Guide | 1.4 – Brainstorming

1.4 – BRAINSTORMing

In addition to more “normal” ways of conceptualizing identity—such as race/ethnicity, gender/sex, religion, etc—we’ve found that thinking about ways they explore and express the roles/identities listed below can be a great way for students to brainstorm ideas for a personal statement (such as an identities-threaded montage), or to add depth to a personal statement or supplemental essay draft (see: Hiking essay example).

Instructions:

  • Bold the top 10 roles you identify with most right now.

  • Next, underline the Top 5.

  • Italicize 3 values that you are “calling in” (wanting to be/experience more).

  • Finally, write 2-3 sentences or bullet points describing how/where you play these roles in life, or would like to.

  • Adventurer

  • Advocate

  • Ally

  • Ambassador

  • Amplifier

  • Anticipator

  • Architect

  • Artist

  • Attuner

  • Author

  • Big picture thinker

  • Bookworm

  • Builder

  • Catalyst

  • Challenger

  • Champion

  • Change-maker

  • Cheerleader 

  • Coach

  • Collaborator

  • Comedian

  • Composer

  • Connector

  • Contrarian

  • Coordinator

  • Counselor

  • Creator

  • C0-Creator

  • Critical thinker

  • Culture-creator

  • Curator

  • Decision-maker

  • Delegator

  • Details person

  • Diplomat

  • Doer

  • Dreamer

  • Empathizer

  • Energizer 

  • Engager

  • Engine

  • Enthusiast

  • Environmentalist

  • Executor

  • Expert

  • Experimenter

  • Explorer

  • Facilitator

  • Fighter

  • Fixer

  • Founder

  • Friend

  • Giver

  • Guide

  • Harmonizer

  • Helper

  • Hole-poker

  • Human calculator

  • Hustler

  • Idealist

  • Improviser

  • Innovator

  • Integrator

  • Interest hopper

  • Interpreter

  • Intuitive

  • Inventor

  • Investigator

  • Leader

  • Learner

  • Listener

  • Maker

  • Mediator

  • Mentor

  • Mess-maker

  • Nature-lover

  • Nerd

  • Nurturer

  • Observer

  • Organizer

  • Party-bringer

  • Peacemaker

  • Pessimist

  • Philosopher

  • Planner

  • Playmate

  • Producer

  • Problem-solver

  • Protector

  • Prophet

  • Question-asker

  • Reader

  • Realist

  • Recommender

  • Refiner

  • Researcher

  • Risk-taker

  • Scientist

  • Seeker

  • Seer

  • Self-starter

  • Shape-shifter

  • Storyteller

  • Strategist

  • Synthesizer

  • Systems-maker 

  • Teacher

  • Team player

  • Telepath

  • Thinker

  • Tinkerer

  • Troubleshooter

  • Truth-teller

  • Unifier

  • Validator

  • Visionary

  • Wanderer

  • Weaver

  • World-builder

  • Writer

  • ___________

  • ___________

  • ___________

Looking for 1-on-1 essay and application support?

Work with CEG

We work 1:1 with an expereinced essay specialist to help you stand out, offer expert guidance on your personal essay statement and supplemental essays, support you through brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and refining, and focus on self-discovery and uncovering your story.

Start Here