College Level Writing

11th Grade: Postsecondary Participation

Microsoft, 2011

Review

• What are some of the main expectations professors have of college level writing.

Microsoft, 2011

Pre-Test

1. What is one goal you have for improving your own writing so that it meets college level expectations?

2. What are the writing requirements for a college of interest to you?

3. What resources are available at your college of interest to assist with writing?

Objectives

Understand what the expectations for college level writing are

Identify the areas in which you need to improve your own writing in order to meet the expectations of college level writing

Learn the specific expectations and entry requirements for writing at a college of interest

Learn about the resources available to assist with writing at a college of interest

College Writing

• Read through the article.• Discuss:– Are students used to writing five paragraph

essays?– What are some of the differences the article

discusses between five paragraph essays and the essays expected in college?

– Is it OK to have learned the five paragraph essay format? Why or why not?

Evaluate Your Own Writing

• Look over your own essay.– Are they five paragraph essays?– What kind of theses do they

have? Listing or argumentative?– Are they repetitive, repeating the

thesis for each topic sentence?– Are there transitions between

paragraphs or is the writing choppy and forced?

– Is the conclusion a summary of what they have already said, or do they offer a new insight or thought?

• Think-Pair-Share

Microsoft, 2011

How to Succeed in Freshman English

• You will all most likely take a freshman writing course in which you will learn a little about college writing, but the professors will have high expectations. – So what can you do to prepare?• Use guides from the Internet to improve your writing

now.• Use the writing center at the college you choose to

attend

College Help for Writing

• In order to prepare for college writing, you will complete an online activity to try to determine the writing expectations at the institution you are interested in and what help exists to support you make the transition from high school to college writing.

• Log in to Family Connection and complete the College Help for Writing survey

Discussion

• What was surprising? • What requirements for writing do the

institutions you’re interested in have? • Did everyone’s choice institution have a

writing center? • What other resources did you find? • What did you think of the web resources?

Post-Test

1. What is one goal you have for improving your own writing so that it meets college level expectations?

2. What are the writing requirements for a college of interest to you?

3. What resources are available at your college of interest to assist with writing?

Assignment

• Write a SMART goal in family connection that focuses on improving your writing.

References

• Microsoft Office Images. (2011). Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/