How to Be Original When Writing Personal Essays
by Drew C. Everyone knows that a good personal essay is original. It’s one of the laws of the universe for English teachers and counselors and college admissions committees, and you’ve probably heard it a thousand times. But what does it actually mean to be original? And why does it matter? In one sense, being original means “not being a plagiarist”—i.e., submitting your own work instead of the work of
