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iRubric: Common App Essay rubric

iRubric: Common App Essay rubric

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Common App Essay 
Common App Essay
An essay answering 1 of the 5 prompts on the Common App, this must have a brisk opening that puts me into the middle of a story, memorable and concrete details, an aha moment, revealed strengths/lessons, how strengths/lessons will influence college/career choices, spotlight on YOU (reader knows you well after essay), concise (no wordiness), consistent verb tense (past or present; be consistent)
Rubric Code: VX7WXX8
By tjenkins1983
Ready to use
Public Rubric
Subject: English  
Type: Writing  
Grade Levels: 9-12

Powered by iRubric Common App Essay
  Below Expectations

1 pts

Needs Improvement

2 pts

Developing

3 pts

Meets Expectations

4 pts

Captivating Opening

Below Expectations

Opens in vague, general way

Explicitly states "I learned that...." or equally formulaic statement

Does NOT put reader into story or scene

Does not capture attention
Needs Improvement

Opening may or may not involve a story

Average level of interest aroused, not particularly strong

Moves at average pace, not particularly brisk
Developing

Opens in media res, in middle of a story

Opens quickly, establishes fairly brisk pace

Concrete imagery
Meets Expectations

Opens in media res, in middle of story

Captures reader's attention immediately

Captivating
Pace

Below Expectations

Sluggish, wastes valuable space, caught up in uninteresting or irrelevant details

Wanders without aim
Needs Improvement

Average pace, some noticeable examples of sluggishness or pointless turns
Developing

Above average pace

Writing moves along fairly quickly and gets to its point
Meets Expectations

Fast paced

Each sentence serves a purpose, getting to the aha quickly, efficiently
Story/Stories

Below Expectations

No stories provided

Deals in generalities

Vague, abstract
Needs Improvement

Story/stories may or may not be present but are not especially memorable

Lacking in action and/or dialogue
Developing

Story or stories attached to the lesson/aha moment/ revealed strengths
Meets Expectations

Memorable, captivating story/stories with action and/or dialogue

Clearly and convincingly attached to lesson, aha moment, revealed strengths
Concrete Details

Below Expectations

Examples are vague, general

No or barely any concrete images to appeal to senses (one cannot see, touch, hear, smell, or taste the examples)
Needs Improvement

Some concrete examples but more general, vague, abstract examples
Developing

Several concrete examples that appeal to some senses
Meets Expectations

Essay filled with concrete examples that appeal to the 5 senses

Crisp, unforgettable details
Aha Moment

Below Expectations

Reveals no clear lesson about life or self

No change perceived
Needs Improvement

May reveal lesson about life or self, but states in cliched way, "That's when I learned..." or "This experience showed me that..."
Developing

Reveals lesson about life or self; growth is revealed
Meets Expectations

You grow in a clear, obvious way

Does not explicitly state what you learned; lesson or aha is obvious through the story/stories
YOU Are Revealed

Below Expectations

Reader knows about someone or something other than you at end of essay
Needs Improvement

You reveal something about yourself, but essay isn't the showcase it could be for your personality
Developing

Your change is evident by end of essay and this is mostly clear
Meets Expectations

Reader knows you by end of essay; stories told to reveal something about YOU
Going Forward

Below Expectations

No college/personal/future goals laid out

Purpose of essay not tied to larger meaning for writer
Needs Improvement

Implicit connection to writer's life/purpose, but not clearly drawn
Developing

Essay's purpose tied in some way to future/personal/career goals
Meets Expectations

Clearly connects lesson/aha/ strengths revealed to college/personal/future goals
Concise (NOT WORDY)

Below Expectations

Filled with smothered verbs, passive voice, catch-all terms, who-which-that clauses, other "sins" of wordiness
Needs Improvement

Average wordiness, noticeable but not horrendous wastefulness
Developing

A bit of wordiness but overall concise, lean writing
Meets Expectations

Concise, lean, muscular writing

Hardly any sins of wordiness
Mechanics

Below Expectations

The overall presentation of the essay displays a lack of proofreading and attention to detail. While the essay MIGHT be readable, it is uncomfortable and unprofessional
Needs Improvement

Essay contains several errors, many are distracting to the reader
Developing

Essay contains a few errors, but they are not distracting to the reader.
Meets Expectations

Essay contains one or two errors, tops.




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