Some Approaches to Apply Texas Essay C, or the "ticket" essay
Greetings from Amman, Jordan! I recently celebrated my birthday trekking and camping in the desert with Bedouin nomads in Wadi Rum on the Jordan/Saudi Arabia border. No internet, vast, empty expanses of desert, and tons of sickly sweet Arabic tea made for an outstanding and unforgettable experience.
View from the highest point in Jordan. Saudi Arabia in the distance.
Now that I have returned to Internetland, I wanted to update you on some thoughts about the new essay.
My current seniors have been submitting their drafts of Essay C. Essay C asks, "You've got a ticket in your hand - Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?"
The new prompt is quite tricky and allows for a wide range of approaches and potential responses. Some of my students and I have worked from brainstorming to final draft, and we are very pleased with the end result even if the process has been challenging.
In a previous post a few months ago, I shared some initial thoughts on this topic. Many people have visited this post, and a lot of my first impressions seem to be real ways that students have approached this prompt.
I want to help guide you through a few strategies to help make this vague essay concrete. Most importantly, how do you actually reference and fit the "ticket" into your response? How do you use this essay to your advantage considering Essays A and B and your resume?
I think it will be easier than at first glance, and I hope to make this new prompt a little less intimidating.