Week 1 - College Writing – Résumés, Cover Letters, and the Scholarship Essay

College Writing – Résumés, Cover Letters, and the Scholarship Essay

Day 1 – Introduction

Read “Writing your way into college.”
Read pages 93 – 97. Answer the Critical Thinking questions on page 96.

Day 2 – Prewriting

Go to Student Services for more information on writing résumés, cover letters, and scholarship essays.

Complete Exercises 45 – 46 on pages 97-98. Begin collecting ideas for your personal statement in each of the following areas: character development, educational plans, and occupational plans.

Day 3 – Drafting

Begin drafting a sample résumé and cover letter for a job, college application, or scholarship application. See Exercise 47 and 48 on page 98.

Watch Legally Blond. What does Reese Witherspoon’s character do to stand above the crowd? Create a list of dos and don’ts for writing cover letters, résumés, and personal statements.

Begin writing your personal statement. The purpose of a personal statement is to an employer or college admissions director an idea of who you are through your past experiences, present situations, and future goals. Be as unique and precise as possible. You want your applications to stick out from the rest rather than blend into the crowd.

Day 4 – Revising and Editing

Work in groups to revise and edit drafts of résumés, cover letters, and personal statements. Use the dos and don’ts list to critique and revise each other’s work.

Day 5 – Final Drafts

Print and turn in final drafts of résumés, cover letters, and personal statement.