Introduction : a creative equivalent to the five-paragraph essay -- Narrative essays -- Lyric essays -- Fact vs. truth -- Reduction and style before content -- Campus narratives, short responses, and non-narrative reponses -- A look at narrative-lyric balance -- Technical guidelines to writing the personal essay -- Conceptual guidelines to writing the personal essay -- Other compositional considerations -- Appendices: A1. Essay questions you might see -- A2. Strategies for brainstorming personal material -- A3. Matching essays with applications -- A4. Timelines for applying -- A5. Teacher recommendations -- A6. Interview with an interviewer -- A7. Online resources.