Inside the Admissions Office: What Colleges Look for in Your Personal Statement

Webinar Transcription

2025-08-12-Inside the Admissions Office: What Colleges Look for in Your Personal Statement

Lydia: [00:00:00] Hello everyone. Welcome to “Inside the Admissions Office, What Colleges Look for in your Personal Statement.” My name is Lydia Holland. I’m going to be your moderator for tonight, and I’m also a senior advisor here at CollegeAdvisor and the co-captain of the Essay Review team. I’ve been with the company for about four years now, and in addition to advising students, I’m also a proud former teacher and a graduate of New York University.

Lydia: And in addition to my work with CollegeAdvisor, I’m an education consultant who works with schools, government agencies, and nonprofits. So to orient everyone with the webinar timing for tonight. We’re going to start off with a presentation. Then answer your questions in a live q and a on the sidebar. You can download our slides and start submitting questions in the q and a tab, which I’m sure you’ll have [00:01:00] plenty of tonight.

Lydia: We’ll also be recording this session so that you can review the webinar again later. So don’t worry if you miss something. I have to get up to get a glass of water. You can always watch it back again later. Now let’s meet our presenter. 

Chi: Hello everyone. So happy to see everyone here. Um, so my name’s Chi. Uh, I am also a Senior Advisor with CollegeAdvisor.

Chi: Um, just a little bit about myself as well, right. Um, I’ve been with CollegeAdvisor now entering my fifth year. Um, in addition to my work in the private admissions consulting world, I’m also involved in full-time executive search, uh, specifically within higher education. So typically working with a lot of colleges and universities on a daily basis.

Chi: Um, super excited to be able to share more about the ins and outs of what makes for a wonderful personal statement. Um, and then also as Lydia mentioned, right at the end, um, share some answers to different questions that y’all might have. Um, in addition to that, as you can see, right, [00:02:00] I’ve been in the Mid-Atlantic most of my life.

Chi: Went to school in Virginia and then now, uh, continuing to reside in Philly. Um, so mainly in the Northeast corridor. 

Lydia: Fantastic. He is also an amazing member of the Essay team as well, so I’m sure that he has plenty of experience looking over a bunch of different students essays in his context on that front.

Lydia: Alright, so before I pass it over to Chi to get into the presentation for tonight, we’re gonna do a quick poll to get an idea of what grade you all are in. So if you’re in eighth grade, ninth grade, 10th grade, 11th or 12th, uh, feel free to just put whatever grade you’re in or whatever grade you’re about to go in if school hasn’t started for you.

Lydia: And if you’re a parent you can just click that other option. And while we’re giving people a chance to answer that question key, I’m curious, is there any essay that you have read in your time on the essay review team that really just stood out to you? Like maybe it was a [00:03:00] topic that was particularly interesting or just the way that they addressed the prompt that stood out?

Chi: Yeah, I think, um, so one of the essays, I think even just within the summer, right, that has really stood out to me, um, has been just, you know, it was a, a student who wrote a, a little bit about their own, like summer travel. And so it was in the style of a montage essay, right? Where essentially montage essay is, you talk about a different anecdote or a different example, right in each paragraph.

Chi: But it came together to speak towards like, you know, a common theme, um, that circled a a lot around, right? Like, you know, intercultural connection. Um, and so I think it was a great way of, you know, this student being able to talk about, right, like, you know, both their curiosity as well as, you know, fun experiences and memories about like, you know, just the, the different locations that they’ve been able to, to see as well.

Chi: And so, um, in a way, uh, really fun topic as well as you really get to learn from our end, right? Um, just more about them as a person in addition to, you know, I’m sure the many great [00:04:00] things that they’ve done as a student leader too. 

Lydia: Yeah, that’s really cool. I, I feel like the essay that stands out to me the most is one student really opened up with something interesting.

Lydia: They talked about how they were trapped in the trunk of a car and it sounded like they were getting kidnapped, but they were actually doing some sort of self-defense training. And I don’t, I can’t remember everything that they talked about for the rest of it, but they definitely talked about like martial arts and self-defense.

Lydia: And I remember the opening, just being so engaging ’cause it was so different from any personal statement I, I read in terms of the way that it started that I was just Right. Right. I was really hooked. 

Chi: Yeah. Sometimes, you know, great introductions. Right. Really draw you in. 

Lydia: Yes, definitely. So, looking at our responses, we have, uh.

Lydia: 1% in ninth grade, 5% in 10th, 18% in [00:05:00] 11th grade, and 56% in 12th. And then we got 20% in that other category. So lots of juniors, seniors, and seemingly parents in the room tonight. Alright, so I’ll go ahead and pass it over to UT to get us started. 

Chi: Perfect. Well, great to have everyone here, Ryan, you know, for the, the 1% that’s, you know, attending us from ninth grade, like, you know, welcome, welcome, getting started early with the process.

Chi: So we’ll go through the ins and outs of, you know, uh, what the personal statement is in this case. Um, the different details and steps, and a couple examples right at the end as well. And so, um. To start off, of course, with the question of, you know, what is the personal statement, um, in the context of what we’re working on tonight, right?

Chi: Like, you know, this is gonna be referred to as the six 50 word essay that’s gonna be shared for a lot of common application, uh, or college application platforms, right? So, you know, the common app uses one, the coalition app uses one, and then also for state specific, uh, application platforms as well. So the ucs being the University of California [00:06:00] schools apply Texas as well.

Chi: So really, um, the focus of the essay itself being one that’s gonna be right, a bulk of sending it to multiple schools in that context, um, typically where your personal statement falls into, uh, within the, you know, application review process is gonna be about the midpoint, right? And so for a lot of admissions officers, how the timeline looks in that evaluation is they’ll start with your academic profile, right?

Chi: So test scores. Transcript, right? Another, you know, think about it as, um, you know, what’s on paper, the stats. Then they’re gonna shift to activities and awards. So really a list and a first impression of some of the right, like, you know, um, ways that you spend your free time engaging in clubs. Personal statement.

Chi: It will be after that, right? Like, you know, fits like a glove within the middle of your application review. And then your supplemental essays for schools that require them. So school specific prompts and then letters of recommendation. You typically to round out the overall review afterwards as well. Um.

Chi: Big picture [00:07:00] here, right, is with the personal statement. I always describe it as, you know, it’s an opportunity, not necessarily just to share about like what you wanna study, a personal, like, you know, accolade, right? Or about a particular school. That’s where the supplemental essays will come in. But rather think of it as your canvas and your platform to really be able to speak to your own personality, your own voice, and perhaps even your own identity as well.

