How helpful is College Essay Guy's advice for Johns Hopkins essays?

College Essay Guy’s resources can be a good starting point, especially for understanding what the "collaboration" prompt is really asking—JHU is looking for evidence of how you work with others, not just a story about teamwork for its own sake. His advice to use concrete details and focus on your personal experience aligns well with what admissions officers are hoping to see. However, if you stick too closely to any template or checklist, your essay may risk blending in with others.

From what other applicants have shared, a common problem is that following a step-by-step approach leads to similar introductions or transitions (for example, “At first, I was nervous… but then I learned…”). JHU admissions actually publish examples of standout essays every year, and if you look at those, none of them feel cookie-cutter. They’re detailed, voice-driven, and often zoom in on a very specific moment or dynamic in a collaboration scenario, like resolving a conflict within a science fair team or helping two clubs unite for a charity project.

One successful applicant I know focused on a moment when a group project went off the rails because nobody wanted to impose their ideas. Instead of broad reflections on teamwork, she described a heated 15-minute discussion, how she navigated her own discomfort to break the silence, and what it taught her about facilitating communication. That level of specificity made it unique to her, not just advice from any website.

My tip: Use College Essay Guy's structure to organize your thoughts, but don't force your story into a mold. Start by writing out your actual memory of collaborating (what did the room look/sound/feel like? What did you say, and what did others do?) and then work on weaving in what you learned from it. Make sure your voice and perspective are front and center by reflecting at the end—what’s an insight only you could have concluded from that situation?

If you’re worried about sounding generic, have a friend (who knows you well) read your draft and ask, "Does this sound like me? Could anyone else write this?" Adjust based on their feedback. Unique details and honest introspection are what will make your supplement stand out, even if you use some general storytelling tips from online sources.