The Uncommon College Essay: An Approachable Guide to an Intimidating Process

A quick and easy guide to helping students write compelling and effective college admissions essays.

Stacey Brook, the Founder and Chief Advisor at College Essay Advisors (CEA), provides students and parents with a core understanding of the college essay's purpose and impact, as well as a step-by-step process to ensure an assignment that is often overwhelming becomes manageable and enjoyable. Stacey's "Uncommon Essay Approach" includes five core steps-The Backwards Brainstorm, Freewriting Party, Drilling Around and Drilling Down, Essay Mapping, and The Final Polish- that lead to the generation of a standout college essay; and Stacey takes you through every step with detailed explanations, exercises and a generous helping of parenthetical asides (she can't help it). By the time applicants finish this book, they should feel confident in their ability to tackle everything from the college application's main personal statement to a wide range of those pesky (and preponderous!) school-specific supplemental assignments. Most importantly, Stacey will provide insight and practical tips for communicating authentic, engaging (uncommon!) stories to admissions. She will help answer burning questions like:
Does the college essay matter?
How do you know when you've found the magic topic?
But what if you're boring?
How do you conquer the blank page?
What is a school-specific supplemental essay?
With Stacey's expertise and advice at your fingertips, students will be able to write essays that deftly communicate their strengths, motivations, passions, core personality traits and other intangibles that are often impossible to glean from a transcript alone. Learn to identify your most illuminating stories and write essays that get you noticed-and accepted.