Does anyone have advice on using College Essay Guy's tips for the Caltech essays?

Using resources like College Essay Guy can be a solid way to kickstart your brainstorming for Caltech essays, especially if you’re feeling stuck. His site often includes helpful prompts, examples of strong writing, and exercises to get you thinking more deeply about your experiences. People have found value in the 'I am...' and 'Essence Objects' exercises for getting personal and authentic, which is key for tech-focused schools like Caltech that value individuality behind the numbers.

That said, it’s pretty common for a lot of applicants to use these big-name resources, so one downside is that if you follow the structures or language too closely, your essay might start to sound like others. The risk here is that you unintentionally blend in rather than standing out. For example, if his advice is to write about a time when you solved a problem and your essay formulaically follows, "Problem – What I Did – What I Learned," it might not have the originality or personal voice Caltech is looking for.

A good workaround is to use the exercises to excavate genuinely unusual details or moments from your life, then break out of suggested formats if your story feels stronger that way. For the "STEM experiences outside the classroom" Caltech prompt, College Essay Guy might recommend a narrative arc, but if your defining STEM moment was troubleshooting the family Wi-Fi at 2 am or building a makeshift telescope using kitchen supplies, focusing on those quirky/specific details can make it more your own.

Another thing to watch is tone. Essays for Caltech benefit from authenticity but also from lightness, focus, and a healthy respect for nerdiness. If a template or outline makes you sound stiff or overly packaged, try free-writing without checking back and only later compare to his guidance to tighten up clarity and structure.

From what others have shared, using popular resources isn’t inherently a disadvantage, but those who were most successful put in extra effort to go beyond what’s suggested—bringing in highly personal stories, unique approaches, or nontraditional essay structures. For example, someone once wrote about shadowing their older sibling’s coding club meetings through a bathroom vent—unexpected and totally them!

In short: Use College Essay Guy for inspiration or to get unstuck, but don’t over-rely on any formula. Mix his exercises with your quirkiest real-life moments and your natural rhythms of storytelling. That combination is what will help you sound genuinely you for Caltech.