College Essay Peer Editing DIRECTIONS FOR EXTRA CREDITMOST IMPORTANT 2 THINGS TO LOOK FOR:

1. IMAGERY: is there lots of it? Give an example.
2. SHOWING not TELLING: are you showing more than telling? Give an example.

3. Does the opening hook the reader?

4. By the end of the introduction, do we know the focus/main idea of the essay?

5. Does the introduction set a compelling and/or interesting tone and establish the voice of the speaker?

6. Are there smooth transitions/clever links between the ideas the writer mentioned? Between sentences?

7. Is there a smooth shift from the narrative/opening idea and the “leap” into the body paragraphs?

8. Does the writer’s personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of “who he or she is”?

9. Are the subject and the presentation of the ideas in the essay interesting/fresh/original?

10. Is it organized? Is there a clear follow-through on the central idea?

11. Are the details and examples specific: do they truly allow you to see, hear, smell, touch, taste (picture) the subject? Please list an example.

12. Does the conclusion of the essay give you a sigh of appreciation, a sense of closer or completion, an “ah-ha” feeling? Please explain why or why not.

13. What errors exist (grammatically and/or stylistically) does the syntax enhance the topic? Are the sentences varied?

14. What are the strengths of this essay?

15. What needs the most improvement? What recommendations would you give to the writer before his/her next revision?