BRIGHT MINDS BUDDY

Organization Time   The Mechanics Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Notes app Prioritize your list: start with your match or reach schools Recycle content CAREFULLY The Philosophy Writing personal essays is nothing but the journey of self-discovery Writing is a permanent form for organizing content, creating something brand new and communicating-it’s not thinking or talking (but can benefit from both!) Brainstorming, drafting, writing, editing & revising are distinct processes

School-Specific Essays Tips: Colleges are seeking best-fit students. Their essay prompts often reflect the colleges’ missions or cultures. How you connect to the prompts helps admission folks assess your fit with their college’s mission or culture.

Be sure you are answering the question Keep the “I”s to a minimum and try to use developed sentence structures Example: I would like to use this essay to tell you about a time I demonstrated leadership experience. I was the captain of my school’s football team. Example: Wearing shorts after an eternity of hiding felt like hearing my voice, only this time, not muffled by water. Growing up scarcely hearing girls around me speak up, I learned to keep my words contained within the lines of my books. This seemed feasible until I realized that if I don’t claim myself, someone else will.

  Plan Ahead Everyone’s process for writing a story is different. Embrace that difference Writing skills take time to build Take writing assignments seriously and read to help exercise that muscle Check for individual institutional writing requirements in advance Some schools may have multiple writing requirements in the form of essays or short answers Plan for at least one round of edits *This includes giving your counselors and essay reviewers time to review essays

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete withoutit. 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 wh...

The Personal Statement Why “This School” Essay Academic Interest Essay Community Essay Interest/Activity Essay Personal Challenge Essay Social Consciousness Essay Interpersonal Essay Questions Unconventional Essays Program Specific Essays

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution. Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs? What is the hardest part of being a student now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)? Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.