Start by taking out your coaching workbook or binder; everything you need is in there.

1. Perspective: Take a moment to revisit the Trademarked Perspectives you came up with. Is there one that you can use for the college search process? Maybe there is one that we already chose? Create a structure to remind yourself of this and maybe even share it with your friends or family. Anything spoken out loud to another person automatically builds accountability.
2. Accountability!: Ask for accountability partners wherever you think you may need them.
3. Values: We’ve likely done some important work examining what we call your life themes or values. These are those 3-5 topics that are unique to you and that you need to honor on a regular basis in order to really feel fulfillment. We’ve either strung some words together (ie: freedom/independence/choice) or described something you understand with a catchy name (ie: family adventure). Take a few minutes to re-examine those and see where you are currently honoring them or not;
4. Process Values: Use the list you have created as examples as you write about the things you want to highlight to the admissions committee. If a core value is “family,” a process value might be “family adventure.” And maybe the structure you chose was a map. If you pull these together, you have great examples and/or metaphors to use in your essay that communicate how essential having family adventure is to who you are and how you show up in your life.
5. Inner Critic: Be aware of your “buddy” identified in coaching who always keeps you safe, but sometimes too safe. Make sure you are keeping that little one in check. You might want to ask them to stay outside the door while you write. Saboteurs can really get in the way when we are trying to stand out; often times, our saboteurs want us to stay very small.
6. The “Crappy First Draft” (thank you, Brene Brown): Remember that this is your first draft; it is simply a place to start. This draft will help you synthesize all that you’ve chosen to pull into the essay that makes you who you are. Once you have those bones, there are many options for the other 25%: How have these served you to overcome an obstacle? How will they serve you in your chosen major? How have they allowed you to persevere in the face of adversity? How will you use them to choose your next steps? Remember that the essay is about YOU; not about the obstacle, the major, the career, the sport, the adventure, or the club.

Choose what you want to use from our coaching or other important self-discovery you have done, tell your saboteur to get lost, and get writing. 

You have absolutely everything you need to write a personal statement that will communicate exactly who you are to the admissions committee!