Chi: So, talk about you, right? Make it all about you. This is that one time where the spotlight right is being shown in terms of an experience that you would want to share. So as we talk a little bit about, especially for this year, right? Like, you know, what the common app essay prompts are, I’m not necessarily gonna, you know, read verbatim, right?

Chi: All of the different questions here, but just to mention, right, like, typically how it works is that you have these seven different prompts, which haven’t changed much since really, like, you know, when COVID began. Um, you’ll be choosing one out of these seven different questions, right? To be able to elaborate more into and to write your essay around.

Chi: What I always [00:08:00] recommend is that when you’re thinking about right, like, you know, these different questions, what stands out the most is that for most of these prompts, right? The last question is what you should truly focus your essay response around. And so for the first question, right, that asks a little bit more about just, you know, a particular background identity or interest.

Chi: This is that opportunity where, you know, you can really hone in on that particular part of your story. But for a lot of the other prompts, right, because there’s multiple questions, because this is again, right, like, you know, asking for a little bit more of an in depth reflection. The last question is what I always recommend being able to center that essay on.

Chi: So again, take for example, right within prompt number three, you wanna make sure that your essay isn’t necessarily focusing on just the belief or the idea, but really about like, you know, what was it that prompted that thinking and being able to talk about what the outcome of that particular, right, like, you know, experience that you’re talking about was when you’re thinking about, you know, for [00:09:00] problem number five, the event or the realization, right?

Chi: It’s always going to be about what did you take away from it? And not just, you know, how did you go about responding, but why was that response also important to you? Which, you know, we’ll talk about, uh, you know, in, in the next couple of slides as well, right? So as we continue thinking about the different questions here, the prompt number seven, right?

Chi: The last one within the list of different options are on the table. When thinking about should I share, right? Like, you know, an essay of my choice. So the last prompt, being able to right, kind of choose your own question or being able to answer a little bit more freely. My sort of response to that, um, even to students that I coach especially, right, is does your essay respond to multiple prompts, right?

Chi: Like, you know, if you feel that your essay, like topic as a whole is being able to address a moment where you were really able to have like a new sense of self from like a, you know, self realization, but maybe it was also from like a setback that you experienced, [00:10:00] right? And after, you know, finding a way to overcome that setback is when you realize something new about yourself.

Chi: Problem number seven’s a good way of being able to focus your essay on sort of an intersection, right? Between different questions, um, to where at that point, right, you’ll be able to have it encompass a lot more of your writing. Um. One thing that I will mention is, you know, that being said with the question, right?

Chi: How not to interpret or to tackle this prompt is not thinking about this from like a way to deviate from a traditional essay, right? Like, you know, at the end of the day you’re still writing a personal statement, a, you know, essay form about yourself. So, you know, no poems or creative writing, please. Right?

Chi: When we think about this type of writing, um, it’s not necessarily substituting in like, you know, just a paper that you wrote for class or like, you know, research as well, but rather, you know, it’s more so an open-ended way for you to share your story, right? That’s still reflective, but rather. Maybe it’s, again, more interdisciplinary or rather, right, like, you know, answers multiple [00:11:00] questions At the end of the day, the right, like, you know, the prompt choice itself is not necessarily significant.

Chi: And what I mean by that is, you know, they’re like, an admissions officer isn’t necessarily gonna be looking at, right? Like, you know, oh, they responded to this prompt instead of another one, right? Where it might have fit a little bit better, but rather it’s gonna be all towards the story that you’re sharing, right?

Chi: So, you know, quality of your essay at the end of the day is what’s gonna be the most important. Think of the questions themselves as, you know, a good brainstorm starter, right? A way where you’re able to start guiding, um, some of the preliminary exploration that you’re doing. And so thinking about, right, like, you know, structurally and how it differs from a lot of traditional high school writing, this type of personal statement, right?

Chi: And especially not just what colleges are looking for, but how to approach this type of writing is it’s not necessarily just a again, right, like, you know, a five paragraph essay or, you know, there’s no generic rubric that’s available. Think of it more as, you know, as what we’ve been [00:12:00] sharing here on the slide, right?

Chi: It’s a story and you know, it’s a biography about yourself, right? Um, if you’ve ever read like, you know, uh, a novel or some sort of fiction writing where it’s more first person, think of like, you know, your language as using I or my right. A really great tip that I give to a lot of my students is, you know, don’t go more than two or three sentences without using some sort of first person language, right?

Chi: Make sure that when you’re writing, you’re able to. Reframe that, right? Like, you know, perspective back on yourself, because that’s what’s gonna, you know, allow the reader to understand this is your perspective or this is your perception about the world, right? Um, I think about it as also like, you know, when we have reflective and personal language, it’s not necessarily about like formal phrases or jargon, right?

Chi: If you wanna write about a research project that you did in high school, you wanna really make sure that you’re defining the terms themselves or that you’re articulating, like, you know, the purpose of when you’re sharing about your own personal examples, because this is something that, you know, you wanna make sure that [00:13:00] your admissions officers are going to get to ultimately learn more about you, right?

Chi: At the end of the day. Um, not exactly a rocket science trick, but something that I think can be helpful is if you were imagining that you were saying your essay out loud, right? Do you feel that some of the language that you’re using, and do you feel like that the story you’re sharing, is it more of a topic that you would use in a conversation with someone that you’re meeting anew?

Chi: Or is it more of like a formal speech, right, that you would pre be presenting to an audience? And so how you take it to a more personal level, right? Is pretending as if the topics that you’re talking about and that you know, the tone that you’re sharing is more from like a conversational standpoint, is what I would always recommend.

Chi: Um, you know, as you’re thinking about your brainstorm. So in thinking about how you should structure your personal statement, right? Um, and again, this isn’t necessarily rocket science, but this is how I personally would recommend it. One of the most common mistakes that I [00:14:00] see, right, is, you know, when we’re going about essay writing that so much of, and again, going back to traditional, uh, right, like, you know, writing processes.

Chi: Typically when you think about in a paper for an English class, it’s, you know, informative, right? You’re talking about a particular topic in detail. Um, or it might be argumentative, right? So you’re presented with a situation and you’re being asked to like, you know, take a position or take a stance with it.

Chi: Here it’s not necessarily that type. Writing, but rather again, you’re focusing it more on just like, you know, the a growth aspect or your own reaction or perception to a particular example. And so, to that point, you know, something that I think is commonly found is, you know, an essay might be focusing too much or like the whole essay is just on the example itself.

Chi: But really you only wanna focus it to about a third of the length of what your final essay will be, right? So the background part is really just what is the story or what is the example, um, that you’re gonna be writing about to, you know, use [00:15:00] as your tool for what your message is gonna share to the reader.

