Show Notes
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?
Fun fact: You’ll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel.
Play-by-Play
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
ResourceS
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
