What format should I use for my personal college essay?

You aren't required to stick to a strict format like the five-paragraph essay you may have learned in high school. In fact, many successful college personal essays are much more flexible—some look like stories, some use dialogue, some even play with structure or timeline. The important thing is to showcase your personality, values, and the way you think.

A commonly used structure is the narrative approach, where you start with a personal anecdote or moment that mattered to you, show how it affected or changed you, and then offer some reflection on its meaning. This could look like opening in the middle of a tense scene, flashing back to provide context, and then moving forward to share what you learned. For example, someone might start their essay in the middle of a debate tournament, panicking as they realize their notes are missing, then weave in background about their fear of public speaking, and finish by explaining how the experience taught them to improvise and trust themselves.

You can also be creative with format if that feels natural. Some essays are structured as letters to their future selves, as a series of vignettes from different parts of their life, or as a 'braided' essay that weaves two themes together. The key is clarity—don't let creativity make your writing confusing to the reader. Every paragraph should somehow tie into your overarching theme or insight about yourself.

It's helpful to still have a sense of beginning, middle, and end to give your essay direction, but you don't need a formal introduction and thesis. The best essays often drop the reader directly into a moment, then zoom out to reflect.

In summary: There isn't one right format. Focus on telling a story only you can tell, in your own voice, with enough structure for the reader to follow your journey. As long as your essay is clear, memorable, and gives admissions officers insight into who you are, you're on the right track.