College Essays
Brainstorming
USA Essay Writing brainstorm.docxISKL Brainstorming doc
Make a copy of this doc and share with your counselor to help you identify qualities and experiences you may want to bring forward in your college admission essays and applications. Below are videos that take you through the various brainstorms in this doc.
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How to Write the College Essay
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, June 3,5 and 7 or
Monday, Thursday, and Friday, June 17, 20 and 21
How to Write the College Application + Supplemental Essays
Sunday, September 22 -
How to Answer the UC Personal Insight Questions (University of California)
Saturday and Sunday, October 5&6
“ChatGPT is not your solve for a great admission essay. I do think it’s your solve toward moving toward a great admission essay." Rick Clark, dean of admission @ GeorgiaTech (more on AI below)
In less than an hour, Ethan Sawyer will take you through a few of his favourite brainstorming exercises and you will generate many possible essay topics.
Ethan Sawyer takes you deep into your own personal experiences that will help you tap into the personal significance. DIrections here
One of Ethan's all time favourite activities is to help you identify you top values. Directions here.
Essence Objects Exercise
Another favourite of Ethan's focus on objects that represent what is most important to you.
How to Brainstorm 21 College Essay Topics
A crazy fast set of brainstorming activities. DIrections here.
What are the actual Common App Essay Prompts?
Below is the full set of Common App essay prompts for 2023-24.
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.
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?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
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?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
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?
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.
Read examples for inspiration
Get Writing
You cannot edit a blank page, so put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard and write. For best results:
1) Pick one of your essence objects and a couple of your values to focus on--tell that story.
2) Set your alarm for 25 minutes and write
3) When your alarm goes off, save and take a break.
4) Repeat the process twice more with different essence objects/values--ie write 2 more essays, completely different.
5) Now you have three essays. Read each aloud. Perhaps one is sounds better to your ears. Now get editing.
The 7 tips
1. Don't spend too much time obsessing over which prompt to use
2. Don't worry too much about what "they" want
3. Consider being vulnerable in your personal statement
4. Engage the readers imagination using all 5 senses
5. The ending of your essay should feel surprising, but inevitable
6. The essence objects exercise
7. The values exercise
Get editing
Editing
1) Read aloud. If you are tripping over your own words, you know it needs some work.
2) Self-Edit. Run each essay through the great essay test.
3) Have your counselor read it. They have a unique perspective and expertise.
4) Limit the number of people who read it. Editing by Committee usually results in conflicting advice.
College Essay Advice - Editing
Tufts' International Team receives many questions from around the world about the application process and international student life at Tufts, and we're here to answer some of the most frequently asked questions in our inbox. This month we’ll answer your questions about …
The Triple Edit: Editing Your College Essay for Clarity and Brevity
Now that you've edited your college essay for intrigue, it's time to edit for clarity. You want to ensure that you are using every word at your disposal for maximum effect. This video will teach the overwriters how to be brief and the underwriters how to expand. More tips here.
Using AI
“ChatGPT is not your solve for a great admission essay. I do think it’s your solve toward moving toward a great admission essay." Rick Clark, dean of admission @ GeorgiaTech
Tools like ChatGPT, Bard and other AI-based assistance programs are powerful and valuable tools. We believe there is a place for them in helping you generate ideas, but your ultimate submission should be your own. As with all other sources, you should not copy and paste content you did not create directly into your application. Instead, if you choose to utilize AI-based assistance while working on your writing submissions for Georgia Tech, we encourage you to take the same approach you would when collaborating with people. Use it to brainstorm, edit, and refine your ideas. AI can also be a useful tool as you consider how to construct your resume in the Activities portion of the Common Application. We think AI could be a helpful collaborator, particularly when you do not have access to other assistance to help you complete your application.
As an innovative, teaching and research institution, Boston University encourages the exploration of new technologies and recognizes the growing importance of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT. However, the Board of Admissions believes that the most compelling personal statements are representative of the writer’s authentic voice–a nuance that generative AI tools have yet to achieve. If you opt to use these tools at any point while writing your essays, they should only be used to support your original ideas rather than to write your essays in their entirety.
All essays, short-answer questions and any other material submitted by an applicant must be the work of that individual, unassisted by artificial intelligence.
What are some examples of ethical uses of AI for Caltech admissions essays?
Using AI tools, like Grammarly or Microsoft Editor, to review grammar and spelling of your completed essays
Generating questions or exercises to help kick start the brainstorming process
Using AI to research the college application process
Need help?
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Boot Camp Details
Each boot camp has a morning session and an evening session to accommodate different schedules. Both sessions will cover the same content, but you are welcome to join both! Session are also recorded.
Morning session: 10-11:30am PT / 1-2:30pm ET
Evening Session: 4-5:30pm PT / 7-8:30pm ET
How to Write the US Personal Statement
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, June 12th-16th or
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, July 31st - August 4th
How to Answer the UC Personal Insight Questions
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, July 10th-14th
How to Write the College Application + Supplemental Essays
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, August 7th-11th
More Cool Resources
This 60 minute webinar will get you well and truly started on the University of California personal insight questions.
The first, messiest, least demanding, but perhaps most important stage of pre-writing is brainstorming. Here’s a sample of five brainstorming techniques to get your mind moving and your words flowing as you start to plan your college essays.
So how do you come up with an essay idea? Brainstorm. Prep Scholar offers 35 jumping off points that touch on every possible memory you could harness, as well as advice on how to use your brainstorming session to fully realize your idea for an essay topic.
As with any writing assignment, the best way to approach the personal essay is to brainstorm what it is you want the entire essay to communicate about you to the adcom that will be considering you for admission. Read on for 4 surprising brainstorming exercises that will lead you to an effective personal statement strategy.
Webinar with Alan Gelb
College Essay: Interview With Alan Gelb
Best College Essay Topics
Short and sweet: Consider the Audiance
Helpful books
Any of the books below provide rich exercises, in-depth instructions and examples to help you craft a winning essay.
