COLLEGE ESSAYS should reflect what you want to say to the admissions counselors (outside of what the application already says), should reflect your ability to write, and should demonstrate how you think, what you are capable of. It should be in your voice, be from your perspective (a high-school senior), and more than anything else should answer the question asked.

Monday

No school for Labor Day.
HW: The 5 brainstorming activities and the monomyth hero journey notes on The Alchemist are due tomorrow. Please have this completed. Our first book will be The Ramayana.

Tuesday

Today we will finish the Campbell/Moyers video, and then continue with a close reading of the entire transcript. In between, I will collect both the chart related to Santiago's hero journey and your brainstorming to five of the prewriting, college essay brainstorming.
HW: What does Campbell mean by, "Follow your bliss?" How does Santiago follow his bliss? How does he save his world? How does he act out of his center?

Wednesday

Today we finish reading the Moyers transcript of the hero journey conversation.
HW: Revision to the Santiago essay is due Friday, as a posting to a blog entry.

Thursday

Returning the first draft of the in-class Santiago essays, and a lecture on how to improve these essays. We will revise these in class, and use one of the hero-journey stages as a point-of-access to revision. Also, brainstorming specific ideas for your identified college essay question. Once done, students will begin drafting this essay. The first, rough draft will be due on Monday.
HW: Revise your alchemist essay tonight, and post it before class tomorrow. Bring your copy of The Ramayana to class on Friday.

Friday

Introduction to Hinduism, and starting the introduction to The Ramayana.
HW: First draft of the college essay due Monday. Finish reading the packet on Hinduism for class as well.