Personal Essays and Short Answers
for University Applications in the Age of ChatGPT
A Writing Coach Program of the Saigon Writers Club
Accepting Students Beginning on July 15
Every year, the most highly-ranked and leading universities in the world receive tens of thousands of applications from students around the world. The highest ranked universities have acceptance rates of less than 10 percent. The second-tier universities will have acceptance rates of around 20 to 30 percent.
The traditional assessment metrics such as standardized test scores, grade point averages, and advanced classes completed have risen to similar levels. When the metrics for thousands of students are nearly equal, how can a university choose the best and the brightest? How can a student stand out and be noticed?
The personal statement essay and eloquent answers to a range of supplemental questions can make the difference. Relying on ChatGPT for this step will not work. The universities already know this trick and they will red flag these applications. Students need to come up with their own original themes and ideas. They need to tell their own story exceptionally well, and in a voice and style unique to themselves. This is not easy to do.
For the past several years, Sam Korsmoe, an American who is a published author and founder of the Saigon Writers Club, has coached students on their university application essays and short answers. He has an impressive track record of student success. His students have been accepted into leading universities including the Ivy League in the USA. They have all won scholarships as well. Sam has developed a four-step program for success. In a one-on-one setting either online or in-person in Ho Chi Minh City, these steps are:
1. Brainstorming compelling topics for the personal statement essay and succinct, focused answers for the supplemental questions.
2. Teaching and practicing key writing skills and techniques for the essays and short answers including voice, style, sentence structure, paragraphing, and word choice.
3. Editing, several times, each personal essay and short answer for each university that the student applies to.
4. Polishing the final essay and answers before they are submitted to the university.
Beginning on July 15, Sam will be accepting students for the 2025-2026 university application cycle. Together with the student and his/her family, a multi-week or month program will be developed with a set number of hours for each of the steps above. For more information on Sam, the Saigon Writers Club, and this program, please check out the details on this website and/or send an email to: sam@yespi.net
Thank You!
“I have an idea for a book.”
The premise of the Saigon Writers Club is that everyone in the world has a story inside of them, and nearly everyone wants to tell their story. A second premise is that many people have difficulty in telling their story. Whether it is an idea for a book or a story that is within your soul, we want to help it see the light of day.
The writing coach program of the Saigon Writers Club is designed to turn “an idea” for a book into an actual book. There 10 steps to the program. The basic idea is to pull out, pry open, and clarify the details of the book that is smoldering inside a future writer. The next step is to encourage, cajole, give birth to, and then edit-to-the-bejeezus a final manuscript. While no promises can be made since it’s ultimately up to the writer, this program will not cease until a published book is in the writer’s hand. Then and only then can a person say, “I had an idea for a book, and now here it is.”
Check out the writing coach program details here.
Writing Coach Program
Saigon Writers Club
Partnership Program
Beginning in August 2023, the Saigon Writers Club will build partnerships with universities, international high schools, English training centers, education consultants, and other organizations who are active in the education space. These are organizations who have a student network from which there are likely students who are interested in and can benefit from the study of creative writing. In addition, they will benefit from having a work of creative writing published. This will help students stand out in competition for scholarships and admissions to high-end universities. This is an out-sourcing opportunity for organizations to offer their students a creative writing option for their education journey.
Saigon Writers Club Partnership Program Curriculum
Saigon Writers Club
One-to-One and Small Group Classes
For individuals and small groups, there is an option for you to study creative writing. Over a time frame of six weeks, there will be six classes of 1.5 to two hours in duration per class (one class per week). There will also be two private consultations with the instructor (30 to 45 minutes for each session). The first private session will be arranged when the student has written around 3,000 words of his/her short story. The second private session will be arranged when the student has written at least 5,000 words and has a good sense of how to end the story. The private sessions are intended to help the student finish their short story so it can be ready for publication in the anthology by the deadline.
Saigon Writers Club One-to-One and Small Group Private Classes
A Distinguished Club for Writers Who Write
The premise and vision of the Saigon Writers Club is that everyone in the world has a story inside of them and nearly everyone wants to tell that story to the world. However, not everyone can do this easily.
This is what the Saigon Writers Club is all about. We have created a 10-session creative writing class to help people create, develop, and write down their stories. We then publish their story in our short story anthology. This is your chance to become a published author.
Saigon Writers Club Newsletter
Click on the link to read previous newsletters.
FAQs
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The Club is open to everyone of any nationality or age.
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The lectures, course work, and all the course materials are in English.
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There is no IELTS or test/score requirement. The only requirement is an ability to understand English well enough to take part in the lectures, activities, and class discussions.
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Every student is encouraged to write in the language which best suits them to tell their story.
However, the final stories that will be published in the anthologies must be in English.
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The Club offers both in-person and online options. Please check the schedule of classes to find the option that works the best for you and your work/study schedule.
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The 10-session class is designed for students to complete a modern short story. This is generally a story from 5,000 to 10,000 words in length and can be read in a single sitting.
However, students can also write flash fiction stories which are much shorter. Check out the tutorial section of this website for more information on the modern short story.
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Sam Korsmoe is the founder and lead instructor for the Saigon Writers Club. He is an American writer who has published two books and is nearing publication of a third book on the future of Vietnam. He has taught creative writing to adults and youth and has accumulated 10,000 hours of writing practice.
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Please refer to the schedule section for class offerings for the July to December 2023 time frame.