Chi: So a couple things in mind. And I always say this, A hook is helpful. You don’t need to worry about a hook, right? I mean, it’s again, draw the reader’s attention in. Yes. But what’s most important is keeping the reader’s attention throughout the length of your essay as well. And so you’ll have to make sure.

Chi: Right, that it’s a cohesive message. You have to make sure that it’s not just that first impression, but how are you keeping it engaging throughout? An admissions officer is going to be reading every essay, right? They’re not gonna quit halfway through. They’re not gonna stop just because it was a bad hook.

Chi: You have to make sure that the overall story is powerful, right? So when you’re describing your example itself, don’t hesitate to use your different senses. And so, you know, think about from a challenge or an anecdote. What did you see? What did you feel? Did you touch, did you smell? So like, you know, use those senses and use your first person, right, to really [00:16:00] introduce the core idea of what you’re going to be messaging or what you’re gonna be sharing in your overall essay.

Chi: Now when you finish talking about the example itself, right? Great opportunity to transition to now focusing, you know, pretty much the, the rest of the essay, right? That, that two thirds or more, and to talking about the growth that you experienced. So if you remember going back to that slide where we were chatting about, right?

Chi: Like, you know, the, the different common app prompts. It’s not necessarily just talking about that moment of realization or action, right? But what did you learn from that experience that made it so important for you? So think of this essentially as a question of, you know, did anything about yourself change, right?

Chi: Did you learn anything about yourself or others right from that experience? And use it as your platform, from your example to talk about, you know, how you view the world differently, how you respond to situations differently, you know, what changed, right? So this is kind of describing the, how that comes [00:17:00] from that experience overall.

Chi: The last part that, you know, comes speaking with this is now thinking about the future, right? So not only about like how did you go about growing and how did you go about, right? Like, you know, um, being able to reflect from that experience, but why that was important. So consider, right? Like, you know, why was that growth important, right?

Chi: How will you seek to demonstrate that sense of lesson or the skill that you learned moving forward into the future? So one piece that’s really important with this type of essay writing right, is, you know, when we think about a traditional summary or a conclusion, right? Um, again, going back to the whole like English class example, we think about it as no fun.

Chi: What you’ve mentioned in the past, right? In the essay, in this type of narrative writing, what you really wanna focus on is thinking about how has this been affecting you in the present, and what are you going to be doing in the future as a result of [00:18:00] this as well? So really thinking about right, again, the present as well as the future, right?

Chi: Within the piece of like, you know, your overall presentation and your overall, right? Like, you know, message in your essay itself. So safe to say, right, the growth in the future. Make sure that you’re focusing on the reflection as you’re thinking about, right? Like, you know, your, your overall essay. So in beginning the writing process, like, you know, two pieces that I always find to be very helpful, the first being, you know, thinking about your theme development.

Chi: So within your personal statement, what are the values that you would really like to share about yourself? So, you know, what do you want your admissions officers right, to be able to learn more about you as a person? So it could be right that like, you know, you’re someone who’s really curious about the world.

Chi: It could be that, right? Like, you know, you’ve gone through a lot of personal experiences and you want to demonstrate that sense of resilience to others. So start by maybe considering, right, you know. Just what is it that you would want admissions officers to learn about you? And [00:19:00] then brainstorm specific examples or anecdotes where you’re able to center on these different themes.

Chi: So again, kind of going back to right, like, you know, when we were chatting earlier about an essay that I read where, right, like, you know, a student had traveled across a number of different places and the message being focused on cultural and intercultural communication, right? Values of curiosity, values of, right.

Chi: Like, you know, just that sense of like, you know, wanting to connect with diverse communities. If that is what you want to focus within your essay, make sure that it’s the start of the show, right? As you’re thinking about the background part. And the second piece that I think is always, you know, gonna be helpful is outlining the essay, right?

Chi: So I think oftentimes we want to just jump ahead, right? And start writing out what your initial draft will look like. But what’s gonna be really important is, you know, starting to outline what it is that you want to talk about. And so. Because it’s a narrative essay, you don’t have to necessarily worry about it being [00:20:00] chronological, right?

Chi: You can start from like the middle of the essay. You can focus on, you know, what is the message that you wanna share first, and then come back to the beginning of what you’re writing. So use some bullet points to like, you know, almost jot down different notes of the points that you want to share, and maybe even the message, right, that you want to communicate as well.

Chi: And then, you know, sort them around. Experiment with different directions that you wanna go. Make sure that you’re focusing on two pieces, right? The personal values that you wanna communicate, and then the reflection of like, you know, again, how and why, right? That experience has, has been really important to your own personal growth as well.

Chi: So thinking about what makes for a strong personal statement overall. Um, what I would say right is, you know, being able to include, um, pretty straightforward, right? But details about yourself. So when you think about for prompts number one and six, where they ask about a part of your background or identity, or a topic that you enjoy so much, it consumes all of your time, right?

Chi: [00:21:00] It doesn’t hurt to maybe make a list or, you know, make an outline of just hobbies or passions that you personally really enjoy. And not just for the sake of like a goal, but maybe just when you’re able to spend time freely and you’re able to really deeply invest, right? Your experience within there.

Chi: Frame that essay again, right? Like, you know, around your own experience and your own perspective, right? So. I’ve had essays where I’ve read before where let’s say for example, right, like, you know, it might be that, uh, you know, a family right experience or an incident takes place that Right, really affects the applicant as well as their whole family.

Chi: You wanna make sure that the right, the writing itself isn’t necessarily just about maybe how the parents responded or how. Family or Right, but about how, like, you know, for you as a prospective applicant or as a prospective student, right, what was that v viewpoint for you personally, you know, be very right, like, you know, open with the emotional impact and the feelings.

Chi: Um, so again, going back to using your senses, right, [00:22:00] as you’re writing about the words I felt or I realized really helpful when it comes to being able to describe those moments. And at the end of the day, what’s gonna be most important is whether you’re brainstorming, drafting, or revising. It’s not always going to be what, what’s about the most unique topic, right?

Chi: So colleges and admissions officers aren’t necessarily looking for what’s most unique, but they’re looking for authenticity. So be true to the experiences that you’ve had and be true to your own perspective about the world, right? Again, it’s not listing, you know, what’s most impressive. It’s not necessarily about right, like, you know, what stands out the most, but.

Chi: Be sure that it’s something that you truly believe in, right? When you’re rereading your essay, after you finish the draft of it, does it sound like an interest that you have? Does it sound like an experience that you know, you feel like you’ve been able to voice properly? Have you been able to capture right?

