{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"622: Inside the Personal Statement Process (Part 4): Supplemental Essay Deep Dive with Alisha, HS Senior","description":"Hey friends, and welcome back to the College Essay Guy podcast. Today\u2019s episode is a behind-the-scenes look at Alisha\u2019s supplemental essays. If you\u2019ve been following our Inside the Personal Statement Process series, this episode zooms out a bit\u2014you\u2019ll hear us work live through several of her supplements and talk through how to bring clarity, intention, and personality into each one. In this session, Alisha and I explore:  What makes a great \u201clist\u201d response for Columbia\u2014and how to avoid filler How to refine a topic that feels \u201ctoo common\u201d into something that might stand out a little more A simple way to use the roles &amp;amp; identities exercise to focus a short essay&amp;nbsp; Strategies for approaching the \u201cnavigating differences\u201d essay, and How to tackle a \u201cWhy us\u201d and a \u201cwhy major\u201d essay  Whether you\u2019re a student working on your own essays right now, a parent supporting from the sidelines, or a counselor guiding students through this process, I hope you\u2019ll find something useful here. Alisha is a current high school senior going through the application process who loves science, movies, and discovering new places. When she\u2019s not studying the brain, she\u2019s mentoring younger students through her program Running Start or planning her next adventure. Hope you enjoy our session. &amp;nbsp; Play-by-Play:  1:24 \u2013 How is Alisha\u2019s writing coming along? 2:56 \u2013 Alisha reads her Columbia list responses. 5:45 \u2013 Ethan gives feedback on the list draft. 7:31 \u2013 Ethan introduces the Columbia lived-experience prompt. 8:25 \u2013 Alisha reads her draft. 9:30 \u2013 How did Alisha choose her topic? 16:31 \u2013 Ethan suggests an exercise for refining her draft. 25:41 \u2013 Alisha reads her draft of the \u201cnavigating differences\u201d prompt. 31:37 \u2013 Ethan helps Alisha clarify each side\u2019s perspective in her disagreement example. 38:41 \u2013 Ethan introduces the adversity prompt and Alisha reads her response. 45:27 \u2013 Ethan encourages Alisha to center the essay on the value she names (autonomy) and make the story more specific. 48:29 \u2013 Alisha reads her response to the \u201cWhy Columbia\u201d prompt. 50:27 \u2013 Ethan and Alisha identify what genuinely sets Columbia apart for her. 56:17 \u2013 Alisha reads her response to the \u201cWhy major\u201d prompt. 58:12 \u2013 Ethan helps Alisha frame her essay around the central theme she has chosen: the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience. 1:04:36 \u2013 Ethan and Alisha explore how students can research their major when they're unsure what career they want. 1:15:15 \u2013 Ethan and Alisha reflect on the drafting process and what comes next.  &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Resources:  The Values Exercise  The Roles and Identities Exercise Why This College Essay Guide + Examples How to Write the &quot;Why this Major&quot; College Essay How to Write the Columbia University Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2025\/2026 O*NET Career Research Tool College Essay Guy\u2019s Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy\u2019s College Application Hub  &amp;nbsp; ","author_name":"The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions","author_url":"http:\/\/collegeessayguy.libsyn.com\/website","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/39336560\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/196363040"}