07/31/2025
It was college application season, and I was working with one of my high school seniors on his personal statement.
As his college counselor, I asked him to skim through the list of essay prompts.
📄 “Don’t overthink it—just scroll. If anything sparks a memory, even if it feels random, say it.”
He was quiet for a while.
Then he suddenly laughed.
I asked, “What came to mind?”
He said,
“It’s not relevant. I don’t think I could use it as an essay.”
I encouraged him to share it anyway.
That’s when he said:
“I almost killed my dog walking him.”
(And yes—that became the actual title of his college essay.)
He explained how his mom would ask him to walk their dog, but tossing a stick got boring fast. So he brought his drone to the park, thinking it might keep the dog entertained—and give him something fun to do too.
It worked.
The dog loved chasing the drone.
Meanwhile, he became mesmerized by the view from above—the layout of the streets, the movement of people and space, the natural design of the environment around him.
He started losing track of time.
Those short walks turned into long, two-hour runs.
After a few weeks, his mom noticed the dog had lost a significant amount of weight.
She grew worried—so worried they almost took him to the vet.
That’s when he had to confess:
“Actually… I think he’s just been running too much while I fly the drone.”
At first, he thought the story was silly. Not serious. Not “college essay material.”
But the more we talked, the more it revealed—his fascination with environment, design, and technology. His perspective. His curiosity. His voice.
🎓 That story—along with a strong application—helped him get into UC Berkeley for Environmental Design.
✨ The takeaway?
You don’t need to sound impressive.
You just need to be honest. Be you.
📩 DM me “ESSAY” if you want help discovering your story.
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