The college admissions process is a long and daunting obstacle faced by many students throughout the world looking to extend their education. Due to the extensive measures of the college admissions process, the system could be considered a genre within itself. Many college applications include a list of essays, each containing a specific structure. In Dirk’s writing of “Navigating Genres” Dirk expresses that a genre is something that can “..help people to accomplish goals, whether the goal be getting a job by knowing how to write a stellar resume, winning a person’s heart by writing a romantic love letter, or getting into college by writing an effecting personal statement”. In the topics of the college admissions process, understanding this genre ic important for reaching out to your audience and making a deeper connection in order to achieve the goal of acceptance. Within a college application there are list of personal statements and essays, each containing a specific structure dependent on length, tone, and content. When applying to college I applied to about sixteen universities. Each application had a variety of essay and question topics, however most applications asked for one long essay asking the student to describe themselves through a certain situation in their life. I personally wrote about the dog walking business I had when I was in middle school and how that small business helped me to develop confidence, drive, and an outgoing personality; all of which remained with me through high school and would make me be a good fit at the desired University. Dirk’s idea of location relates to the admissions process in the basis that it is important to have a brief understanding of what the admissions staff is looking for in a student. When applying to college the “location” that students desire to address can range however the overall goal is to make an admissions officer feel a connection to the student and to make them see the unique aspects of the student and how they would be a valuable part to the university. The college admissions process is a difficult system, however understanding its genre can make the process easier and more comprehendible for the student.
Harrison, you have limited space here, so use it carefully. Your points about aspects of the application process in general (e.g., weight placed on residency in UC admissions) would be appropriate in a longer essay. Here however, you have limited space to make two points: i) how Dirk’s concepts of rhetorical situation, action and location are exemplified by the college admissions essay, and ii) how your own essay dealt with the boundaries of the genre.
I like the idea of the first sentence but I think you can shorten it to get the point across quicker
A good breakdown of information and feelings in your piece, use it to tie in Dirks writing strategies through specific examples
on this sentence “One difficulty that many students have when writing their college admissions essays is that many students struggle with the idea of writing about themselves.” you could probably leave out the beginning and start with when writing their college…
maybe you could tie in a personal experience you had while writing your admissions essay to back up your points