How to Write a Good College Essay
- Barrier Breakers College Advising
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
Writing the personal statement is often the most intimidating hurdle in the college application process, but it is also one of the most important. It is the one place where you get to speak directly to admissions officers, moving beyond the sterile data of grades and test scores to provide a window into who you actually are. During a recent session of the "Barrier Breakers Break into College" series, admissions expert Ethan Sawyer—widely known as the College Essay Guy—broke down exactly how to navigate this challenge, offering a roadmap for students and parents that focuses on authenticity and impact.
What Colleges Are Really Looking For
Colleges are not simply looking for students who can do the academic work; they are looking for students who will actively contribute to their campus community. Ethan Sawyer, The College Essay Guy, identifies five key "admission nutrients" that help distinguish a strong applicant. These include intellectual curiosity, which is about showing what you are a "nerd" for; service to others, reflecting an outward-looking orientation; leadership and initiative, which proves you can be agentic in the world; collaboration, demonstrating the ability to play nicely with others; and consistent engagement, showing long-term commitment to activities rather than short-term participation. These are values that when woven into your essay help admissions officers understand the kind of person you will be on their campus.
Finding Your Topic: Elasticity and Uncommonality
When it comes to choosing a topic, the best strategy is to look for something with elasticity and uncommonality. A great topic should be "stretchy" enough to allow you to talk about multiple sides of your personality rather than focusing on a single narrow event. Often, students worry that they need a world-changing event to write about, but Sawyer suggests looking for something uncommon. If you choose a common topic, like playing a sport, try to approach it from an unexpected angle. Instead of writing about winning the big game, one student found success by writing about the different stains on their baseball uniform, using them to tell a deeper story about their life and values. The goal is to provide a platform to demonstrate those core admission nutrients mentioned earlier.
Choosing Your Structure: Narrative vs. Montage
Structuring your essay is where many students feel the most anxiety, but there are two primary frameworks that can help organize your thoughts. The first is the narrative structure, which is best for students who have faced significant challenges. This follows a cause-and-effect timeline. The College Essay Guy recommends using the "one-third rule" here: spend one-third of the essay describing the challenge and its effects, one-third on the actions you took to address it, and the final third on the lessons learned and values gained. This ensures that you are highlighting your growth and resilience.
The second framework is the montage structure, which is perfect if you haven't faced one singular defining challenge. Think of this approach as choosing a central "thread" or theme—an organizing principle—that connects different moments in your life. This allows you to jump around in time and space, pulling together diverse "beads of meaning" that collectively paint a picture of who you are. This structure is highly efficient, allowing you to convey a wide range of skills and interests in the limited word count typically allowed.
Making Your Essay Memorable
Finally, the secret to making your essay memorable is to focus on the "So what?" moments. As you draft, you should always be asking yourself why the experiences you are describing actually matter. Connect your hobbies or experiences to unexpected values, such as vulnerability or inclusion, and use your own natural, authentic language. Avoid sounding like a robot by steering clear of generic phrases that could apply to anyone. By focusing on these deep-seated values and including specific, personal insights that AI cannot replicate, you create an essay that feels undeniably yours. Encourage your students to be themselves, focus on what truly matters to them, and tell their story with pride. You've got this.
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