By Quetzal Mama • October 15, 2013

Los Huesos – The Bones of Your Essay

Anxious? Worried? Can’t come up with that crafty, clever, inspiring theme for your essay? Tapping your finger on your notepad – frustrated that your idea is just not gelling? Trust me, every year students go into panic mode when they begin contemplating their college essay. I totally understand student’s frustration and anxiety. There is a lot at stake – the Personal Statement can be the “make it” or “break it” component of your college application, so our anxiety level hits the roof.

The problem? The problem is two-fold. The first problem is over-anxiety. Our talented Latino superstars worry needlessly. They stare endlessly at their computer screen, becoming frustrated and upset. They get bogged down in over analysis, leading to paralysis. This paralysis prevents them from beginning their essay – the most difficult part of essay writing. The second problem is that essay writing is no longer an art. It has become a perfunctory task – simply to pass an AP English class or to submit a required term paper. Students seem to have lost the skill of elegant and persuasive writing because they are focused instead on the task item.

The solution? The solution to analysis paralysis is Los Huesos or “The Bones.” The Bones are simply that – the most basic and fundamental structural components of your essay. Gathering your bones is 90% of the essay process. It can’t be that simple, right? Yes, it can. It is that simple. The problem is that we spend way too much time worrying about whether our essay will appear clever, insightful, and intellectual, and we miss the big picture. If students use this strategy before they begin writing, they will be very glad they did!

Grab a pen and some college-lined paper, y siéntate. Pretend your best friend is sitting directly across from you. Then, consider the following prompt from the 2013 University of California (UC) Application:

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

The very first thing you need to do is consider how many questions they are asking you. When I read this, I can easily see there are three (3) questions: (1) They want me to identify the thing important to me; (2) They want me to tell them how this thing makes me proud; (3) They want me to tell them how this thing defines me. Now, without over thinking, just tell your friend the answer to these three questions. No intro, no fancy-schmancy thesis. It would go something like this:

I. The accomplishment I’m most proud of is forming Latinos Unidos.

(The student just recalled the incident that was important)

II. This accomplishment makes me proud because I have impacted my HS campus and community.

(The student answered the question about what makes him/her proud about this)

III. My leadership in Latinos Unidos defines who I am because it represents three principles I live by.

(The student answered the question about how this defines him/her).

You’ve just completed the most difficult part of the essay writing process. Now, we need to elaborate by adding background information and details. We need to know what caused the student to act – to form the organization. We want to know what characteristics the student possesses, and how this compelled him/her to take action.

Now Elaborate (Give the Back Story)

As a Freshman at Bullard High School, I noticed the Latino presence at our campus was almost non-existent. Although Latinos comprise 75% of the student population, our representation was absent in cultural events, the Associated Student Body, and other on-campus activities. This observation caused me to analyze the reasons why we failed to be involved and represented on campus. As someone with a strong sense of pride in my ethnicity and culture, I felt compelled to change our campus climate . . .

A Little More Info, Please! (How did you do it?)

Before I began my formal launch of this new organization, I did my homework. I reviewed the Bylaws of prior organizations on campus, interviewed potential Advisors, and read several books by authors with specialized knowledge in building and leading a movement . . .

Now Back it up! What Impact Did you Make? (Quantify/Qualify)

That first year, my team and I organized three major events. We facilitated two fundraising campaigns, and one school-wide celebration. Our first campaign helped raise funds for our local Migrant Ministries. Through a tamale sale and pan dulce bake-off, we raised $8,000 . . .

How Does this Represent YOU?

My work with Latinos Unidos is closely aligned with my values and principles. There are three principles I live by, including my responsibility to serve, to help those who are less fortunate, and to use my energy and skills to achieve positive outcomes. Forming Latinos Unidos helped me to . . .

Obviously, the above examples do not represent a completed essay. Most essays will be 500 to 650 words. However, the above examples will give you an idea of what it looks like to follow The Bones strategy. Here is a quick refresher:

Summary

1. Read the prompt and identify the question or questions asked;

2.               Pretend you are having a conversation with a close friend.
            Simply answer the questions(s);
3.               After answering the question(s), begin elaborating on each point.

Now that we have “The Bones,” there are two other strategies I recommend. One strategy is the seven (7) critical components a winning essay must contain – an acronym I refer to as Tin Casa. Finally, the essay should reflect the Ganas Principle. Watch for my future blog posts as I describe each of these strategies.