Guide to the

College Essay
How to Write a Compelling Personal Statement
Guide to the College Essay

Introduction
If you are entering your senior year, you are probably turning your attention to your next
big project: the college application. While many parts of the application are relatively
straightforward, nothing brings as much dread or anxiety as the personal essay (or rather
essays, as many of you will be writing more than one!). Your anxiety is not entirely unfounded.
While most students have become pros at writing thesis statements and research papers,
few have done much creative writing or personal narrative writing. So this guide is here to
help you!
While we have organized this guide around the Common App, these guidelines also
apply for other application systems, including Coalition, ApplyTexas, and others.
Let’s begin by discussing the GOAL of the personal essay. Why do colleges ask you to write it?
What are they looking for?
1. Colleges want to learn something about you that they can’t know by just reading
your transcript or activities list. It’s called a personal statement for a reason:
they want to know about you as a person. This is your opportunity to make yourself
memorable! It is an opportunity to show off your personality, your character, and your
values. Your essay should not be a long form retelling of your activities list. Your essay
should delve into personal qualities and experiences that help build a complete picture
of who you are and how you will continue to grow as a person.
2. Colleges want to know how you will contribute to their campus culture and
community. They want to understand what you value and what drives you to do
what you do beyond the classroom. You could have a nearly identical transcript and
activities list to another student, but be pursuing those activities or classes for vastly
different reasons. The essay gives you the opportunity to reveal what you truly care
about in life and how you will continue to use those passions and interests to enrich
the college you attend.
3. Colleges want to see your writing ability. While there is quite a bit of room for creativity
here, colleges are still evaluating your writing ability, so it is important to write well!
In short, colleges want to get to know you and your true character. Who is this person
they may potentially admit to their college, and what qualities will you bring with you to
campus?

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Guide to the College Essay

2024-2025 Common App Prompts

These are the prompts for the 2024-2025 admission cycle. Remember that on the Common App,
you will be required to answer one of these questions within a limit of 650 words. Your final draft
should be between 500 and 650 words.
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful
they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you,
then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success.
Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you,
and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted
your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or
thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal
growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track
of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to
learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one
that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

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Guide to the College Essay

Student Sample A
As you read the following essay, consider how the writer reveals her personal qualities, what she
cares about, and how she will help build the community on her college campus.

A bustling small town rose to a new day. Franklin 1 1 This is not the typical personal
rolled down the road in his old bus, greeting statement introduction that has
passersby, and Martha eagerly walked over to a tendency to be full of clichés.
the hospital for her first day at work as a nurse, Instead, it is appealing, sounding
but not too eagerly to forget returning a wave to more like the beginning of a short
story, and let’s talk about that last
Franklin. As the day progressed, much would be
sentence! The punctuation alone is
going on in this small town in front of me, creating sophisticated and engaging.
a great satisfaction as I looked on at its complexity,
stretching across an expanse…of carpet?!
Yes, carpet; my 10-year-old eyes could not have
been happier. Hours upon hours of time would be
spent on the green carpet in the extra bedroom
of my house, where a town of resurrected plastic
would reside in organized chaos, under the full
command of an enthusiastic adolescent. In this
town, every Playmobil figure was named, had
a persona, and had a story. I was in complete
control. Some stories caught such hold of me,
that keeping them on a green carpet would not be 2 Here we have an insight into who the
enough—these ideas had to make it onto paper writer is—a storyteller, and every
as I discovered a newfound love for writing. I am rhetorical choice that the writer
a storyteller: deeply moved by the diversity of life 2 makes up to this point confirms this
and the journeys each human embarks on. insight.

Franklin is arguably the most intentional piece 3

3 By referencing Franklin again, the
of plastic you will ever meet. He was my favorite
writer solidifies the structure and
figurine since he was the bridge that connected cohesion of the essay. Franklin holds
every plastic life. As the constant bus driver, he this essay together in a unique way
listened intently to the fire marshall’s heroic that entices the audience to keep
and tragic stories, shared jokes with immature reading.
middle schoolers, and said nothing at all to the
soccer team returning from a heartbreaking
loss. In short, Franklin fostered an environment
where community could thrive.

