705: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 5: The Stains on My Baseball Pants) with Kaila Barber

705: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 5: The Stains on My Baseball Pants) with Kaila Barber

From The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions by Ethan Sawyer

March 31, 2026 · 42 min · Season 7 · Episode 5

About this episode

In this episode, Ethan Sawyer and guest Kaila Barber discuss how to effectively write personal essays using a baseball-themed narrative as a case study.

Show Notes: Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling. In this series, we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talking about why we love them, what makes them work, and how they came to be. In this episode, we break down an essay on… wait for it… baseball . Wait, what? But Ethan, I thought writing about a common topic was a fast track to blending in. And yes—in many cases, it can be. But this essay offers a great example of how a familiar topic can become something more layered, specific, and personal. To dig into how that happens, I'm joined by Kaila Barber: essay coach at CEG, Associate Director of 1-on-1 Coaching, and professional track star. Together, we explore how to stand out with a common topic, how to weave in challenge without letting it take over the story, and one specific technique for crafting a strong, memorable ending. If you're the kind of person who enjoys seeing how things get made, whether it's a great meal, a film scene, or a piece of writing, I have a feeling you'll enjoy this one. Kaila Barber has been helping students prepare for college in various capacities since 2018…

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