TODAY IN CLASS
We finished discussing James Joyce's "Araby" with the exception of a single literary term that applies to the closing sentence of the short story.  That's where we will start tomorrow.

TOMORROW IN CLASS
After the Joyce term, we'll take a short break from the short fiction for the initial discussion of the senior personal essay.  Everyone will be asked to fill out a slip with certain information about your plans for next year. Those of you planning to attend a 4-year college or university need to do a bit of research at home tonight.  For the top 2 or 3 places you think you will apply, find out IF there is a writing requirement, and if so, WHAT IS THE PROMPT?  If you plan to apply to the University of Washington or to a Common Application school, you do not need to write them down.  (In fact, they are attached below.)  However, many of you may not know yet if a particular school of interest is or is not a Common App school--by tomorrow, I'll expect you to know.  If your school does NOT use the Common Application but DOES require an essay, please copy it down or type it out and bring it with you to class.

Then we'll start the next story--so BRING YOUR BOOK!

THE SENIOR PERSONAL ESSAY

Regardless of your post-high school plans, all senior English students will write a personal essay. This assignment is a significant part of the first quarter grade, and both non-redeemable process points as well as quality-based final points are awarded. Even though the final product is actually quite short (500-650 words), considerable time and effort will go into making this essay the best it can be.

TOPICS
The suggested topics are from the Common Application and the University of Washington writing prompts; anyone who is applying elsewhere may substitute another question from that school with my prior approval. (Why would I not approve? Only if the requested response is really a “limited” one, more like the “Short Answer” which precedes the essay prompts in the Common Application, the “Short Response” on the UW application, or the six-part 110-word responses on the WSU application. By the way, I will still provide feedback on such a piece; it just can’t substitute for an essay topic.)

Common Application Topics

1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

6. Topic of your choice (Let me know what you have in mind before the first draft.)

University of Washington Topics

1. Discuss how your family’s experience or cultural history enriched you or presented you with opportunities or challenges in pursuing your educational goals.

2. Tell us a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character
or helped to shape it.

DATES

First Draft: Thursday, Sept. 24 (15 points—you’ve got it or you don’t)
Double-space; include word count; type out complete prompt in bold at the top of the page.

Second Draft: Wednesday, Sept. 30 (15 points—you’ve got it or you don’t)
Double-space; include word count
Mark at the top of this draft if you will be submitting this essay as an application
essay (state where) or if you are writing it simply as the required Senior Personal Essay.

Final Draft: Variable: People with early deadlines will need an earlier date.
Final Possible Due Date: Wednesday, Oct. 14 (100 points for this essay)