8.42 Romeo and Juliet

Do you think you can write a better love story than Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?Don't worry: that prompt has yet to make it to the Common Application! So why am I bringing it up?Right about now, some of you are wracking your brains for an original response to the Common Application essay prompts for the Personal Statement. You are twisting on your seats in front of the computer screen, asking yourself, "What can I say that they've never heard before?"If you're reading this message as text, click here to watch the video.

Athena Advises

Relax. You do not have to be 100% original. Yes, you want to avoid certain clichés in your choice of topics--but you can take a classic story and tell your personal version.How can you do that? With detail. With dialogue. With heart.Who cares about your life, if not you? And how will we know what it is to be you, unless you tell us?Watch the video. You'll see what I mean. And by the way, that story of star-crossed lovers? Romeo and Juliet? It's a masterly retelling of a story from old Verona.Dr. Marlena CorcoranFounder and CEOAuthor of Year by Year to College, on amazon.com, amazon.de and many national amazon sites