Kelley Ross, NBCT
Barren County High School
AP Literature and Composition
Cluster Diagram / Three Words Letter
This part of the assignment requires you to gather some information about yourself, to compare that information
with your own perceptions, and to try to do a preliminary job of writing about yourself. The writing activity
here is a letter to me in which you explain what three adjectives you feel best describe who you are and what
you are all about — and what you would want me to tell an Admissions Officer about you. The purpose of this
assignment is to ask you to think about your perceptions of yourself and to ask others about their perceptions of
you — to help you with the next and most important essay in college applications, THE PERSONAL
STATEMENT, and to help me with another important essay in college applications, THE TEACHER
RECOMMENDATION. Make certain that you collect the required information before you try to write this
letter. Most Teacher Recommendation Forms ask the teacher to list and then explain the first words that come
to mind when that teacher thinks of that student.
Three Words: “What three adjectives first come to mind when you think of me?”
Ask this question of nine (9) of the following people:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
a close friend of the same sex
a close friend of the opposite sex
a friend of the same sex
a friend of the opposite sex
a teacher of the same sex (Note: You may not ask your current English teacher.)
a teacher of the opposite sex (Note: You may not ask your current English teacher.)
one of your parents/guardians/siblings
another relative who does not live with you
a classmate you do not know well
a classmate you know well but do not necessarily consider a good friend
NEXT, using the attached CLUSTER DIAGRAM, use one oval for the adjectives of each person interviewed.
Under each oval, list the category of person whom you interviewed — e.g., close friend / same sex, etc. THEN,
try to give examples for why you think these people see you as they do. If you feel comfortable doing it, ask the
people in your survey WHY they chose the adjectives that they did. Put these examples in or around the oval.
NOW, in the middle oval (labeled “My Choice”), place the three adjectives that you would use to describe
yourself. FINALLY, in your letter to me (see below), list examples for why you selected the words you did to
describe yourself.
YOUR ESSAY ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS EXERCISE IS AS FOLLOWS:
Write a letter to me in which you explain what three adjectives you feel best describe who you are and what
you are all about — and what you would want me to tell an Admissions Officer about you. This part of the
assignment should be formatted as a letter, and you may use informal English.
Borrowed from: Suzanne Wexler – A.P. English Language and Composition
White Station High School – Memphis, Tennessee
Do all but one and label each:
Close friend – same sex
Close friend – opposite sex
Friend – same sex
Friend – opposite sex
Teacher – same sex
Teacher – opposite sex
Parent/guardian/sibling
Relative not living w/you
Classmate you don’t know well
Classmate you know well but do
not consider a good friend
Three Words
Cluster Diagram
My Choice