By: Erik Slagle

Stronger essays, lower stress: college personal statements made simple!

 

The holidays can feel very different for families of high school seniors versus families of just about any other grade level. Chances are, the application process is winding down, with a few more Regular Decision applications to get out the door; Early Action deadlines are long past, and in some cases, seniors might even have admissions offers already in hand. Not a bad way to cruise into a new year!

Juniors and often sophomores are experiencing a different reality. Even though they’re still months away from applications even opening, they may be hearing they’re somehow “behind” if they aren’t already building their college lists, researching majors, attending open houses, and brainstorming ideas for their essays. That last piece, however, is something that’s easily fixed.

As a college coach with more than 2 decades of experience, I can assure you that if this sounds like you or your teenager, you are right where you need to be! It’s easy to fall into the noise and come away convinced you’re late to the game. But looking ahead to the application process for the summer of 2026, or 2027, here is an easy-to-manage 3-week schedule that can help even the biggest procrastinators craft a vibrant story that instantly engages Admissions readers and makes them want to know more:

• 3 days to brainstorm, answering some basic questions to mine your experience for topics that will engage, entertain and inform readers.
• 3 days to draft, tackling the Introduction and Conclusion first, then filling in 2-3 short body paragraphs that tell your story.
• 3 days to let it “simmer” – share it with teachers, family members, or an admissions coach if you like, but leave it alone yourself and get some space between you and your writing. This is a secret even the world’s best-known writers follow.
• 10 days to revise, starting with the big picture first: is it delivering the right message? Have I tied this story back to why I want to go to college? Does it start with an interesting “moment in time” instead of a generic restatement of a prompt? Give it one or two passes, examining these bigger issues.
• 2 days to clean up the “technical” editing: punctuation, word choice, etc. Use your app’s find/change tool to catch repetition of words and phrases. Try to eliminate phrases like “pursue my passion,” “further my knowledge,” and “give me experience.” Finally, do a final word count check and make sure you’ve gotten it in under 650. (And no, an essay doesn’t need a title or your name on it.)

 

Essays, including shorter supplemental statements, provide an opportunity to tell a compelling story. You’re not selling yourself as the perfect college applicant. You’re showing readers why you’re the right applicant for THEIR school. More than ever, colleges want to know you’re someone who’s going to be a positive influence on their student body, someone who will leave the campus a better place than they found it. It doesn’t take a brilliant piece of literature to tell that story about yourself, and it doesn’t take months of work and stress to put that story onto the page!