Introduction. The personal essay : a creative equivalent to the five-paragraph essay
Essays. Narrative essay : the stories we tell ; Lyric essays : inviting the reader in ; Fact vs. truth : what our experiences mean ; Reduction and style before content : making people into characters and learning to leave material out ; Campus narratives, short responses, and non-narrative responses
Techniques. What makes the personal essay tick : a look at narrative-lyric balancing ; Not just another English essay : making space for creativity in personal writing ; Maximizing creativity in the personal essay ; Other compositional considerations
Appendices. A1. Essay questions you might see
A2. Strategies for brainstorming personal material
A3. Matching essays with applications
A4. Timelines for applying
A5. Organizational charts
A6. Teacher recommendations
A7. Interview with an Ivy League interviewer
A8. Interview with a Stanford student-athlete alumnus
