How to Outline & Structure Your College Essay

[@tulipandsquirrel9285]

This is fantastic! Really clear and you've explained it in a way that removes the overwhelm.

[@Collegeessayguy]

Thanks for saying so!

[@adnanhabib6528]

​@@CollegeessayguyHey Ethan, thanks so much for your effort to make all these. Could you kindly link me with some of your videos that talks about the narrative structure or challenge based essay? Please. I couldn't find much. Thanks in advance!

[@lavanyareddy4797]

Thank you Very much for giving us a Clarity /approach to an Essay especially the method and techniques.

[@Collegeessayguy]

You're so welcome!

[@mariamawhai369]

Thank you very much for this video. My kids are going to love it for their essays....see more of you....

[@Collegeessayguy]

Awesome! Thanks for watching.

[@pliersss7871]

Ethan, thanks to your materials I finally could write a draft that actually sounds like myself. Thank you so much.

[@Collegeessayguy]

Awesome! Thanks for watching. :)

[@aayushkhanal7824]

great video helped a lot

[@Collegeessayguy]

Thanks for watching!

[@ermi6880]

Thank you Ethan, You are really making those days on your browser count!

[@Collegeessayguy]

LOL! Thank you!

[@jasonstoeckel]

I wanted to focus my essay on the summer job that I picked up at a Mexican restaurant during the pandemic that I ended up keeping for over a year and a half. I wanted to touch on how I used my Spanish speaking skills to connect with some of my coworkers that know very little English as well as boast a little about the connections that I’ve made and how this job has turned me into a hard working, well adapted young man. Let me know what you think about this idea because I’m pretty unsure. Thanks.

[@Collegeessayguy]

That topic could work! A good question to ask yourself is: "Does this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests I offer the school as an incoming student?" If yes, then start outlining and writing your first drafts. If no, go back to brainstorming!

[@sayatzhaleken6639]

His eyes are wonderful

[@Collegeessayguy]

LOL! Thanks for sharing.

[@pranathimurthy2724]

Hi Ethan just started brainstorming my college essay topics and found that i could make it work by writing about music and how as i grew up in India i was exposed to so many different forms and languages and how each type depicts my core values or how i view life. Do you think its a common topic to write about ? Also should i have created any change with this topic in a community level for my essay to stand out ? PS- your videos have been a literal godsend, making me clearer and much less scared about how i want my essay to be. thanks a lot!

[@Collegeessayguy]

That topic could work and it's not very common, as far as I know! A good question to ask yourself is: "Does this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests I offer the school as an incoming student?" If yes, then start outlining and writing your first drafts. If no, go back to brainstorming!

[@aiya414]

Thank you for your useful videos! Is it a good idea to write an essay about my life in the village and all the difficulties I had there (ex: there are no opportunities for development), but in the end it gave me a chance to create opportunities by myself. Is it suitable more for narrative structure?

[@Collegeessayguy]

You have the right idea! Yes, that topic can work! Try outlining it. :)

[@akshatsingh7325]

Thank you sir

[@Collegeessayguy]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@bereketgidey7167]

Essay guy, do you think writing about war is a decent topic ?

[@cryingrightnow7928]

So if my topic is about how my abandonment issues shaped me which structure would you recommend

[@Collegeessayguy]

If you're going to be writing about a challenge, the Narrative structure may feel more natural/easy.

[@tdipdorey]

For the montage structure, how many jellyfish bubbles are too many? Should we limit the value "connections" to a certain number? For a 650 word essay, is 5 or 6 value connections a good amount?

[@Collegeessayguy]

5-6 values is great!

[@anirudhjdev1906]

wonderful video, really helpful. A question, can I write about a time I faced a small challenge but learned something big from it in my significant challenge essay?

[@Collegeessayguy]

If it wasn't a big challenge, you might consider avoiding talking about it in an essay that specifically asks for a "big" challenge.

[@shadibuchanan3133]

I like the montage topic, I want to write about puzzles, how do I start it and connect all of my values. The stickers example was really direct but I don’t know if that strategy would work for anything else.

[@ScootTooner]

yeah im having the same problem. Have you figured it out since this comment? If so, care to share any tips? :)

[@shadibuchanan3133]

@@ScootTooner I just started my paragraph by introducing the puzzle. Then saying what I actually did with it. Then giving a little anecdote related to the values the puzzle taught me. Ex: On my right wall is my planet puzzle. The 500 piece puzzle took me 8 days to complete. When I finished it gave me more than satisfaction, but a growth in my patience and willpower. When I had to start my nonprofit from scratch, I just thought of it as this puzzle and never gave up. Something stupid like that

[@ScootTooner]

@@shadibuchanan3133 makse sense ill try that thanks

[@Collegeessayguy]

You're on the right track! It's OK to use a different format for your essense object essay. Keep brainstorming essay content and working on your outline. :)

[@naderebrahim6756]

what about writing a montage with little challenges in some paragraphs??

[@Collegeessayguy]

Yep, that could work!

