best college essay 2022

10 Successful Harvard Application Essays | 2022

With the top applicants from every high school applying to the best schools in the country, it's important to have an edge in your college application. Check out our updated list of 10 Harvard application essays below from students who made it in, and hear from expert college consultants about what made these work.

Sophia's Essay

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Successful Harvard Essay - “Black Eyeliner Does Not Make You a Nonconformist”

Several years ago, my mother told me I listen to “white people music.” And I suppose that’s true—rock 'n' roll tends to spring from the middle-class basements of young, white men. Though I did point out that its origins trace back to jazz musicians of the Harlem Renaissance. Also that one of the greatest guitarists of all time—dear Mr.Hendrix; may he rest in peace—was black.

My devotion to punk rock began in seventh grade, when Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” came up on my iTunes shuffle. I started to look into their other releases, eventually immersing myself into the complete punk discography. My mother, having grown up in a racially segregated New York, was more likely to listen to Stevie Wonder than Stevie Nicks.

But, she must have figured, to each her own. So while my compatriots indulged in the music of Taylor Swift, One Direction, and Lady Gaga, my tacky Hot Topic headphones blasted Green Day, Ramones, and The Clash. My young adolescent ears drank in the raw, chaotic beauty, an echo of the pain of the past. The thrashing, pulsating vitality of the instruments painted a picture, connecting me to the disillusioned kids who launched an epic movement of liberation some 40 years ago.

Punkers question authority. Aggressively contrarian, they advocate for the other side—the side that seemed smothered silent during the post-Vietnam era. They rejected the established norms. They spoke out and weren’t afraid.

I had always felt different from my peers. In my girls’s prep school, the goal was to be blond and good at soccer. I was neither, which automatically deemed me “uncool”. I had a few close friends but never felt like I was part of a whole.

Then came the punk philosophy, for the outliers, for those who were different. That was something I could be part of.

Instead of trying to conform to my peers, I adopted an anti-conformist attitude. Much like the prematurely gray anti-hero of my favorite book, I sneered at all the “phonies” around me. I resented anything popular. Uggs? Wouldn’t buy them. Yoga pants? Never. Starbucks?Well, I could make a few concessions.

But I felt more cynical than liberated. I wasted so much energy on being different than I lost track of what actually made me happy. I insisted I didn’t care what people thought of me, which was true. Yet if I based my actions almost solely on their behavior, how could I deny their influence?

Luckily, as I transitioned from a private school to a brand new public high school, I got to clean the slate. I bought yoga pants and found they were comfortable. I listened to a wide variety of music, even the eh kind that wasn’t 100% hardcore punk. And I was happier.

I revised my punk philosophy: Do as you like—whether it fits into the “system” or not.

The Beatles’s “Revolution” lyrics sum it up well:

You tell me it’s the institution

Well, you know

You’d better free your mind instead

What I think Lennon was getting at is questioning everything does not entail opposing everything.

What I think Lennon was getting at is questioning everything does not entail opposing everything. Defiance for the sake of defiance is unproductive at best, destructive at worst. I believe in life’s greater Truths, like Love and Justice. These Truths are what should govern my actions—not what’s popular and what isn’t. Striving to act on these ideals has helped me stay true to myself, regardless of what’s considered “conformist."

Perhaps I’ve failed the punk movement. We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I’ll do what makes me happy and change what doesn’t. I’ll wear Doc Martens instead of Uggs; I’ll partake in a grande pumpkin spice latte; I’ll watch Gossip Girl; I’ll blare my favorite guitar solo over the speakers in my room.

And that’s as punk as it gets.

Professional Review by The Art of Applying

From the snarky title and fiery opening, I was immediately drawn in. I and many people on our team at The Art of Applying® grew up as one of the few students of color in our honors classes, being told we liked “white people things.”

When you write about very specific personal experiences you’ve had, you can strike an emotional chord and connection with people who have similar experiences, and you can simultaneously intrigue people who have had vastly different experiences.

The student’s response to her mother’s assertion and the level of knowledge the student demonstrates about punk rock’s origins and political context show that she doesn’t just enjoy punk music passively as a fan; she was curious enough to research and learn about its historical roots, and confident enough to offer a contradictory viewpoint about what punk music is and who it is and isn’t for.

I enjoyed reading the journey of how the student’s interest in punk rock blossomed from an interest into a passion and eventually an identity. Don’t just tell us the beginning and the end of a personal growth journey; show us the messy middle too.

The student concisely depicts a vivid image of her outsider status in her private school without villainizing the other students. She also uses humor and wordplay well when she makes a concession for enjoying Starbucks.

A turning point in the essay comes when the student starts questioning whether her staunchly nonconformist identity is serving her. This shows an even deeper level of self reflection and personal growth.

While including quotes and lyrics in your essay can divert attention from your own words to a famous person’s, the student effectively uses the lyrics as a launching point for further reflection.

It ends in the same confident, energetic voice I grew to love throughout the piece, and the final sentences read like a glorious mic drop.

The conclusion is strong in that we see a person who has embraced all sides of herself rather than stubbornly clinging to a rigid image of nonconformity.

This essay is an excellent example to learn from if you want to write about how one of your passions spurred personal growth, struggles with fitting in, changing your mind about who you are, and/or getting clear on your values.

Taras' Essay

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Successful Harvard Essay: More Boluses to Dissect

Finally, I had found a volunteer opportunity at the Long Marine Lab, a marine biology research facility at UC Santa Cruz! I envisioned swimming with dolphins, or perhaps studying behavioral patterns of decorator crabs. But when I discovered the nature of my work on the first day of volunteering, my excitement turned to disappointment: I’d be picking through albatross boluses, the indigestible materials they cough up before going to sea. Sure enough, after three hours of separating fishing line from brown muck, I began to dread what I was in for. At that point, I had no clue of just how interesting the opportunity would turn out to be, and it would remind me of how easily I become engrossed and fascinated by all sorts of random stuff.

It didn't take long for my boredom with the boluses to shift toward curiosity.

It didn’t take long for my boredom with the boluses to shift toward curiosity. In the first place, the project itself was fascinating. The idea was to research the behavior and diet of albatrosses at sea. These birds can fly for months without touching land! When the birds have chicks, they cough up whatever they’ve eaten at sea to feed their young. When the chicks become old enough to fly, they cough up the hard, indigestible materials left in their stomachs. These boluses contain squid beaks that can reveal the types of squid eaten and the area where the squid were caught. We volunteers would pick through the boluses, separating out anything that looked interesting.

As I got better at dissecting these blobs, I started finding crazy stuff, and my colleagues and I would often discuss important findings. There was, of course, the search for the biggest squid beak, and the fish eyes were always interesting. But most shocking was the plastic. Beyond the normal Styrofoam and fishing line were plastic bottle caps, lighters, even toothbrushes. Occasionally, Asian writing revealed distant origins. Once, I picked through a bolus permeated with orange goo, eventually to discover the round mouthpiece of a balloon. The origins of these artifacts were sad, but also fascinating. I learned of the Texas-sized trash heap in the middle of the Pacific, the effects of which I was witnessing firsthand. I gained a heightened awareness of the damage inflicted on the oceans by humans, and their far-reaching impacts. Perhaps most importantly, I realized that even the most tedious things can blow my mind.

If dissecting boluses can be so interesting, imagine the things I’ve yet to discover! I play piano and can see myself dedicating my life to the instrument, but I can’t bear to think of everything else I’d have to miss. I’d love to study albatrosses, but also particle physics or history, and preferably all three. At this point in my life, I can’t imagine picking just one area. At the same time, though, I love studying subjects in depth. I tend to get overwhelmed by my options, since I can’t possibly choose them all. But at least I know I’ll never be bored in life: there are just too many subjects to learn about, books to read, pieces to play, albatrosses to save, and boluses to dissect.

Professional Review by Prep Expert (Akbar Rahel)

While many applicants write essays full of detail and superlatives, emotional honesty is a critical component of a great essay.

What immediately distinguishes the first paragraph of the essay is the emotional honesty: Taras admits how “excitement turned to disappointment” and how he “had no clue” about how the opportunity would turn out. Too often, applicants fail to recognize that admissions officers are just normal people reading essays—people who also experience a range of emotions such as disappointment and confusion. While many applicants write essays full of detail and superlatives, emotional honesty is a critical component of a great essay.

Moreover, on a simple, albeit important level, he situates readers in the very first sentence by mentioning that his research was a volunteer opportunity at Long Marine Lab. Too many applicants attempt to keep a reader in suspense when, in fact, it is always better to provide context for an experience. Admissions officers don’t want to feel like they are deciphering the seemingly mundane who, what, when, and where. Nobody has time to untangle an essay.

Moving on, Taras succeeds in clearly demonstrating a sincere passion for his research by sharing interesting details of his work, such as understanding boluses. Whether writing about birds, Model UN, or any other possible topic, details are what help applicants show the admissions committees a level of intellectual vitality.

While an overall vibrant essay that captures a reader’s attention because of the unique topic, some aspects could have been improved. For example, exclamation points may come across as contrived enthusiasm to many readers—and strip away some of the decorum of an essay. Moreover, in the last paragraph, Taras mentions particle physics and history as possible interests, which did not align with the essay (and could have hurt chances for admissions in the final “shaping” of an incoming class).