Chi: A lot of what you took away from that moment? Those are gonna be the most important questions to [00:23:00] think about for what makes for a strong personal statement. Again, authenticity. That’s really what’s gonna be key.

Chi: You are probably familiar if you’ve gone through right, like, you know, the rabbit hole of different ways and tips to, you know, write an essay, this phrase called show don’t tell. Um, and so to kind of define what that means, right? Telling for an essay essentially is just almost like read, sharing the specific details of what happened, right?

Chi: So if we were to take a look at the top bullet point here, right? Um, you know, I woke up at eight, turned off my alarm and change into my outfit, right? Continuing to, you know, into the second sentence here, as a reader, I’m able to learn that like, you know, this particular student’s essay right there are varsity swimmer and that like, you know, they get up early, right?

Chi: They’re really able to, you know, get to another cold swim practice. But I don’t necessarily get to learn too much about like, you know, who they are as a person, right? I get to learn about that, the fact that they’re a varsity swimmer and that they’ve been about, you know, [00:24:00] passionate about the sports since they were young.

Chi: Showing on the other hand is not only right, like, you know, mentioning. The details of what happened, but adding a lot more of, again, sort of, it could be imagery details that show, right, like, you know, your admissions officers or that like, you know, share with your admissions officers something that they can learn not just about the topic, but about the student themselves.

Chi: So whether it’s talking about, right, like, you know, opening those room curtains to the pitch black sky or being able to, right, like, you know, race against the coach’s whistles. This allows the reader from the bottom bullet point, right, to learn more about how, in this case it’s not just, again, the things that they did, but that they’re clearly right.

Chi: Like, you know, a student who’s really motivated and driven to want to practice and get faster, right? In terms of their pace for swim practice itself. And so the level of detail, right, like, you know, similar in terms of what the reader gets to learn about the topic, but for the bottom one, right, they get to learn more about the traits of a [00:25:00] particular, of the particular student themselves.

Chi: So thinking about what, you know, a good timeline for writing is, right? Um, so as you can see here, clearly throughout the course of the summer, right? Like, you know, right now is the time to really begin writing, right? So typically what I would say, and, and this is kind of just a rough timeline of what I go through with my students and CollegeAdvisor as well, is I’m coaching them, right?

Chi: June and July, um, if you’ve gotten a chance to brainstorm, I think that’s wonderful. Use this now as your platform to begin and to continue drafting, right? So almost like, you know, even right now where we are in August, free write, create different ideas, right? Like, you know, use some of the tips that have been shared to start bullet pointing it out, right?

Chi: Maybe thinking about, again, interests or passions that you have. And, and I always want my students this, but you know, do not worry about grammar. Do not worry about the word count, right? So, you know, the essay itself is six 50 word and yes, at the. At end of the day, you have to make sure that you know it’s a [00:26:00] coherent message and that it’s grammatically sound.

Chi: But in the initial stages, take that time to really just start experimenting with like, you know, the ideas themselves. What’s most important is at the end of the day, you know, missions officers, they need to see all of the different ideas in the story that you’re writing. And so focus on the content first, right before circling back to, you know, again, focusing on more like, you know, stylistic edits.

Chi: Dress this enough, but, you know, do not make this right or, or consider this as like a, you know, you just draft once, revise once, and it’s finalized, right? Like, you know, as it’s sometimes might be for a paper for school. Don’t be afraid to go through multiple iterations and even multiple versions of different ideas that might come to the table, right?

Chi: So use this time to really be able to jot down different directions that might sound right, like, you know, something personal and authentic to you. Um. Use sort of this month in September to start also revising, right? So if you’ve gotten a chance to begin, right, like, you know, your, your drafting for your common app essay [00:27:00] or for your other platforms, use this time to start revising and finalizing right when you have the opportunity.

Chi: So, um, the common app opened, right? Like, you know, on August 1st. So now when you’re thinking about, right, like, you know, just those next steps, seeing the application portal itself, creating that account, if you haven’t already, right? You know, now is the time to get going, to be able to write, like, you know, continue drafting, continue revising, doing this.

Chi: Now make sure that you’re minimizing right. A lot of that writing stress that sometimes can pop up when your senior year or if you’re an underclassman, right? Like, you know, next year. Think about this for the sake of your summer, right? So that before the school year picks up pace, you’re able to continue in getting more of that work done.

Chi: Last two slides here. First one, starting off with, right, like, you know, common mistakes that like, at least from my experience, both on the essay review team from my students as well as my experience reading applications overall. Um, I think three main points, right? So the first one being, you know, you [00:28:00] really have to make sure that there’s a balance between the story aspects.

Chi: So again, the background part and the growth, right? What you learn, that reflection, most of the essay at the end of the day should be on how you’ve reflected, right? And so really making sure that, you know, as you’re writing and revising that it’s not going to be solely just on the example itself. Um, and then again, to that point too, making sure that the perspective, again, is on you and not on something or someone else at the end of the day.

Chi: Second piece is so much that I also stress too, don’t write on a topic or don’t write stories on what you think. Others, admissions officers or other people Right. On what others want to hear. Like, you know, it’s, it’s not a, a rubric. Admissions officers have a, you know, golden list of ideas that they’re looking for, right?

Chi: Like, you know, what makes for an exactly perfect essay? Be authentic to your story, right? Like, you know, try to avoid buzzwords, jargon, right? Like, you know, [00:29:00] try to avoid writing complex sentences just to sound complex. Keeping it simple in these cases, right? Often help more than they hinder. Um, and then more of a niche example, but something to keep in mind, right?

Chi: Is like, know essays with a topic. If you’re uncomfortable, what’s gonna be really important is make sure that as you’re choosing or as you’re considering different ideas for your writing, right? If you feel comfortable sharing it, not just essentially. Through yourself in multiple revisions, but through other people who might not know you yet.

Chi: Right? And these admissions officers make sure that you feel like, you know, comfortable in sharing that vulnerable side of yourself, right? And that can even just be sometimes like, you know, an essay where you’re talking about how you’ve been growing out of your comfort zone, right? And, and maybe speaking up or advocating more from as little to as big of a topic like, you know, be authentic in terms of, right.

Chi: Like, you know, the narrative that you want to drive, um, you know, that you wanna drive home. Last slide. Um, that I [00:30:00] think, and we’ve been getting some questions, uh, as well about, right? Like, you know, just thinking about technology, AI chat, GPT, right? Um, add in a bullet point that’s not on this slide that I’ll talk about briefly too, but just to begin, like, you know, um, admissions officers do not run your personal statement through an AI reader, right?

