My Story
(or How I Beat the Odds)
Let me tell you who I used to be: a high school student with below average grades that went on to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
I understood pretty early the value of storytelling when it came to the college admissions process. I attended the University of Chicago - an institution known for its academic rigor and competitive application process. How? By writing myself into their program. I remember the essay prompt to this day: Tell us about a piece of art that has changed how you see the world. My submission was a comic strip displaying a conversation between myself and Calvin – the naughty child protagonist of Bill Watterson's famous comic “Calvin and Hobbes.” I knew I was taking a tremendous risk, but it was my one and only opportunity to stand out and lessen the impact of my transcript.
The next year, as I sat in my college advisor's office at the University of Chicago for the first time as an admitted student, she reached in to her file cabinet and pulled out the comic strip. She said the whole office had read it, shared it, and still talked about it - but perhaps I should hold on to it for myself.
The risks we take are recognized. With college essays being submitted online, you won't be able to send in a comic strip anymore. But you can still tell a story that elevates your application above those you are competing against.
I can help you get there.
I am a storyteller by profession. I work in Hollywood - writing for Film and TV and consulting on everything from big budget movies and shows to small independent films. I learned how to write during my undergraduate years in Chicago and practiced for many years as an attorney before making a move to the entertainment industry.
And for the last 20 years, I've also been helping students aspiring to schools they believe to be out of reach; teaching them how to improve their chances by writing powerful admissions essays.
I helped them find their unique undeniable voice. I can do the same for you.
Khurram M.
HoW IT BEGAN
The Story Essay Method has evolved over time. Years ago, when friends and family would reach out for help with tackling daunting college applications, I noticed a consistent issue with each essay draft: the writer would often focus on the technical requirements of a college application and lose their unique voice in the process. The resulting essays were safe and, to put it bluntly, forgettable. But it did not have to be that way.
By using some very basic story fundamentals, I helped them re-craft their essays into powerful personal narratives that popped off the page and stayed in the readers' minds. Months later, when they learned they had gotten into their “reach” university, they would celebrate not only the admission but also their new found confidence in the power of their own voice.
That's The Story Essay's origin story.