Yukta's Essay

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Successful Harvard Essay: Yukta

Garishly lined with a pearlescent lavender, my eyes idly scanned the haphazard desk in front of me, settling on a small kohl. I packed the ebony powder into my waterline with a shaky hand, wincing at the fine specks making their way into my eyes.

The palette's colors bore in, the breadth of my imagination interwoven into now-brittle brushes.

The girl in the mirror seemed sharper, older, somehow. At only 12, I was relatively new to the powders and blushes that lined my birthday makeup kit, but I was determined to decipher the deep splashes of color that had for so long been an enigma to me.

After school involved self-inflicted solitary confinement, as I shut myself in my bedroom to hone my skills. The palette’s colors bore in, the breadth of my imagination interwoven into now-brittle brushes. Much to my chagrin, my mom walked in one day, amused at my smudged lipstick, which congealed on the wispy hairs that lined my upper lip.

“Halloween already?” she asked playfully.

I flushed in embarrassment as she got to work, smoothing my skin with a brush and filling the gaps in my squiggly liner. Becoming a makeup aficionado was going to take some help.

“What’s this even made of?” I asked, transfixed by the bright powder she was smattering on my cheeks.

“You know, I’m not sure,” she murmured. “Maybe you should find out.”

Hours down the internet rabbit hole, I learned that the shimmery powder was made of mica, a mineral commonly used in cosmetics. While the substance was dazzling, its production process was steeped in humanitarian violations and environmental damage. Determined to reconcile my burgeoning love for makeup with my core values, I flung the kit into the corner of my drawer, vowing to find a more sustainable alternative. Yes, I was every bit as dramatic as you imagine it.

Now 17, I approach ethical makeup with assured deliberation. As I glance at my dusty kit, which still sits where I left it, I harken back on the journey it has taken me on. Without the reckoning that it spurred, makeup would still simply be a tool of physical transformation, rather than a catalyst of personal growth.

Now, each swipe of eyeliner is a stroke of my pen across paper as I write a children’s book about conscious consumerism. My flitting fingers programmatically place sparkles, mattes, and tints across my face in the same way that they feverishly move across a keyboard, watching algorithms and graphs integrate into models of supply chain transparency. Makeup has taught me to be unflinching, both in self expression and my expectations for the future. I coat my lips with a bold sheen, preparing them to form words of unequivocal urgency at global conferences and casual discussions. I see my passion take flight, emboldening others to approach their own reckonings, uncomfortable as they may be. I embark on a two-year journey of not buying new clothes in a statement against mass consumption and rally youth into a unified organization. We stand together, picking at the gritty knots of makeup, corporate accountability, and sustainability as they slowly unravel.

Deep rooted journeys of triumph and tribulation are plastered across the surface of my skin — this paradox excites me.

I’m not sure why makeup transfixes me. Perhaps it’s because I enjoy seeing my reveries take shape. Yukta, the wannabe Wicked Witch of the West, has lids coated with emerald luster and lips of coal. Yukta, the Indian classical dancer, wields thick eyeliner and bright crimson lipstick that allow her expressions to be amplified across a stage. Deep rooted journeys of triumph and tribulation are plastered across the surface of my skin — this paradox excites me.

Perhaps I am also drawn to makeup because as I peel back the layers, I am still wholly me. I am still the young girl staring wide-eyed at her reflection, earnestly questioning in an attempt to learn more about the world. Most importantly, I still carry an unflagging vigor to coalesce creativity and activism into palpable change, one brushstroke at a time.

Professional Review by Prepory

This student takes a household item as common as makeup to build a narrative that is as universally accessible as it is unique. This object is inflected with facets of both her personal and cultural identity that give the reader immediate contact with the student’s personality. She takes us on a sweeping journey through her investigation of the world around her, and embarks on a coming-of-age story without losing sight of the essay’s main topic. This student strikes a balance between the narrative and creative writing elements that are integral to successful personal statements. The writer gives us glimpses of insight into her personal development across multiple years, using makeup as a medium for self-reflection and discovery. She masterfully leverages the colors and elements of her makeup collection to craft vivid descriptions, situating imagery as the cornerstone of this essay’s approach and success. She takes up an object so easily tied to consumerism and superficiality and uses it to champion the societal and ethical battles for which she advocates.

We also see that the writer of this essay has a clearly defined voice. While many students struggle with the temptation to elevate their writing through ornamentation, this writer is able to maneuver a vibrant writing style that remains engaging, rhythmic and measured. Through each moment of this essay, we learn what the author cares about: conscious consumerism, creativity, and activism; we also learn how she thinks: curiosily, selflessly, and with feminist undertones. The opening sentences of this essay employ a successful strategy for personal statement writing, rich with adjectives detailing a small scene, that is expanded upon to make a larger commentary about the author and where she stands in society. Last, the student’s essay compliments her larger admissions profile in which the reader learns about years of advocacy, sustainable practices, and intentions to positively impact her community.

Eda's Essay

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Successful Harvard Essay: Homeless for Thirteen Years

I sat on my parents’ bed weeping with my head resting on my knees. “Why did you have to do that to me? Why did you have to show me the house and then take it away from me?” Hopelessly, I found myself praying to God realizing it was my last resort.

For years, my family and I found ourselves moving from country to country in hopes of a better future. Factors, such as war and lack of academic opportunities, led my parents to pack their bags and embark on a new journey for our family around the world. Our arduous journey first began in Kuçovë, Albania, then Athens, Greece, and then eventually, Boston, Massachusetts. Throughout those years, although my family always had a roof over our heads, I never had a place I could call “home.”

Instantly, I knew that it was fate that was bringing this house to me.

That night that I prayed to God, my mind raced back to the night I was clicking the delete button on my e-mails, but suddenly stopped when I came upon a listing of the house. It was September 22, 2007 —eight years exactly to the day that my family and I had moved to the United States. Instantly, I knew that it was fate that was bringing this house to me. I remembered visiting that yellow house the next day with my parents and falling in love with it. However, I also remembered the heartbreaking phone call I received later on that week saying that the owners had chosen another family’s offer.

A week after I had prayed to God, I had given up any hopes of my family buying the house. One day after school, I unlocked the door to our one-bedroom apartment and walked over to the telephone only to see it flashing a red light. I clicked PLAY and unexpectedly heard the voice of our real estate agent. “Eda!” she said joyfully. “The deal fell through with the other family—the house is yours! Call me back immediately to get started on the papers.” For a moment, I stood agape and kept replaying the words in my head. Was this really happening to me? Was my dream of owning a home finally coming true?

Over the month of November, I spent my days going to school and immediately rushing home to make phone calls. Although my parents were not fluent enough in English to communicate with the bank and real estate agent, I knew that I was not going to allow this obstacle to hinder my dream of helping to purchase a home for my family. Thus, unlike a typical thirteen-year-old girl’s conversations, my phone calls did not involve the mention of makeup, shoes, or boys. Instead, my conversations were composed of terms, such as “fixed-rate mortgages,” “preapprovals,” and “down payments.” Nevertheless, I was determined to help purchase this home after thirteen years of feeling embarrassed from living in a one-bedroom apartment. No longer was I going to experience feelings of humiliation from not being able to host sleepovers with my friends or from not being able to gossip with girls in school about who had the prettiest room color.

I had been homeless for the first thirteen years of my life. Although I will never be able to fully repay my parents for all of their sacrifices, the least I could do was to help find them a home that they could call their own—and that year, I did. To me, a home means more than the general conception of “four walls and a roof.” A home is a place filled with memories and laughter from my family. No matter where my future may lead me, I know that if at times I feel alone, I will always have a yellow home with my family inside waiting for me.

Professional Review by Potomac Admissions

Honest. Heartbreaking. Powerful.

Those were the first three words that came to mind after reading Eda’s essay.

By being so honest, Eda showcases her genuine growth and maturity over time.

What we love about Eda’s essay is its refreshing vulnerability. Too many college essays are “too” picture-perfect. Eda doesn’t censor the truth, even if admitting her inner thoughts may potentially paint her in a negative light. For example, she starts the entire essay with a scene of her weeping on her parents’ bed, blaming them for her misfortune. By being so honest, Eda showcases her genuine growth and maturity over time.

Her personal voice is also strong throughout the essay. When she talks about falling in love with “that yellow house,” an image of said house is automatically conjured up in our minds. When she speaks of the heartbreak she experienced upon learning “that yellow house” was sold to another family, we felt pain in our hearts too. Her deliberate choice to “PLAY” the voicemail she received for us and include her subsequent internal thoughts further pulls us into reliving her journey with her.

Yet, she goes beyond merely telling us of her journey. She highlights just how atypical her journey has been. Instead of enjoying phone conversations about makeup or shoes, she is talking to agents about fix-rate mortgages and down payments… all at the age of 13. Though she does not explicitly state this (she doesn’t need to): it is clear that Eda has had to grow up fast, becoming a stronger individual as a result.

Her understanding of the word “home” evolves from a physical roof over her head to a more abstract one. Home is wherever her “memories and laughter” exist. In the end, she comes to terms with the sacrifices her parents have made. Learning to be proud of her upbringing showcases Eda’s evolution.

