursue this topic only if the student cannot find a more suitable topic. If so, please follow the suggestion
329in the previous example.
3305. Humor
331a. This student tries to stand out from the group by telling jokes in their essay. Also, the student may try to push this even further by writing a joke at the center of the story. This is inappropriate because it distracts from the main purpose of the essay, which is to which is to write about their identity and aspirations.
332i. Suggestion: It’s acceptable to keep some humor and light-heartedness in the essay, but it should be kept at a minimum and should support the main content. Also, students should understand that being a funny person is not a constructive identity or personality trait on
333its own.
3346. Sensitive topics
335a. Lecturing about political, moral, religious topics
336i. These students express their strong political, moral, or religious attitudes. The essay does not revolve around a central event, but instead focuses only on the student’s commentary on a sensitive topic. Most often, this topic is the historic conflict between China and Japan. Students sometimes use one experience as an opportunity to express their ideological views on the wider geopolitical conflict.
3371. Suggestion: Narrow the essay to a particular anecdote that has personal significance to the student. Also, the student should not reflect on the significance of the event to a large political conflict, but instead reflect on the significance of the event to their personal development.
3382. Suggestion: The student should stay away from expressing absolute judgments on the subject matter. They should not express strong judgments toward the opponents of their belief, nor should they claim to know the absolute truth about a complex moral or political topic.
339b. Dealing with racism, prejudice
340i. This topic could help show adversity in a student’s background. However, they should not use this issue as the main focus of the essay. The common application should show
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342the personal strengths of the student. Even if dealing with prejudice is significant to the student’s life, it is not the ultimate source of their identity as an individual.
3431. Suggestion: The main essay should focus on the constructive lessons the student learned from a particular experience. The lesson should go beyond the issue of prejudice, and instead reflect on the importance of the experience toward shaping the student’s dreams and goals.
3447. Stream of consciousness (ultra-creative topics)
345a. These students usually struggle with finding a constructive topic, so they attempt to write a creative essay in the hopes that the essay will stand out from the group. Because of this, the essay lacks standard narrative structure and tries to be inventive with literary techniques. In the end, the essay may stand out, but it does not always effectively answer the prompt.
346i. Suggestion: If the student is not a native English speaker, they should not take the risk to be inventive with this essay. First, pick out an event in the essay that could form the basis of an effective storyline. Then, give the student a basic outline to structure the
347information in the story. Give the student example essays on similar topics and point out what components of those essays are important for their story.
3488. Praising the college you’re applying to
349a. These students express very little of their own experiences and instead praise the university they’re applying to. This praise tends to be superficial or unspecific. For example, the student may argue that Brown is the best school because of its superior academics and rankings. This topic is weak because praising the school suggests the student wants to distract from weaknesses in their application.
350i. Suggestion: The student should not mention any specific school in the main essay. If the student takes this approach in the supplemental essay, the student should strike an appropriate tone with the subject matter. The student should focus on specific academic opportunities that the student can directly relate to their own interests and academic ambitions.
3519. The three Ds: Discipline, determination, diversity
352a. These essays may contain interesting stories, but students may reflect on these stories in an uninteresting way. In many cases, students conclude from the story that they have grown to be more determined or disciplined. This is weak because the student relies on “buzz words†like
353‘diversity’ or ‘courage’ without thinking any more critically about the experience itself. Also, these characteristics do not distinguish the student much from other applicants.
354i. Suggestion: First, encourage the student to find more interesting and personal lessons from the story. Give them suggestions about lessons that are specific to their own experiences. However, if they are determined to reflect on these lessons, encourage them to think critically about their true meaning. Ask, “What does it really mean to be disciplined/determined/courageous?†Challenge the student to think differently about what gives someone those traits. The student should not take for granted that these values
355are always the most important in their lives.
35610. The pet story
357a. In this common story, students use the essay to express their love for their favorite pet. The animal usually arrived in their life unexpectedly during a moment of crisis. Then, after describing their experiences with the pet, the student writes that the pet made them into a more loving, compassionate person. This topic usually seems uninteresting because the lessons do not seem constructive toward a professional or university environment.
358i. Suggestion: If the student chooses this topic, try to shift the focus away from the animal and toward the student’s own development. Look for experiences or anecdotes that intersect with this animal’s story. What activities, passions, or hobbies grew out of the student’s experiences? For example, perhaps living with this animal inspired the student to volunteer at animal shelters or to engage in other service activities.
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361Generic Topics – Common Application # 2 – Failure
3621. Your team losing a match
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364a. If the student is an athlete, this is by far the most common essay that they will write. These students either lost an important championship match or they failed to place on the varsity team. In response, they lost interest in the sport but eventually worked hard to overcome the loss.
365i. Suggestion: Choose this topic only if the student’s English/writing abilities are insufficient for a more personal topic. If so, try to pick out an interesting or unexpected lesson that the student gained from the experience. Also, you could focus on the personal experiences between teammates when preparing for the competition. What did the experience teach the student about preparing for major challenges within a team?
