College Essay Help: Why Theme Matters (and How to Find Yours) | Episode 006
Guest: Susan Knoppow
TIPS
TOP TIPS FROM THIS EPISODE
• Begin with the Common App personal statement — it’s the “teaching essay.”
• The purpose of the essay is to show who you are as a person.
• Understand the prompt fully, including the “why does this matter?” part.
• Balance three elements: the story, the characteristic you want to show, and the prompt.
• Write with theme in mind: what happened, and why it matters.
• Give your reviewer the prompt, the theme, and the essay — and ask if they align.
• Every detail in the essay should have a purpose.
• The core test: What will the reader learn about you?
EPISODE
Summary
A strong college essay doesn’t require drama, trauma, or a life-changing moment — it simply needs a theme. Your theme gives your essay purpose and clarity, and helps admissions readers understand who you are beyond grades and test scores.
In this episode of The College Talk Show, Chris Bell talks with Susan Knoppow, CEO of Wow Writing Workshop, about how students can identify their theme, choose the right story, and write an essay that feels authentic and effective. Together, they break down what admissions officers really want to learn, why the prompt matters, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to approach the writing process with confidence.
Whether you feel like you have too many stories or none at all, this episode will help you understand what belongs in your personal statement — and why.
GUEST
About The Guest
Susan Knoppow is the CEO of Wow Writing Workshop and a nationally respected expert on college essay instruction. Through her workshops, coaching, and professional training programs, Susan has helped thousands of students write thoughtful, authentic, and effective college essays. She also trains counselors and IECs across the country in her clear, structured approach to writing, reducing stress for both students and professionals. Learn more at wowwritingworkshop.com.
Transcript
Some students think of the college essay as a writing contest. Others think they need a dramatic moment, a traumatic backstory, or a killer punchline. You don’t. You just need to understand what you’re trying to say about yourself. A successful college essay is about the theme — what the essay says about you.
Today’s guest, Susan Knoppow, has helped thousands of students and professionals write essays that are honest, structured, and clear. We’re talking about how students can discover their theme, avoid common mistakes, and build an essay that truly works.
It’s The College Talk Show. Today’s theme: Essays and the Importance of Theme with special guest Susan Knoppow.
And now, here’s your host — Chris Bell.
My guest today is Susan Knoppow, CEO of Wow Writing Workshop. She has helped thousands of students take the stress out of essay writing, and she’s trained hundreds of counselors and consultants—people like me—to do the same. She has an incredibly calm, clear way of helping students understand their writing. Welcome, Susan.
Thanks, Chris. I’m so glad to be here.
I’m happy you’re here. Let’s start with the Common App essay. Why do most students begin with it, and is that a good idea?
It’s a great idea. We actually call it the teaching essay. It’s where students learn the process—how to read a prompt, how to think about topics, how to revise, and how to start and finish an essay. But it’s also a challenging essay. Students often worry: What should I write about? Does it have to be amazing? Does it have to be unique?
Step one is understanding the prompt.
Some people say you can write the essay first and figure out the prompt later, but I think the prompt is essential. Common App has overall instructions that many students never see unless they log in. Those instructions—paraphrased—say: Tell us something about yourself beyond your grades and scores. They are not asking you to write something no one has ever written before.
The six prompts (plus the “topic of your choice”) each ask two things:
What happened? Tell a story.
Why does it matter? Show what kind of person you are.
Students often miss the “why.” So we teach them to balance three things:
• the prompt
• at least one positive characteristic
• an anchor story
Those three together make the essay much easier. Students don’t have to pick the prompt first, but they do need to balance all three.
You also talk about theme. How does theme fit into this?
The theme lives in the “why does it matter?” portion. Students often write a lot of “what happened”—details about the car, the weather, the setting. But when you ask, “Why are you telling me this?” they don’t always know.
Your purpose is to show what kind of person you are. For example: I can talk to anyone. I handle conflict well. I’m resilient. I’m curious.
We ask students to show their essay—with the prompt and their theme—to someone else and then ask:
• Did I answer the question?
• Do you know why I wrote this?
How do you help students choose the right story?
Here’s an example from a few days ago. A student said, “I love the water. I swim, I dive, I boat. It’s my happy place.” I asked, “Okay—what do I learn about you?” He wasn’t sure.
He told a story about helping someone jump off a dock, but it wasn’t who he truly was. Then he shared another story—about choosing not to join his friends in doing something stupid. He said, “I don’t give in to peer pressure.”
That characteristic—I don’t just follow the crowd—was a much stronger foundation. Once he saw it, the choice became easy.
What’s the most common mistake students make?
Not understanding the prompt.
For example:
The “Why This School?” essay varies a lot. One school may ask why you're interested in a major; another may ask why that major fits the school’s offerings. Those are different prompts.
Students often add irrelevant details—“I’ve loved your football team forever”—that don’t answer the question. Or in identity essays, they think they need something huge and dramatic. They don’t.
If they start by truly understanding the question, the stakes go down and the writing becomes clearer.
What advice do you have for students who feel stuck or overwhelmed?
Start with confidence. You already have a list of schools you’re qualified for. You already have everything you need. You don’t need an unusual experience. You don’t need something no one has ever written.
If people want to learn more about you or Wow Writing Workshop, where should they go?
wowwritingworkshop.com — yes, two W’s in the middle. We have free resources for students, free resources for professionals, and paid services as well. We’ve been here 15 years, and we’re not going anywhere.
Thank you so much. Susan Knoppow—she’s amazing.
Stick around. We’ll be right back.
This episode is brought to you by Bell College Consulting. Visit bellcollegeconsulting.com to learn more.
What a fantastic conversation with Susan. She has such a gift for making the writing process feel manageable and meaningful. I love the way she breaks down theme as the core of the essay—not just a creative extra.
Now it’s time for the summary I call Top Tips.
Top Tips — College Application Essays
• Start with the Common App personal statement.
• The purpose of your personal statement is to show what kind of person you are.
• Understand the prompt—especially the why part.
• Balance three things: the prompt, your characteristics, and your story.
• Write with theme in mind: What happened, and why does it matter?
• When sharing your essay for feedback, provide the prompt, your theme, and the essay—then ask if they align.
• Include each part of your essay for a reason.
• The key test: What does the reader learn about you?
That’s The College Essay Show. A huge thank-you to Susan Knoppow for joining us today.
And remember: College is awesome.