On this week’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 4 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about the personal statement. According to the latest State of College Admission report - after grades, course rigor, and positive character traits (see previous episodes), the college essay is what colleges care about most. Tom and Ethan get into:
- What is the purpose of the personal statement?
- How do you find a topic, especially if you’re not writing about challenges?
- Why do I recommend students NOT choose a common extracurricular activity as their main college essay topic?
- How do you stand out?
- And how do you know when you’re done?
📍 Chapters
1:38 - What is the purpose of the personal statement in the college admission process?
2:53 - How might students use this statement for multiple schools?
3:48 - Should students talk about challenges they’ve faced in a personal statement?
6:47 - Should students talk about their major or career goals?
8:33 - Where is the best place to discuss extracurricular activities?
10:20 - Should students explain red flags in their personal statement?
11:26 - How can students brainstorm potential topics for their personal statement?
17:56 - What is the structure of a personal statement?
21:11 - How can students stand out?
28:57 - Case Study: What does the process look like from brainstorming to final draft?
35:39 - How does a student know when their essay is done?
38:27 - Is there a place for artificial intelligence in the college essay?
41:47 - have personal statements shifted since the Supreme Court ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions?
44:04 - Why does the personal statement process matter?
49:14 - Closing thoughts
🔗LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO 🔗
Personal Statement Examples: www.collegeess...
7 Brainstorming Exercises: • How to Brainstorm 7 Di...
The "Food" essay analysis: • How to Write an Awesom...
The Great College Essay Test: www.collegeess...
Why You Don’t Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out-and What You Can Do Instead: www.collegeess...
Matchlighters Scholars Program: www.collegeess...
CEG Podcast Episode 404: Race-Conscious Admission Was Struck Down-What Does This Mean and What Can Students and College Counselors Do? w/ Jay Rosner: www.collegeess...
Is It “Okay” to Talk About Race in Your College Application and Essays-And If So, How Should You Do It?:
www.collegeess...
✌️WHO AM I? ✌️
I’m Ethan (College Essay Guy) and my goal is to bring more ease, joy, purpose, and access to the college admission process. I wrote two Amazon bestsellers on college essays and each year my team and I reach more than 1MM students and counselors via www.collegeessayguy.com.
🧠 MY UPCOMING + ONDEMAND *PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COURSES 🧠
Student Courses: www.collegeess...
Counselor Courses: www.collegeess...
*All my courses are pay-what-you-can.
💯 WORK WITH ME & MY TEAM 💯
One-on-one: www.collegeess...
Free 1-on-1 for low income students: www.collegeess...
✍ RESOURCES ✍
📖 Free Personal Statement Guide: bit.ly/ps-free...
🎙 Podcast: bit.ly/CEGPodcast
📘 College Admission Essentials: bit.ly/3qdEklN
📙 College Essay Essentials: bit.ly/3vIjtbs
🌍 SOCIAL 🌍
📸 Instagram: / collegeessayguy
🐦 Twitter: / collegeessayguy
👍 Facebook: / collegeessayguy
✋ QUESTIONS? ✋
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5 мар 2024
