701: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 1: My Desk & Magic) with Amanda McRaven

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Welcome to a brand new series here on the podcast I’m calling “On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling.” In this series, we’ll dig deep into college essays from past students, talking about why we love them and how they came to be.

For me, this title “On Becoming” speaks not just to the craft of writing (how a story came to be), but to what I believe the personal statement is at its best: a record of becoming… the beautiful, sometimes messy process of witnessing someone learn to better understand themselves, articulate their values, and claim their voice in the world. Whether you’re a student, parent, educator, or just someone who loves great stories, we hope there’s something here for you.

In our first episode, I sit down with Amanda McRaven, a dear friend and one of my first hires at College Essay Guy. In this episode, we dig into:

  • Two of our favorite essays from former students

  • A little behind the scenes of how they came to be, and

  • The techniques that helped these stories reveal truths about the students who wrote them.

Amanda McRaven is an artist, teacher, theater director, and storyteller living in the Pacific Northwest. She’s a veteran educator and writer with over 15 years of experience coaching students through the college essay process. But what really sets Amanda apart is her approach. She helps students mine their lives for meaning—to find the gold in seemingly ordinary moments, and to connect the dots between experiences in ways that feel alive, honest, and deeply human.

We hope you enjoy!

Play-by-play

  • 3:20 – Something these two essays have in common

  • 4:32 – How does Amanda help students find creative ways to tell their stories? 

  • 5:50 – What did early drafts of the “My Desk” essay look like? 

  • 6:45 – Amanda and Ethan analyze the intro paragraph of the “My Desk” essay  

    • 13:24 – Analysis of paragraph 2 – Laptop

    • 19:30 – Analysis of paragraph 3 – Stack of books

    • 26:11 – Analysis of paragraph 4 – Bead Bracelet

    • 31:59 – Analysis of the final paragraph – Conclusion 

  • 34:49 – Ethan introduces the “Magic” essay

    • 41:30 – What did the student’s writing process look like for the “Magic” essay? 

    • 47:55 – How does the author incorporate values and extracurricular activities together with the topic? 

    • 51:22 – How can students find more uncommon connections or topics to write about in their essays?

    • 56:20 – What can students take away from the “Magic” essay? 

  • 58:34 – What does Amanda enjoy most about working with students on essays? 

  • 1:00:13 – Closing thoughts 

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