This Essay Strategy Got Me Into Harvard, Stanford, MIT

Summary

In this comprehensive guide, the speaker offers a step-by-step strategy for brainstorming compelling college essay ideas. They suggest using a notes app to record daily experiences and categorizing them into overcoming obstacles, personal passions, or moments of realization. The script emphasizes the importance of writing authentic stories that resonate with common application prompts, ensuring a tailored yet adaptable approach to crafting essays that can be used across multiple school applications.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video aims to provide a comprehensive guide to brainstorming college essay ideas.
• 📝 The advice 'show, don't tell' is emphasized for writing compelling essays through storytelling.
• 📱 It's recommended to use a notes app to jot down any interesting experiences or ideas.
• 🔍 The speaker suggests looking beyond the obvious and finding potential essay topics in everyday activities.
• 🗓️ Dedicate a month to brainstorming essay ideas, starting with recent experiences and then reflecting on past ones.
• 🌱 The process involves categorizing ideas into overcoming obstacles, personal passions, or moments of realization.
• 📈 The video outlines a strategy to grow these 'seeds' into full-fledged essay topics by relating them to personal growth or interests.
• ✂️ Not all ideas will be used; the speaker advises to refine the list to the strongest and most adaptable concepts.
• 📝 The importance of authenticity in writing is stressed, warning against tailoring the essay to fit perceived admissions officer preferences.
• 👫 The video concludes with a call to share the advice with peers, highlighting the communal aspect of the college application process.

Q & A

What is the main challenge mentioned in the script regarding the college application process?

The main challenge mentioned is coming up with ideas for college essays that are both perfect and the best possible choice.

What advice is commonly given for writing college essays, according to the script?

The advice commonly given is to 'show, not tell,' which means to convey experiences and stories through narrative rather than just stating facts.

What tool is recommended for recording ideas and experiences that could be used for essay writing?

The script recommends using a notes app, such as Notion, to jot down any interesting experiences that could be used as essay seeds.

How long is the recommended period for gathering essay ideas and experiences?

The recommended period is one month, during which the student should record at least 21 new experiences and reflect on past experiences from the last 16 or 17 years.

What should a student do during the summer according to the script's advice?

The student should spend the summer doing meaningful activities like getting a job, working an internship, or continuing with their activities, rather than solely focusing on essay writing.

What are the three categories for categorizing essay seeds as mentioned in the script?

The three categories are overcoming an obstacle or challenge, a personal passion or interest, and a moment of realization or an epiphany.

How does the script suggest transforming simple experiences into compelling essay topics?

The script suggests taking simple experiences and relating them to one's passions and personal growth, turning them into stories that can be spun into compelling essay topics.

What is the recommended approach to narrowing down the list of essay ideas?

The recommended approach is to categorize the ideas into common prompts like personal challenges or epiphanies and then select the best ones to adapt to specific college essay prompts.

Why is it advised not to look at the essay prompts until after generating ideas?

It is advised to avoid looking at the prompts early to prevent coming up with shallow ideas that are too narrowly tailored to specific prompts, which might not be as authentic or compelling.

What is the script's suggestion for dealing with the final list of essay ideas?

The script suggests writing out all the final ideas fully, regardless of length, and then adapting and tweaking them to fit the specific essay prompts of the colleges applied to.

What is the script's final piece of advice for students regarding sharing the video?

The final advice is to share the video with friends who might be struggling with the college application process, as it could be helpful to them.