Chi: Nor do, nor is it that an admissions officer is only using AI to read, right? They go through. Each student’s application. Your application is not pre-screened through chat or some other form of, you know, AI device, right? These are humans behind the screen who want to get to learn more about you, right? I think now more than ever, that becomes more of a misnomer, right?

Chi: These are people, right? Like, you know, who want to learn more about you and who are excited, right? To see different contributions that you’ll bring to campus. Like, you know, the stories that you have to share about yourself, your writing itself, right? They might have multiple even, right? Like, you know, multiple readers [00:31:00] that are going to be evaluating your application overall as well.

Chi: And so, kind of keep that in mind, right? Like, you know, and similarly so when you’re going through and writing, um, using AI as a support mechanism, right? One thing that I’ll say is, so different tools such as Grammarly, right? Or chat GBT, you can use it. As a powerful tool for suggestions. So let’s say for example, like, you know, you’re going through an essay draft and maybe not sure how exactly to right, like, you know, uh, refine some of the terms that you’re using or expand on a particular section of your essay.

Chi: You know, use it as a tool for suggestions that help you brainstorm. Do not use it as a tool to substitute, right? Like, you know, the work that you’re doing. So I’ll be openly candid, right? And say, yeah, you know, I’ve read essays before where it’s just a full. Like, you know, a full scale essay that was generated by chat GBT, you can tell instantly, right, instantly that it was not written by a human.

Chi: Because there’s gonna be a lack of [00:32:00] specificity, a lack of depth, right? So I always encourage as you’re brainstorming and if you wanna use, again, like even grammar tools like Grammarly to help edit your essay, I think that’s fine. Right? You know, use it as a support mechanism. Just do not use it as a foundation, right?

Chi: Or as a structure to when you’re actually drafting and revising the essay itself. Um, again, from an admissions perspective, like, you know, you’re not going to have your application no and void, right? Because they’re not going to be, um, you know, having an AI evaluate you. It’s going to be a person who’s gonna be evaluating you, um, you know, at the end of the day.

Lydia: Okay. So thank you so much, chief for that amazing presentation. I know I learned a lot, um, very thorough and you definitely answered a lot of the questions like you said that I think a lot of students were thinking about. Um, now we’re gonna get into the q and a portion. [00:33:00] So as a reminder, you all can submit those questions in the q and a tab.

Lydia: I know some of you have already begun. I’m gonna be reading them a aloud, giving chi an opportunity to answer them. And then as a heads up, if your q and a tab isn’t letting you submit questions, just double check that you join the webinar through the custom link in your email and not from the webinar landing page landing.

Lydia: Or you can try logging back, logging out, and then logging back in. So we’re gonna go ahead and get started. And for the first question that I have is, should the essay stay focused on one theme or can you talk about a couple? 

Chi: Yeah, I think it’s a great question. Um, what I would recommend, right, is, so if you wanna talk about, like, you know, multiple themes to incorporate into your essay, make sure that, at least the example that you’re using right sticks to like, you know, one experience or one anecdote, right?

Chi: So you can share essentially like, you know, multiple [00:34:00] ideas, values, or themes that you want your admissions officers to learn more about you. But typically, right. The way I would think about it is, you know. Don’t use multiple stories to share one idea or one theme. Use one experience, right. To talk about how potentially there’s multiple themes that come that stem or that come from, right?

Chi: Like, you know, you’re learning of that particular experience. And, and the way to think about it, right, is like, you know, admissions officers, this is that canvas for you to share more about who you are as a person. Um, all of these different admissions officers, right? Like, you know, they’ll love it to be able to learn more about the many different ways that you’ve been able to grow from a particular experience.

Lydia: Great. And along that line, um, we have a couple students asking about questions about what should I write about some of ’em reading really specific, like, I have this particular idea. How do I know if it’s the right one to choose? What are the kind of criteria that a student should be asking themselves [00:35:00] when deciding what topic or theme to pursue for their personal statement?

Chi: Yeah, I think, you know, when it comes to particular topics in mind, um, right, like two things specifically that I always tend to like, you know, encourage my own students to think about, um, first one is, right, like, you know, if there’s a part of their identity, right, that they find to be really important or like, you know, that they find has been really formative to their own life experiences to focus on that.

Chi: Um, and similar to identity as well, right? Like, you know, um, an interest or passion that they have, right? So it goes very well with two of the different common app prompts that like, you know, um, you can choose as you’re applying and as you’re writing. Um, so think about things that you really enjoy or are passionate about learning more too, right?

Chi: So that’s one, uh, piece of the puzzle that I would. Right. Very helpful in talking about yourself. Right? The second piece that I think are, you know, or the second element, right, as, as well, that you can maybe consider is, um, just, you know, what have been overall experiences that have been really right, like, you know, [00:36:00] formative to your own growth throughout high school.

Chi: So I think a common myth is right, like, you know, that you can’t write about extracurricular. What I would actually say to challenge that right, is, you know, your essay shouldn’t be focused on talking about, you know, the club or like the sport or the organization itself, right? But rather thinking about how your experience, again, within that club or organization right, has been able to help, like, you know, help you grow or help challenge an idea that you have.

Chi: Right? So, all’s to say is, you know, um, when you look back at your high school experience so far, right? What have been the most like, you know, either rewarding or the most impactful activities that you’ve done slash topics that you’ve enjoyed the most?

Lydia: Yeah, I, I definitely agree with that. And, uh, I was just looking at a question that a student had asked about a specific topic, and what I was, um, saying in response to them was, I don’t think that there’s really any certain [00:37:00] topic, for the most part that just absolutely can’t be done. I’ve, I’ve read students essays that talk about things that might seem incredibly mundane, like wearing socks that don’t match and not just being something that they’ve always been comfortable with or something like.

Lydia: I, the example that I gave earlier that sounded really crazy, like being stuck in the trunk of a car, right? Like, I think sometimes people think that the topic or theme that you choose has to be this thing that’s never been talked about before or that they’ve never heard before. But the truth is, most of us are normal people, right?

Lydia: Our traditions and the things that we’re interested in. Probably are similar to someone that is either applying that cycle or who has applied in to that school within the past five years. Right? So rather than focusing on trying to have the most unique, the most different essay, kind of like what she was saying is she, she was saying [00:38:00] earlier is try to have something authentic and you know, if that’s an extracurricular, that’s great.

Lydia: Um, I know with a student that I was responding to, they were asking about, you know, if this certain activity that they really enjoy was the right topic to choose. ’cause they don’t really have like a specific story to refer to. I would say if you can’t think of a specific moment that really captures your enjoyment of that activity, I would think if you really wanna talk about that activity, either try to think a little bit harder about.

