100 Brave and Interesting Questions
1. What’s the toughest decision you made today? 2. What’s the toughest decision you made this year? 3. What’s the toughest decision you ever made? 4. What have you forgotten? 5. If you were guaranteed the answer to one question, what would it be? 6….
The “Everything I Want Colleges to Know About Me” List: A Brainstorm Exercise
Note: I don’t recommend a stream-of-consciousness free-write because this tends to get a little messy. By “messy” I mean that this tends to bring forth a lot of words but not a lot of specific, bullet-pointable qualities that will help you get into college. And that’s…
The Great College Essay Test
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The Feelings & Needs Exercise
1. In the “Challenges” column, list any major obstacles you’ve faced in your life–anything from major health or family issues to experiencing racism or violence. Spend at least 3-4 minutes on this first column. The more these challenges affected you, the more productive this exercise…
What America’s Got Talent Can Teach You About Your College Essay
Context is important for this one too: his sister performed right before him and got rejected, so he sings with that knowledge… and with his freshly-rejected, tearful sister offstage to his left. (Watch him glance over at her at 0:19 after the judge asks “You…
The Essence Objects Exercise – College Essay Brainstorming
This is one of my favorite brainstorming activities. Why? It’s one of the most efficient ways I know to help generate a TON of content for your personal statement and also add texture to bring your essay to life. Also, it’s just fun to do…
21 College Essay Topics and Ideas That Worked (Guide + Examples)
Here’s a list of essay topics and ideas that worked for my one-on-one students: Essay Topic: My Allergies Inspired Me After nearly dying from anaphylactic shock at five years old, I began a journey healing my anxiety and understanding the PTSD around my allergies. This…