Better Essays Start With Better Questions
Last December, I found a gorgeous picture online: a holiday cheese wreath. It was stunning—and I just knew it was the perfect centerpiece for the party.
Ummm, there's just one problem here...
But as I gathered the ingredients, something kept bugging me. No matter how many times I checked the recipe, the math just didn’t add up. The photo showed an ample, mouth-watering masterpiece—but the amounts called for wouldn’t even fill a salad plate.
Finally, I realized the truth: The photo wasn’t real.
It had been AI-generated—crafted to look fabulous and impressive, but totally disconnected from what was actually possible with the listed ingredients.
And all the five-star comments? They weren’t from people who had made it. They were from people planning to make it…who hadn't actually tested it yet.
Thankfully, I’ve been cooking for 30+ years. I had the perspective to know what works—and what probably won’t. I tripled the called-for amounts and got to work.
Yes, this is mine. And it didn’t turn into a Pinterest fail—only because I actually know how to interpret a recipe!
But teens staring down their college essays? They don't have years of experience and perspective.
Which is exactly why so many end up feeling discouraged after flipping through books on essays and blog posts titled “55 Essays That Got In.”
Those publications are well-meaning and get loads of readers.
But most of them are selling a final product—a finished dish without real instructions, real ingredients, or real-life mess included.
And when a teen reads them, they don’t feel inspired.
They feel inferior.
“This is what awesome sounds like,” they conclude. “…and I don’t sound like that.” 😩
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The Comparison Trap Is Real
A teen reading Ivy League-worthy essays while staring at a blank screen is not different from watching an Olympic gymnast stick a triple flip… then being asked to do the same across the living room.
What do teens say after reading those examples?
🗯 “I can’t write like that.”
🗯 “This isn’t me.”
🗯 “What’s even the point?”
What they don’t realize is that those essays were often written by students with 17 previous versions, professional help, and more feedback rounds than a Broadway script.
Your teen is comparing their stick-figure drawings to an art major’s final portrait. It's not apples-to-apples—but they don't know that.
And it's not helpful.
🧠
Reading Polished Essays Doesn’t Spark Creativity—It Shuts It Down
Looking at perfection during the brainstorm stage doesn’t open doors. It slams them shut.
When you need to write a love letter… a Shakespeare sonnet as your reference does not help.
Most books focus on the product. But a great essay is born from process.
You need story fragments. Messy starts. Silly memories that just might turn meaningful.
That’s why in the Complete Your Essay in a Weekend Workshop, we don’t start by reading anything at all. We mine for gold in your teen’s own life. We dig through moments, quirks, and struggles—and then build a story around that.
🧩
Out-of-Context Essays Are Misleading
The teen who got into Stanford? They might’ve had a 4.9 GPA, founded a nonprofit, and solved climate change on the side.
Their essay didn’t get them in alone. It was part of a whole package.
But when your teen reads it without that context, it feels like the entire outcome hinged on 650 words—and they feel theirs need to be just as dazzling.
Reminder: Just because you watch the final minute of a movie, doesn’t mean you understand the plot.
🎭
They Teach Mimicry, Not Voice
These examples typically love a certain formula:
✏️ “I’ve always been passionate about…”
✏️ “This experience shaped my worldview…”
✏️ “I learned the value of hard work…”
Colleges aren’t looking for generic. They want to feel who your teen is.
Real humor. Honest reflection. That unfiltered, unmistakable vibe of this is me.
Your teen already has it. If they don’t bury it under their “what sounds smart” expectations.
💡
Better Essays Start With Better Questions
Instead of “What makes a great essay?”
Ask:
→ “What's my deepest story?”
→ “What moment changed how I see the world?”
→ “What surprised me about myself this year?”
These aren’t just prompts. They’re creative ignition switches—designed to get students out of their heads and into their hearts.
Because the real problem isn’t a lack of effort.
It’s that teens are buried under the pressure to sound perfect…
They don’t know how to actually start.
And they have no idea how many messy drafts it takes to get to that final product.
🛠
Writing Is Personal—Not a Paint-By-Numbers Project
And here’s what makes it even harder:
Unless your teen’s school is in the 1%, they haven’t been taught how to write the kind of essay colleges are actually asking for.
Why? Because the state doesn’t require students to master personal narrative, reflection, or voice. So schools don’t teach it.
Add to that the years of being told, “Don’t use ‘I’ in your writing.”
Now suddenly, they’re expected to write 650 words that start with “I,” stay focused on “me,” and somehow reveal their values and growth in a way that feels natural and sincere?
No wonder they’re stuck.
Your teen doesn’t need more examples—
they need more mirrors.
A perfect picture—or a polished recipe—won’t help if it doesn’t reflect who your teen really is.
They don’t need more examples to follow. They need mirrors that helps them see what’s already inside: the moments that mattered, the values they’ve lived (that most don't even know they have!), the spark that sets them apart.
No, they don’t need more content to consume or another complicated recipe with missing ingredients.
They need experienced and thoughtful feedback, better questions, and a process that meets them where they are.
That’s exactly what Complete Your Essay in a Weekend delivers. A real process. A real guide. A real breakthrough—without dragging the pain out for months.
Let’s make this easier—for them and for you,
Christy
👋 Hi, if we haven't met yet, I'm Christy. I help students craft standout essays so they can submit their best possible applications with confidence.
Wanna chat? www.calendly.com/easiercollegeessays/30min
