12th Grade College Application Essays Lesson Plan

Topic: Writing a college application essay

Objectives & Outcomes

• To understand the basic format and structure of a college application essay.
• To identify and organize the main points of a college application essay.
• To practice writing a college application essay by brainstorming and drafting.

Materials

• College application essays/sample essays
• Blank paper
• Writing utensils

Warm-up

• Ask students to share their biggest achievement so far and why they are proud of it. Write their responses on the board.
• Next, ask students to think of a time when they failed at something and how they dealt with it. Write their responses on the board.
• Have a class discussion about the importance of failure and how it can lead to success.

Direct Instruction

• Review the structure of a college application essay, including the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Discuss the importance of using strong and clear language in an essay.
• Review the common college application essay topics and give examples of strong essays on each topic.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs to write a rough draft of a college application essay on a given topic.
• Assist students as needed and provide feedback on the structure and clarity of their essays.

Independent Practice:

• Have students polish and edit their essays, and then present them to the class for feedback.

Closure

• Review the key elements of a strong college application essay (clear structure, engaging content, proper use of language, etc.)
• Encourage students to submit their completed essays to the colleges of their choice.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice activity and give feedback on the quality of their essays.
• Collect and grade the completed essays.