How to Write an Outstanding
Personal Statement

A live step-by-step video course on writing an outstanding college personal statement.

  Weekly live sessions for every step of the process
  20+ video lessons, available anytime, anywhere
  20+ sample essays to inspire you
  Live essay review sessions
  620+ colleges accept the personal statement you’ll write in this course

Join me live throughout September & October 2025
 
 
 
Writing a personal statement can be challenging
Every year, we help thousands of students answer questions like...

How do I choose a topic that helps me stand out?

How do I structure my personal statement to make it engaging?

What experiences, interests, and qualities should I include in my essay?

How do I show my achievements without sounding like I’m bragging?

Are any personal statement topics off-limits?

How do I know when I’m done writing?

How to Write an Outstanding Personal Statement
A Live & On-Demand Video Course for Students
 

From the moment you register, you’ll have access to on-demand video lessons to watch before the live sessions, so you’re ready to go.

Then, guided by the live sessions, you’ll complete tried-and-tested assignments, including writing your first draft.

Each week, I workshop real students’ essays & answer all of your college essay and application questions, ensuring you end the course with an outstanding personal statement.

 
Here's what Shreya said about the course
 
 
Course Content in Detail
Our personal statement course comes in four super detailed modules that you can work through at your own pace, guided by our Choose Your Own Adventure Essay Tool.

Live Sessions ARE September 24th & October 1st, 8th, & 15th

  • Session 1: Brainstorming (Wednesday, September 24th)

  • Session 2: Outlining & Writing (Wednesday, October 1st)

  • Session 3: Revising (Wednesday, October 8th)

  • Session 4: Refining & Upleveling (Wednesday, October 15)

Live sessions will be held at 4-5:30pm PT (7-8:30pm ET).
We will record each live session and upload the recordings to the course.

 
MODULE 1
Brainstorming
  • What’s the Purpose of the Personal Statement?
  • What are the Four Qualities of an Outstanding Personal Statement?
  • 7 Mini Brainstorming Exercises
  • How These Exercises Can Lead to an Essay Topic
  • What Should I Do if I Can’t Decide on a Topic?
  • Montage vs. Narrative Structure
  • 7 Types of Montage Essay
  • What Is Narrative Structure & How Does it Work?
Module 1 Brainstorming
Module 2 Outlining & Writing
MODULE 2
Outlining & Writing
  • Why Other People Write Bad First Drafts (And How to Not Be Like Them)
  • Why You Should Create a Solid Outline Before You Start
  • How to Outline Using the 7 Montage Paths
  • How to Outline Using the Narrative Path
  • How to Write Your First Draft
  • How to Get Feedback (If You Want it) on Your First Draft
  • Personal Feedback from Me on Some of Your Topic Ideas
MODULE 3
Revising
  • How to Raise the Stakes and Draw Your Reader in
  • 11 Ideas for Improving the Middle of a Challenges-Based Essay
  • How to Uplevel Each Paragraph in a Montage Essay
  • How to Make My Challenges More Clear
  • How to Make Sure Your Personal Statement “Flows”
  • Personal Feedback from Me on a Variety of Your Essays-in-Progress
Module 3 Revising
Module 4 Refining
MODULE 4
Refining
  • 10 Ways to End a Personal Statement
  • The Great College Essay Test (i.e., How to Know If Your Personal Statement Is Doing its Job)
  • Tips for Polishing (When You’re Ready)
  • Personal Feedback from Me on (Basically) As Many Essays As I Can Get to
Also Included . . .
Inside the Choose Your Own Adventure Essay Tool, you’ll also find answers to the most common questions students ask as they create their personal statement. Including…
  • Are There Any Topics I Should Avoid Writing About?
  • How Can I Write a Great Hook/Intro?
  • 19 Ways to Make Your Essay More Insightful
  • 3 Ideas for Starting a Challenges-Based Essay
  • 7 More Ideas for Starting a Montage Essay
  • Ways to Add "Flow" to an Essay
Also Included
If you’re looking for support as you craft your personal statement . . . we've got you.

Whether you're using the Common Application, Coalition Application, or applying to one of the many hundreds of colleges and universities in the US, this course will give you the tools to write an essay that demonstrates your core values and how you'll make meaningful contributions to a college campus.

With over a dozen video lessons, recorded sessions with Ethan, great sample essays, a comprehensive step-by-step workbook, and tons of practical techniques, we feel pretty confident this is just about the most comprehensive course of its kind.

A course built with you in mind
Our personal statement is built on five proven principles:
Inspired
Brainstorming

A great personal statement starts with finding what matters to you, then generating at least 2-3 potential essay topics.

Effective
Outlining

Before you start drafting, you’ll learn how to test which topic might be strongest for you with our five minute outline technique.

Bringing Ideas
to Life

You’ll discover techniques to help your story grab the reader’s attention.

 
Standing
Out

We’ll help you avoid common topics, and even share with you a list of the most common, based on our experience reading more than 10,000 essays.

