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.

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 ...

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 ...

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

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 ...

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

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.

How do I submit? Send submissions to: modernlove@nytimes.com.Please put the subject of your essay or a possible title in the email subject line. Limit your essay to 1,500-1,700 words.

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 ...