How to Write an Outstanding
Personal Statement
A step-by-step video course on writing an outstanding college personal statement.
- Pre-recorded sessions that review every step of the process
- 20+ video lessons, available anytime, anywhere
- 20+ sample essays to inspire you
- 620+ colleges accept the personal statement you’ll write in this course
Writing a personal statement can be challenging
Every year, we help thousands of students answer questions like…
How do I choose a topic that helps me stand out?
How do I structure my personal statement to make it engaging?
What experiences, interests, and qualities should I include in my essay?
How do I show my achievements without sounding like I’m bragging?
Are any personal statement topics off-limits?
How do I know when I’m done writing?
How to Write an Outstanding Personal Statement
A Video Course for Students
From the moment you register, you’ll have access to video lessons to watch and complete tried-and-tested assignments, including writing your first draft.
You can watch me workshop real students’ essays & answer common college essay and application questions. By the end of the course, you can create an outstanding personal statement.
Here’s what Shreya said about the course
Course Schedule & Details
Our personal statement course comes in four super detailed modules that you can work through at your own pace, guided by our Choose Your Own Adventure Essay Tool.
2026 Session Schedule
- Tuesday, June 23: Brainstorming
- Tuesday, June 30: Outlining & Writing
- Tuesday, July 7: Revising
- Tuesday, July 14: Refining & Upleveling
Sessions are held at 10-11:30am PT (1-2:30pm ET) and 4-5:30pm PT (7-8:30pm ET) on each date listed above.
Both the morning and evening sessions will cover the same content on each day; however, you are welcome to join both!
Module 1
Brainstorming
- What’s the Purpose of the Personal Statement?
- What are the Four Qualities of an Outstanding Personal Statement?
- 7 Mini Brainstorming Exercises
- How These Exercises Can Lead to an Essay Topic
- What Should I Do if I Can’t Decide on a Topic?
- Montage vs. Narrative Structure
- 7 Types of Montage Essay
- What Is Narrative Structure & How Does it Work?
Module 2
Outlining & Writing
- Why Other People Write Bad First Drafts (And How to Not Be Like Them)
- Why You Should Create a Solid Outline Before You Start
- How to Outline Using the 7 Montage Paths
- How to Outline Using the Narrative Path
- How to Write Your First Draft
- How to Get Feedback (If You Want it) on Your First Draft
- Personal Feedback from Me on Some of Your Topic Ideas
Module 3
Revising
- How to Raise the Stakes and Draw Your Reader in
- 11 Ideas for Improving the Middle of a Challenges-Based Essay
- How to Uplevel Each Paragraph in a Montage Essay
- How to Make My Challenges More Clear
- How to Make Sure Your Personal Statement “Flows”
- Personal Feedback from Me on a Variety of Your Essays-in-Progress
Module 4
Refining
- 10 Ways to End a Personal Statement
- The Great College Essay Test (i.e., How to Know If Your Personal Statement Is Doing its Job)
- Tips for Polishing (When You’re Ready)
- Personal Feedback from Me on (Basically) As Many Essays As I Can Get to
Also included…
Inside the Choose Your Own Adventure Essay Tool, you’ll also find answers to the most common questions students ask as they create their personal statement. Including…
- Are There Any Topics I Should Avoid Writing About?
- How Can I Write a Great Hook/Intro?
- 19 Ways to Make Your Essay More Insightful
- 3 Ideas for Starting a Challenges-Based Essay
- 7 More Ideas for Starting a Montage Essay
- Ways to Add “Flow” to an Essay
If you’re looking for support as you craft your personal statement . . . we’ve got you.
Whether you’re using the Common Application, Coalition Application, or applying to one of the many hundreds of colleges and universities in the US, this course will give you the tools to write an essay that demonstrates your core values and how you’ll make meaningful contributions to a college campus.
With over a dozen video lessons, recorded sessions with Ethan, great sample essays, a comprehensive step-by-step workbook, and tons of practical techniques, we feel pretty confident this is just about the most comprehensive course of its kind.
Here’s what Sophie said about the course
Meet Your Course Leader
Ethan Sawyer is an internationally recognized college essay expert and sought-after speaker. Each year he helps thousands of students and counselors through his online courses, workshops, articles, products, and books, and works privately with a small number of students. A graduate of Northwestern University, Ethan holds an MFA from UC Irvine, two counseling certificates, and is certified in Myers-Briggs and hypnotherapy. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife and their amazing daughter.
Watch me analyze one of my favorite college essays, from a student who did this course.
A few more kind words from students who took the course
Cannot imagine going through this process without you. The process flow is terrific with the value brainstorming at the beginning and the thoughtful essay shaping to bring out the story behind the applicant. Highly recommend.
Nina
Student
The College Essay Guy reduced our family’s stress, increased my daughter’s confidence, and kept her on schedule while helping her create fantastic essays that reflected her personality and future goals—priceless!
Sarah
Parent
I’ve been known to procrastinate on EVERYTHING. However, this course helped to keep me motivated and productive as I knew that this course would be able to really help me on the college application process. If you are one to slack off or procrastinate, I suggest taking this course. As long as you do your assignments to the best of your ability and on time, you will benefit in the long run. It may seem like a lot of work, but it will be worth it when your hard work pays off and you accomplish your goals.
Imani
Student
I came into this course thinking I was a hopeless case because I didn’t have any harrowing tales of struggle. I tried just being really braggy in my essay, but I found a real focus in my last paragraph, where I talked about a topic that meant a lot to me. I had originally thought I shouldn’t talk about that topic because it was such a GOOD experience for me and I thought it would be too shallow. I learned that I could talk about what I loved as an essay topic if I could infuse it with my values.
Jordan
Student
Join my personal statement course today
Watch the lessons wherever and whenever you want. You have access for a full year.
Read inspiring sample essays and learn why they work so well. Then start writing your own.
…use the Common App and the personal statement you write in this course will work for them all.
If you’re not completely satisfied, get a full refund within 30 days.
Craft an outstanding personal statement.
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Pay-What-You-Can:
Access is really important to me. In fact, it’s at the heart of most everything I do, and it’s why so many resources on my site are free. Can’t afford the course? We offer pay-what-you-can spots for students from low-income homes. Just click below to request a Pay-What-You-Can spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I login?
If you have purchased any of our online video courses or live webinars, you can login by going to the website menu bar > Log In > Online Courses. You can view that page here. From there you can access all of your products in your library.
What's the homework?
You can find the homework inside the course. The homework is optional, and it is meant to guide you through each module. You do NOT have to send us your completed homework assignment.
How long do I have access to the course?
Students have access to the course for one year from the date of purchase.
Are essay reviews included with the course?
No. If you would like someone to review your essay, you’ll want to look into our One-On-One Coaching or Complete Application Review Service.
Can I get a discount?
Access is really important to all of us at College Essay Guy. It’s at the heart of most everything Ethan does and is why so many resources on the site are free. As this is something we are passionate about, we have an option to submit a pay-what-you-can request on each of our course pages.
What if I can't afford it? What is "Pay What You Can"?
Access is really important to all of us at College Essay Guy. It’s at the heart of most everything we do and is why so many resources on the site are free and pay-what-you-can. We offer pay-what-you-can spots for students from low-income homes. You can submit a request on this page at the links above. As this is something we are passionate about, we have an option to submit a pay-what-you-can request on each of our course pages.
What if I have another question?
My FAQ page has you covered. Or, if you can’t find the answer there, shoot an email to my team: [email protected].