A Mini-Course led by Ethan Sawyer and Tom Campbell.

The “soccer” essay. The “family challenges” essay. And, of course, the “inspiring grandfather/grandmother/person who is totally not the student” essay.

How can students make these ideas work, come up with alternate topics that might work better—and how can they tell the difference?

In this pay-what-you-can mini-course, Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) and Tom Campbell (former admission officer) will share practical techniques students can use to uplevel a personal statement in as little as twenty minutes, using a range of real essay examples from recent students.

What we cover:

• Important factors to consider when picking a topic
• Why not all common topics are created equal
• How to know when it’s probably best to start from scratch with a new essay topic
• How to discuss your topic with your parents (especially if they’re wanting to be involved in your writing process)
• Guidance for addressing mental health issues in the personal statement and additional information section (based on recent conversations with admissions officers)
• Specific case studies and examples from students Ethan and Tom have worked with recently

Plus more.