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Guide to the College Essay

Building community became another passion

that I could not leave on the carpet; I found myself
pursuing this notion wholeheartedly; whether it
was leading a fun mind game at a team dinner,
being an enthusiastic encourager on the athletic
4 Notice the use of multiple short body
paragraphs here. They are effective
field, or helping to bring out a quieter classmate
because they develop the line of
in classroom conversations. I strive to imitate the reasoning, allowing the writer to
intentionality of Franklin. 4
build upon the previous claim, and
ultimately building to her final point.
This past winter, I applied these passions to 5
my biggest project yet: Girls Writing Mission 5 There is a shift in tone here. While
International. I began this hopeful nonprofit in the writer begins the essay with a
pursuit of the values that I now realize have been childlike tone mirroring her awe
of her Playmobil world, her tone
rooted in me for years: telling stories, building
becomes more sophisticated and
community, and enthusiastically taking action to slightly urgent as her passions
serve. The vision is to give a voice to teenage girls become more worldly and weighty.
in challenging and marginalized environments in
order to promote awareness, encourage them
in community, and provide an opportunity for
them to become active impactors in their society.
While still in its very beginnings, the big picture
stands—to use the stories of these young women
to raise funds for their community; giving them
an opportunity to take action towards a specific
need they see. Each day, this dream is slowly
turning into a reality as I am already building
relationships in the Dominican Republic, Ghana,
and Papua New Guinea.
At the same time, launching this mission has
pulled me far out of my comfort zone in formally
communicating with various organizations and
experiencing many failures. This past summer,
I met with an English teacher from Papua New
Guinea. After she explained how writing has
become a lost art globally, I have had to grapple
with creating a project that allows the girls to
share their stories despite their limited writing

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Guide to the College Essay

abilities. Over this past year, I have had to rethink 6 6 This essay is impressive, but there
the structure for this project four times, but each may be a missed opportunity
setback proved first a learning experience and here. Perhaps the writer could
then an opportunity for improvement. have juxtaposed this setback with
a setback she encountered building
At 10 years old, I had built a world where her Playmobil community.
everything was under my control. While I have
since learned that I am not in control of life, I have
built the determination to know that I can make an
impact, and serving these young women through
storytelling and community may just be how.
7 This is a great final sentence. It is
I want to be like Franklin. I want to be intentional. 7
concise, yet revealing and ties the
essay all together.

Student Sample B
I knew what my mother and father looked like 1 1 In the first sentence, the writer
from the photo albums my grandparents stored reveals that her life experience is not
around the house. I knew what they sounded a common one. This is a one-of-a-
like from their weekly phone calls. I also knew kind story that only this student can
tell. College admissions officers have
how they used to act around me from the video-
never read an essay that says this.
tapes they filmed when I was only a few months
old. But I did not remember my parents as real
people. To me, they were an invisible presence
watching over me every day. In the summertime,
I would go to the beach with my grandparents
and watch helicopters flying overhead every
few hours, dropping plastic beach balls onto the
sand. My parents used to send me toys from the 2 2 There is a sense of vulnerability here
U.S., so I would close my eyes and imagine that my that is engaging.
parents were in the helicopters throwing down
the toys for me. I told my grandparents that my
parents came all the way from New York to bring
them to me, but they had to return to New York
right away. 3 As the essay progresses, the writer
reveals more about her family
When I was only one, my parents risked 3 dynamic. To make this essay a little
everything they had and emigrated from more impactful, the writer could add
Romania to the United States. They knew they more imagery, perhaps a simile or
faced difficulties there, so they made the metaphor to help the reader relate
the writer’s experience.

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Guide to the College Essay

agonizing and difficult decision to leave me in

Romania with my grandparents until they were
settled in the States. As I got older, my mother told
me that the decision haunted her: she couldn’t
even look at young children without thinking of
me in Romania and bursting into tears. But as a
little child, I never thought anything was strange
about the way I grew up. I just had two sets of
parents who both equally loved me and cared
for me. When I moved to the United States at the
age of six, I remember being terrified of losing
my grandparents, even as I reunited with my
parents. My grandfather has since passed away,
but my grandmother comes to visit us every
year. When she is back home in Romania, I call
her every day and she is the first person to know
about my successes and failures at school or on
the tennis court. When she is not with me, I count
the days until I see her again and when we are
together; I feel as if nothing has ever changed.
Even though it was extremely difficult for my
parents to move to the United States without
me, I am grateful for those five years in Romania,
where I came to learn Romanian, understand its
culture, and live with my extended family. Had
my parents brought me here from the beginning,
I probably wouldn’t speak Romanian or be able
to communicate with my grandparents. I also
wouldn’t care about celebrating Romanian
holiday traditions because I would have grown
up only with American traditions. I wouldn’t
know my extended family as my own, or my
grandparents as my second parents. In making 4 This is a great conclusion with an
difficult decisions and sacrificing themselves for insightful reflection on how the
my sake, my parents and grandparents gave writer’s experience has impacted
me two cultures, two identities, and a better 4 her life. The student has revealed
understanding of who I am. an identity that is incredibly unique,
which is the exact purpose of the
college essay.