Eda is someone who will overcome whatever challenges thrown her way, making her a strong college applicant.

Lisa's Essay

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Successful Harvard Essay: Playing it Dangerous

In hazy stillness, a sudden flurry of colored skirts, whispers of “Merde!” Sternly, my fingers smooth back my hair, although they know no loose strands will be found. My skin absorbs heat from stage lights above—if only that heat would seep into my brain, denature some proteins, and deactivate the neurons stressing me out. A warm hand, accompanied by an even warmer smile, interrupts my frenzied solitude. I glance up. My lovely teacher nods, coaxing my frozen lips into a thawed smile. A complex figure, filled in with doubt, yet finished with shades of confidence: My body takes its place and waits.

One, two, three, four; two, two, three, four. On stage, the lights and music wash over me. Never having had a true ballet solo before, my lungs are one breath away from hyperventilating. Trying to achieve a Zen-like state, I imagine a field of daisies, yet my palms continue sweating disobediently. It’s not that I’ve never been on stage alone before; I’ve had plenty of piano recitals and competitions. Yet, while both performances consume my mind and soul, ballet demands complete commitment of my body.

I've had plenty of piano recitals and competitions. Yet, while both performances consume my mind and soul, ballet demands complete commitment of my body.

Gently slide into arabesque and lean downward; try not to fall flat on face—Mom’s videotaping. In terms of mentality, I would hardly be described as an introvert; yet, a fear of failure has still kept me from taking risks. Maybe I was scared of leaping too high, falling too far, and hitting the hard floor. As I moved up in the cutthroat world of dance, this fear only increased; the pressure of greater expectations and the specter of greater embarrassment had held me contained. Now, every single eyeball is on me.

Lean extra in this pirouette; it’s more aesthetic. But is it always better to be safe than sorry? Glancing toward the wings, I see my teacher’s wild gesticulations: Stretch your arms out, she seems to mime, More! A genuine smile replaces one of forced enthusiasm; alone on the stage, this is my chance to shine. I breathe in the movements, forget each individual step. More than just imagining, but finally experiencing the jubilation of the music, I allow my splits to stretch across the stage and my steps to extend longer and longer, until I’m no longer safe and my heart is racing. Exhilarated and scared in the best way, I throw myself into my jumps. I no longer need to imagine scenes to get in the mood; the emotions are twirling and leaping within me.

Reaching, stretching, grabbing, flinging ... My fear no longer shields me. I find my old passion for ballet, and remember the grace and poise that can nevertheless convey every color of emotion. Playing it safe will leave me part of the backdrop; only by taking risks can I step into the limelight. Maybe I’ll fall, but the rush is worth it. I’ll captain an all-male science bowl team, run a marathon, audition for a musical, and embrace the physical and intellectual elation of taking risks.

Professional Review by MR. MBA®, Val Misra

Lisa creates a winning essay by successfully invoking real emotions in the reader through her creative, descriptive prose that conveys vivid imagery, heartfelt feelings, and wholesome introspection. I instantly likened Lisa’s allegory to a bird trapped in a closed cage; the cage serves as a metaphor for what we all face in our lives, our fears. Lisa’s first ballet solo is brilliantly illustrated as her ‘Aha! moment’ where she sheds her fears (opens her cage) and, with careful self-reflection, chooses to embrace future risks (flies only forward).

In paragraphs 1-3, Lisa captivates us instantly through her beautiful, rich language and imagery, as she portrays herself immobilized by stress and a fear of failure and family/public opinion. I empathize and want to learn more! Her warm humor shines perfectly: wanting to deactivate her brain neurons and reminding herself not to fall face-first lest she gets scolded by her mother/family - wonderfully done! Lisa uses her “lovely teacher” as her grounding, comfort zone and supporter, a theme many can share. Her anxiety is relatable, and she uses this to explicate her general risk averse nature.

In paragraphs 4-5, Lisa’s solo is radiantly depicted as her defining moment where she dances and realizes her transformation- fears turn to passion and excitement. She is poetry in motion in the moment, smiling, shedding her fears, and embracing risk like a warm glass of milk. A poignant question is posed, “But is it always better to be safe than sorry?” Through introspection, Lisa expresses her desire to pursue risks that will advance her personally. Acknowledging she may not always succeed, “the rush is worth it”. Lisa ends with concrete examples of leadership roles and activities that she will pursue at college- admissions officers favorably view students eager to step outside their comfort zones and embark on new adventures/challenges at college. To make this essay stronger, Lisa could have highlighted precisely how she will tackle any fears that may crop up during new obstacles at college, tying to lessons learned through her ballet.

Superbly written in a distinct narrative form, this essay crafts an experience that is vibrant, funny, deep, and relatable.

Superbly written in a distinct narrative form, this essay crafts an experience that is vibrant, funny, deep, and relatable. Lisa’s brand values seamlessly flow throughout the essay: creativity, determination, overcoming obstacles, self-reflection, growth through risk and, of course, passion! We are left with a glowing lesson in motivation in the hope of ridding oneself of such negative feelings to go on and achieve greater things - ‘playing it dangerous’.

Michelle C.'s Essay

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Successful Harvard Essay

“You should scrub off the top layer of your skin whenever you lose a round,” my debate teammate once advised me.

“That’s not practical,” I replied.

“Neither is your refusal to wear clothes you’ve lost important debate rounds in. Your wardrobe has very little to do with your success.”

Half of me disagrees with him. I still bring three BIC Round Stic pencils with 0.7 lead to every test because my gut tells me this fastidious procedure raises my scores. I’m still convinced that labs receive better grades if written in Calibri. And I still won’t rewear clothes in which I’ve lost crucial rounds.

Yet the other half of me is equally dismissive of my own superstitions. I love logic, never failing to check that steps in a proof lead to a precise conclusion without gaps in reasoning.

Fortunately, I often abandon my penchant for pragmatism to accommodate for my unwarranted superstitions. And since I only feel the need to act logicalcally in selective situations, I am perfectly content with the illogical nature of my other habits:

Raised with my great-grandmother, grandparents, and parents all under one roof, I never lacked a consultant to help me transcribe Korean holiday dates from the lunar calendar onto my schedule. Yet whenever all four generations of my family celebrates with a traditional meal of bulgogi, my untraceable and admittedly nonexistent Italian blood flares in protest; I rebelliously cook myself linguine con le vongole that clashes terribly with my mom’s pungent kimchi.

If I plot a graph of “hours I spend in physical activity” versus “week of the year,” the result looks like an irregular cardiac cycle. The upsurges symbolize my battles with colossal walls of water in hopes of catching a smooth surf back to Mission Bay shore. The ensuing period of rest mirrors the hours I spend researching in that one spot in my debate team’s war room that isn’t covered in papers (yet), or at the piano sight-reading the newest Adele song. Then the diastolic tranquility is interrupted by the weekends when I’m sprinting through trenches to avoid paintballs swarming above my favorite arena at Paintball USA.

I find comfort in the familiar. I treasure the regular midnight chats with my brother as we indulge in batter while baking cupcakes for a friend's birthday, keeping our voices hushed

I find comfort in the familiar. I treasure the regular midnight chats with my brother as we indulge in batter while baking cupcakes for a friend’s birthday, keeping our voices hushed to avoid waking our mom and facing her “salmonella is in your near future” lecture. Yet, some of my fondest memories involve talking to people with whom I share nothing in common. Whether my conversations are about the Qatari coach’s research on Kuwait’s female voting patterns, or about the infinite differences between the “common app” and the Oxford interviewing process, or even about my friend’s Swedish school’s peculiar policy of mandating uniforms only on Wednesdays, I love comparing cultures with debaters from different countries.

My behavior is unpredictable. Yet it’s predictably unpredictable. Sure, I’ll never eat a Korean dinner like one might expect. But I’ll always be cooking linguine the moment I catch a whiff of kimchi.

Professional Review by Key Education (Bryan)

Most often, it is the down-to-earth topics that make for the most successful Common App essays. My students have written on subjects as mundane as cleaning, loading the dishwasher, eraser shavings, finding a piece of driftwood, or looking after not one, but two Shiba Inus. And so, it was a delight to read Michelle Choi’s essay. Choi took an idea that the rest of us probably give very little thought to – superstitions – and effectively used it as a focusing lens to explore different parts of her life.

By drawing these connections between seemingly unrelated and different aspects of her life, Choi demonstrated her ability to introspect while giving the reader a richer picture of who she is. Choi is not just another high achiever. Her superstitions – and that ever-present struggle between being logical and superstitious – is what makes her appealing. One can’t help but to like her. As I often remind my students, quirky is cool.

These various connections give the reader insight into what drives Choi as someone who is profoundly curious and quirky, someone who takes a different approach to things.

With Choi’s hook, the reader’s attention is immediately captured. One could be forgiven for probably cringing a little at the thought of scrubbing off a layer of one’s own skin. And besides that, what was Choi even going on about? Her opening compels the reader to want to keep on reading. Very early on in her essay, we know that debating is a core part of her identity. As she guides the reader through the rest of her essay, she skillfully connects her superstitions to other important aspects of her life, including her cultural heritage, family, surfing, music, paintball, baking, conversations with random strangers, and examinations of different cultures around the world. These various connections give the reader insight into what drives Choi as someone who is profoundly curious and quirky, someone who takes a different approach to things, whether it be intentionally combining Korean and Italian cuisine (I picture the likes of Gordon Ramsay already shuddering at the clash of flavors) to playing pop on the piano (perhaps a refreshingly different take than Mozart or Beethoven).

