Application assignment due Friday, 6/25/21

Application Essay

Purpose: Showcase yourself effectively in a scholarship or university application essay

(If you are not applying for a scholarship or a university in the future, this essay will help you with future cover letters and job interviews.)

Audience: A scholarship or university admissions committee

General Instructions:

Write a short essay (2-2 1/3 pages – no longer) that follows this prompt:

Discuss a creative work that has inspired you and explain one specific way it has inspired you.

Detailed Instructions:

Title

· Catch the reader’s attention with a creative, relevant phrase.

· Avoid creating a boring or too-general title (for instance, “Communication”) or using the blog entry title as your title.

· Consider writing your title last (I always do this).

Short introduction paragraph (no more than 10 lines)

· Begin with an attention-getting “hook” (not a question). I recommend writing your introduction and conclusion paragraphs after writing your body paragraphs.

· In one or two sentences, state your essay’s main idea (thesis) that fits the above prompt.

Body paragraphs (at least 2 paragraphs)

· You might consider having two body paragraphs: one paragraph that describes the work that inspires you and one that explains the specific way it inspired you. You don’t have to follow this suggestion, though.

· Keep in mind that if you are truly inspired by something, it affects your actions, not just your thoughts or feelings. Explain how the creative work has affected how you behave.

· Each paragraph should be unified (focus on supporting a main idea). Using topic sentences can help you create unity. A topic sentence states the main idea you will develop and support throughout the paragraph.

· Be very specific and use vivid description. Vivid, specific writing makes your essay enjoyable and memorable.

Conclusion paragraph (no more than 8 lines)

· Your conclusion may be short, but have more than one sentence.

· Provide closure for your discussion without simply restating your thesis statement.

Don’t do research for this essay, but document the photo using MLA style

· This isn’t a research paper, so don’t do any research over your creative work.

· If your creative work has an artist or author, mention the person’s name (or people’s names or band name, etc.) when you introduce the photograph. Then refer to the work’s creator as needed in the essay itself (e.g., “Lee’s book has a great villain…”).

· Include a Works Cited page that includes an entry for whatever kind of work you’re writing about. This time you’ll need to search the Little Seagull Handbook for which entry example to follow. Tell me if you get stuck after doing your best to figure it out.

Tips and Reminders:

· Essays that contain evidence of plagiarism or collusion will earn a “0” without the possibility of rewriting as stated in the syllabus.

· Study the sample essays provided and compare them to this instruction sheet. Don’t copy ideas or wording from the sample essay, though.

· You may use “I” in this essay.

· Don’t pad your essay with “filler.” Only relevant content helps your grade.

· I will grade this essay with an adapted version of the general grading rubric. This rubric will be available to you on eCampus before you turn in your final version.

· Format your essay in MLA style. See the sample essay in MLA style in the Little Seagull Handbook (pg. 161), and there’s another sample in Week Six of the Groundwork Unit.

· Essays that don’t generally follow the assignment will earn an automatic “0” without the possibility of rewriting.

· Study the sample essay provided and compare it to the instructions above.

· Don’t get overwhelmed. Remember the three M’s:

1. Make sure you understand the assignment.

2. Manage your time wisely.

3. Meet all the assignment requirements.