| Writing Quality | Originality and Relevance | Insight and Reflection | Show, don’t Tell | |
| 1 | Essay appears as though it were written hastily and is riddled with grammar mistakes, spelling errors, incomplete sentences, etc. | Topic fails to address the prompt or is inappropriate | Essay fails to detail any takeaways from the experience | Entirety of essay merely explains events Story lacks voice and reads like a list: (‘event A happened, then event B happened’) |
| 2 | The author's main idea comes across clearly, but the writing quality is not compelling Essay repeats words, sentence structures and struggles to provide a clear structure |
Topic is relevant, but clichéd There is little originality in terms of the essay’s structure and content |
Essay addresses takeaways, but insights are obvious, weak or lackluster | Essay begins to make use of various scenes, but it is difficult to tell who the author is and why this topic matters deeply to them |
| 3 | Essay flows well and has little repetition, but does not stand out | Interesting topic that captures the reader’s attention from beginning to end, but not particularly unique | Insights are both clear and unique Reflection is well-organized and does not interfere with the flow of the essay |
Essay strings together scenes in a personal way Author’s voice is clear and lyrical |
| 4 | Essay is written beautifully with careful attention to detail from word choice to overall structure Practically demanding publication |
Topic and execution of descriptions are so fascinating that the reader can’t help but finish the piece learning something new and captivating | Sentiments and reflections feel authentic and are incorporated so seamlessly, the reader cannot help but connect with the story on both an emotional and intellectual level. | Perfect balance of “telling” and “showing” Descriptions are so unique that only the young writer could have produced such a tale; voice shines through and brings flavor to the piece |