https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i Brainstorming en-us 2020-09-12 19:21:33 UTC 2020-09-17 04:03:46 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/749688444 One of the essays I read was the one about 20 questions, and how the kid used that as kind of a gateway to showcase qualities that they thought would be helpful for a college to know about. I also read the one about ambidexterity, where the kid used that as a metaphor for the balance between their different interests.]]> 2020-09-15 21:05:25 UTC https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/749688444 https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/749703527 I thought that the way the 20 questions essay was set up was really interesting. I think using the game as a way to bridge between paragraphs as well as setting the whole essay up as if it were within a game of 20 questions probably made that essay really stand out to the admissions officers. I think it was a very unique and well done way of setting the essay up.]]> 2020-09-15 21:13:05 UTC https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/749703527 https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/752581215 I found the tone of a lot of the essays to be quite boastful. They sounded quite sure of themselves and mentioned a lot of their achievements in a sort of "look how great I am" way; however, the stories did convey a sense of achievement and personal growth, and here I am writing about them because they were the stories that stood out to me the most. ]]> 2020-09-16 17:31:57 UTC https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/752581215 https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/752591696 Something I needed to hear was: "write about something that's important to you, not what you think people want to hear." I was stuck between three different ideas for the essay, and I thought, okay, I want to write about this topic, but I don't think it's deep enough. Also, I found the Princeton Review's guide to essay writing really helpful.]]> 2020-09-16 17:34:24 UTC https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/752591696 https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/752788788 This essay's tone was very informal and friendly. It was just a story about childhood and the writer's relationship with their brother. There was no connection to college, no thesis or point, and no 'what this story did for me now'. Instead, it all comes through in the writer's tone of anger which switches to regret. I think it's interesting that this is enough to tell colleges who you are and what makes you tick without just stating it. ]]> 2020-09-16 18:19:02 UTC https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/752788788 https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/752971406 Both "A Study in Ambidexterity" and "A Wider Lens" started with a basic physical trait of the writer that by itself would probably not make for a great essay. They used this tangible thing as a jumping off point to the more abstract parts of their personality, tying in life experiences and world views. They kept it fast pace by adding new information, but still keeping it connected
 to the original theme.]]> 2020-09-16 19:08:27 UTC https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/752971406 https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/753982770 I found the tone of this essay to be very honest and relatable. This essay was about the student's first experiences with failure and self-doubt, and how this turned into a major life event and something that made them reevaluate what mattered to them as a person. I find that the vulnerability was a very effective tool to use in this essay because it has the ability to create an understanding of what this student is like and how they could benefit a community. ]]> 2020-09-17 03:49:46 UTC https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/753982770 https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/753992517 The happiness spreadsheet essay is a very classical way to approach personal statement. It introduces a certain project/activity that  has great impact in the person's philosophy life and how it molds the person's personality. It talks about using the google spreadsheet to record happen level from 0-20 for different events. 
The chicken one is more a philosophical one. It explains his own interpretation of Aristotle's Allegory of the Cave by creating a story of a chicken breaking out the constraints and discover that nature provides them the opportunity to be educated. ]]> 2020-09-17 03:56:42 UTC https://padlet.com/lwalton41/qjzvdk9gsg3cjb2i/wish/753992517