College Prep: Writing a Strong Essay

with Leigh Ann Chow

Exercise Files for “Starting Out Strong”

Use the suggestions from the movie “Starting out strong” to come up with engaging first lines for these
five prompts. I’ve given you my own suggestions for opening lines and what would follow them below.

Practice Prompt 1: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act?
Would you make the same decision again?

Practice Prompt 2: Please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you
believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at Penn State. This is your opportunity to tell us
something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records.

Practice Prompt 3: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution, or experience
that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it
relate to the person you are?

Practice Prompt 4: Describe the world you come from—for example, your family, community, or school—
and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Practice Prompt 5: When you meet someone for the first time, what do you want them to know about you,
but generally don’t tell them?

How I might start out these five essays:

Practice Prompt 1: Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act?
Would you make the same decision again?

Fish. Stanley Fish. That was the name of my nemesis. As one of the leaders of the New Criticism
movement, he embodied everything I thought was wrong about reading and appreciating
literature.

In the rest of this essay I would describe the paper I wrote for my AP Lit class that earned me a
failing grade and taught me an important lesson.

Takeaway: I realized through this experience that although it was good to think critically, that I
also had to argue objectively and not just rant against something I disagreed with.

Practice Prompt 2: Please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you
believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at Penn State. This is your opportunity to tell us
something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records.

I know it when I see it: The perfect yarn to knit the perfect hat. Sometimes I know who the hat
recipient will be when I see the yarn; but other times I make the hat and the recipient comes later.
In the rest of this essay, I would describe my knitting hobby and how much I enjoy making hats for
people—both those I know and those I don’t.

Takeaway: My knitting is a way for me to express myself creatively and to demonstrate empathy
for others. This will help me to contribute to the Penn State community through connecting with
people on a personal level.

College Prep: Writing a Strong Essay with Leigh Ann Chow

1 of 2
Practice Prompt 3: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution, or experience that
is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to
the person you are?

I can’t wear open-toed shoes to the prom. A small price to pay for what I consider to be one of the
most significant experiences in my 18 years of being alive. Somewhere along the six months and
hundreds of miles of training, the nail on my left big toe got bruised, turned black, and fell off.

In the rest of this essay I would describe why marathoning is so important to me and how it fits
into my future.

Takeaway: Although few people my own age can understand the appeal, marathoning has
changed me in a fundamental way and has given me a goal to work toward in the years ahead.

Practice Prompt 4: Describe the world you come from—for example, your family, community, or school—
and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

“Are youns planning to go to the movies?” my mother asked, a big smile on her face. I cringed
as I saw the quizzical look on Gus’s face. Even in the Olive Garden I couldn’t escape the dirty
secret of my Central Pennsylvania roots. Gus, a friend who was visiting me from his suburban
Philadelphia home, had certainly never heard this word before.

In the rest of this essay I would discuss my family’s working-class background and how in the end I
have learned to embrace it as a part of my heritage.

Takeaway: Although I have struggled to come to terms with my family’s working class roots, I have
ultimately come to appreciate it as a valuable, integral part of who I am.

Practice Prompt 5: When you meet someone for the first time, what do you want them to know about you,
but generally don’t tell them?

I’ve only done it once. But I know that someday soon I will find a way to do it again. The sense of
peace and joy I experienced through meditation surpasses anything I’ve ever known. But for some
reason I find myself reluctant to talk about it to my friends; the only time I’ve mentioned it I’ve
gotten strange looks and semi-sarcastic comments.

In the rest of this essay, I would describe my experience with meditation and how it fits into my
future, alluding to the fact that I hope to find a more welcoming group to talk about it within my
college experience.

Takeaway: My discovery of meditation has revealed a spiritual aspect of my personality that I never
knew existed. Although I am reluctant to talk about this with my current group of friends, I feel that
it is a significant enough part of who I am to want to share it with those whom I come to trust.

College Prep: Writing a Strong Essay with Leigh Ann Chow

2 of 2