Podcasts, Sermons, and Personal Statements
I was recently listening to the 100th episode of comedian Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out podcast, featuring Ira Glass, the longtime host of This American Life. Midway through, Ira shared a story about meeting a seminarian (a priest-in-training).
During their conversation, the seminarian asked Ira about his profession. Ira confidently explained that he’d “invented” a new approach to radio storytelling, alternating between humorous and heartfelt stories followed by a reflection on the underlying ideas behind the stories.
To Ira's surprise, the seminarian responded, "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s what they teach us in the seminary." Perplexed, Ira asked for clarification. The seminarian elaborated, "It’s like every sermon! You start with a current event, present its significance, and then connect it to a relevant Biblical story. It’s story-idea, story-idea. That’s how Jesus structured his sermons too."
As I listened to Ira Glass confront the realization that the structure he thought he’d invented was as old as time itself, I recognized a parallel with the Common Application Personal Statement. In the past, I had viewed the personal statement as a modern exercise that existed in a vacuum for the sole purpose of convincing admissions committees to admit a candidate.
The particular conversation described in this blog post begins at 20:55 in the episode. Enjoy!
This conversation on Mike Birbiglia’s podcast helped me to recognize that the mechanisms for conveying meaning used in the personal statement have deep historical parallels. In a personal statement, a writer shares a specific, often pivotal experience that draws readers in and establishes an emotional connection. The writer then unpacks the significance of this experience, reshaping it through symbolism, metaphor, or extrapolation—similar to how a preacher would interpret a Biblical story.
The more I thought about it, I began to realize this storytelling structure is nearly universal. It appears not only in Western sermons but also in Buddhist teachings, African oral traditions, Native American storytelling, and likely many other cultural practices.
It is enlightening to understand the historic connections between the Common Application Personal Statement and how various cultures have told stories and passed down life lessons. This format—story followed by underlying idea—is a timeless technique found in various forms of human expression.
Many of the assessments students take –the SAT, for one – mostly test the student’s ability at that specific test. However, learning to tell an engaging story and extract greater meanings or lessons (as students do in the personal statement) is a skill that has been valued throughout history in cultures around the globe.
Investing time in mastering the art of storytelling is an endeavor likely to yield rewards far beyond university admissions.