If I could offer one suggestion, it would be that after reading Choi’s essay, I was craving a little more. Perhaps she could have expanded slightly: what did she learn from this process of being unconventional? How did it influence the way she saw the world and influenced her actions? And in what ways did she apply this learning? That said, even with her essay, Choi does what many other students don’t with their Common App essay; she takes that a unique approach using a down-to-earth topic as a focusing lens to draw connections to various parts of her life.

Tony's Essay

As an admission essay specialist , Dan Lichterman has been empowering students to find their voice since 2004. He helps students stand out on paper, eliminating the unnecessary so the necessary may speak. Drawing upon his storytelling background, Dan guides applicants to craft authentic essays that leap off the page. He is available for online writing support within the US and internationally. To learn more and schedule a brief complimentary consultation visit danlichterman.com.

Successful Harvard Essay: Beauty in Complexity

Gazing up at the starry sky, I see Cygnus, Hercules, and Pisces, remnants of past cultures. I listen to waves crash on the beach, the forces of nature at work. Isn’t it odd how stars are flaming spheres and electrical impulses make beings sentient? The very existence of our world is a wonder; what are the odds that this particular planet developed all the necessary components, parts that all work in unison, to support life? How do they interact? How did they come to be? I thought back to how my previously simplistic mind-set evolved this past year.

The very existence of our world is a wonder; what are the odds that this particular planet developed all the necessary components, parts that all work in unison, to support life?

At Balboa, juniors and seniors join one of five small learning communities, which are integrated into the curriculum. Near the end of sophomore year, I ranked my choices: Law Academy first—it seemed the most prestigious—and WALC, the Wilderness Arts and Literacy Collaborative, fourth. So when I was sorted into WALC, I felt disappointed at the inflexibility of my schedule and bitter toward my classes. However, since students are required to wait at least a semester before switching pathways, I stayed in WALC. My experiences that semester began shifting my ambition-oriented paradigm to an interest-oriented one. I didn’t switch out.

Beyond its integrated classes, WALC takes its students on trips to natural areas not only to build community among its students, but also to explore complex natural processes and humanity’s role in them. Piecing these lessons together, I create an image of our universe. I can visualize the carving of glacial valleys, the creation and gradation of mountains by uplift and weathering, and the transportation of nutrients to and from ecosystems by rivers and salmon. I see these forces on the surface of a tiny planet rotating on its axis and orbiting the sun, a gem in this vast universe. Through WALC, I have gained an intimate understanding of natural systems and an addiction to understanding the deep interconnections embedded in our cosmos.

Understanding a system’s complex mechanics not only satisfies my curiosity, but also adds beauty to my world; my understanding of tectonic and gradational forces allows me to appreciate mountains and coastlines beyond aesthetics. By physically going to the place described in WALC’s lessons, I have not only gained the tools to admire these systems, but have also learned to actually appreciate them. This creates a thirst to see more beauty in a world that’s filled with poverty and violence, and a hunger for knowledge to satisfy that thirst. There are so many different systems to examine and dissect—science alone has universal, planetary, molecular, atomic, and subatomic scales to investigate. I hope to be able to find my interests by taking a variety of courses in college, and further humanity’s understanding through research, so that all can derive a deeper appreciation for the complex systems that govern this universe.

Professional Review by Dan Lichterman

Tony’s essay opens with stargazing at the ocean’s edge where we experience his boundless curiosity towards the natural world, sentience, and life itself. This wide-eyed wonderment is rendered artfully, yet what actually enables this essay to succeed is its ability to ponder deep concepts without getting lost in the clouds.

The story itself revolves around an event that seems far removed from the incomprehensibility of the universe: a randomized selection has assigned Tony to study wilderness arts when he preferred the path of law. He is bitter that a decision impacting his studies has been determined by chance. We see vulnerability in his admission that he was beholden to an “ambition oriented paradigm,” rather than studying what interested him most. However, what we discover through the rest of the essay is that Tony’s decision to remain in wilderness arts is one that has transformed him completely, changing his perspective from a “simplistic mindset” to one that is addicted to “understanding the deep interconnections embedded in our cosmos.”

The strength of Tony's language helps us appreciate the breadth and excitement of his unforseen awakening.

The strength of Tony’s language helps us appreciate the breadth and excitement of his unforseen awakening. From visualizing the “carving of glacial valleys” to reveling in the complex mechanics of natural systems, the essay showcases how much more Tony appreciates our world thanks to an event that had once seemed unfairly arbitrary. Observing Tony’s thirst for life’s interconnectedness, we grow confident that his evolving perspective will guide his studies into exciting unexpected realms.

Yueming's Essay

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My Ye-Ye always wears a red baseball cap. I think he likes the vivid color—bright and sanguine, like himself. When Ye-Ye came from China to visit us seven years ago, he brought his red cap with him and every night for six months, it sat on the stairway railing post of my house, waiting to be loyally placed back on Ye-Ye’s head the next morning. He wore the cap everywhere: around the house, where he performed magic tricks with it to make my little brother laugh; to the corner store, where he bought me popsicles before using his hat to wipe the beads of summer sweat off my neck. Today whenever I see a red hat, I think of my Ye-Ye and his baseball cap, and I smile.

Ye-Ye is the Mandarin word for “grandfather.” My Ye-Ye is a simple, ordinary person—not rich, not “successful”—but he is my greatest source of inspiration and I idolize him. Of all the people I know, Ye-Ye has encountered the most hardship and of all the people I know, Ye-Ye is the most joyful. That these two aspects can coexist in one individual is, in my mind, truly remarkable.

Ye-Ye was an orphan. Both his parents died before he was six years old, leaving him and his older brother with no home and no family. When other children gathered to read around stoves at school, Ye-Ye and his brother walked in the bitter cold along railroad tracks, looking for used coal to sell. When other children ran home to loving parents, Ye-Ye and his brother walked along the streets looking for somewhere to sleep. Eight years later, Ye-Ye walked alone—his brother was dead.

Ye-Ye managed to survive, and in the meanwhile taught himself to read, write, and do arithmetic. Life was a blessing, he told those around him with a smile.

Years later, Ye-Ye’s job sent him to the Gobi Desert, where he and his fellow workers labored for twelve hours a day. The desert wind was merciless; it would snatch their tent in the middle of the night and leave them without supply the next morning. Every year, harsh weather took the lives of some fellow workers.

After eight years, Ye-Ye was transferred back to the city where his wife lay sick in bed. At the end of a twelve-hour workday, Ye-Ye took care of his sick wife and three young children. He sat with the children and told them about the wide, starry desert sky and mysterious desert lives. Life was a blessing, he told them with a smile.

But life was not easy; there was barely enough money to keep the family from starving. Yet, my dad and his sisters loved going with Ye-Ye to the market. He would buy them little luxuries that their mother would never indulge them in: a small bag of sunflower seeds for two cents, a candy each for three cents. Luxuries as they were, Ye-Ye bought them without hesitation. Anything that could put a smile on the children’s faces and a skip in their steps was priceless.

He would buy them little luxuries that their mother would never indulge them in: a small bag of sunflower seeds for two cents, a candy each for three cents.

Ye-Ye still goes to the market today. At the age of seventy-eight, he bikes several kilometers each week to buy bags of fresh fruits and vegetables, and then bikes home to share them with his neighbors. He keeps a small patch of strawberries and an apricot tree. When the fruit is ripe, he opens his gate and invites all the children in to pick and eat. He is Ye-Ye to every child in the neighborhood.

I had always thought that I was sensible and self-aware. But nothing has made me stare as hard in the mirror as I did after learning about the cruel past that Ye-Ye had suffered and the cheerful attitude he had kept throughout those years. I thought back to all the times when I had gotten upset. My mom forgot to pick me up from the bus station. My computer crashed the day before an assignment was due. They seemed so trivial and childish, and I felt deeply ashamed of myself.

Now, whenever I encounter an obstacle that seems overwhelming, I think of Ye-Ye; I see him in his red baseball cap, smiling at me. Like a splash of cool water, his smile rouses me from grief, and reminds me how trivial my worries are and how generous life has been. Today I keep a red baseball cap at the railing post at home where Ye-Ye used to put his every night. Whenever I see the cap, I think of my Ye-Ye, smiling in his red baseball cap, and I smile. Yes, Ye-Ye. Life is a blessing.

Professional Review by Crimson Education

Yueming’s essay is the perfect example of an application essay that does exactly what it’s supposed to do: it fills out the picture of who Yueming is and allows the admissions committee to learn things about him that are not contained in the rest of his application. Yueming uses the story of his Ye-Ye’s baseball cap to show the reader what is important to him and to demonstrate key personality traits that he’d contribute to life on campus.

Yueming uses the story of his Ye-Ye's baseball cap to show the reader what is important to him and to demonstrate key personality traits

Even though most of the text is devoted to Ye-Ye’s biography, the essay is not just about him. Ye-Ye’s whole story is a prelude to the final paragraphs, which reveal the most important aspects of Yueming’s personality. Just like in life, our ancestors’ past is a prelude to a future generation’s history, which is still emerging. This subtle parallel, unnoticeable at first glance, allows the reader to understand the profound development of Yueming’s personality and his talent for looking deeper into the essence of things.

