Some things to do before we meet about college essays for the first time
Please do the activities on this page before our first meeting about college essays. Start at the top of the list and work your way down. Go in order.
– Dewey
1
Answer some get started questions.
(3–5 minutes)
Take about five minutes to answer these questions.
Do this before you do anything else.
2
Get your EssayQuest account.
(2 minutes)
This is a link to our new online program, EssayQuest — this is where you’ll find step-by-step instructions for everything you’ll do as you write your essays.
Go to EssayQuest and use the free coupon I gave you to register for your account. Do not pay for the program!!
We’re putting on the finishing touches on this program. You may find some typos, funny colors, and font issues. If anything isn’t working correctly or doesn’t make sense, use the chat bubble to let me know right away.
3
Build a strong foundation.
(45 — 60 minutes)
- On the Thank You page, follow the link for a new student — it will take you to the Welcome page.
- On the Welcome page, watch the short video (if it’s up yet…we’re finishing it. It’s not too important since you’ll be working with me.)
- Then, click the Foundation button below the video to get started.
You can also get to the Foundation: Get Started page from the menu.

Please do all the activities in the Foundation phase:
- take the VIA Strengths Assessment
- read the complete College Essays 101 section
- Read the Write Like a Pro process page
- Read the essays on the Read some more sample essays page
4
be a Thinker.
(45 — 60 minutes)
In the Thinker phase, read and do the activities on these pages:
- The main Thinker page
- Find a bunch of Story Starters
- Overview
- Play with the Story Starter prompts
- Write a TON of raw content
- Overview
- Write a bunch of crap
You can get to each of these pages from the menu or by clicking the next step button at the bottom of each page.
Before we meet, have at least 10 Story Starters and write at least 3 blocks of raw content. We’ll talk about these in our first meeting.