Curtis WestbayWhat kind of student are you?
Some students know the answer to this question right away. Though I find the approach to be disingenuous and largely ineffective as a result, some students feel so confident in their self-identity that they consciously emphasize certain qualities, or aspire to do so, through their essays. Maybe you‘re one of these students and you feel that your key characteristics define you and are worth putting forward purposefully in your writing. Then, focus on intent.
It goes like this: if a student tells me they want to emphasize their creativity in their application, then as they brainstorm for a first draft of a personal statement, I would ask them to harken back to the stories from their life where creativity played an important role. Or maybe I'd ask them what experiences led them to value this quality so much. Or perhaps describe the challenges they've faced that honed their creative ability. Or they might have a story to tell about how creativity is more than an academic asset in their lives and relationships. The intent is at the heart of the process: to show the role that a noteworthy characteristic plays in a student's life, a characteristic that is worth putting front and center and is reinforced by the more objective application material.
Drawbacks to focusing on intent
As I said, this sort of conscious construction of purpose is disingenuous to me more often than not. It is a contrivance that is, arguably, artificial. These are the terms in which many consultants and counselors operate. Students, I find, usually don't connect with this sort of brainstorming technique. Sometimes a student does, and that's okay, but they must take caution to not let the artificiality of their approach seep into their writing. After all, a college essay isn't a job interview, and playing up your key qualities in a ham handed way is certain to turn off application readers to your writing. Nothing is more offputting than a pushy salesperson. If you're not careful, in trying to convince someone that you are something particular, your writing is made into a sales pitch.
Start with intent and let the writing process lead where it will
Nevertheless, there's nothing wrong with trying to figure out the qualities you want to emphasize or are worth emphasizing. Ask students to stop and think about who they are and describe themselves in a few adjectives and you'll find that all of them can answer this question and most of them have done some serious introspection about who it is that they are. This is a good place to start and it provides a narrower focus than simply asking a student to tell an important story from their life. Armed with a purpose, a student now knows that they've been tasked to search for a narrative that aligns with their own self-image. You think you're creative? Great. Tell me a story that shows me how. From here, we've got a place to start. From the first draft, we can let things evolve as they will.
Once students become fixated on the goal of showcasing a particular quality, the writing becomes contrived. But brainstorming is just about getting the ball rolling. If a student can single out a way in which they feel unique, special, or talented, they can tell a story about it. If a student can tell a story, they can write an essay. If a student can write an essay, a counselor can help them from there.