Guide | 2.1 Montage Structure

2.1 Montage Structure

 

 

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In This Section
A great way to outline your essay if you want to show a range of skills, qualities, and values, and are not primarily focusing on a challenge

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Read Time
~5 min

Structure, broadly speaking, is how you organize your story moments or events (i.e., all the parts of yourself you want to share) in your essay. And structure is important because it shapes how an admission reader experiences your story… what they understand, feel, and remember.

In this guide, we’ll explore two options:

Montage
Where you use a theme (aka topic) to show different parts of yourself.
Narrative
Where you describe a challenge or set of challenges you faced, what you did about them, and what you learned.

Let’s talk about Montage Structure first; then we’ll talk about Narrative in the next lesson.

How does Montage Structure work?

A montage is a series of moments that may seem unrelated at first but come together through a unifying theme. Here are a few examples from film:

  • Frozen: “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” — two sisters growing up and growing apart 🎬
  • KPop Demon Hunters: HUNTR/X battling demons — not every moment, just the highlights
  • Spiderman: Peter Parker discovering and learning to use his powers 🕷️

Each one has a clear theme holding it together.

In a personal statement, montage structure lets you show several different sides of yourself (the skills, qualities, values, and interests you’d bring to a campus) connected by a single topic.

In the escape rooms essay below, for instance, the author connects one theme (escape rooms) to analytical thinking, community leadership, curiosity, creativity, and resilience.

One thing worth noting is that you can either:

  • start with the values first and then find a theme that connects them… or do the opposite:
  • find a potential theme first and then connect to values second.

Either works; neither is better.

Let’s see what this looks like with an essay from a real student:

 
Example Essay

Escape Rooms

Montage type: I Love + I Know

Student Essay

“The United States is under attack!” My eyes widen listening to the words coming from the speaker. “The nuclear missile program has been compromised and you’re now locked in the presidential bunker, moments away from war.” That doesn’t sound good. “You have sixty minutes to disarm the missiles, good luck.” The fate of the world is in my hands…

The fate of the world isn’t actually in the hands of a 17-year-old girl (I hope). This is just the name of the game when it comes to escape rooms. I first suggested my family attempt one when we started encountering communication issues; now they’re the tradition that brings us closer, allowing us to learn more about each other in a mind-bending way. However, the lessons I’ve taken away from escape rooms extend much further than this.

The instant the timer starts ticking downwards, my eyes dart left and right. 60… 59:59… Any of the various items meticulously placed around The Treehouse’s setting could serve as a vital puzzle piece. My analytical mind not only helps plan my getaway in an escape room, but also enables me to look after my community. Living in Chicago’s southside but attending a school near downtown let me witness first-hand the disparities regarding funding and profitability between start-ups created by minorities in my predominantly African American community and nonminorities in the financial district. This observation prompted me to develop an entrepreneurship program that introduces Black girls to resources needed to create their own businesses. Being Black is a substantial part of my identity, so it’s important for me to see others of a similar complexion in a position to make a difference. I strive to make others feel represented, and my ability to analyze situations to create opportunities allows me to do this.

The door to a second room pops open. 36:28… 36:27… Escape rooms spark a sense of curiosity I couldn’t imagine gaining elsewhere. Upon entering The Wizard of Oz, I’m left wondering how the trees placed before me are programmed to blink in Morse code. This curiosity extends into other aspects of my life, leading me to question, for example, how Bernoulli’s principle permits objects to levitate through air currents despite seemingly unbalanced forces. Or, and what the greatest possible length for a straw is (after dragging a tube-like model up three flights of stairs, I can confidently say 32-feet). The creative facet of escape rooms also triggers my innovative spirit. Though time-consuming, I enjoy scouring through leftover craft supplies to find popsicle sticks for my latest Rube Goldberg machine because it allows me to experiment with creating systems to solve everyday tasks. By letting my thoughts run wild and engaging in clever endeavors, I feel satisfied knowing some day my work will impact a project expanding beyond myself.

The last room looms. 2:01… 2…

Okay, to be honest I don’t always escape the rooms in time. The Museum Heist is an example—ultimately, the challenge of squirming through vents and deactivating lasers triumphed over me. Yet, I left grateful knowing I’d be better prepared for our next puzzle. And I’ve worked hard to not let other setbacks deter me. I was crushed after finding out I didn’t advance to nationals in my freshman year of Business Professionals of America, but after tweaking my presentation with the feedback provided, I emerged stronger the following year, earning second place. I approach situations eager to participate, willing to fail, and determined to grow because each experience enables me to seek improved solutions moving forward. I’ve learned success comes with roadblocks, but outcomes are even more satisfying with a story to tell.

I’m ready to enter the next stage of my life as an engineer with the insights escape rooms have given me. Maybe I’m prepared to have the fate of the world in my hands after all.

Why this essay works (and what you can learn from it)

  • The topic is elastic (stretchy enough to connect to many different parts of the author’s life) and uncommon (as not many students will be writing about escape rooms).
  • The author weaves in several “college admission nutrients” / qualities colleges seek (see this guide), including: intellectual curiosity, service to others, and leadership/initiative.
  • The author is able to show several Roles and Identities: peacemaker, advocate, entrepreneur, scientist, problem-solver, learner, and more. Note that she didn’t name these explicitly, and you don’t have to either; she simply shows them.
  • Notice how relatively little time she spends talking about escape rooms themselves. She keeps the mentions brief at the start of her paragraphs, then segues into a) the value she wants to show, and then b) how that value has manifested in her life (which is what admission officers really want to know).

Keep This in Mind

Colleges care less about your topic (e.g., escape rooms), and more about you (your skills, qualities, values, and interests). Your topic is basically an excuse to talk about all the qualities you’ll bring to the campus community. ✨

How this author created her outline

  1. She chose something she loved and knew a lot about: escape rooms.
  2. She brainstormed a variety of values she could connect to escape rooms.
  3. She thought of ways (besides escape rooms) that those values manifested in her life.

We’ll get into more detail in the “Drafting” section.

First, let’s take a look at another structure called Narrative, which works well for students who face challenges.

And if you haven’t faced challenges, feel free to skip to the 3.1 Drafting module. →

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