TEM #017: How scroll-stopping stories are born.

November 3, 2023

Happy Friday!!

I hope you’ve had a solid week with more Reese’s Cups than Tootsie Rolls. It snowed during trick-or-treating here in Ohio (womp)... on a high note, one house handed out craft beer to adults 🍺

This week’s highlights:

• Your education affirmation

• A highlight from The Graduate School Bootcamp

• The OG animation from Argentina

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Education affirmation.

“All things are difficult before they are easy.” - Thomas Fuller

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Highlight from The Graduate School Application Bootcamp 🎓

On Monday I kicked off the first bootcamp with 11 incredible people ready to wrap up their graduate school applications.

(Send good vibes to this group, the final stretch is honestly tougher than grad school itself).

Here’s a peek inside what they learned this week.

How to write a scroll-stopping story:

1) Review the personal statement prompt.

2) Take detailed notes on answers to all questions (ex. lists of relevant skills and strengths).

3) Choose an experience, relationship or period of growth that demonstrates those answers.

4) **The important part** Brainstorm a compelling MOMENT in that time to introduce and illustrate your statement. Bring in the senses: smells, sights, tastes, sounds.

I shared an example of a fictional applicant, grad program, prompt and strong opening story for their personal statement to draw readers in. Then broke down exactly which parts were scroll-stopping and why.

Next week will be even better when we learn how to overcome imposter syndrome in the application process.

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Fun fact.

The first feature-length animated film, El Apóstol (1917), was created in Argentina… 20 years before Disney’s Snow White.

It had 58,000 drawings, was 70 minutes long and even has an IMDB page.

If it feels like your personal statement is taking forever, you could be making a whole movie out of handmade cardboard cutouts.

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Quick Question

Are we connected on LinkedIn yet?

If you have graduate school in mind for 2024, click below to connect and see posts that will keep you motivated to apply in the coming year.

(It’s not weird if we haven’t met before, LinkedIn’s got a new vibe and I love helping people 😊)

Make it a great weekend!

Dr. Jena

P.S. Shout out to Walmart who made the holidays come early with their commercial revamp of Mean Girls. Gretchen’s license plate says “carpe fetchus diem” - this is the energy I want for everyone pushing through applications this week. You’ve got this!

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