Writing a college application essay doesn't need to be hard or take a long time. Over the years, I've discovered that there are four essential elements to consider if you want to write an excellent college essay. I call them ...



The Four T's: Topic, Tone, Theme, and Time


Topic: Pick a topic or tell a story that represents who you are.

Tone: Convey your authentic voice when telling your story.

Theme: Express what you learned from the experience.

Time: Depict the details from one moment in your life that accounts for your worldview.


In this course, I will ...

  • explain the strengths and weakness of three model college essays
  • provide a brainstorming activity that I use in my classroom
  • show how to express your unique voice and style with the twenty most commonly used literary devices using simple examples
  • give advice on how to start and finish your essay, answer supplemental questions, and answer challenging questions
  • explain the creative writing technique "Show, Don't Tell" in the context of writing a personal narrative

The course contains an hour and twenty minutes of screencasts with video where I review materials that are downloadable. You can take the course at your own pace.


Ask your district administrator or supervisor to support PD that you will actually enjoy. Email the PO (purchase order) to [email protected].

How to Write a College Application Essay

Hi, I’m Scott Cameron and I've been teaching seniors how to write an excellent college application essay for 15 years. It's one of my favorite parts of my job because I get to learn about the experiences of my students and how they see the world.

I teach senior AP Literature and Composition at Princeton High School in New Jersey and have seen most of my students go on to study at the world's top colleges and universities like Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Princeton, and Yale.