Lydia: If there is a moment, it doesn’t have to be something really grand. Like sometimes students think it has to be like winning some big award or big trophy or something like that. It could be just like a moment at practice or something like that. Mm-hmm. Um, where you were able to maybe help another student or you, that was the moment that you realized that you really enjoyed that activity.

Lydia: Right. Um, or you push yourself to level up in some sort of way. But if you [00:39:00] can’t think of a specific moment that kind of captures what drew you to that activity, or a moment where you maybe grew as a person with that activity, then I would question if maybe that’s the right topic to go with. Because with any theme or topic that you choose for an essay, it needs to be, it needs to serve its purpose as a conduit to show who you are as a person, right.

Lydia: So if you haven’t spent enough time doing that thing to be able to talk about it and for you to be able to highlight different aspects of who you are. Through discussing that activity, then you may wanna choose a different topic because we don’t wanna walk away. Uh, you don’t want the admissions officer to just walk away thinking Johnny loves baseball, right?

Lydia: You wanna walk the admissions officer to walk away thinking, okay, Johnny loves baseball. And through baseball, Johnny has been able to be a leader. Johnny has learned how to push himself. Johnny has learned how to support other people, how to be inclusive, [00:40:00] because those are all traits that matter outside the context of baseball.

Lydia: And help them paint a picture of who you are now and how you’ll be on campus. And that’s really the, the thing that you want them to be able to visualize at the end of any personal statement is who are you and how are you going to contribute to our school based on your track record leading up to this point.

Lydia: So, um, another question that we have. Is, what did you mean about including empathy in our essays? 

Chi: Yeah. Um, so some of the different slides, right? Like that I chatted about here. Um, so whether it’s right, like, you know, bringing in your own personal perspective or, you know, kind of again, that using AI as a tool to help, right?

Chi: Like, you know, supplement your writing. Um, being able to put more like empathy in a sense of, you know, showing more of your own [00:41:00] personal emotion, right? So like, if it’s an experience where. You are able to like, you know, build a connection or a relationship with someone when you’re right. Like, you know, kind of not using your senses or when it’s not necessarily about showing, but just telling there’s not as much from a reader’s perspective, right?

Chi: Of an understanding behind, you know, how your own perception of an experience or like a situation took place over time. And so in building in that sense of not just empathy, right, but also again, that connection or relationship building, I think that can be really helpful as a tool for, right, like, you know, um, in office to learn more about how you go about, right?

Chi: Like, you know, again, um, interacting with others.

Lydia: Um, another question we have is, what happens or what should I do if the reader is unfamiliar with the topic that I’m writing about? Will it still make sense? Will it be evaluated the same? 

Chi: Yeah. Um, the way that I would approach it, right, is, so if [00:42:00] it, if you feel that the topic does end up right, needing too much space to articulate about again, right?

Chi: Like, you know, the jargon or like, you know, the context of the situation as a whole, I would first consider, right? Like, you know, if someone who doesn’t know anything about, right, like, you know, what you’re talking about. So again, this could be something maybe related to research or this could be something about, right?

Chi: Like, you know, just, um, a particular right, like, you know, community that you’ve been a part of, and if you feel that you’re able to, right, like, you know, define your own, right? Like, you know, experience being a part of that community or like, you know, why that particular topic that you’re writing about has been, has been important to you.

Chi: Defining the context or defining right, like, you know, what that particular topic is. Um, you know, try to make it as minimal as possible again. Right. So it’s like, you know, if you feel like it’s, it’s gonna be too complicated or that you’re gonna have to spend more than really one paragraph, right? Like, you know, elaborating on it.

Chi: I would also personally maybe right, [00:43:00] like purging, seeing if there’s another right. Like, you know, idea that might be on the table. 

Lydia: Yeah. And I would just add that I, I, this is a, an issue that, like you said, she can be really common for students that have done, you know, really impressive research that maybe is very technical.

Lydia: Um, whether it’s computer science or biology or chemistry or medicine. And sometimes you’re talking in really technical terms that the average admissions officer is not familiar with. And just for context, if you don’t know this, a lot of admissions officers or readers are, um. Students or people who majored in some sort of humanities or social science, probably not someone who studied biology or chemistry.

Lydia: So they’re probably not going to be as familiar with those kinds of things as maybe a different kind of, um, you know, reader. But like we were saying earlier, the purpose of a personal statement is not to outline every individual step that [00:44:00] you took, um, with throughout a process, whether it was research or a sport or whatever.

Lydia: So if you find yourself getting really technical in defining all these different jargon terms, ask yourself, is this context that’s actually necessary for them to walk away understanding the impact of what I did? And sometimes the answer is no. Like instead of saying, I took the pipette and I dipped it in this solution, and I created this reaction.

Lydia: Right? Um, maybe you can just say. Through this process, I supported my, um, associate director of research and helping to ensure that, I don’t know, we can take a step towards curing cancer or whatever, right? Like you can state it in plain language and talk about the impact that you were striving toward and maybe the high level strategic things.

Lydia: Um, rather than talking about the real nitty gritty, and even if you are doing something that, um, is [00:45:00] easier for an admissions officer to be familiar with, that’s still a good push for you to ask yourself, am I getting too caught up in the details and the steps, rather than focusing on the actual impact and getting to the point of what this actually reflects about who I’m, um, and just as a reminder, make sure that you’re leaving questions in the q and a tab.

Lydia: Um. We are not gonna be able to answer any questions if you’re sending them directly in the chat. We have a lot of people here tonight, so we’re not gonna necessarily be able to get through every single question, but we are trying to get through as many as possible and we are able to type answers in response to the q and as.

Lydia: So we’re trying our best to get through as many as possible. We’re also typing responses as we discuss, but please make sure you’re submitting your questions in the q and a tab. Messages, questions that are submitted in the chat will not be answered. Okay. Um, another question that is being [00:46:00] asked is, there’s a question that ask how I’m going to fit in the university?

Lydia: How do I approach that question and how do I make sure that I’m being authentic and answering it when I’m applying to different schools? 

Chi: Yeah. Um, so the, if I’m understanding correctly, right, like, you know, sort of fitting in as well as, right, like, you know, why that particular university, right? Like, almost like a why us question almost.

Chi: Um, the way that I would encourage approaching that, right, and I say this to all of my students, is, um, when it comes to writing about yourself and how, not necessarily just how you would add value to that community, right? But also like, you know, what you would bring, um, in terms of, right, like, you know, just your own like identity and experiences is to start by thinking about not necessarily what.

