Step 20
Starting Your Essay Draft
A lot of students think they need to know exactly what they want to say before they start writing.
Usually, the opposite is true.
Writing is often how people figure out what they actually think.
The goal of this step is not to write a great essay.
The goal is to create a starting point.
Core Idea
Writing creates clarity faster than overthinking does.
Your One Action
Open your Essay Fragments File.
Return to the experience you chose in the previous step. Write 5–7 sentences about it. You might write about:
what happened
what you were thinking at the time
what made the experience difficult
what surprised you
what you learned afterward
Do not edit while writing. Do not worry about whether it sounds impressive. Just keep moving.
Optional prompt: “The part of this experience that feels most important is ______.”
Essay Draft
Optional Prompt Answer
Deeper Reflection
Ask: "Does this feel personally real, or does it mostly sound like what I think an admissions officer wants to hear?"
Life Question
N/A for this week.
Progress Saved
