“Telling the Real Story: 50 Authentic Personal Statements" from Amazing Students out now!

Our very own Dr. Philip Chase and 4S staff have recently completed a book titled “Telling the Real Story: 50 Authentic Personal Statements” from Amazing Students. The heart of the work is the collection of 50 personal statements, written by students who are now attending (or have graduated from) many of the most selective universities in the nation — including former and current 4S mentors and students! These essays were chosen from more than 1000 examples that have been created by students with whom I have worked on college admission. Most volumes in this field focus on one school (Harvard, Yale) or one small group of schools.

“Telling the Real Story” is wide-ranging, including 13 examples of authentic Common Application essays, 18 personal statements covering all 8 of the UC questions, and numerous supplemental essays sent to a wide variety of schools. We have also included graduate school applications and scholarship essays. In other words, there are strong examples for a vast number of students who are considering a spectrum of choices. Editor comments are bullet-pointed after each essay, and are designed to be concise and clear. Additionally included are 14 of Dr. Chase’s aphorisms that have proven useful to students over the years.

Take a look at the excerpt below and purchase the book for $24.99 to help support the 4S Education Foundation!