Today on our show we’re talking about perseverance, a quality important if you want to be a writer, a runner, or someone successful at crafting the dreaded college essay. What makes your essay stand out to publishers and to college admissions directors is the situation and the story. They want to see the loss or the win, because that’s what allows others to connect with your story. They also want to know what you learned from the experience and how that experience informed your character.

Allison Langer has been working with high school students all over the country on their college admissions essays. This is the second episode in a two-part series where we bring you common app essays.

Ransom Everglades High School graduate Wesley Cusack wrote the following essay about the challenges he faced in track and cross country and what he learned from not quitting.

If you or your high schooler needs help getting started or editing along the way, Allison Langer can help. Click here for more information.

Common app essay prompts:

1. Background

2. Obstacle or challenge that you faced.

3. When you changed your belief.

4. A problem you’d like to solve.

5. Accomplishment that sparked personal growth.

6. A topic (obsession) that you find so engaging that it makes you lose track of time.

7. Any topic (YAY!)

Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories and learn a little about how to write your own stories. Writing Class Radio is equal parts heart and art. By heart we mean the truth in a story. By art we mean the craft of writing. No matter what’s going on in our lives, writing class is where we tell the truth. It’s where we work out our shit, and figure out who we are.

There’s no place in the world like writing class and we want to bring you in.

Writing Class Radio is co-hosted by Allison Langer (www.allisonlanger.com) and Andrea Askowitz (www.andreaaskowitz.com). Writing Class Radio is produced by Virginia Lora, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer and sponsored by The Launchpad at The University of Miami, which aims to make the practice of entrepreneurship available to all students and alumni.

Theme music is by Justina Shandler. Additional music is by Ari Herstand.

There’s more writing class on our website (www.writingclassradio.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/writingclassradio/) and Twitter (@wrtgclassradio).

If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series. Through spring 2019, you get three videos for the price of two. That’s $40 for the series. Click on Video Classes on our website.

Writing Class Radio is now open to submissions from our listeners. Go to the submissions page on our website for guidelines. We pay!

If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, we’ve made it easy for you to get involved. We are now on Patreon. Go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio or click here to support us.