Could any one give me ideas for the essay prompt for Williams College? I tried writing on it many times but I couldn't start...
prompt: "Imagine looking through a window at any environment that is particularly significant to you. Reflect on the scene, paying close attention to the relation between what you are seeing and why it is meaningful to you. Please limit your statement to 300 words."
The obvious first step would be to pick an environment that is significant to you. This could be your front or back yard, some part of the school grounds, or, if you go with a car window, a favorite summer vacation spot. You could even imagine that you are looking out of an airplane window, for that matter. Brainstorm a list of possible candidates. The first one or two that come to mind probably come to mind for a reason. Ask yourself what that reason is. From there, you should be able to come up with at least an outline, or even a first draft, that you could post for more feedback.
Wow, that is a cool discussion prompt. I suggest sitting down at your computer with a few novels by Stephen King or Dean Koontz, and read their masterful descriptions of scenes. You will get ideas from your own life, and you will start thinking with the rhythmic use of language that they use, the unfolding of imagery, the drum of syllables, with a scene taking form in the mind of the reader exactly according to the words you choose.
And who might be the person looking in the window on your life? Is the watcher standing on the outside, looking in? You can be very creative with this one!
Thank you very much Kevin and Sean for your suggestions.
Getting started with Williams supplement essay
I just have one question. Does the environment you are looking out of have to be one that you have experienced directly? Or can it be some image in your mind? I'm thinking about writing about my interest about European literature through the image of looking out of a train window, but I've never visited Europe.