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Guide to the College Essay

Five Mistakes Students Make On their College Essays

1. Your essay is too generic
Steer clear of clichés, platitudes, or overused topics. Don’t write about what you’ve
learned from playing sports or the death of your favorite pet. While important parts
of your life, they are not necessarily unique to you. When in doubt, think small.
Sometimes it is the most mundane moments in life that make the best essays.
2. You write a resume essay
Your essay should not be a more detailed version of your activities list and
accomplishments. Remember that the essay is your chance to tell the admissions
office something new about yourself! If you do mention one of your activities, make
sure you write about it in a way that truly reveals your values and character.
3. Your essay is too personal
While a good essay involves a certain level of vulnerability, there are some topics
that you should probably stay away from. Don’t over-share or get too sappy.
4. You ask too many people to read and edit your essay
It can be tempting to get feedback from multiple sources, however, this usually leads
to confusion and contradictory advice. It also ends up weakening your voice as the
author. Stick with one or two trusted advisors during the writing process.
5. You don’t revise enough
You should plan on revising your essay at least six times, especially if narrative
writing is new for you. It will take multiple revisions to tell a memorable story that
displays your authentic voice and gives colleges a robust picture of who you are and
how you will contribute to their campus.

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Guide to the College Essay

Revising Your Personal Statement

Introduction
The introduction of your personal statement is crucial. Not to be overly dramatic, but the
first few sentences often determine whether your reader will continue reading or just move
on to the next part of your application. The introduction also establishes the structure of
your essay, and a clear structure will result in a focused essay. So, let’s take a look at what
a bland introduction can turn into with a little more effort.
Prompt #1: “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful
they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please
share your story.”

Original This introduction does not provide

any real insight about the writer,
My name is Sarah Sarahson, and my high school
other than her actual name. There
journey has been one complicated ride. High is nothing authentic or unique
school has provided me with many challenges and about this introduction; hundreds
new experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to of students could copy and paste it,
experience if it weren’t for the amazing drill team change the name, and use it as their
that I made my freshman year. I am a sergeant on own. That is exactly what we want to
the team, and I am proud to have experienced my avoid! Another issue with this intro is
high school adventures while being on this team. that it lacks a focus— the reader may
find it difficult to identify whether the
student is writing about an identity,
Revised a challenge, or an experience.
As my alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. for the fifth day in
a row, there is nothing that I want to do more than This introduction is much more
hit the snooze button, roll over, and sleep for three engaging. It reveals the writer’s
more hours like most of my classmates. But, I know “voice” while also clearly addressing
that it is a fleeting feeling, one that I have battled the prompt: the writer identifies as
for two years since I first became a member of my a dancer. It also foreshadows the
school’s dance team. Once I get to our studio, say structure of the essay—the writer will
hello to my closest friends, warm up my stiff body, discuss how being part of something,
and let the soft music take over, I will be happy that I honing a craft, and making sacrifices
did not hit that snooze button because that decision has shaped who she is.
to be part of something bigger than myself, to
dedicate hours of time to a craft, to love something
so deeply that sacrifice is necessary has shaped me
into who I am today.

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Guide to the College Essay

Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs of your personal statement are where you can stretch your wings as a
writer. In the college essay, you are not required to follow a formulaic five-paragraph essay;
in fact, we encourage you to stay away from this structure. Instead, your body paragraphs
should shape your essay in a manner that best illustrates your story and develops an
effective line of reasoning.
Prompt #2: “The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later
success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect
you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

Original
On the first day of basketball tryouts, I could tell that I This paragraph has the potential
was in trouble. The other players were bigger, faster, to be good! The components are
there: the writer did not make the
and stronger than I was. By day 3, I could see the
basketball team but is able to still be
writing on the wall. I knew that I was going to be cut. part of the team in a different role.
As I was called into the coach’s office, I braced myself However, it lacks detail and imagery.
for the bad news, and even though the news was There seems to be no real voice
bad, there was a bright spot. The coach could see because the writer is simply telling
that I loved basketball, so he invited me to become a rather than showing.
manager. I would still be part of the team.

