personal statement and supplemental essays – how to brainstorm?during the admission cycle, you’ll need to write 30-60 supplementals (especially, when you’re applying to the T20) and the holy grail of your application – personal statement
the amount of work is huge, but how to find creative and unique ideas for all these essays?🌟
here are some tips that helped me write the essays that got in the Ivy League
🚬 self-reflection
every day, we consume lots of content that provoke our thinking procceses, so i recommend you to put it down!
journaling, notes app on your phone, lists of quotes/books/movies – start doing it now, and you’ll face much less problems with idea generation for your essays
you need to stand out from the crowd, so develop your personal voice to succeed!
🧌 drafts..drafts..drafts
is it too obvious to say that you’ll never write a perfect essay on your first try? my PS had 13 drafts, and each of Brown supplementals 5-6 drafts
aiming to write a perfect piece in one seat, your mind falls into a cognitive trap
tell the difference:
i have only one draft and 1 hour to write a perfect essay
i have my document where i can write a new draft and edit it as much as i want
to be creative & unique you need to relax your mind. harsh time and drafts limits either do the opposite
pro tip: start early, guys!
🌎 pleasant atmosphere
turn on your favourite music, go to a cafe you like, or simply eat your favourite snack before the writing session – all of these «comforting» activities helped me significantly during Sep-Oct rush
🌟 AI
AI for brainstorming & grammar check🩷
use AI wisely! i see that applicants underestimate how obvious (and, honestly, just bad) AI essays look
can robot write a symphony? well, right now, hell no
use your personal voice and mind!
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let me know in the comments what struggles you have with writing your essays. i genuinely love creative writing, so i’d be happy to give more tips in the 2nd part✨