Chi: In college or what at particular university that you’re looking for, but you know, what is it that’s going to make for a successful college experience for you? Right? And so what I [00:47:00] mean by that is when you think about like, you know, the, the different schools that you’re considering on your list, what is it that you’re looking for in terms of the qualities that stand out?

Chi: So, you know, are you looking for a school that has, you know, a culture that’s really supportive, right? One that maybe it’s very collaborative and not super right? Like, you know, cutthroat. Are you looking for a school that like, you know, um, or you’re really able to focus a lot on, right? Like, you know, just the particular, right, like, you know, interdisciplinary learning that you want to really focus on.

Chi: Um, and so by being able to structure and prioritize the language in the beginning of your essay, right, by focusing on just again, what you are looking for now, the essays, right? Like, you know, main tone isn’t necessarily about. Here are things that, right. Like, you know, I will add to the college, but rather here’s how, you know, being at a university and being in my future college experience will continue helping me grow.

Chi: Right? Like, think about it as if you have a [00:48:00] particular goal that you’re setting towards, it’s not necessarily about right. Like, you know, how this is going to be, uh, a means to an end, but rather how is this next step only going to help further me or help contribute me, right? Like, you know, towards being able to hit that particular benchmark or milestone.

Lydia: Got it. Um, another question that we have, and this has been asked in a few different ways, is are there any topics that you should really avoid when it comes to a personal statement, like talking about politics or religion? 

Chi: Yeah, I think it’s a great question. Um, this is actually kind of funny, right, because a couple weeks ago I was presenting a similar webinar, but talking about civic engagement and politics, right?

Chi: Um, I personally am of the belief that there aren’t like strictly taboo topics, right? Again, like, you know, in terms of subjects where it’s like, you know, again, blatantly, right? Like, you [00:49:00] know, uh, against a particular community or identity, right? Of course that is something that, you know, would be tolerated on a college campus or within an admissions process.

Chi: But if we’re saying, right, like, you know, questions and topics of faith politics, right? Um, what’s gonna be more important than just necessarily saying, for example, right? Like, you know, I’m someone who believes in God, or I’m someone who identifies as like a libertarian, for example, right? What’s more valuable is, so why is that an identity that is important for you?

Chi: Right? So maybe then, you know, your essay is speaking to an experience that really brought you, right, like, you know, into that particular, uh, affiliation or belief, right? And then, you know, where you would want to focus the essay is, so how or why, right? Has that particular, again, like, you know, belief or identity, uh, been informative to, to your personal growth.

Chi: So no matter what the topic is, right. From ones that again, uh, as, as like, you know, Lydia mentioned may be seemingly mundane [00:50:00] to kind of more commonly used ones to what sometimes we might consider taboo. At the end of the day, it’s always. To be a question like, you know, so how has this been, right? Like, you know, formative to the type of person that you’ve become today, more than necessarily just right, like, you know, the, the topic or the example that you’re using.

Chi: So, um, if, if that’s helpful, right? Like, you know, I say the answer is no. Um, because what’s gonna be more important right? Is, you know, how are you gonna shape your, the rest of your essay around that. 

Lydia: Yeah, I, I would say that a good rule of thumb is if it’s something that you wouldn’t feel talking about, feel comfortable talking about.

Lydia: If that admissions officer were sitting in front of you, then it probably is something that might be too sensitive for a personal statement. So I would say if you’re a very political person, you’ve worked on political campaigns, for example, or you have strong opinions about certain political issues and that is influencing, you know, maybe what you wanna study in college, [00:51:00] go for it.

Lydia: If you’re a religious person and that’s influenced who you are, go for. But if you’re talking about a really, really sensitive thing that you went through and you feel like even kind of uncomfortable maybe including certain details, and when you ask people to review it, like there’s a certain level of maybe UNC discomfort that you feel like with them reading it, uh, or like you don’t like the idea of thinking about people reading it.

Lydia: Maybe it’s a little bit too much detail. I think sometimes people think that they have to pour every trauma or every experience that they’ve had onto the page, and that’s not true. Like admission admissions officers are not looking for you to trauma dump. They’re not looking for the biggest sob story.

Lydia: The biggest sob story is not gonna be your ticket into getting into college. So, um, if you’ve gone through something really difficult in your life and it has shaped you in a certain way, like I’ve read essays, I is. [00:52:00] Students that are older, but like students that went that, uh, lived through Hurricane Katrina for example, like that’s a natural disaster that shaped who they were and they grew up and wanted to study environmental science.

Lydia: That’s a really big trauma. But there’s a way to talk about, you know, surviving a hurricane in a way that is not overly personal and overly sensitive to the point that it might make a reader feel uncomfortable. Like they’re reading your diary. And that’s kind of a good threshold. Like does it feel like they’re reading your diary right?

Lydia: Like they’re reading something that they’re not supposed to, or does it feel like they’re just getting to see like a deeper layer of who you are so that they understand why you are the way that you are. 

Chi: Um, something I’ll really quickly, um, lic, you know, add, if that’s okay, right? Is, um, yeah. You know, goes beyond the scope of tonight’s webinar, but so, so admissions officers and like, you know, admissions readers, anyone that has, right, like, you know, access to, uh, an application, right?

Chi: Um, you know, all of these like members and workers, they’re what’s known as bias [00:53:00] trained. And so what that means is like, you know, they have training, right? Where it’s, they’re not gonna be looking for a particular answer nor, right. Like, you know, are they going to be making any assumptions from students that come from different backgrounds, right?

Chi: So, in terms of when we’re talking about again, right, like, you know, topics that can be seemingly divisive at first, like politics or religion, right? You know, these admissions officers and folks working here, they’re gonna be trained in the sense of they’re not gonna be looking for a particular right. Or like, you know, have a negative association just because someone decides to write an essay about.

Chi: Again, an identity that maybe they personally, right. Like, you know, disagree with as well. So, you know, just something to kind of keep in mind too.

Lydia: Yeah. Um, another question that we have is about basically the role of other people in the process. Um, I’ve gotten some questions about how many people should review your essay, um, for example, or what should be the role of parents in [00:54:00] developing the essay? Any guidance on, you know, the idea of how how many cooks is too many cooks in the kitchen?

Chi: Yeah. Um, I think, you know, it’s, it’s a great question, right? The way that I would interpret it is, you know, if you ask five people their opinions, you’re gonna get five different responses, right? If you ask 20 people their opinions, you’re gonna get 20 different responses, right? So. My personal recommendation is for those of you who are, you know, with a psychology advisor, trust on your primary advisor, trust on the essay review team.

Chi: Right? Of course. Um, for those of you that right, like, you know, are thinking about finding ways and different support systems, one thing that I always think is helpful is going to both, right? Like, you know, at your school if you have access, right? Like, you know, your school counselor, um, being able to share with ’em, right?

