This article features key insights from two recent Bespoke webinars on college essays: Everything You Need to Know About the College Essay and College Essay Masterclass: Crafting a Memorable Personal Statement.
Bespoke’s College Essay Experts shared standout strategies—and busted common myths—about writing powerful personal statements.
We’re offering video recordings of both sessions, plus this handy cheat sheet packed with quick, actionable tips your student can keep at their fingertips.
What Is the College Essay?
It’s a 650-word personal statement, included in the Common App (schools that don’t use Common App still ask for this essay, too!).
It’s your opportunity to speak directly to admissions—beyond your GPA, test scores, or résumé.
Some schools will ask for more than one essay, but this main statement sets the tone.
What It’s Not
It’s not a typical school essay. There’s no need for citations, a traditional thesis, or rigid structure.
It’s not a place to rehash your résumé—they already have it.
Instead, it can be more of a story, a moment of reflection, or a glimpse into your values.
Common App Prompts—What are the REAL Questions?
- What do you value?
- Why should colleges value you?
- What is the essay only you can write?
What Makes a Good Essay?
- It’s specific and honest
- It reveals growth, self-awareness, and even vulnerability
- It’s more often about the mundane than the epic
Two Essay Styles We Love:
Narrative Essays (These follow a classic “Hero’s Journey” arc:)
- A desire or need
- An obstacle or conflict
- A turning point or “dark night of the soul”
- A personal choice or realization
Analytic Essays (progress like a thoughtful reflection)
- Set the scene with a vivid anecdote
- Explore its meaning and teach us something
- End with a new understanding or personal philosophy
To have a review on what we learned so far you can visit the video from one of our recent Webinars, “Everything You Need to Know about the College Essay” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSoh-Q77cE0
The Four Key Moments of the Process
The process of writing a college essay can be broken down into four key moments, each with a specific set of tasks:
- Brainstorming: Read sample essays, look at lists of values, and freewrite to find topic and core values.
- Outlining: Reverse-outline essays you’ve read, use story structure, and write your outline.
- Adding Detail: At this step, you can include the details that make your essay YOURS.
- Editing: Cut the excess and add polish to what you have written.
You can learn more about these four stages by watching the recording of our recent webinar, “College Essay Masterclass: Crafting a Memorable Personal Statement.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EorgRyY8S7c
