This is what the process might look like for the typical student. For students already working with an independent college counselor, I take the counselor’s direction and guidance to better shape and inform the process.

Free write: First I ask the student to sit down, set a timer for one hour and just write their personal statement. What comes out of this hour will be rough and probably poorly written. That’s the point! Take the pressure off and just start writing.

One-on-one Zoom session: The student and I will then speak for an hour on their free write and what the process was like for them. I will ask lots of questions and we discuss any ideas they have for their next draft. I jot down notes on a shared google doc, and by the end of a session we come up with a rough outline for their next draft.

Draft 2, 3 and 4: These drafts can typically take place over google docs. The students complete a draft and then let me know they are ready for review. I will review and send back to them within 72 hours with lots of in-text and written feedback.

Another one-on-one Zoom: The essay is starting to take shape. A one-on-one session at this point allows me to continue to ask pointed questions and help a student deepen their essay. It’s also a great time to check in and see how the process is going. It can be difficult sometimes to separate writing from self-worth, so it’s important to discuss the process especially if students are not used to receiving feedback and edits.

Draft 5, 6 and beyond: I find most essays can be finished in about 6 drafts, but that can really vary. In later drafts, the student and I focus on going through essays sentence by sentence, fixing errors, rephrasing, and streamlining. 

I am there for students from the brainstorming process to final proofreading!