Lesson 5: Knowing the audience you’re writing for
Overview
Students will watch a short video of Thomas and Quigley playing the parts of two admissions officers.
These admissions officers have to read through thousands of essays, so students really need to make
sure they grab their attention and don’t write about something cliché.
Objectives
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Students will have a better understanding of the audience for who they’re writing.
They’ll have a sense of what writing topics/themes are redundant or cliché.
Materials:
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Personal Statement journal/folder/binder
Computer and video projector
Video discussion guide.
Set-Up
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Video of Thomas and Quigley ready to go.
LESSON PLAN
Morning
Check-in
15 min.
Intro
(5-10 min.)

Individual writing prompt:
Who do you imagine is reading your essays? What kinds of people are
they?
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Collect what students write.
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Redistribute students’ writing from the morning and ask for a share-out.
Explain students will be watching a short video of Thomas and Quigley
pretending to be the admissions officers who will read their essays. This is based
on real admissions officers who wrote a book on writing the essay. The video
might be funny, but it’s typical of what happens.
As they watch the video, students should consider the following questions:
o Make assumptions of the people in the video. What do you
think their background is? Why are they probably doing this
work? What are their personalities like?
o What do they care about as they’re reading the essays?
o What types of writing or topics make them want to accept an
applicant?
o What types of writing or topics make them want to reject an
applicant?
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Video
(6 min.)
Materials

Morning checkin question
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 Students watch the video.
Analyzing
 Give students 5 minutes to answer the questions on the handout.
the video
 After, discuss what they came up with.
(10 min.)
Independe  On the back of the discussion guide, have students reflect on the following:
o Based on the video and our class discussion, what do you think you
nt Writing
personally need to be careful of as you write your college essay?
(5 min.)
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Wrap-up
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o
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What topics or themes of your life might grab these admissions
officers’ attention?
 Ask students to share out what they wrote. Discuss.
Video
discussion
guide.
Video Discussion Guide
Name: _________________________________
1. Make assumptions of the people in the video. What do you think their background is? Why are they
probably doing this work? What are their personalities like?
2. What do they care about as they’re reading the essays?
3. What types of writing or topics make them want to accept an applicant?
4. What types of writing or topics make them want to reject an applicant?
Pg. 1
Personal Reflection
Based on the video and our class discussion, what do you think you personally need to be careful of as you
write your college essay?
What topics or themes of your life might grab these admissions officers’ attention?
Pg. 2