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Writing personal statements, statements of purpose, or college application essays is one of the most daunting tasks for students applying to university. Even highly articulate students can struggle when faced with a blank document and the pressure to present themselves convincingly. 

For international students and those who speak English as an additional language, this task becomes even more complex – they are not only expected to express deep personal motivations and goals but must do so with nuance and clarity in a second language.

Recognising this challenge, I developed a technique that bridges the gap between what students want to say and what they manage to write. This approach has proven particularly effective at helping students uncover their authentic voice and produce compelling, genuine statements. I call it Guided Conversational Recording, and its strength lies in simplicity, empathy, and structure.

The Technique: Guided Conversational Recording

The method involves an informal, recorded conversation between the counsellor and student. The student will record the conversation on their mobile phone. We leave the classroom or office and meet in a quiet, relaxed setting, usually the school café, a library corner, or somewhere outside on campus. The change in environment is deliberate. It reduces formality and pressure, helping the student feel more comfortable and open.

I begin the conversation with light, open-ended questions. Examples might include:

• “So, tell me about the course you’re applying for – what first got you interested in it?”
• “Why this university? What stood out to you?”
• “Where do you see this degree taking you in five years?”
• “What sort of projects or topics do you get excited about?”

As the conversation unfolds, questions are adapted based on the student responses, in real time. This allows them to dig into their motivations, interests, and personal stories. Usually students start to become more relaxed and expressive, often around the 15- to 20-minute mark.

At that point, they are often speaking freely about their goals, inspirations and experiences, sometimes without realising how closely they’re aligning with the expectations of a strong personal statement.

As the conversation is going on, I timestamp or note down particularly important moments, or when they say something especially insightful, passionate, or well-worded, sometimes pointing out, “that would be a great thing to include”, or, “that really captures your motivation, mark that part”.

The outcome: voice, clarity and ownership

After the session, the student has a rich, personal and relevant audio recording that essentially is the first draft of their personal statement. I instruct them to listen back to the recording, transcribe their words, often verbatim, and begin shaping it into written form. This process allows students to write in their own voice, rather than mimicking generic templates or relying too heavily on external editing.

This technique helps in several ways:

Authenticity: Students are using their own spoken language, tone and stories, which makes their personal statements more sincere and engaging.

Confidence: Many students find speaking easier than writing. Starting with a spoken draft allows them to build confidence before refining it into written English.

Structure: The conversational format naturally generates a beginning (how they became interested), middle (their current engagement and skills), and end (future goals), mirroring the expected structure of most personal statements.

Language development: For non-native English speakers, this exercise improves listening, comprehension, and writing simultaneously. They become more familiar with expressing complex ideas in English through guided reflection.

Applying the technique: a step-by-step guide

For other counsellors wishing to implement this strategy, here is a step-by-step framework I use:

1. Choose a quiet, informal location: avoid the pressures of the classroom. Select a place where the student feels relaxed and safe.

2. Set expectations: explain to the student that this is an informal conversation aimed at unlocking ideas, and they are not expected to perform or impress.

3. Start broad: begin with simple, open-ended questions. Gradually move into more specific questions based on the student’s answers.

4. Record the session: ask the student to use their phone to record the session. If permitted, make your own notes and mark important moments.

5. Signpost key moments: prompt the student to mark strong phrases or anecdotes, especially when they express something with clarity or emotion.

6. Assign follow-up: have the student listen to the recording and transcribe the most relevant sections. Their task is to turn that into a first written draft.

7. Review and refine: provide feedback on the draft, helping with structure and clarity while preserving the student’s original voice and message.

Guided Conversational Recording is a low-tech, high-impact technique that empowers students to overcome the initial paralysis of personal statement writing. It fosters reflection, builds confidence and encourages authenticity. Most importantly, it respects and amplifies the student’s own voice. I encourage fellow counsellors to trial this method and see how simple conversation can help.