Yueming shows his ability to learn from the experience of others, and he highlights his own resilience and the positive mindset he gained from Ye-Ye. These qualities are undoubtedly essential for a future Harvard student and demonstrate his ability to embody “life is a blessing” on campus and beyond.

Charles' Essay

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James was not fitting in with everyone else. During lunch, he sat alone, playing with his own toys. During group activities, the other campers always complained when paired with him. What was wrong? As camp counselor, I quietly observed his behavior—nothing out of the ordinary. I just couldn’t fathom why the other campers treated him like a pariah.

After three days of ostracism, James broke down during a game of soccer. Tears streaming down his cheeks, he slumped off the field, head in his hands. I jogged toward him, my forehead creased with concern. Some campers loudly remarked, “Why is that creep crying?” Furious indignation leaped into my heart. They were the ones who “accidentally” bumped into him and called him “James the Freak.” It was their cruelty that caused his meltdown, and now they were mocking him for it. I sharply told them to keep their thoughts to themselves. I squatted beside James and asked him what was wrong. Grunting, he turned his back to me. I had to stop his tears, and I had to make him feel comfortable. So for the next hour, I talked about everything a seven-year-old boy might find interesting, from sports to Transformers.

I had to stop his tears, and I had to make him feel comfortable. So for the next hour, I talked about everything a seven-year-old boy might find interesting, from sports to Transformers.

“I have a question,” I asked as James began to warm to me. I took a deep breath and dove right into the problem. “Why do the other campers exclude you?” Hesitantly, he took off his shoes and socks, and pointed at his left foot. One, two, three … four. He had four toes. We had gone swimming two days before: All the campers must have noticed. I remembered my childhood, when even the smallest abnormality—a bad haircut, a missing tooth—could cause others, including myself, to shrink away. I finally understood.

But what could I do to help? I scoured my mind for the words to settle his demons. But nothing came to me. Impulsively, I hugged him—a gesture of intimacy we camp leaders were encouraged not to initiate, and an act I later discovered no friend had ever offered James before. Then, I put my hand on his shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes. I assured him that external features didn’t matter, and that as long as he was friendly, people would eventually come around. I listed successful individuals who had not been hindered by their abnormalities. And finally, I told him he would always be my favorite camper, regardless of whether he had two, five, or a hundred toes.

On the last day of camp, I was jubilant—James was starting to fit in. Although the teasing had not completely disappeared, James was speaking up and making friends. And when, as we were saying our good-byes, James gave me one last hug and proclaimed that I was his “bestest friend in the whole wide world,” my heart swelled up. From my campers, I learned that working with children is simply awesome. And from James, I learned that a little love truly goes a long way.

Professional Review by College Confidential

Charles Wong takes the all too common experience of watching someone be excluded and explains how he combats it. In his personal account of being a camp counselor, Charles not only communicates that he cares deeply for others, but also displays his thought process for how he solves problems in general. Instead of just declaring these personal characteristics, he shows them through a personal account. The pointed decision to “show” not “tell” is an excellent essay tactic.

Charles not only communicates that he cares deeply for others, but also displays his thought process for how he solves problems in general.

First, Charles begins with his description of the situation. His tone is casual and straightforward. He incorporates crucial details, but his writing is not superfluous. His essay is concise and easy to follow. While this approach may seem to lack sophistication, it reflects Charle’s raw, real thoughts. The reader can feel his concern; Charles walks us through his genuine dilemma. Additionally, the acts of kindness he describes—the pep talks, the hugs—offer insight into his character. The decision to include these details paint Charles as a kind and bright personality, something of value on any college campus.

Moreover, Charles does more than just describe how he solved this particular problem, but expands it to life in general. He grasps meaning from a seemingly mundane experience and explains how it changed his entire mindset. This ability to consciously grow suggests Charles’s drive to to learn from all life has to offer; he is a student in more than just the classroom.

Sean's Essay

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I have always envied the butterfly.

Its graceful poise as it glides through the air; the blissful flutter of its wings as it courageously embarks upon life’s journeys. Its ambitious and adaptive nature — a change-maker and discoverer, a trendsetter in the animal world, a leader amongst other species. Charles Darwin said, “it is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change.” I envy the butterfly’s adaptive approach to change, making them the silent leaders of the animal kingdom.

It was at age nine, on a family trip to the Boston Museum of Science, that I was first drawn to the breathtaking butterfly. As I stepped into the butterfly’s endless capsule of nature, the flamboyant and audacious nature of the butterfly was captivating — their vibrant colors flaunted proud and shame-free, central to their persona but not defining of their personality. Their extraordinary courage in self-expression brought a little boy great inspiration. As someone who has questioned and struggled with my identity and accepting my queerness throughout life, the butterfly exemplified what it meant to be bold, courageous, and proud to a young boy who was lacking in all of those.

The butterfly exemplified what it meant to be bold, courageous, and proud to a young boy who was lacking in all of those.

I vividly recall one butterfly standing out among its comrades. Being an uncreative third-grader, I named my new friend Bloo due to his radiant cerulean shades descending from darkness to light as they progressed from the wing’s base. I watched Bloo soar, using his wings to glide far above the dainty and fragile stereotypes placed on him by society. I admire the profound growth Bloo must have achieved to get here, at one point a timid and powerless inchworm evolved into a carefully-crafted canvas of power. Bloo exemplified the strength and pride that I needed to begin accepting my identity. Looking back on this brief encounter with Bloo, I recall how he taught an insecure child self-acceptance. From here, I began to internalize the butterfly’s power. I began to molt into a new skin with fledgling wings.

As I progressed through life with these newly-discovered wings, I became increasingly drawn to observing butterflies in nature. They have proven much more than just precious gems found amongst clouds or prize trophies for kindergarteners to catch in their nets. The butterfly has shown itself as the hidden alpha of the animal kingdom — a leader and trendsetter amongst organisms both small and large, a fearless change-maker enabling them to outsurvive the rest for the past fifty-six million years.

With the wings and strength of the butterfly latched to my shoulders, I proudly embraced the challenge posed by this delicate yet powerful creature — to be a leader and a change-maker. Recognizing many social injustices in my community, I was inspired by the butterfly to become a voice of change. Driven by the butterfly’s creativity, I developed a social justice discussion program to take place at my high school, and became a local leader and fighter against corrupt politics in the 2020 election cycle. Bloo reminds me that time moves quickly and I must never settle nor lose focus in the crusade for justice. I hope to use this fragile time to advocate for equality in medicine, combining my passion for science with advocacy to leave a lasting legacy.

Today, the lessons taught by the butterfly are never far from my mind, whether I'm sitting in my English classroom discussing Beowulf, dreading the prospect of my upcoming integral exam, or even studying Darwin in Biology.

All these years later, as I ponder my defining characteristics and core values, I recognize that it is my time to become the butterfly — to embody Darwin’s words and face life with the courage to create change as I break free from my cocoon and enter the long-awaited adult world.

Professional Review by HS2 Academy

This piece is quite touching, as it deftly crafts a delicate and nuanced picture of Sean’s lifelong connection with the butterfly. It is playful (“my new friend Bloo”) while also profoundly introspective. It starts out effectively with a thought-provoking hook. After all, how many people would think to envy a butterfly? But the essay quickly picks up pace and shows how the butterfly truly is a perfect symbol for Sean’s own metamorphosis into a true leader and agent of change.

The essay works on so many levels because it utilizes an extended metaphor that aptly describes many parallels with Sean's life.

The essay works on so many levels because it utilizes an extended metaphor that aptly describes many parallels with Sean’s life. Oftentimes, many college essays utilize figurative language, but the connection with the narrative of that student’s life tends to be rather superficial. The idea of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon may seem a bit cliche as an image of a student’s transformation, but Sean’s essay goes deeper, in part because of a parallel with Sean’s own struggles with their queer identity. Phrases like using his wings to “glide far above the dainty and fragile stereotypes placed on him by society” powerfully capture Sean’s own journey from an insecure child to an advocate for social justice and equality in medicine.

We learn that Sean has truly found inspiration in the butterfly, rising above struggles with self-identity to become a principled leader with a genuine desire to fight injustice. The qualities Sean demonstrates—determination over adversity, passion for equality and justice—would be a welcome addition to any college community.

20 Successful College Essay Examples + Why They Worked (2023)

Today I'm going to show you 20 essays that worked that will help inspire you and start you on your way to writing your own successful essays.

In this post, I've included:

• Personal Statement examples
• Supplemental essay examples
• University of California essays
• Links to hundreds more essay examples

If you're looking for college essay examples, you've found the right place.

Let's get started.

Writing your college essays can be challenging.

And in 2023, with many schools dropping test scores from their application, your college essays are one of the most important parts of your application if you want to get accepted.

That means there's a whole lot more opportunity for students without the best SAT or ACT scores to boost their chances of admission by writing outstanding essays.

20 of My Favorite EssaysThatWorked

One of the best ways to write your own successful essays is to read and learn from past essays that worked.

