How to Write a Personal Statement: A 3-Day Intensive Online Course for Students, Parents & Counselors (Oct. 2016)
“I think this course really changed my life."
–Angela G
Friday, October 14 - Sunday, October 16, 2016
Start: Friday, Oct. 14 at 5pm PDT
End: Sunday, Oct. 16 at 4pm PDT
Resources Provided:
- Daily Sessions + Q&A Recordings for those who can’t attend every session
- Course PDF with everything you need to write a great draft
- Copy of #1 Amazon Best-Selling College Essay Essentials
DAILY LESSON LINEUP
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14
5:00-7:00pm PDT: Sessions 1 & 2: How to Find Your Essay Topic & How to Write Each of the Four Essay Types
7:00-7:30pm PDT: Ethan Workshops Your Topics Live
In Session 1 you’ll learn: 1) Six ways to find your essay topic, 2) What makes a great topic, 3) The four types of essays, 4) Two sure-fire ways to structure your essay (based on screenwriting structure), 5) How to brag without sounding like you’re bragging, plus I’ll analyze two awesome essays.
In Session 2 you’ll learn: 1) How to outline your essay in a step-by-step way, 2) What are some challenges you should consider writing about, 3) How to connect your challenges to your future career, 4) What to write about if you haven’t faced any challenges or if you have no idea what to write about, 5) How much sharing is too much? plus I’ll analyze four more awesome essays.
HW: Write a first draft!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15
8:00-10:00am PDT: Virtual Study Hall w/ Ethan
I’ll be standing by in the Virtual Classroom taking your questions live as you write.
10:00-11:30am PDT: Sessions 3 & 4: Revising Your Essay in Five Steps & The Great College Essay Test
How do you know if your essay is flowing? I’ll show you. How do you know if it’s great? I’ll tell you what I look for, based on my Four Qualities of a Great Essay. (If you’ve written an essay, here’s where you’ll find out if it stacks up.)
11:30am-12:15pm PDT: Lunch Break
We gotta eat!
12:15-3:00pm PDT: Virtual Study Hall w/ Ethan
Time for you to write. I’ll be standing by on call during this time in the Virtual Classroom, to answer your questions as you write.
3:00pm-4:00pm: Session 5: Ethan Workshops Your Essays Live
HW: Complete drafts of your four personal insight questions.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16
10:00-11:30am: Session 6: Bringing Your Essay to Life or When to Scrap What You Have and Start Over
In this session I’ll show you some truly extraordinary essays and we’ll discuss techniques you can borrow (read: steal) from them to make your essay extraordinary too.
11:30am-2:00pm: Finish your draft
Time for you to write again! And, once more, I’ll be on call during this time in the Virtual Classroom, standing by to answer your questions as they come up.
2:00pm-4:00pm: Session 7: Celebrating Your Work Live & Next Steps
I’ll read your essays aloud (live!) so we can celebrate your hard work. Then I’ll give you some tips for what to do next and how to receive feedback.
