Linked by Theme This type of Academic Statement emphasizes you as the main character of your education. What themes link your experience together and why are the connections you have made meaningful? Your statement might begin with an anecdote or a revelation you had about yourself or about your education and explore several moments and the journey that each of those moments took you on. You could focus on a theme that links these experiences together. In this style, there is an introduction describing a theme of your education. Each paragraph contains a summary of an experience and describes how those themes are linked. Your skills and abilities come up, interwoven throughout the piece. By the conclusion, you have shown your reader how the theme unites your experiences at Evergreen and what that theme means to you.
Topic Sentences, Summary, and Analysis Each paragraph in an Academic Statement generally has a summary portion, in which the student lists the summary of what happened in the program they are talking about, followed by a sentence or two of analysis describing what that meant for them. SUMMARY: What happened (normal) ANALYSIS: Why it mattered (bolded) TOPIC SENTENCE: What this paragraph is about (italicized). As you’ll see in the following examples, you can spread this analysis throughout a paragraph, leave it until the end of the paragraph, or include it in your topic sentence. Topic sentences are traditionally the first sentence in a paragraph but sometimes they go in the middle or at the end to act as transitions between paragraphs. When you read these examples, ask yourself: What would you do differently? How do you want to organize the sentences and paragraphs in your Academic Statement? Note: The example Academic Statements featured in this section have been submitted anonymously and names have been changed. At Evergreen, the vast array of interdisciplinary programs gave me a strong and diverse base of skills and knowledge that I will be able to use in nearly any career that I choose to pursue. Since transferring, I have taken eight separate courses at Evergreen, focusing on history, culture, and human connection. Each one built upon the last in elevating my cultural and political knowledge, as well as improving my self discipline and communication skills. Each of these courses utilized seminars as key elements of their curriculum. Weekly, and in some cases, daily seminars allowed students like myself to engage with diverse people and ideas in a healthy and fruitful manner. Often, students would be called upon to lead seminars, and through these exercises I gained a better grasp on both leading and listening to others. Group activities and other projects provided opportunities to improve my skills in collaboration. —Clark Rodriguez
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