Here's 20 of our favorite college essays examples. From Personal Statement examples to "Why this college?" supplements, find any type of essay you're looking for.

I've chosen these examples because they represent almost every type of essay you'll need to write.

Plus, they are all high-quality examples that have an authentic voice , one of the most important parts of a great essay.

Table of Contents

Personal statement essay examples.

• 1. The Itch
• 2. Paint Dance
• 3. Football Manager
• 4. Restaurant Job

Additional Personal Statement Examples

Additional Common App Essay Examples

University of California Essay Examples

• 5. Summer Counselor
• 6. Teaching Talent
• 7. Linguistics
• 8. Linguistics Society
• 9. New Perspectives

Supplemental Essay Examples

• 10. Fermat's Last Theorem
• 11. Bug Fixing
• 12. Why UPenn?
• 13. Story of My Name
• 14. Ideal College Community
• 15. Why Computer Science
• 16. Volunteering at Hospital
• 17. Why Carnegie Mellon
• 18. Why NYU?
• 19. Moving Places
• 20. Double Major

Ready to get inspired to write the next great admissions essays?

Let's jump right in.

Part 1: Personal Statements That Stand Out

Your Personal Statement essay is arguably the most important essay you'll write.

Since it's sent to every college you apply to, you need to carefully choose how you use your 650 words.

In this section, I'll show you several examples of successful Common App essays accepted into the most selective colleges.

Let’s dive right in.

Most students write their personal statement essay on their Common Application.

That's why it's called your Common App essay .

If you're having trouble starting your essay, be sure to check out some Common App inspiration .

Here are some of the best Common App essay examples that have gotten students into top colleges.

Below are some of our favorite personal statement essay examples from the Ivy League and other top-20 colleges.

College Essay Example #1: The Itch

This Common App personal statement was accepted into Stanford University .

Common App Prompt #7: Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. (250-650 words)

Slowly, my passion emerged from pretense and envy into reality.

Why This Essay Works:

This essay is all based upon the metaphor of "the itch" representing a desire to understand the world. By using a central theme, such as a metaphor, you can create a thread of ideas that run throughout your essay. If you want to use a metaphor, make sure it clearly relates to the idea you're trying to express, rather than choosing one just because it is a creative or unique approach. In this case, there is perhaps no better metaphor than "the itch" which would capture their main idea, so it works well.

Instead of "telling" their ideas, this essay does a lot of fantastic "showing" through specific anecdotes. Sentences like "I learned to sing the blues before I knew the words..." capture a lot about the author's character and background without having to say it outright. By showing the reader, you allow them to draw their own conclusions rather than just having to accept what you're telling them. Using specific language also creates a more vibrant and interesting essay. Rather than saying "I loved learning as a kid," this student shows it using a concrete example: "my favorite book was an introduction to fulcrums".

Writing about other people in your essay can be a great way to tell things about yourself. Known as a literary "foil," by describing other people you can show your own values without stating them plainly. In this essay, the author shows their value (of being passionate about learning) by first recognizing that value in somebody else, "Kikki" in this case. By writing about people in your life, you can also create a sense of humility and humanity. Nobody is an "island," meaning that everyone is influenced by those around us. Showing how you draw inspiration, values, or lessons from others will show more about your character than simply telling admissions would.

In general, listing activities in your essay is a bad strategy, because it is repetitive of your activities list and comes across boring. However, this essay manages to list their activities in the 3rd-to-last paragraph by connecting them to a central idea: how their newfound passion for learning sparked all these new engagements. Listing activities can be okay, but only if they have a clear purpose in doing so. In this case, the purpose is to show how these activities are representative of their new passion for learning. But the purpose for listing activities could also be to show a specific value, provide examples for your idea, demonstrate your new perspective, etc.

College Essay Example #2: Paint Dance

This Common App personal statement was accepted into Williams College .

Common App Prompt #2: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? (250-650 words)

This student uses figurative language, particularly personification, which makes their writing more engaging. Rather simply telling a story plainly, implementing aspects of creative writing such as metaphors, personification, and symbolism, can engage the reader in your story.

This essay deals with their struggles—particularly in overcoming fear of failure while painting. By showcasing your challenges, you not only create a more relatable persona, but it makes your successes far more impactful. Everyone has struggles, and reflecting upon those challenges is what will help you convey self-growth.

What They Might Improve:

Although this student reflects on the concept of fear, they don't go much deeper than surface-level reflections. This essay does pose some interesting questions, like "Why was I afraid of something I had not yet encountered?" but these questions are cut short and not satisfyingly explored. Admissions officers are impressed with genuine, deep reflection. To get there, you need to push past surface-level takeaways and try taking your ideas always one step further.

"Fear" is a central theme of this essay, but the main idea of overcoming fear is repeated excessively, without adding new ideas. It is important that your essay "goes somewhere" and doesn't stay stuck at the surface of your ideas. You want to go deep into your ideas, which means avoiding repetition at all costs, and only referencing a previous idea if you're adding something new: a new perspective, context, nuance, broader application, etc.

College Essay Example #3: Football Manager

This Common App personal statement was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania .

Common App Prompt #1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. (250-650 words)

This essay has lighthearted moments in it, such as recognizing how being a football manager "does not sound glamorous" and how "we managers go by many names: watergirls..." Using moments of humor can be appropriate for contrasting with moments of serious reflection. Being lighthearted also shows a sense of personality and that you are able to take things with stride.

The reflections in this essay are far too generic overall and ultimately lack meaning because they are unspecific. Using buzzwords like "hard work" and "valuable lessons" comes off as unoriginal, so avoid using them at all costs. Your reflections need to be specific to you to be most meaningful. If you could (in theory) pluck out sentences from your essay and drop them into another student's essay, then chances are those sentences are not very insightful. Your ideas should be only have been able to been written by you: specific to your experiences, personal in nature, and show deep reflection.

Although this essay uses the topic of "being a football manager," by the end of the essay it isn't clear what that role even constitutes. Avoid over-relying on other people or other's ideas when writing your essay. That is, most of the reflections in this essay are based on what the author witnessed the football team doing, rather than what they experienced for themselves in their role. Focus on your own experiences first, and be as specific and tangible as possible when describing your ideas. Rather than saying "hard work," show that hard work through an anecdote.

More important than your stories is the "So what?" behind them. Avoid writing stories that don't have a clear purpose besides "setting the scene." Although most fiction writing describes people and places as exposition, for your essays you want to avoid that unless it specifically contributes to your main point. In this essay, the first two paragraphs are almost entirely unnecessary, as the point of them can be captured in one sentence: "I joined to be a football manager one summer." The details of how that happened aren't necessary because they aren't reflected upon.

In typical academic writing, we're taught to "tell them what you're going to tell them" before telling them. But for college essays, every word is highly valuable. Avoid prefacing your statements and preparing the reader for them. Instead of saying "XYZ would prove to be an unforgettable experience," just dive right into the experience itself. Think of admissions officers as "being in a rush," and give them what they want: your interesting ideas and experiences.

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College Essay Example #4: Restaurant Job

This Common App personal statement is an accepted Tulane essay .

Common App Prompt #5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (250-650 words)

Piano Man plays on repeat in Used To Be’s Island Eatery, a high-volume bar and restaurant in the town of [Location] on the Jersey shore. Balding men and blonde women sway to the song as they sit on the wooden barstools, chatting and laughing about their lives.

Rather than "telling," it's important to always back up your points by "showing." This means using anecdotes, examples, and specific references to help the reader come to the same conclusion as you. Anybody can "tell" things, but by showing them you are giving proof, which makes your points more convincing and compelling.

An effective strategy for having interesting ideas is to reflect upon what you've learned as the result of an activity or experience. Lessons are important because they show self-growth, which admissions officers are looking for. It can also be a good idea to compare and contrast your lessons with other areas of your life. For example, how do your lessons from an extracurricular activity differ or translate over to your academics? Or vice versa?

One of the most common "mistakes" in essays is to not go deeper into your ideas. Most students gravitate towards surface-level ideas, which can be a good starting point, but should ideally be taken further. Admissions officers have read thousands of essays, so it's important that your ideas are unique, specific to you, and interesting. To get to those "deeper" ideas, keep asking yourself questions. For example, if you start with the idea of "positivity is key for this job," then keep asking yourself "Why?" Repeat that process many times and think critically, and eventually you'll come to more interesting and compelling ideas.

Avoid writing like fiction books, which have lots of descriptions that build a world or environment. Instead, only describe the things that matter to your main point. Since you have a limited number of words to use, it is vital that each sentence has a clear purpose. In this essay, many descriptions are ultimately unnecessary to their main point. Does it matter that "balding men and blonde women sway to the song as they sit on the wooden barstools"? No, and this only distracts from what is ultimately more valuable: your ideas and reflections.

Want to read more Common App essay examples?

If you're looking for more outstanding Common App essays, check out our Common App guide with examples.

For more, check out our list of top personal statement examples .

Part 2: UC Personal Insight Questions

Your UC essays are more important in 2022, now that UC's have dropped SAT and ACT scores from your application.

And if you're looking to write great UC essays, the best place to start is by learning from essays that worked in the past.

If you're looking for tons of UC essay examples, you're in the right place.

