Reflecting Back: A Narrative Inquiry of the Experiences of Creating College Application Essays and Videos
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Authors
Demer, James A.
Issue Date
2025-03-27
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Education , Creative writing , Dissertations, Academic--United States , College applications , High school students , College students , Georgia , Essays , Video recordings--Production and direction--Study and teaching , High school seniors , College preparation programs , Stress in adolescence , College entrance achievement tests , Education--Vocational guidance , Qualitative research , Case studies
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Abstract
High school students often find the college application process daunting and stressful. One area of concern is the application essay. This study examines the feelings of students who recently completed writing college application essays and videos. This study explores the experiences of students at a diverse high school near Atlanta, Georgia, during and after the process of creating college application essays and videos. The experiences of students during the application process were important to study because (1) there was a gap in the knowledge base related to the evolving role of essays and videos in the college application process, and (2) acquiring a better understanding of student experiences will augur ways to both diminish the stress of the process and encourage teachers to better assist students during the process in the future. The work of nine participants was analyzed, and then participants provided feedback about their experiences during the process of creating the work. The study found that the iterative process of working on meaningful essays and videos often has a powerful effect on students, helping them to better understand the meaning of their life experiences.
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.