Knowing When You're Done

You’ll also learn how to know when your essay is doing its job and ready to submit, saving you time and stress.


 
Here's what Sophie's said about the course
 
 
Meet Your Course Leader
Ethan Sawyer is an internationally recognized college essay expert and sought-after speaker. Each year he helps thousands of students and counselors through his online courses, workshops, articles, products, and books, and works privately with a small number of students. A graduate of Northwestern University, Ethan holds an MFA from UC Irvine, two counseling certificates, and is certified in Myers-Briggs and hypnotherapy. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife and their amazing daughter.
Watch me analyze one of my favorite college essays, from a student who did this course.
 
 
A few more kind words from students who took the course
“Cannot imagine going through this process without you. The process flow is terrific with the value brainstorming at the beginning and the thoughtful essay shaping to bring out the story behind the applicant. Highly recommend.”

Nira, Student

“The College Essay Guy reduced our family's stress, increased my daughter's confidence, and kept her on schedule while helping her create fantastic essays that reflected her personality and future goals—priceless!”

Sarah, Parent

“I’ve been known to procrastinate on EVERYTHING. However, this course helped to keep me motivated and productive as I knew that this course would be able to really help me on the college application process. If you are one to slack off or procrastinate, I suggest taking this course. As long as you do your assignments to the best of your ability and on time, you will benefit in the long run. It may seem like a lot of work, but it will be worth it when your hard work pays off and you accomplish your goals.”

Imani, Student

“I came into this course thinking I was a hopeless case because I didn't have any harrowing tales of struggle. I tried just being really braggy in my essay, but I found a real focus in my last paragraph, where I talked about a topic that meant a lot to me. I had originally thought I shouldn't talk about that topic because it was such a GOOD experience for me and I thought it would be too shallow. I learned that I could talk about what I loved as an essay topic if I could infuse it with my values.”

Jordan, Student

Join my live personal statement course today
20+ Video Lessons

Watch the lessons wherever and whenever you want. You have access for a full year.

20+ Sample Essays

Read inspiring sample essays and learn why they work so well.

620 Colleges

...use the Common App and the personal statement you write in this course will work for them all.

 
100% Guaranteed

If you're not completely satisfied with the course, get a full refund within 30 days.

1 Goal

Craft an outstanding personal statement.


 


PAY IN FULL

One Time Payment
  • Live Q&A Sessions w/ Ethan
  • Covers Everything for the Main College Personal Statement
  • Learn to Brainstorm, Write, and Revise Your Essays
  • 30+ Video Modules
  • 1 Year Access to the Choose Your Own Adventure Tool
$297


Payment Plan

Four Monthly Payments
  • Live Q&A Sessions w/ Ethan
  • Covers Everything for the Main College Personal Statement
  • Learn to Brainstorm, Write, and Revise Your Essays
  • 30+ Video Modules
  • 1 Year Access to the Choose Your Own Adventure Tool
$74/mo


1-on-1 Support

1-on-1 Essay and Application Support with College Essay Guy
  • Dig deep and uncover your unique story
  • Craft outstanding college essays & applications alongside your coach
  • Optional: Get college counseling & admissions planning support
Interested?
Pay What You Can Spots
Access is really important to me. In fact, it’s at the heart of most everything I do, and it’s why so many resources on my site are free. Can’t afford the course? We offer pay-what-you-can spots for students from low-income homes. Just click below to request a Pay-What-You-Can spot.
Frequently Asked Questions

+How do I log in?

If you have purchased any of our online video courses or live webinars, you can login by going to the website menu bar > Log In > Online Courses. You can view that page here. From there you can access all of your products in your library.

+What’s the homework?

You can find the homework inside the course. The homework is optional, and it is meant to guide you through each module. You do NOT have to send us your completed homework assignment.

+How long do I have access to the course?

Students have access to the course for one year from the date of purchase.

+Is it a guarantee my essays or other materials will be reviewed during the course?

Unfortunately we have a small team and are not currently able to guarantee essay and college app reviews as a part of this course.

However, sometimes Ethan may ask for students to submit a few essay drafts to review during the live sessions as an example for the group. In this case, we will let you know during the course where to send essays for a potential review. It is NOT a guarantee that your materials will get reviewed if you submit them for the course.

+Can I get a discount?

Access is really important to all of us at College Essay Guy. It’s at the heart of most everything Ethan does and is why so many resources on the site are free. As this is something we are passionate about, we have an option to submit a pay-what-you-can request on each of our course pages.

+What if I can't afford it? What is “Pay-What-You-Can”?

Access is really important to all of us at College Essay Guy. It’s at the heart of most everything we do and is why so many resources on the site are free and pay-what-you-can. We offer pay-what-you-can spots for students from low-income homes. You can submit a request on this page at the links above. As this is something we are passionate about, we have an option to submit a pay-what-you-can request on each of our course pages.

+What if I have another question?

My FAQ page has you covered. Or, if you can't find the answer there, shoot an email to my team: help@collegeessayguy.com.