[@jackiealiah1343]

I was writing my PIQs and I was wondering, if I worked part time to almost full time at a job (sometimes 8 days in a row for 5-8 hours/day) last semester and I wanted to mention how I balanced it with school such as using my lunch breaks to write my research paper and communicating to stay only on night shifts, would this count as a challenge essay for prompt 5? I thought of mentioning my role as a cashier for the leadership prompt, but I felt like I showed more leadership in my tutoring position.

[@Collegeessayguy]

It could work! I go more in depth about UC 5 in my blog here: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/uc-essay-prompts#J6

[@thundercat5998]

Hi Ethan Your videos have helped me more than anything in the world to write my essays, but i really can't find any advice on these two specific topics that i need to write about. I was wondering of you could give any advice for them. The first prompt is: Please cite any cases in which you practised consideration, sharing, cooperation, and/or conflict management and describe what you learned from and felt during the process(es). (within 1500characters/200words) (Required) And the other one is: Please write if there is any other information you would like to tell us regarding your family/social background or difficulties you had to overcome in the past. (within 1000 characters/150words) (Required) They are due in almost 4 days and I have no idea what to write about which will be better to make me stand out since I really didn't have much conflict situations. Thanks a bunch Ps. keep making these awesome vids

[@Collegeessayguy]

Hi there! Which school(s) are those prompts for? It's possible I have a blog post on my website that could help you. www.collegeessayguy.com/supplemental-essays

[@albamicaelarenteriaenrique9760]

I understand the point, but I don't know how to answer the common app prompts, how can I answer the prompt I choose and still have a montage structure ;(

[@Collegeessayguy]

I recommend writing your essay for the "topic of your choice" prompt so you have more freedom/flexibility with your essay content.

[@albamicaelarenteriaenrique9760]

@@Collegeessayguy omg thank u, I was actually brainstorming yesterday with all the exercises you recommend, and I think I got a topic, but I have another question if my topic is like drawing a specific type of art that is unique and different each time you draw a new piece can I used to frame my different identities, I don't know if it's good enough ;(

[@lizziek5207]

Can I have multiple topics inside of a montage structure if I connect them all together in a final paragraph? Also, how do I format my essay?

[@Collegeessayguy]

Sure, that could work! We have a formatting guide here: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/college-essay-format

[@shawanashahrinrahman458]

Hey Ethan! Once again great video. But how to understand if my essay topic is gonna work in case of narrative structure?

[@Collegeessayguy]

The Feelings & Needs exercise will help you brainstorm content for a narrative essay AND outline your essay structure. Start there! kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5ynqodnqqufba8

[@cpsilly7343]

Is it okay if my montage topic is more general at first like home? But then I dive into different places that feel like home. I also moved a lot growing up.. so I think it would nicely tie that in without making it my entire essay!

[@Collegeessayguy]

That approach could work! A good question to ask yourself is: "Does this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests I offer the school as an incoming student?" If yes, then start outlining and writing your first drafts. If no, go back to brainstorming!

[@hammaadmemon]

The prompt for my school says “Tell a story that describes your character or helped shape it.” Would be possible to somehow use a montage structure and answer the prompt? Or would I be better off with a narrative structure?

[@Collegeessayguy]

Either structure could work there!

[@khamsumwangchuk1399]

Hello Ethan. I want to write about how science and religion are an important part of my identity and that I faced an identity crisis as both of them couldn't go together. I will then write about how I was able to accept both of them in the end. Is this a good topic?

[@Collegeessayguy]

That topic could work! A good question to ask yourself is: "Does this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests I offer the school as an incoming student?" If yes, then start outlining and writing your first drafts. If no, go back to brainstorming!

[@ScootTooner]

So you have the topic of chess, and you have all of these different values, how do you really put that into paragraphs?

[@Collegeessayguy]

This blog post may help you generate some content now that you have an outline! www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#C=

[@yurireis4842]

I have a narrative and montage stories ! I really don't know what to approach! what is going to be the best choice

[@Collegeessayguy]

Either topic could work! A good question to ask yourself is: "Will this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests I offer the school as an incoming student?"

[@ahmesahmed9202]

If you could change one thing in your community what would it be? And why? And how How I should answer this essay?

[@Collegeessayguy]

Hi there! You should answer the essay according to your own perspective and experiences within your community. Only you can bring the specificity and context that the prompt is asking for. If you need general essay writing tips for inspiration, feel free to head to our website: www.collegeessayguy.com/

[@ennaa2577]

i have started working on my essay about 2 weeks ago ( i know. i know...) and every time i hit a wall i clik on one if your videos, even the ones i have seen before, and somehow i find something new, get inspired and continue working on that dreaded essay! works like magic, thank u very much

[@Collegeessayguy]

You got this!

[@vanshithbhandari1696]

Hey Ethan, Thanks for the video. I am planning to write my essay on how my 7 years of residential school life has shaped me. It's kind of "home" essay in the montage essay. It would be great if you could make a video about the "home" kind of montage essay:)

[@Collegeessayguy]

Noted. Thanks for chiming in!

[@monikachhetri4155]

hey , Are you from Nepal and just guessing.. From gbs?

