The College Essay Toolkit
Common App, supplements, UC essays, short answers, and revision.
A toolkit for college application essays. Includes brainstorm prompts, structure templates, revision checklists, and examples for the personal statement, UC essays, supplements, and short answers.
- Personal statement
- Supplements & UC essays
- Structure templates
- Revision checklists
A tool from the toolkit
Story idea
Specific?
Shows growth?
Use it?
Robotics team
Yes
Yes
Keep
Moving towns
Vague
Maybe
Refine
Won an award
No
No
Cut
Another tool — Application Story Map
Application piece
Story used
Trait it shows
In set?
Personal statement
Caring for a parent
Responsibility
Anchor
Activity list
Founding a campaign
Initiative
Add
Supplement
Repeats the campaign
Initiative
Swap
What's inside
- Common App personal statement — topic selection, structure, drafting, and revision
- Supplemental essays — Why Us, academic interest, community, activity, and short-answer prompts
- UC Personal Insight Questions — prompt selection and response planning
- Short answers — specific responses for limited word counts
- Activities list — clear, concrete activity descriptions
- Revision tools — structure checks, line edits, common problems, and final review
Who it's for
High school seniors working on the Common App personal statement, supplemental essays, UC essays, and short answers.