More Than Words: How to Write a Standout College Essay
By Jane Hirschhorn and Lynne Fuller
When beginning the writing process for the personal statement, Jane and Lynne take different but equally valid approaches to arrive at the same destination. When writing the personal statement, it’s important to identify what stories you want to tell about yourself that make you look both vulnerable and strong.
How to Start a College Essay
Lynne’s Process
Lynne starts by getting to know students through a biopsychosocial and genogram which reveals a student’s upbringing, key moments in their life, and flashbulb memories. Sometimes this conversation unearths generational interests and key moments that are truly important to how values are established and characteristics developed.
Lynne asks students to list pivotal moments including challenges, victories, and the everyday seeds of growth. Then, reflect on what you learned from these experiences and how they shaped your character or ambitions. Remember, it's often the unexpected detours of our journeys that offer the most profound insights, so don't shy away from the less glamorous parts.
Jane’s Process
Jane starts by having her students identify their values using the College Essay Guy’s list. Next, she asks her students to tell them about their lives inside and outside of school, to brainstorm essay topics, and answer a few questions about themselves. Jane emphasizes that it is not necessary to tell the most personal story, although some do. If a should, however, be a story or a series of images that are meaningful and that the student feels comfortable sharing with an admission office.
From there, Jane and the student look for connections between the student’s values and their lived experiences. In short, how do their experiences reflect their values? Sometimes, Jane notices a moment that a student offhandedly describes during this conversation is in fact, a key moment of insight that could elevate the reflection section of their draft.
College Essay Brainstorming
After that, Jane and Lynne move into brainstorming, where students can explore their essay topic and reflect on their experiences. The process usually takes shape through “free writing” and later, organizing those ideas as students work toward a first draft.
Along the way, both Lynne and Jane encourage students to draw the reader into the story using specific and vivid details. As students move toward revision (which can take weeks to complete), Lynne and Jane encourage students to reflect on what their story or key images mean to them, replacing general and generic vocabulary with precise, evocative language.
Here are a few questions to begin the brainstorming process:
Which events or relationships have significantly influenced who I am today?
What hobbies, books, or mentors have expanded my worldview and my self-understanding?
How have I responded to adversity? What discoveries about myself did I make in the process?
Have my interests evolved over time? If so, why? What did I learn from these changes?
Do I have essence objects that contain a story deeper than my mood ring?
Rather than stating 'I have strong leadership skills,' share a story that illustrates a time you effectively rallied a group toward a goal, the doubts you silenced, and the successes you celebrated together. Your passion for a subject, a quirky hobby that brings you joy, a cause that ignites you — these are great topics for a personal statement.
Admission offices read thousands of personal statements. What will make yours memorable is an essay about what you now understand about yourself and what you have learned along your journey so far.