Every student applying to University of California must write four Personal Insight Questions. Each short essay must be fewer than 350 words each.

Check out our guides and examples for UCLA essays and UC Berkeley essays .

Within those posts, you'll be able to read dozens of the best UC Personal Insight Questions.

College Essay Example #5: Summer Counselor

This essay was accepted into UCLA .

UC PIQ #1: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. (350 words max)

Each summer for the last eight years, I have attended a four-week residential summer camp on Orcas Island, first as a camper and more recently as a staff member. As a counselor-in- training last summer, my role shifted from one centred around my own enjoyment to one catering to the fulfilment of others. I welcomed this change of pace gladly, as the ability to positively impact the next generation of campers in a similar way to how my own counselors impacted mine thrilled me.

At first, I was unconvinced that I was being the role model I had envisaged of myself, as I was daunted by my new responsibility as staff. However, my uncertainty dissipated when one of the campers I had worked closely with in the sailing classes I taught wrote me a heartfelt letter towards the end of the session claiming that spending time with me had been one of the highlights of his summer. This small affirmation struck me deeply, and I was incentivised to continue putting all my energy into hopefully similarly affecting as many others as I could.

One of the most challenging parts of the summer was when I acted as an assistant counselor to a group of six 2nd-grade boys for a week, living with and supervising them for the whole time. I recall one particular moment when all six started yelling over the minor grievance of whose turn it was to take the dirty dishes back to the kitchen that meal. I tried diffusing the situation peacefully but, in the end, it required a firmer stance to get them to calm down. It was tough for me to take a harder line with them, but it was a valuable lesson that being assertive, yet still kind, is an effective method for future situations.

I cannot wait to apply for a full counselor position next summer, as each year I learn more from camp about what it is to be a compassionate leader, a convincing role model, and a team player.

• Specific Example : For UC essays, it's important to directly and clearly answer the prompt. This student does a good job of using a specific moment that clearly answers the prompt.
• Honest About Challenges : You don't have to present yourself as a perfect human being. Instead, by showing your flaws and challenges, it makes you more relatable. This student does that well by admitting: "I was unconvinced that I was being the role model I had envisaged of myself."

What They Might Change:

• Give More Details : In addition to stating "...it required a firmer stance to get them to calm down," it's better to show this. How did you act in that moment? How can you illustrate that assertiveness, without just stating it?

College Essay Example #6: Teaching Talent

UC PIQ #3: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? (350 words max)

My greatest talent is teaching. I love the opportunity to help others and seeing them develop and improve as a result of my input is always so rewarding.

My principle teaching outlet is as a diving coach. My favourite part about this job is that it is so dynamic, and each session is different. Some days the divers are in a great mood, dive impressively, and will jest with you nonstop which, being extroverted, fills me with energy and is a genuinely enjoyable evening. These sessions are so easy to coach as you can present yourself as a friend to the divers and deepen the trust that exists between you. However, other nights the kids are tired and unenthusiastic and coaching becomes far more challenging. I have to be stricter with them while simultaneously finding ways to motivate them, such as introducing little competitions or rewards for training hard. Over time, I have gotten much more confident at adjusting my coaching attitude towards the signals I pick up from the divers and it has made my job significantly easier.

This year, I have taken on the additional responsibility of leading the Learn to Dive squad, the largest group of divers at my club. At first, it was tough for me to adjust to my new role as it entailed more work with other coaches, helping them to develop their own coaching ability and monitoring the progression of their divers, as well as with kids of my own. However, I have grown to love this new element of my job, despite the challenge of instructing coaches older than myself, as it has forced me to develop my teaching ability in new ways. I have had to analyse my own teaching methods in order to explain them to other coaches and this both helped them to understand how to improve, but also allowed me to refine and develop how I coach my own divers.

Teaching is such an important part of my life because it allows me to learn and increase my own knowledge while making a positive impact on others.

College Essay Example #7: Linguistics

This Personal Insight Question essay was accepted into UCLA among others.

UC PIQ #6: Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. (350 words max)

While reading Tolkien's The Silmarillion , I was struck by the elegance of the Elvish script he included. Upon further research, I discovered that he had created an entire language – Quenya – to accompany the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The idea that a language could be crafted and cultivated like a piece of art was both illuminating and inspiring to me. I had heard of Esperanto previously, but I believe Tolkien wasn’t trying to change the world with his creation. His goal was simply to create a language for the pleasure of it, and to enrich his storytelling and worldbuilding.

The revelation that language could be more than just a tool for communication triggered a love for linguistics that persists to this day. I voraciously tore through reference grammars and college textbooks alike, including An Introduction to Historical Linguistics by Lyle Campbell.

I even tried to emulate Tolkien and create a language of my own. Whether at school taking classes in Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, and Ancient Greek, or at home studying the phonology of Brazilian Portuguese on my own, languages excited and motivated me to learn more. I was awarded the Arthur Beatty award for outstanding linguist in the year as a result of my dedication to the language program at school.

Watching Game of Thrones reintroduced me to conlanging in the form of Dothraki and rekindled my interest, prompting me to write my IB extended essay on the historical etymology of Spanish. It was a challenging project, but I loved every minute of my research. While my friends were lamenting their boredom at poring over endless journals on topics they didn’t enjoy, I was studying a subject for which I am truly passionate. I hope to continue my study of language in university, and one of my goals in life is to be trilingual. I have no doubt that languages will continue to inspire me throughout life, and I hope to be able to share some of this passion with others along the way.

College Essay Example #8: Linguistics Society

Here's another UCLA essay that worked.

UC PIQ #7: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? (350 words max)

Throughout my time at school, I have tried to share my passions and interests with others in various ways.

With the help of a friend, I reinvigorated and reinvented the school linguistics society, transforming it from a dull discussion of past exam questions to a seminar-style session where I have presented and analysed various interesting aspects of language. We have covered topics ranging from phonetics to historical sound change, and it has attracted a loyal troop of linguists who relish the weekly meetings almost as much as I do.

I have also channelled my passion for teaching into volunteering as a Spanish teacher at another local elementary school. Leading a class of thirty students can be a challenge, mainly as that many students are often hard to control. Nevertheless, I have planned and carried out lessons there each week for the last three years and have learnt a lot from it. I have found that as my confidence has grown, so the students have started to listen to and respect me more. They gain more from the lessons, as is evident from their progress at the end of each semester, and my enjoyment and fulfilment has risen. I am glad to have had a positive impact on their learning, and that I have been able to teach a subject that genuinely interests me.

Finally, I was appointed as a school prefect for senior year. In this role, I have been involved with a number of charity initiatives, such as organising bake sales and sponsored sporting events to raise money for the Make a Wish foundation, as well as various pastoral activities such as mentoring incoming freshman and guiding prospective parents around the campus. I love being a prefect as it allows me to give something back to the school that has been a huge part of my life for the last several years. I hope my legacy is that students feel more comfortable and confident in the school environment, and that they are inspired to become leaders as I have been to give back to the community in turn.

College Essay Example #9: New Perspectives

This essay was accepted into UC Berkeley .

Seconds after our teacher announced our project groups ​I heard the familiar, pitchy voice of the most irritating person in the class yell my name. Just like my worst nightmare, I had been put in a group to work with Eva; the annoying girl who had a weird obsession with horses. At that moment, I knew that it was going to be the longest project of my life.

Eva was extremely difficult to work with; she would always interrupt me, stubbornly stuck to what she wanted, and did not listen to a thing I said. Two weeks of tension and no progress flew by until one day during class, Eva went on another ramble about her horses.

Although I wasn't ready to hear her talk about horses again, I let her continue. What was another rant about horses turned into a conversation about the mental disorders Eva faced and how she relied on horse riding as therapy. After that conversation, our progress took a complete 180. I was eager to learn more, and we finished the project with more purpose and meaning. My perspective changed entirely.

I was moved by Eva’s passion for horse riding and encouraged her to start a club on campus where she could share her passion with others. Beyond this project, I helped Eva defend her riding center during city council meetings because it was on the verge of being shut down. In exchange, working with Eva taught me how to be more open-minded, more patient, more understanding; values of which I personally lacked my entire life. ​I began to cooperate with people with a more accepting and considerate mentality, understanding that people work in different ways.

I’m glad I chose to work through the project with Eva because I grew as a leader in a way that I would have never expected. I know I could have easily done the project by myself, but instead, I worked through our disagreements and bickering. S​haring this experience with Eva unearthed my ability to lead using patience and understanding, which are now essential assets to my leadership capabilities.

Part 3: Supplemental Essay Examples

Many top colleges require students to supplemental essays.

Each school may ask different prompts or none at all. And often your answers will be more specific and directly about the school.

In this section, you'll find supplemental essay examples from top universities. I've included a variety of prompts to cover common supplemental prompts, from "Why this college?" to major and area of study questions

Let's jump into the essays.

In addition to the your personal statement or statement of purpose (SOP), many colleges also require supplements.

These supplemental essays are often specific to the school and ask you to answer a specific question, such as "Why this college?" or "Why this major?"

In this section, you'll find supplemental essay examples from top universities. I've included a variety of prompts to cover common supplemental prompts that you may encounter.

College Essay Example #10: Fermat's Last Theorem

This supplemental essay was accepted into Cornell University .

