Preparing for College - Page 11
Introduction
The introduction should convey to the reader the
subject of your essay in an appealing
way. Your goal is to grab the reader's attention
as early as possible. The most appealing
essays are those that are initiated with a
phrase, sentence, or idea that intensely attracts
the reader's interest. The most incisive your
remarks, the sharper will be the "hook" that
grabs hold of the reader. Naturally, your
initial remarks should be suited to the topic and
the tone of your essay. The introduction should
also indicate to the reader the direction
in which you are heading.
Among the lead-off approaches you may consider
using are to:
· ask one or two questions that will be
responded to in the course of the essay.
· present a relevant real or fictional
incident that will leave an impact.
· state an ordinary idea in a
provocative manner or vice versa.
· use a meaningful quotation that will
serve to set the tone for your essay.
· debunk some common assumption and then
show why.
The Body
Once you have determined what you wish your
reader's reaction to be, such as whether
to inform, inspire, or entertain, your thoughts
need to be presented in a logical order. To
do this, rank your ideas in order of their
importance. You can build up your ideas toward
the major one, which should come at the end,
rather than present it at the very outset.
Start off with the second major point you wish
to convey. The least significant point can
be placed in the middle. Thus, in a typical
essay, the body will consist of three sections.
These do not have to be of equal length; each
may contain one or more paragraphs with
each segment aiming to convey its distinct
message. Your aim should also be to link the
three sections together as well as to keep your
message in sight as the reader is moved
forward.
The Conclusion
When finishing your essay you need to leave
your reader with something substantive.
This may be in the form of an impressive
remark, memorable phrase, or poignant quota-
tion. A stylish ending can remain in the
reader's mind and may serve to tilt the balance
of one's reaction to the essay in your
favor.
Following the Draft
Having labored to prepare your draft essay, you
now need to look at it objectively and
determine if it conveys your thoughts in the
most meaningful and impressive manner.
To arrive at a decision, set your draft aside
entirely for a short interlude. Then see if it
meets the goal of selling your potential as a
future college student. The criteria you
should use to determine the suitability of your
essay should be:
1. Purpose. Does your essay meet the challenge
of making a solid case for your
admission?
2. Clarity. Does the essay succeed in getting
its main idea across lucidly?
3. Focus. Does the essay keep the main message
in sight for the reviewer to take
note of?
4. Organization. Does each of the parts of the
essay meet its goal?
5. Accuracy. Is the information contained in
the essay accurate and clear?
If any of these goals are not met, then rewrite
the text where necessary to meet defi-
ciencies that you came across. Test your
satisfaction with the revised version by
· reading your essay out loud. Your
reaction to hearing it will clue you in to how
good it really is.
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