According to the College Board, “your essay reveals something important about you that your grades and test scores can’t—your personality. It can give admission officers a sense of who you are, as well as showcasing your writing skills.”

College applications are just around the corner, and a major part of the college application is the essay. Essay prompts vary from college to college, however according to the Princeton Review, the most common essay centers around how students have incorporated knowledge into their lives.

The College Board recommends students start with a brainstorm, thinking of ideas and writing them down even if they do not appear to be useful. After brainstorming, write a rough draft in which you let the essay words “flow” out of you. Remember it’s important to be honest in your essay. It’s also very critical that you have a unique perspective that showcases your personality to the college- something they may not necessarily have known by just reading your transcript. Show them that you are more than just a GPA.

      According to usatoday.com, prospective students are encouraged to talk about their family, accomplishments, and passions. Luckily for Arrowhead seniors, there college essay workshops are being offered.

    Students were able to sign up for one to three sessions. The first session was offered on October 3rd from 8 to 11 am, focusing on the basic principles of essay writing. The second session was held on Wednesday, October 7th from 5 to 8 pm, focusing on writing a draft essay and editing peers essays. The third and final essay workshop was on October 8th from 5 to 8 pm, and teachers will be available to edit students final drafts of their essays.

Many Wisconsin schools still require, or highly encourage, an essay in the application process. However, schools like University of Minnesota- Twin Cities have taken the essay portion away completely to make the application process easier and more appealing.

“I’m not attending any of the college essay classes because none of the colleges I am applying to require an essay. But it sounds like a great opportunity to get advice on how to write a quality essay and I would definitely take it if I needed to write a college essay!” says Lauren Schlondrop, a senior at Arrowhead High School.

In order to sign up for the fall college essay workshop, students must be seniors. Students and parents looking to register can visit Arrowhead’s website, at Arrowheadschools.org, and click on the link to the college essay workshop on the right side of the school’s website. There they will be led to a Google document which allows for sign up for sessions one, two, and three.

“I attended the college essay workshop over the summer, and it was very helpful in getting me started with the college application process. It made it seem a lot less scary, and it also allowed me to be ahead of the game as far as writing college essays goes.” Says Sarah Smith, a senior at Arrowhead High School.

The class was held in room north campus room 199. Further classes may be available, depending on demand. For questions, please contact Kathy Nelson, Terri Carnell, or Elizabeth Jorgensen.

  picture: https://drive.google.com/a/arrowheadschools.org/file/d/0B6JO-M52k1-1dF9HdWJBMlRmR2c/view?usp=sharing