Foundation Year Writing Preparation

11/07/2017

Foundation Year writing instructor Erick Hyde meets with a KGSP student to discuss feedback on writing

As part of the college application process, every applicant must tackle the challenging task of mastering the college admissions essay. Over a relatively short period during the Foundation Year, KGSP students learn to master the art of writing and perfecting a statement that reaches beyond grades and test scores to represent their individuality, uniqueness, and potential. KGSP recipients are fortunate to benefit from the specialized support of their Foundation Year advisors, instructors, and university writing staff.

Foundation Year advisor at University of Pennsylvania, Kristin Franco, met with writing instructor Erick Hyde to learn about his writing course insights:

Q: What specialized experiences do you bring to your position in the Foundation Year at U Penn?

A: I have worked for several years in a college admissions office, giving me unique insight into what admissions officers are looking for in successful applicants.

Q: Why is writing a strong essay important to the U.S. college application process?
A: Test scores will open the door for consideration to a great school, but a unique and well-written essay is what will make you stand out and get you accepted.

Q: What process do you advise for students on the writing process?

A: The first step in the process is to contextualize the essay. I ask students to think about how the essay will be used by the admissions office, and to understand the audience of the essay (who is reading the essay, and what do they want to learn through it). KGSP students and I study samples of both strong and weak writing, to learn what works and what doesn’t. The next step is to just start writing! It’s important to focus more on general ideas in the early drafts, and then more on technical revision once the essay content is formulated. I also steer students away from common pitfalls like using clichés.

Foundation Year instructors like Erick Hyde are incredibly valuable components of the KGSP Foundation Year program, preparing students for success in their undergraduate applications to the U.S.’s top undergraduate institutions.

STUDENT PROFILE

KGSP students represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s future scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders. As both individuals and as a community, they reflect the KAUST mission of driving scientific discovery through excellence in education and cutting-edge research, and share a commitment to fostering innovation, economic development, and social prosperity throughout the Kingdom and the world.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Selection to the KGSP is extremely competitive, and currently by invitation only. Successful applicants are Saudi Arabian students in their final year of high school who demonstrate impressive academic credentials within STEM fields, meaningful extra-curricular achievements, and who share the KAUST ethos of continuous discovery. Learn more here.

KGSP ADMINISTRATION

The KGSP is administered by the Office of Strategic National Advancement at KAUST, under the direction of Vice President & Senior Associate to the President, Dr. Najah Ashry. Strategic National Advancement directs the university's strategy to serve Saudi Arabia's transformational priorities: Through initiatives in young talent and Saudi workforce development, social responsibility, and national engagement, the Office contributes to a thriving innovation ecosystem by building knowledge capacity, creating opportunities, and strengthening impact.