Revised
On the first day of basketball tryouts, I could tell This revised version is much
that I was in trouble. As I stood along the baseline stronger—and now, the writer can
of the court, I was among giants. Their hands were turn one paragraph into a complete
bigger than mine, their legs longer than mine, and essay because he is adding so
most importantly, their confidence was greater than many details. There is imagery,
juxtaposition, and personal details
mine. I quickly identified the leader of the court and
that develop the writer’s voice. Now,
wouldn’t you know it, we played the same position. we begin to see why this setback was
He was everything that I was not, smooth with his so significant to the writer, which he
passes, quick with his shot, aggressive on defense, can weave in between the details of
and vocal with his teammates. To put it mildly, I was the actual tryouts, setting him up for
a little intimidated, but I knew that I might have one a strong conclusion.
asset that my competition did not. I had made my dad
a promise before he left for his latest military tour: I
would make the team. I had to follow through on my
promise; he had followed through on so many of his,
and despite my doubts and my fears, I knew that I
would return the next day.

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Guide to the College Essay

If you have not sensed a theme yet, here it is: every part of your college essay is important.

Conclusion
The conclusion may even be the most important part of the statement. This is the last
impression you will make on your reader, so it must be powerful, and it must connect to
the reader.
Prompt #6: “Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging it makes you lose all
track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to
learn more?”

Original While it is not the end of the world

that this writer has chosen to write
Although many older people may believe that TikTok
an entire personal statement about
is waste of time, it has allowed me to learn new TikTok, the conclusion is not well-
things and connect with my friends. This interest executed. Based on the vagueness
in learning new things will carry on to my college of the conclusion, the writer likely
education, making me a stronger student. explained how the things they learned
and how they have stay connected
with friends through TikTok, but
Revised how will these qualities specifically
As I pursue my study of environmental science, I contribute to academic success in
will gain a better understanding of our waste habits college?
around the world and work tirelessly to improve
Here is a great example of how
our practices that are harmful. What started out
a writer can spin the narrative.
as a mindless venture “down the rabbit hole” has Although many students stay away
changed my future. My passion for improving our from writing about social media that
environment was once just a passion, but now, may have a negative connotation,
because of the strategies that I learned on TikTok, my this writer embraces the challenge
passion is actionable, and I have a platform on which and successfully exhibits how losing
to share those actions. Teaching others how to live tracking of time on TikTok could
a life of zero waste empowers me and my audience, be a good thing. The writer also
and when my parents ask if I am “TikTocking” again, I references his area of educational
am able to remind them that yes, while I am on TikTok interest and suggests that he will
again, I am educating myself so that I can educate improve the environment on his
college campus, making a final
others and make a difference on my college campus
connection to the reader.
and maybe, just maybe, the world.

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Guide to the College Essay

How to Tell a Compelling Story for your Personal Essay

First, begin with the end in mind: What do you want the reader to know about you after
reading your essay? Take some time to answer the following questions:
a) What do you care about?
b) What qualities or talents or superpowers will you bring to a campus that set you apart?
c) What experiences have shaped who you are as a person?

Write or type your responses in this area.

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Guide to the College Essay

Second, brainstorm some stories or anecdotes that illustrate these qualities. Think of
experiences that are unique to you and stories that only you can tell. Here are a few questions
to get you thinking:
a) How do you spend your time outside of school and academics? Why?
b) Do you have any weird hobbies or secret talents?
c) What new skills have you learned in the past few years? Are you self-taught?
d) Have you experienced any epic failures or surprising successes?
e) Have you experienced any life-changing hardships or conflicts?
f) Think small: what seemingly simple or mundane experiences in your life can you
write about in a new and fresh way?

Write or type your responses in this area.

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Guide to the College Essay

Finally, work on bringing your story to life.

a) Get specific. Avoid generalities, clichés, and abstract statements.
b) Use concrete details, visual images, and authentic to you anecdotes to transport
your reader into the story.
c) Hook your audience with an intriguing opening that leaves them wanting more.
d) Be honest and vulnerable. Vulnerability allows you to connect with your reader.
e) Connect your story to your personal qualities. Make sure your essay clearly illustrates
the values, character traits, and interests you want colleges to know about you.
Write or type your responses in this area.

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