Writing workshops
Join our interactive workshops and learn the secrets to writing a compelling, authentic personal statement that gets noticed. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining your final draft, we’ll guide you every step of the way.
Craft a personal statement with confidence
Why is writing a personal statement so difficult? Often it boils down to this:
Students haven’t been taught how to write in a personal way. Instead, they’ve been taught that five-paragraph essay we all learn in high school and try to impose that format onto this assignment — which tends not to work. So, often what students need before they start writing is a bit of education about the principles of narrative writing.
For the past several years, I’ve been lucky enough to present workshops to students across the country. The workshops are delivered by Zoom and are about 45-minutes in length. If you have a group of students in need of personal statement help, this is the ideal way to get them started in the right direction from the get-go.
Join a workshop
How to Write a Personal Statement
Topics this workshop covers:
- How to approach your prompt
- How to find and tell your stories
- How to use real language so your voice shines through
- How to use details to make a memorable impression
- How to tell stories from your perspective
- how to transition from story to story to advance your argument
- Examples of great essays
- How to write impressive conclusions
- What not to write about
How to Edit a Personal Statement
Topics this workshop covers:
- How to make sure you’ve answered your prompt
- How to harness your ideas
- How to keep your reader in mind as you edit
- How to structure your essay
- Examples of great hooks, transitions, details and conclusions
- Common essay pitfalls
- General editing tips, including how to recognize redundancy and how to cut effectively
How to Write an Academic Resume & Begin a College Search
This workshop is focused toward High school students beginning their college application journey. Topics this workshop covers:
- Free tools and tips for creating a college list
- An introduction to the Common Application
- Understanding Early Action vs. Early Decision
- What to include in an academic resume/activities list
- How to use scale and scope to make an impression