3662. Breaking up with someone
367a. These students discuss a relationship crisis as their most significant failure. The student probably realized they committed some serious wrong, which they now regret. This topic is weaker because the lessons of the failure may seem inapplicable to a professional environment. Also, if the student is overly concerned with their relationships, this may show a lack of maturity or inability to admit to more significant shortcomings.
368i. Suggestion: If the student keeps this story, keep the relationship crisis as background information to another story. Focus on some activity that the student pursued in response to the crisis. However, be careful not to refocus the story toward a simple narrative of “regaining confidence.†Keep the story focused on something interesting and revealing about the student’s true personality.
3693. Getting an F / Failing a test
370a. This topic is overwhelmingly common with many different kinds of students. These students are usually so focused on their studies that they can’t think of any personal stories. Other students
371may believe that they should only discuss significant academic failures in their admissions essays. This topic may reflect negatively on the student because it suggests the student believes
372academics is the single most important area of success in life.
373i. Suggestion: Moving away from this topic means more work in the prewriting stage.
374Students should first brainstorm the personal qualities that they wish to show through this essay. Then, once this is determined, the student should consider a time when they did not show this quality. The experience could seem small or insignificant to the student, but a personal anecdote would better show the student’s true personality.
375ii. Suggestion: If the student still cannot think of a better topic, look closely at the background of this experience. What sort of decisions did the student make that resulted in the bad grade? In what way did the student fail to manage their responsibilities? Focus on the failure within the student’s decision-making process. Then, the bad grade is the outcome of that failure, rather than the failure in itself.
3764. Non-failures: “In the end, I didn’t do anything wrong.â€
377a. When students discuss failure, the first requirement is that the failure actually exists. These students may identify their failure and describe their emotional reaction. However, by the end, they may write that the failure was actually insignificant. By reflecting on the failure, they realize that they actually did not do anything wrong at all. This is weak because the student must use this essay to admit to shortcomings and show their ability to grow from those failures.
378i. Suggestion: Encourage the student to express honesty about their shortcomings. This may mean that the student should reflect differently on the events in the story. Give specific suggestions to the student about constructive lessons from the experience. Also, the student could focus on different aspects of the story that could create more interesting lessons.
3795. Excuses for past behavior
380a. This topic is similar to ‘non-failures.’ In these essays, students pick a large failure that shows up on the student’s permanent record. Then, students use the essay to make excuses for that incident. This topic is weak because (1) students focus on an incident that usually reflects badly on themselves, and (2) students do not admit to serious shortcomings by making excuses.
381i. Suggestion: If a student has a serious incident on their permanent record, there is an addendum section in which they can address this. In this essay, the student must focus on a failure that reveals something constructive about their personality. Importantly, the student must admit to wrongdoing in the incident, rather than defend their behavior.
382
383Generic Topics – Common Application #3 – Challenging a Belief
3841. Political or religious beliefs
385a. Students should not use this essay to express their opinions on overly sensitive topics. In many cases, students will use this essay to make an argument on a controversial issue. This is weak because this kind of response does not explain anything unique about the student’s identity. Also, if the student strongly criticizes an opposing political belief, the student may portray themself as insensitive.
386i. Suggestion: Encourage the student to narrow their belief to something that could be applied directly toward themselves. Maybe, at the political/religious belief’s core, there is a specific cultural belief that applies to their own experiences. Also, encourage them to address smaller, more relatable beliefs in this essay, rather than widespread political
387beliefs.
3882. Crazy beliefs
389a. This case is the least common but students should still be cautious to avoid this kind of topic.
390Some students will make their belief seem absurd so that the reader can sympathize with their actions more easily. For example, one student attempted to oppose the belief that all Japanese people were evil. This belief is usually weak because this is obviously a minority perspective, so challenging the belief does not show any exceptional courage or strength.
391i. Suggestion: In this prompt, the student should be able to show action against the belief.
392Most importantly, the student should show courage in challenging it. For example, if the student challenges bullying in school, this shows courage because not many students are willing to openly confront bullies. However, if only one person holds the belief in question, then it is not difficult to confront it.
3933. Inconsequential beliefs
394a. These students focus on an ordinary and oftentimes bland belief that they challenged. These essays lack substantive weight and significance, failing to show the student’s critical thinking, ethical or intellectual integrity, or sense of perspective on what constitutes an interesting story. In the past, one student argued that he challenged his father’s belief that basketball was better than table tennis. These beliefs tend to be inconsequential and superficial.
395i. Suggestion: Delve deeper into the symbolic significance of these beliefs and their personal importance to the student. Generally, even small, seemingly insignificant beliefs can be expanded to encompass more meaningful themes. For example, in the table tennis scenario, the father might have preferred table tennis because he did not want his son to stop playing China’s national sport in favor of a popular American pastime.