What is 'The Great College Essay Test' and is it helpful for writing my personal statement?
So, I've heard a couple of people mention something called 'The Great College Essay Test' when talking about college applications and writing essays. I'm a rising senior and starting to work on my personal statement. I want to know what exactly this test is and if it's something I should use to check my essays before I submit them.
If anyone has any experience with it, can you let me know if it actually makes your essay stronger or is it just another checklist? I'd appreciate any advice or personal experiences about how it worked for you or if there are other tools that might do the same thing.
If anyone has any experience with it, can you let me know if it actually makes your essay stronger or is it just another checklist? I'd appreciate any advice or personal experiences about how it worked for you or if there are other tools that might do the same thing.
4 months ago
•
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Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
The Great College Essay Test is a tool or framework designed to help students evaluate whether their college essays (especially the Common App personal statement) are doing what they need to do. It isn’t an actual graded test, but a checklist of questions you ask about your draft to gauge its effectiveness. The test asks things like: Does the essay reveal something essential about me that wouldn’t be obvious through my activities list? Is there a clear sense of reflection and self-awareness? Does the story demonstrate my values or character traits? Would another student be able to copy and paste their name into my essay, or is it unique to me?
People use it as a gut check once they’ve written a draft. One way students find it helpful is that it guides them beyond simply telling a story, encouraging them to show their growth, motivations, or unique perspectives. For example, if you've written about helping out in a family restaurant, the test might prompt you to go beyond repeating what you did and focus on how that experience shaped your perspective or future goals.
A friend of mine used The Great College Essay Test after her first draft, and she realized her essay just described an event rather than showcasing her identity. She used the feedback to revise, weaving in reflection about what she learned and how it connected to her ambitions.
If you like concrete steps, the test can be a great way to make your drafts more personal and reflective, rather than a generic narrative. However, don’t let it feel like a box-ticking exercise—use it as a flexible guideline. There are other tools and frameworks out there, but the point is to use something to evaluate if your essay really brings you to life for the reader.
Overall, it’s worth going through the test at least once after finishing a draft, especially if you want to be sure your personal statement stands out. If you feel stuck, sharing your essay with someone you trust and seeing if they learn something new or surprising about you is another good test.
People use it as a gut check once they’ve written a draft. One way students find it helpful is that it guides them beyond simply telling a story, encouraging them to show their growth, motivations, or unique perspectives. For example, if you've written about helping out in a family restaurant, the test might prompt you to go beyond repeating what you did and focus on how that experience shaped your perspective or future goals.
A friend of mine used The Great College Essay Test after her first draft, and she realized her essay just described an event rather than showcasing her identity. She used the feedback to revise, weaving in reflection about what she learned and how it connected to her ambitions.
If you like concrete steps, the test can be a great way to make your drafts more personal and reflective, rather than a generic narrative. However, don’t let it feel like a box-ticking exercise—use it as a flexible guideline. There are other tools and frameworks out there, but the point is to use something to evaluate if your essay really brings you to life for the reader.
Overall, it’s worth going through the test at least once after finishing a draft, especially if you want to be sure your personal statement stands out. If you feel stuck, sharing your essay with someone you trust and seeing if they learn something new or surprising about you is another good test.
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Camille Luong
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Stanford University, BAH in Urban Studies
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5 years
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