When it comes to writing the Common Application essay personal statement, or any college essay for that matter, the basics remain the same: Know what colleges want, know yourself, and put in enough time and thought to find the topic that best reflects you.

So this week I’m reposting an infographic I created about how to write a great college application essay. It gives you an overview of the college essay writing process from beginning to end. If you’d like to download it, you can do that here.

Plus I used a lot of purple when I made it, which is my favorite color. Enjoy.

Sharon Epstein is a Writers Guild Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award nominee teaching students around the world how to master interview skills, write resumes, and transform their goals, dreams and experiences into memorable college application essays. She works with students everywhere: in-person, by phone, Skype, Facetime, Google Hangouts and email. Visit my website for more info. Connect on Google+, Pinterest and Twitter.