At least, this is what the most popular personal essays of the last few years have taught us. Think of the swathes of first-person, “confessional” stories by women that have gone viral recently.

What makes this exercise even worse with the personal essay is that students don’t have a product to sell. They are being told to think of themselves as the product. Advertisement.

The personal essay is a critical opportunity for college applicants to showcase their creativity, original perspectives, and unique qualifications for admission.

To explore how and why we travel with loved ones, we present Companion Fare, a series of personal essays about the intersections of travel and love that falls outside the boundaries of traditional ...

A mark of a good writer, whether fiction, essay, or poetry, is the ability to unflinchingly illuminate the emotional issues that people often try to suppress. An exemplar is Phillip Lopate, long ...

Essays are personal and judgmental — and that’s a compliment. Critic Michael Dirda praises the value of the personal essay, in particular the works of Arthur Krystal, Phillip Lopate and Mary Butts ...

about 25 minutes as well. the first deadline for college applications is next month. it’s just days away and high school seniors are writing personal statements and essays.

Can personal essays help diversify universities? Details, stories, and other examples drawn from applicants’ academic and personal experiences have always mattered.

Stumped Student. Dear Stumped Student, First, it’s important that you understand that an essay can play a huge role in your application. If nothing else, let that fact prime the pump and start ...

Many college applications require a personal essay, which can be daunting for students to write. But a few simple tips, some introspection and insight into what admissions officers are looking for ...