During the first workshop of this three-part series, NYU Clinical Associate Professor Susanna Horng gave mentees tips and recommendations on how to take personal statements to the next level. Dividing into small seminar-style groups, mentees had the opportunity to get and give feedback on their drafts through Active Listening.

The second part of the series started with a refresher from Susanna followed by feedback sessions in small groups. For the third and final installment, mentees got to work one-to-one with a “Mentor for the Day” on their personal statement.

Attendee Testimonials & Survey Stats

Mentee Attendees

Mentees are those who joined the workshop to receive help with crafting their personal statements.

More than 97% of mentee respondents said

• This workshop was enjoyable
• This workshop was worth my time
• I would recommend Girls Write Now workshops to a friend
• I would attend another Girls Write Now Writing Works event

Mentees Before & After

• Knowing the do’s & don’ts of crafting a strong personal narrative: 182% increase 
• Having a personal statement draft: 146% increase
• Feeling they had help writing their personal statements: 125% increase
• Knowing how to workshop the personal statement: 200% increase
• Knowing the steps they should take for revising their personal statement: 146% increase

Mentee Testimonials

• Every part was truly amazing. I had a wonderful time with my mentor. We connected on such a spiritual level and had so much in common. I felt like we could be best friends.
• Coming into the workshop, I was very nervous about receiving feedback, but my mentor was so supportive and encouraging with my personal statement draft. I felt comfortable with voicing any concerns and was even able to read my work to her.
• My mentor was really helpful and I was able to learn about what makes a personal statement. Before this workshop, I had no idea what it was or what I was going to do, so this was very helpful!
• My favorite part was sharing my essay and receiving feedback on it, because I am nervous to show my work and this helped me become more confident in my essay writing.
• I had no idea what my personal statement would be about, just a cloud of my own passions and internal monologues. Now I have a topic I want to explore!

Mentor Attendees

Mentors acted as “Mentors for the Day”, providing feedback and guidance to mentees on crafting their personal statements.

100% of mentors also said

• Thank you for this opportunity for students. I would have loved this when I was applying for colleges.
• It was nice getting to know my mentees! One was a graduate student applying for scholarships and another was a 2020 graduate looking for ways to guide her creativity and create a personal statement–it was really nice talking with them, and the hour was sufficient to give deep, personalized feedback on their writing and just talk about their challenges. 
• The active listening session was empowering and really fun. I loved hearing the ideas that my mentees had and facilitating discussions around their feedback.
• My favorite part was Active Listening! I loved being able to help mentees hone their voices in their personal statements. And it was a wonderful experience to help facilitate in a safe and supportive environment for mentees to share.