Chi: So it doesn’t have to be just even your draft, but just making. Maybe it’s having a conversation, especially for rising seniors in the room, right? Um, big portion of y’all, um, having that conversation on, Hey, here’s some different ideas that I’m thinking about. How do you [00:55:00] feel, right? In terms of like, you know, going this direction.

Chi: Another great resource is your English teacher as well, right? Just in terms of doing the actual proofreading for like, you know, the essay, right? Like, you know, structure, um, bringing in your parents slash guardians right? Can be helpful when it comes to brainstorming the process on, you know, what are maybe some right formative experiences or memories that might come to mind for the parents that are here in the room, right?

Chi: I think, you know, one thing to remember too is for your kids, like, you know, this is their process, this is their essay, right? So, you know, don’t be shy and maybe working together and workshopping, you know, potentially strong ideas, but also like, you know, don’t be afraid in exercising some restraint as well in terms of like, you know, knowing to, to trust your student or trust your kid, right?

Chi: Um, in terms of how they want to go about. Their perspective about like, you know, the story or example that they decide to write about.

Lydia: Yeah. Um, I’ve got, I’m seeing a few questions that are about Common App [00:56:00] and if it’s okay to mention specific schools in your Common app essay or should you not mention them at all? And is it a good idea to write different common app essays for different colleges? Or should you just write one common app that goes to everyone?

Chi: Yeah, I think this is, um, you know, it’s a common question, right? Um, I personally would not write multiple versions of a final draft, right? Of what your personal statement will look like. Um, you know, because this is an essay that will write already be shared with all of your different universities. You want to approach writing this essay with the assumption of what is something at a baseline, right?

Chi: That all of your schools will want to learn about you or what is a baseline of something that. You want to share about yourself, right? To all of the different schools that you’re applying to. So really, you know, two sides of the same coin there. Um, but, but for cer, most schools that are [00:57:00] out there from the common app as well, right?

Chi: Like, you know, you might be writing some supplement essays, right? So like school specific essays that will then ask you questions such as like, you know, why do you wanna attend our school? Um, what is the potential major that you’re interested in studying? What are some right? Like, you know, activities or leadership experiences that have been meaningful to you?

Chi: So that is really that chance where you can then, right, like, you know, answer those more school specific questions. But for the purpose of, you know, both the common app and just personal statements as a whole, um, definitely you wanna just cater it towards more of like, you know, yourself and not at a particular university.

Lydia: Got it. And I’ll ask one last question. Um, what is your advice about. Writing about a mistake that you’ve made, um, or something that maybe doesn’t reflect you in the best light. 

Chi: Yeah. So in, in terms of, right, like, you know, I think that fits very well with prompt [00:58:00] number two, right? So I think mistake, uh, setback, right?

Chi: Like, you know, challenge as well. Um, the best way to go about it is not being afraid to be vulnerable, right? I think like a lot of essays sometimes, like, you know, it’s, it can be difficult to, right, like, you know, swallow that pride and, you know, either admit it or to share about like, you know, the steps that come next, what can be really right.

Chi: Like, you know, authentic to your own personal growth, as well as not being afraid to like, you know, maybe admit how right, at first it was a perspective that you didn’t see in the beginning, right? As well as talking about now that you’ve been able to acknowledge and recognize it, like, you know, how has your own decision making changed over time?

Chi: So, focusing a lot of right, like, you know, your essays narrative and your story in sharing more of that vulnerability, that truly is going to help only strengthen your essay further, right? By only. Focusing, let’s say for example, right? That same topic by talking about the action steps that took place afterwards, [00:59:00] that I think skips a critical component where the admissions officer is going to be able to learn more about what’s essentially your problem solving process, right?

Chi: Like, you know, how have you been able to show that sense of emotional maturity, right? Beyond just, you know, the steps that you took to reach that resolution. Which is why I think, like, you know, for question number two, right on, on the common app prompts, um, you know, that’s why they specifically asked too, right?

Chi: Like, you know, how did you respond to it and not just necessarily right. Like, you know, what came after the fact as, as well. 

Lydia: Okay, great. And just as a final wrap up question before we finish, she, do you have any like, final tips for our students or some things like that they should definitely avoid if they walk away with anything, these are the things that they should be thinking about.

Chi: Um, my sort of big tip that I share with all of my students, right, is like, you know, truly, um, this is. A [01:00:00] very right, like, you know, sort of non rigid process. So like, you know, I think when you start brainstorming, when you start, right, like, you know, expanding your essay, don’t limit yourself to the word count and don’t limit yourself or tunnel vision into just one particular question, right?

Chi: Really encourage yourself to think about like, you know, what are all of the ideas that you wanna get out onto paper? Because I think what the process, right, typically how I approach it is the hardest part is just getting your full story out there, right? Getting it to the word count, the grammatical pieces, right?

Chi: That’s actually a lot easier than what most people think in terms of the revision process, and so. Prioritize, right? Like, you know, just getting your story onto paper. And don’t be afraid to like, you know, if this particular topic isn’t necessarily what you’re looking out to be, don’t be afraid to revisit the drawing board and to try again.

Chi: Right? Like, you know, be creative, think about, right? Like, you know, multiple steps. Again, it’s not a, uh, you know, one revision essay, right? You wanna go through multiple iterations and [01:01:00] so, you know, kind of stick to that. 

Lydia: Awesome. Well, thank you everyone for coming out tonight and thank you Chief for such a thoughtful session.

Lydia: I know that. We went through a lot of questions tonight. I know that, you know, there might have been a lot of questions that you wish that we would’ve gotten to. Uh, as a reminder, you can scan this QR code here, um, and you’ll get access to CollegeAdvisor’s team of over 300 former admissions officers and admissions experts who are ready to help you and your family navigate the college admissions process and one-on-one advising sessions.

Lydia: We’ve already helped over 6,000 clients in their college journeys and in our 2021 to 2023 data we found that CollegeAdvisor students are two to four times more likely to get into colleges like Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Harvard. So increase your odds and take the next step in your college admissions journey by signing up for a free 45 to 60 minute strategy session with an admission specialist on our team using the QR code.

Lydia: On the screen during this [01:02:00] meeting, you’ll receive a preliminary assessment of your academic profile along with some initial recommendations, and in the end, you’ll also learn more about the premium packages we offer that pair you with an expert who can support you in building your college list, editing your essays, and much more.

Lydia: All right, so that wraps us up. Thank you so much Chi and thank you to everyone who joined us tonight for the amazing questions, and I hope you enjoyed the rest of your evening. Enjoy. Bye.