Powerful College Admission Essays: A Guide to Telling Your Story

An empowering, step-by-step guide to crafting compelling college admission essays that stand out and showcase your unique story.

The college essay is a defining moment in the admission process that offers students the chance to showcase their unique stories and voices beyond grades and test scores alone. Powerful College Admission Essays is a practical guide designed to help students and families navigate this challenging task. Written by seasoned admission professionals and counselors with decades of experience, this book helps students write distinct essays that authentically reflect who they are.

This essential guide covers the entire process--from brainstorming and storytelling to structure, tone, and editing--while addressing common hurdles like writer's block, clichés, and the complexities of integrating AI tools responsibly. Recognizing the pivotal role of families and educators, the authors, Brennan Barnard and Shereem Herndon-Brown, include insights on how parents and counselors can support students without taking over the process. It's an invaluable resource not only for high school students and their families but also for teachers and counselors leading essay-writing workshops or working with underserved and first-generation college applicants.

Unlike other books that promise shortcuts or "secrets" to a perfect essay, this guide emphasizes introspective and thoughtful self-expression. It prepares students to adapt their writing to the changing admissions landscape, including recent shifts following the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action. Powerful College Admission Essays offers the tools and inspiration to transform the college essay from a source of stress into an opportunity for growth and storytelling.

Brennan Barnard is the director of college counseling for Khan Lab School and for the College Guidance Network. He also serves as the college admission program advisor for the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common project. He is a coauthor of The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together and The Truth about College Admission Workbook: A Family Organizer for Your College Search. Shereem Herndon-Brown is the founder and chief education officer of Strategic Admissions Advice, an educational consulting firm specializing in the creation of college counseling curriculum for charter schools and school districts, online essay courses, and personalized college advice coaching. He is a coauthor of The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions: A Conversation about Education, Parenting, and Race.