[@alanye7542]

Thank you so much!!!

[@Collegeessayguy]

You're welcome!

[@parnamukherjee1994]

Thanks a lot for the video, Sir! Could you please share some sample college essays of students that have got selected too. Do you also help with UCAS personal statement as well? Many Thanks!

[@Collegeessayguy]

There are tons of essay examples from our previous students who got accepted to several schools included in a handful of blog posts. I recommend starting here: www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/personal-statement-examples

[@sebastianb2537]

hahahaha halfway into a chess essay watching this video

[@Collegeessayguy]

Ha!

[@Crazy77772]

Hello👋 Did you complete your chess essay Sebastian? I was also thinking of writing on chess. Would you please guide me about what would make it more interesting? I would appreciate your help a lot

[@renee5818]

Hello Can I write about how I experienced a failure which is , I had to re-take an entire grade just because I wasn't able to score well in 1 or 2 subjects, I could've easily passed but because of that subject I had to repeat my 11th grade.Can I say about how that changed my life and how it made me a better person or is failing an entire grade make me look worthless and I cannot achieve anything, If I mention that would it make the admissions officers look down on me? I mean there are so many thousands writing their essays about their achievements and everything. I feel like if i mention that failure, it would make them think maybe I'm not capable enough, I know that's not true but what if they think like that? How should I go about this? I would really be grateful & honored if you'd help me out with this. Thank you

[@Collegeessayguy]

If you want to write about challenge that you've overcome, a great way to generate content for your topic is to do the Feelings & Needs Exercise. If you do it well, it basically turns into an outline for your first essay draft. I recommend starting there! The video for the Feelings & Needs Exercise is on my channel. Hope this helps!

[@renee5818]

@@Collegeessayguy Will definitely do it. Thank you very much!

[@akshatdubey7904]

Do you do only one-off sessions on college vine? Is there a way to work with you on my essays for an extended period?

[@Collegeessayguy]

Thank you for reaching out regarding working one-on-one with me and my team. We're happy to share more! So that we can learn a bit more about you and your situation, can you fill out the form on this page? www.collegeessayguy.com/college-essay-review-services Once we receive that, Devon from our team will follow up with next steps about our packages and process. Thank you!

[@md.yaminur9976]

Can`t I write both the structures combined or meshed within?

[@Collegeessayguy]

Sure, hybrid essays are definitely a thing! Go for it.

[@temesgenmetaferia7833]

Really thanks a lot !

[@Collegeessayguy]

You're welcome!

[@itsgarimagupta]

Thankyou so much

[@Collegeessayguy]

You're so welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@eyuelandualem4980]

Can I write about being a last child

[@Collegeessayguy]

That topic could work! A good question to ask yourself is: "Does this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests I offer the school as an incoming student?" If yes, then start outlining and writing your first drafts. If no, go back to brainstorming!

[@eyuelandualem4980]

Can I write about being a last child

[@Collegeessayguy]

That topic could work! A good question to ask yourself is: "Does this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests I offer the school as an incoming student?" If yes, then start outlining and writing your first drafts. If no, go back to brainstorming!

[@williamjclinton2998]

You're so sigma and based!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Collegeessayguy]

LOL...thank you!

[@elianaardas894]

God bless you, thank you very much ♡

[@Collegeessayguy]

You are so welcome.

[@anivaldosambo7394]

Thank you 😁

[@Collegeessayguy]

You're welcome!

[@rujhanzaynab4887]

Hi! your videos have been amazingly helpful and as an international student from a Third World country free resources like these means so much. So I've been brainstorming this idea that most of the people I've met have mispronounce my name and I wanted to write my essay about that. I am not an immigrant so this essay is not really about my race and its connection to my name. Do you think it's it's an idea that it's quite common now or that admissions officers might find this as me being arrogant or whiny? I would ask my counselor about it but she was pronounces my name as well so ha ha, also if you think I should write about it, do you think it will fit the montage or challenge structure of essay?

[@Collegeessayguy]

Overall, the structure you choose for your essay is up to you. Remember-- narrative structure works well for talking about a challenge you've overcome, and montage structure should work for just about anything else. I've seen students write about their own names before-- so there is definitely an approach to doing it well! Ask yourself-- does this topic demonstrate the skills, qualities, values, and interests that I bring to the school as an incoming student? If yes, you may have found a good topic. If no, I recommend brainstorming and outlining a few more topic options.

[@michaslusarczyk2502]

Hi Ethan, Thank you so much for your help with application, If I’m applying to University with my second half, is it proper to mention it somewhere in the profile or in any other part of our application? Will this thread be an advantage or disadvantage? Should we use it in our essays? What do you think?

[@Collegeessayguy]

Hi there! I'm not sure I understand your question. Could you try asking a different way?

[@michaslusarczyk2502]

I wanted to say that with my girlfirend, we are applying as international students to Universities in US. Is it worth to mention that we know each other in our application?

[@athenango8713]

@@michaslusarczyk2502 i know this might be too late, but no. Your application has nothing to do with your girlfriend. Your essay and profile is about YOU, not you and ur gf