Writing the College Application Essay
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Writing the College Application Essay Is This Really a Big Deal? Depends. If you are highly competitive for this university—meaning your grade point average, SAT/ACT scores, and any other criteria by which the school evaluates students are substantially higher than the average student admitted—then your admission may not come down to your essay. If, however, you are “on the bubble” (which is more often the case) your essay can be a major factor. Generating Ideas Tragic events are not necessary for a great college application essay. It's all about how you write the essay. Look everywhere for great topics. Below is a list of ideas to get you going (we've gathered these from a variety of places over the years; sorry we can't give you a more specific citation). Our suggestion is to write down the first two or three things that come to mind. Most significant personal event/incident in your life Most personally spiritual event in your life Most amusing event in your life Greatest learning experience/incident Most important person in your family Most important person NOT in your family Most important person in history Most important change you've made Most significant historical moment Biggest hope/dream/goal for yourself Biggest hope/dream/goal for the world Most important non‐school teacher in your life Biggest problem/challenge you've overcome Most significant idea you've encountered Most embarrassing moment Most important writer Most important achievement (yours or someone else's)
Voir
- generating ideas tragic events are not necessary for a great college application essay
- great openings a few sources that informed this list
- higher than the average student admitted—then your admission may not come down to your essay
- recycling essays is not a great idea
- try to answer the question through a personal narrative instead of just a straight explanatory essay
- aim for 500‐750 words
- acceptance process for students and parents
- t give you a more specific citation
What’s Your CommunicationStyle? Every person’s communicationstyle is developed over many years. It is a function ofone’sbasic personality and learned behavior based what we perceive has worked in the past. Most people are not consciously aware that they even have a personal communication style, much less that this style significantly affects how others perceive them. There are three styles of communication:assertive, aggressive, and passive. This short questionnaire will help you explore which one of these styles you tend to use most frequently. Choose the answer that honestly best fits how you would normally approach each scenario. Then, check the discussion that begins on the next page for what your answers indicate about your style. Situation 1 Your manager calls you into the office and tells you that he is very disappointed in the way you held your last meeting. He feels you continue to demonstrate a lack of leadership skills. Do you (A) listen attentively but remain quiet and not respond in any way to his feedback (B) tell him you feel the meeting went well in terms of how you handled it, but the problem wasthat the others in the room were unprepared and lacked the knowledge to make decisions (C) listen attentively, probe to find out what leadership skills he felt were lacking, and communicate your thoughts and feelings with direct statements to support your position Situation 2 You are at a business meeting with your boss and colleagues where a new product offering is being launched. When the product is presented, you have some questions and concerns. Do you (A) hold those questions for a time when you can individually meet with your boss (B) ask direct questions at the meeting, expressing your concerns (C) listen attentively but then say,“You will never get our clients to purchase this product the way it was presentedtoday.”Situation 3 You’ve just received an email that has made you very angry. Do you (A) write an angry response back immediately (B) not respond to the email, hoping things will cool off (C) wait until your anger subsides and then respond with an email or personal discussion if possible
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Situation 4 Your new employee is from another country and has a very heavy accent, making him difficult to understand. At times, when he presents information, you do not understand what he is saying. You are concerned thatyou are not the only one who doesn’thim and that he may not be getting understand what you communicate either. Do you (A) tell him you just don’t understand what he is saying and ask him to speak slowly and repeat himself each timehe communicates with you (B) pretend you understand most of his communication and not question the things he has said at all (C) have a discussion about your communication concerns and his, and how this process may be improved Situation 5 You need to give constructive feedback to an employee who handled a situation very poorly. Do you (A) tell him he did a poor job in handling the situation, and then instruct him about what he should have done differently and how to do it in the future (B) not give him any feedback at this point and wait for another situation to come up so you can speak with him at that point (C) give him feedback regarding your observations in this situation and speak to him about howhe thinksit might be handled differently in the future. Discussion The most effective style of communication isassertive. Assertivenessallows you to express your thoughts and feelings and to stand up for your rights without violating the rights of others. Assertiveness is a communication skill you can acquire and learn. Passive communicationmeans that you do not directly express your feelings. You may withhold them and subordinate your needs to those of others. In anaggressivestyle of communication, you are quite capable of stating how you feel and what you want but often at the expense of others. Passive and aggressive styles of communication are less likely to be effective or valued in any situation. Let’s look ateach one of the situations to detectyourdominant communication style. Situation 1 If you responded with choice (A), you tend to be passive, not making your feelings known nor getting the benefit of constructive feedback so that your next meeting could be more effective. If you responded (B),you are not validating your boss’s concerns nor attempting to take responsibility for your actions.
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Response (C) indicates that you are an assertive communicator, expressing your needs and willing to take constructive feedback. Situation 2 If you responded (A), you tend to have a passive communication style, not expressing your thoughts and feelings. Responding (B) indicates your assertiveness and willingness to tell others what you feel and think with authority. Response (C) indicates an aggressive style which would likely turn people off because it is presented as an attack or as condescending, rather than as an observation or discussion. Situation 3 Email has become the accepted mode of communication in companies, even though at times it is ineffective and can be misunderstood. There are times when personal communication is really necessary. If you chose (A), you should rethink your response. It is unwise to respond to an email in an angry state. If you must respond in writing, save your email and, before sending it, read it again at a later time when you are not as emotional. You are less likely to say things you will regret. Response (B) indicates that you passively do not want to deal with the situation. Response (C) is the best way to handle this situation, waiting until you cool off and then responding. If the situation allows it and you want to build relationships, it is better to communicate by telephone or in person. Situation 4 Each of us has to address cultural differences in our workplace. If you answered (A), it is likely that your response might have been interpreted as condescending. Also, asking him to repeat agreat dealwhat is said is highly frustrating for you and for him. Certainly, of asking him to speak slowly and repeat certain words or phrases is effective. Response (B) indicates passive communication and is ineffective in the workplace.You can’t have an employee that you don’t understandor who possiblydoesn’t understand you.The best thing to do is (C), which begins to address his speech and communication. Does he understand what you are saying when you speak? Are there any particular words or phrases that are problematic? Are there certain speech aspects (pronunciation, intonation, etc.) that he is frustrated with when it comes tohisperception of how he communicates? If frustration runs high on both sides, you may want to suggest that your employee work with anAccent Reduction Specialistto improve those speech skills that are most difficult for him. The one thing you need to get across is that he is a valued employee, that you respect what he is saying, and that you are willing to work with him on his style and speech so that effective communication can be achieved.
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Situation 5 Giving constructive feedback is an essential part of the management process that helps employees grow and reach their potential. If you responded (A), your feedback may be considered aggressive because of the words you chose. By telling your employeehowto do something, you are not giving an opportunity for growth and creative thought. If you responded with (B), you are exhibiting passive behavior by putting things off (unless you really felt it was an unusual situation that did not require an immediate response). The most effective response is (C), which will assertively allow you to build a relationship and manage your employee’sgrowth in a positive way. Every situation is different. Sometimes we do need to use a different style or a combination of styles. However, people generally want to have communication which shows that you have been actively listening to what they said, validates their feelings and respects their needs. Through assertive communication, you can make direct requests and negotiate needs butnotat the expense ofanother’srights and feelings. This is how you cultivate growth, teamwork, and effective communication in any situation. The mission ofSpeakstyles, LLCis to help employees and managers understand and manage their own communication styles. One-on-one coaching, consulting, workshops, and training seminars provide participants the tools, strategies, skills practice (through role-play and videotaping), and feedback to help them communicate more effectively. The company is located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. For more information, please contact us: www.speakstyles.comcarol@speakstyles.com
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