711: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 10: The Silent Assassin) with Amber Patterson

Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, "On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling," where we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talk about why we love them, what makes them work, and how they came to be.

In this episode, I'm joined by Amber Patterson, Regional Director of Admission at Texas Christian University. This conversation does two things at once. We read a real student essay closely, line by line, and we get inside an admission reader's head to understand what's actually landing as she reads through it.

We get into:

• What Amber hopes to learn about a student when she sits down with their personal statement
• Why TCU has chosen not to use any AI to read applications, and the human moments she says a machine can't pick up
• How the reading process actually works at TCU 
• A full breakdown of an essay called "The Silent Assassin," starting with Amber’s take on why a clever hook may matter less than students think
• How to nest a small, everyday challenge inside a larger essay (the hybrid structure), and how a common challenge can be than enough
• How to subtly weave an extracurricular activity into your essay, and how to actually use the additional information section
• Amber's honest take on AI for students: where it helps, and where to avoid it

Amber Patterson is a first generation, non-traditional college student who earned her Bachelor's degree in Ethnic Studies from Cal State East Bay and a Master of Human Relations degree in Inclusive Leadership from the University of Oklahoma. After a decade as a college counselor in California public high schools, she moved into higher ed and now serves as Regional Director of Admission at Texas Christian University. She has served on WACAC's Executive Board and currently chairs Professional Development for the Regional Admission Counselors of California. What she loves most about this work is helping students find their path to higher education and fostering an environment where every student's unique experiences are valued.

I loved this conversation, and Amber's care for students comes through in every answer. I hope you enjoy it too.

 

Play-by-Play:

• 2:21 –  What is often happening in admission offices in June?
• 3:43 – What does Amber look for in a personal statement? 
• 5:05 – What is the application reading process like at TCU and what is the role of the personal statement? 
• 8:59 – What conversations are happening in the TCU admissions office around using AI for application review?
• 12:56 – What is the human "feeling" a great essay creates, and why is it so hard to teach a machine to find it? 
• 15:34 – Do college essays need titles?
• 17:10 – Amber reads the essay, which we’re calling "The Silent Assassin" 
• 21:40 – Why does a clever hook matter less than students think?
• 24:42 – How does the author show leadership qualities through the essay? 
• 26:58 – Why is “show, don’t tell” an effective storytelling technique for college essays?
• 31:39 – How can students nest a challenge into the essay without it being the whole story?
• 36:40 – When should students weave an activity into the personal statement?
• 39:51 – Where is it best for students to mention their intended major?
• 41:00 – What can students include in the additional information section? 
• 43:54 – What does the admission reader learn about the student through their proudest moment in high school? 
• 50:01 – How much information might an admission reader catch in a quick read? 
• 51:58 – What advice does Amber have for students around AI use?
• 54:15 – What does Amber hope that students will keep in mind throughout this process?
• 55:19 – Closing thoughts 

Resources:

• The “Silent Assassin” Essay
• Should I Discuss Mental Health in My Personal Statement or College Application? (And If So, How)? 
• 512: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective 
• 513: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Admission Officer Perspective
• 514: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Student Perspective 
• How to Use the Common App Additional Information section and Challenges and Circumstances section: Guide + Examples | College Essay Guy
• College Essay Guy’s Personal Statement Resources
• College Essay Guy’s College Application Hub