Getting Started
Welcome to Your Course on Brainstorming the Perfect College Essay Topic
Welcome to this exciting journey of crafting your standout college essay. I'm Will Conly-Dwyer, and I'm thrilled to be your guide through this course on brainstorming the perfect topic for your personal statement. Having helped hundreds of students tell their unique stories, I'm confident you'll gain the insights you need to make your personal statement truly shine.
Why Your Personal Statement Matters
Your personal statement can be the game-changer in your college admission process. Imagine being one of thousands of applicants with similar test scores and GPAs. The essay is your golden opportunity to present your story in a way that makes you unforgettable to the admissions committee.
Course Overview | What You'll Learn
We're going to cover everything you need to know about the common app personal statement systematically:
Understanding the Essay's Role: Learn how your essay fits into the larger admissions puzzle.
Time is the Secret Ingredient: Start early in order to iterate your way to a brilliant essay.
Mastering the Writing Process: Discover why brainstorming is the most crucial step.
Knowing Your Audience: Engage in an exercise to help you understand who will be reading your essay.
Decoding the Prompts: Understand what the common app prompts are really asking for.
Effective Brainstorming Techniques: Explore two concepts to kickstart your brainstorming; learn the magical brainstorming activity to transport memories from your subconscious into your conscious mind.
Identifying Core Values: Learn how to identify which of your experiences best reflect your core values.
Connecting Values with Experiences: this powerful exercise concludes the ideation stage and often illuminates the topic a student should pursue
By the end of this course, you'll have identified an incredible essay topic.
Optimize Your Experience
To get the most out of this course, I recommend following the modules in order. However, feel free to skip around and focus on the sections that are most relevant to you. Each video is under 5 minutes and comes with a PowerPoint presentation and additional resources, all accessible from the course page.
Be sure to read the PPT (download) at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions on course navigation
Congratulations in advance on crafting an amazing personal statement!
Key Takeaways
The Personal Statement can be the deciding factor in your college admission.
Brainstorming is crucial and creates the foundation for a compelling essay.
Follow the process (as outlined in the modules) to generate the ideal content for your personal statement.