<p> SENIOR ENGLISH REQUIREMENT</p><p>PROMPT FOR SENIOR PERSONAL STATEMENT</p><p>The final product will be two pages typed, double-spaced, traditional font (Times, Arial etc.)</p><p>Choose one of the following prompts:</p><p>1. Describe the world you come from – for example, your family, community or school – and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations. Include your career goal and the college you hope to attend.</p><p>2. Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are? Include your career goal and the college you hope to attend.</p><p>You may include any of the following that apply to your personal circumstances:</p><p> Be Personal- Your essay should reveal things about your character or value  Your academic record, accomplishments, and activities.  Any unusual circumstances or hardships you have faced and the ways in which you have overcome or responded to them.  Your initiative, motivation, leadership, service to others, special potential, substantial experience with other cultures. All achievement in light of the opportunities available to you.  How have you taken advantage of the educational opportunities you have had to prepare for college or the workforce?  Respond by using examples that show (not tell)  Discuss how an experience was transformative in an academic way (e.g. it encouraged depth in a particular interest, it sparked some intellectual curiosity).  Avoid irrelevant background information.</p><p>Here are some common errors to avoid:  Avoid clichés  Giving your life story. You can’t cram your memoirs into one or two pages. When you’re dealing with limited space, a few well-chosen details will make a much stronger impression than a bunch of biographical generalities.  Trying too hard to guess what a selection board for a school or company wants to hear. Of course, you should tailor your personal statement for the program or school to which you are applying. But if the person who comes across in your personal statement doesn’t really sound like you, something is wrong. People who read applications read thousands of them, and they can pick out statements that sound fake or stilted. Be honest, and be yourself.  Telling instead of showing. You can say “I’m a great communicator” all you want, but unless you back it up with a story or personal detail, the reader has no reason to believe it. You want to be specific- Give specific examples in your essay to show the reader who you are  Being boring. You are, potentially, among thousands of qualified applicants. Having a memorable essay is important. Think about the details of your life that will make the strongest, most positive impression in the shortest time, and express them in fresh language. Be Engaging- Create an interesting story for the reader.</p><p>A typical two-page personal statement will consist of the following:</p><p> An introductory paragraph that provides your essay's controlling theme  2-4 body paragraphs that develop your theme through examples and detailed experiences and build upon each other. The final body paragraph will contain your most poignant information  A conclusion that widens the lens and wraps up your essay without summarizing or repeating what has already been written Senior Personal Statement Brianstorm : These questions should provoke thought. You will write in either first person or third person, and inform me about everything you consider significant in your life since you entered the 9th grade, you may also include your past prior to 9th. I want your thoughts about extracurricular activities, academics, hobbies, travel, family, dreams, disappointments, work, and friends---all in your best narrative writing. Write out the answers for your own use--then you will be getting a more formal prompt for a one and a half to two page (double spaced) autobiographical essay.</p><p>1. What do I know about myself? Example: I know I am a very complicated individual, who likes to live independently. I enjoy…. 2. What motivates me? 3. Which courses in high school have interested me most? 4. What kinds of activities do I enjoy most? 5. What vocation(s) have I considered, even half seriously? 6. What kinds of responsibility have I assumed thus far in my life? 7. What gives me the greatest degree of satisfaction with myself? 8. What makes me special? What contributions can I make to my college community/society? 9. Have I made any grades at the high school level which I would like to explain?(This could include superior or inferior grades.) 10. Describe my family. 11. What are my three strongest attributes (either academic or personal)? What three areas would I like to improve? 12. What three experiences have had the greatest impact on making me who I am ? (These can be positive or negative.) 13. What factors are of primary importance in my selection of a college and/or any school? Examples: academic challenges; meeting a wide variety of types of people; finding people who are more or less similar to me in background, lifestyle, etc.; location; living accommodations, etc. </p><p>ESSAY SCORING RUBRIC Score Outstanding Excellent Fair Poor Good Numeric Score 5 4 3 2 1 SCOPE: Addresses the Addresses the Addresses the Addresses the Addresses the prompt prompt in an prompt in a prompt in a prompt in a in a limited manner. outstanding manner, competent satisfactory basic manner. responding to all manner, manner; may aspects of the task. responding to focus on a minor several aspects aspect of the of the task. task. ORGANIZATION: Is organized clearly Is organized Is organized Is organized in a Is organized in a and consistently competently methodically limited way, minimal way or may around a strong around a clear around a occasionally not be organized at all. central purpose. central purpose. restatement of losing sight of a the prompt. central purpose. DEVELOPMENT: Provides generous Provides Provides Provides Provides superficial or evidence to support appropriate and predictable evidence that is irrelevant evidence. major positions. specific evidence evidence to general or not to support support clearly linked to positions. positions. a position. LANGUAGE: Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates exceptional control strong control of reasonable some lack of inadequate control of of sentence structure sentence control of control of sentence structure and and precise word structure and sentence sentence inappropriate word choice. appropriate structure and structure and choice. word choice. adequate word limitations in choice. word choice. MECHANICS: Is almost entirely Is generally free Contains some Contains Contains serious errors free from errors in from errors in minor errors in numerous errors in grammar, usage, grammar, usage, grammar, usage, grammar, usage, in grammar, and conventions. and conventions. and conventions. and conventions. usage, and conventions.</p>