Prompt: Cornell Engineering celebrates innovative problem solving that helps people, communities…the world. Consider your ideas and aspirations and describe how a Cornell Engineering education would allow you to leverage technological problem-solving to improve the world we live in. (250-650 words)

For "Why Us?" college essays, one of the most important parts is to show ways you imagine being involved on campus. This student does a great job of showing that they've done their research about Cornell, by connecting their passion for studying heart disease to specific initiatives already taking place on campus. Try researching what events, research, or programs are being conducted. By referencing those specifics, you can create convincing reasons of why this school is fit for you.

When discussing your intended area of study, one effective strategy is to identify a problem that you see. This problem can be in the field itself, your community, or the world. Then, you can connect this problem to yourself by showing how you'd want to help solve it. Don't try to tackle it entirely yourself, but show how you'd "take bites" out of this larger problem. It is also important that you identify potential solutions to the problem. You definitely don't (and shouldn't) have all the answers, but what do you see as potential steps for combatting the issue?

Using technical language, such as referencing "semi-elliptical curves" and "modular form" in this essay, will help show your in-depth knowledge and passion. Don't be afraid to use technical jargon like this, and don't worry if admissions officers may not know all the terms. As long as they have context and knowing the terminology isn't critical to understanding your point, including "nerdy" language will make your essay more engaging and demonstrate your intelligence.

If you have personal connections to the school you're applying to (such as legacy, family members who work there, students or faculty you're close with), it can be a good idea to reference those connections. Showing personal connections to the school makes admissions think, "They're already practically one of us!" Just make sure that these connections aren't contrived: only write about them if you have a clear purpose within your essay for introducing them. In this essay, the student references their brother who attended Cornell, but does so in a way that naturally ties into the rest of their reasons for "why Cornell."

College Essay Example #11: Bug Fixing

Here's another Cornell essay that worked .

Prompt: Describe two or three of your current intellectual interests and why they are exciting to you. Why will Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences be the right environment in which to pursue your interests? (650 words max)

College Essay Example #12: Why UPenn

If you enjoyed the UPenn Common App essay , here's a supplement that was also accepted into the University of Pennsylvania .

Prompt: How will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying. (650 words max)

This essay does a great job of conveying a thoughtful and candid applicant. Their phrasing, although verbose in some places, comes across genuine because the author walks you through how they learned about the school, what they're looking for in a school, and why the school would offer those specific things. Phrases like "I didn't know if I could honestly see myself studying that" are conversational and natural-sounding, which help create a sincere tone.

By referencing specific programs, like "Penn in Washington" as well as various minors and concentrations, it is clear this student has done their research about the school. One of the most important aspects for a "Why Us" essay is to find specific and unique opportunities and name them in your essay. These could be things like specific professors and their work, campus and its location, interesting classes, unique internship/study-abroad/job programs, special events, and many more. The key is referencing things that are entirely unique to the school and not many other schools too. Avoid broad terms like "renowned faculty" or "interdisciplinary studies" because virtually all colleges offer things like this, and these are some of the most over-used and artificial reasons used in "Why Us" essays.

This essay has many moments of repetition that are unnecessary. In general, avoid repeating your ideas and when editing, ask yourself of each sentence: does this add something distinctly new and important to my essay? There are two common mistakes that often create repetition: prefacing your ideas and summarizing your ideas. Unlike academic writing, you don't need to "prepare" the reader for what you're going to say, and you don't need to conclude it with a summary. By doing so, you only create unnecessary repetition and take up words which could otherwise be used to include new specific details or ideas.

This essay spends nearly half of its words explaining the "interdisciplinary" opportunities at UPenn. However, this reason is quite superficial and not at all unique to Penn, as almost all colleges offer some sort of interdisciplinary study (i.e. combining your interests or studying multiple fields). Talking about "interdisciplinary study" is one of the most common reasons students use in their "Why Us" essay, and it often comes across as generic and unoriginal. Instead, look for offerings that no other (or very few other) schools provide. Narrow down your reasons "why" to make them more specific to the school, even if they are smaller scale. You can mention things like "interdisciplinary studies" or "diverse student body" briefly as a reason why, but don't make them one of your primary reasons why, unless you have something particularly unique about it.

College Essay Example #13: Story of My Name

This interesting essay is a Dartmouth essay that was admitted. Enjoy!

Prompt: The Hawaiian word mo’olelo is often translated as “story” but it can also refer to history, legend, genealogy, and tradition. Use one of these translations to introduce yourself. (250-300 words)

My name is Eoin Hourihane and my entire life, no one has ever pronounced my name correctly. My genealogy is Irish and my name is spelled this way because every male in the Hourihane family, for the past seven generations, has been named John. Since my older brother's name is John, my dad decided to honor his heritage, which gives me my dual citizenship, and name me the old Gaelic for John: Eoin.

I am the youngest of six which brings with it the never-ending comparisons, teasing, and constant bickering; add to that being small for my age until the age of twelve, and you can imagine my household. We have all been raised to be independent, to love nature (except Princess Ali), and to work our hardest at everything we do.

I have always loved math, playing hockey (ice or floor), matzah ball soup, the Beatles and Queen. As a kid, I was into Percy Jackson and a series of books with titles that all ended in “-ology,” the churros at the hockey rink in Jamestown, Bang party snaps, t-shirts by Tobuscus, and my two stuffed cats - one with a mortarboard, and the other with a Star of David on its front left paw. I have dreamt of being a biomedical engineer and creating a glass eye that can see, knowing the intricacies of the human body and its responses to environmental and internal stimuli, and performing surgery on the brain.

I have celebrated Chanukah and Christmas, honoring my Jewish mother and my Catholic father, but not truly affiliating with either. I am a liberal thinker who follows current events closely, and I am eager to explore the world outside of Buffalo, NY, participate in an academic environment that will challenge me, and live among a community of learners.

College Essay Example #14: Ideal College Community

This supplement was accepted into Columbia University .

Prompt: List a few words or phrases that describe your ideal college community. (150 words max)

Filled with activity around the clock. A place to come home to.

Trying to get past locked doors (literal and metaphorical).

Offering intellectual freedom and curiosity, without forcing specialization. Accommodating students who are unwilling to wait to make a difference. Willing to look critically at itself.

Socially conscious and politically active.

Never taking its eye off the national or global stage.

Buzzing with so much life it flows beyond the campus into the outside world.

So much life that sometimes it intimidates, that it yearns for more hours in the day. With too many options to choose from, Too much to do in four years.

Filled with clever eyes that see new ideas in the lessons of history.

Diverse of origin, of culture, of opinion, of religion, of personality, Diverse like an international center of thought and ideas and passions. An urban wonderland.

Supporting of extraordinary ambitions.

College Essay Example #15: Why Computer Science

This essay was accepted into Columbia University . To read more exceptional Columbia essays, be sure to check out our list for more Columbia essay examples .

Prompt: For applicants to Columbia College, please tell us what from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the field or fields of study that you noted in the Member Questions section. If you are currently undecided, please write about any field or fields in which you may have an interest at this time. (300 words max)

Studying computer science gives me the opportunity to be in a field that evolves so quickly I can always be on the forefront and do cutting-edge work. This summer at an ad-tech company, I moved the data science team’s analysis programs to a novel cluster-computing engine (Kubernetes), which can manage and distribute tasks across thousands of computers at once. Kubernetes is so new that barely any information has circulated about it. Because of this novelty, I was able to publish the first existing documentation of a data science pipeline in Kubernetes.

Computer science can also automate the manual drudgery of life. For example: to manage my clubs, I’ve written a program that checks for emails from members with excuses for missing meetings and automatically logs their absences.

Since computers have become the platform for every science, coding allows me to contribute to numerous fields. When I started at Einstein College of Medicine last year, I knew nothing about computational biology. Our project showed me that basic programming was all I needed to find fascinating results in the mostly unstudied mountains of genomic data.

As a person, I’m drawn to seemingly impossible challenges, in particular, the quest to teach machines and create mechanical consciousness. When I started taking online courses in AI, I became fascinated by the gradient descent method in machine learning. The method casts complex input data (e.g. photos) as thousand-dimensional surfaces and attempts to descend to the lowest points (minima) of those surfaces. It works best on data with underlying patterns, like pictures of human faces. This indicates that, in some way, the very nature of what a ‘face’ is, what unique structure is shared by nearly all faces, is found in the minima that AI models descend towards. My dream is to do foundational artificial intelligence research.

College Essay Example #16: Volunteering at Hospital

This essay was accepted into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Want to read more UNC essay examples? Check out our list of the best UNC essays for this year.

Prompt: We hope you’ll share with us the activities that you’ve found especially worthwhile. We also hope you won’t feel compelled to tell us everything you’ve ever done or, worse yet, to do things that mean little to you just because you think we expect them.

Low-profile pursuits can be just as meaningful as ones that draw more attention, and fewer activities can be just as good, and sometimes even better, than more activities. For example, although starting a new club can be a great experience and helpful to others, so can caring for siblings, parents, or grandparents, working outside the home to put food on the table, or being a good and caring friend.

For these reasons, although we’re glad to receive complete résumés, we don’t require or encourage them. Instead, if you choose to submit something that goes beyond what you’re providing through your Common Application, keep it brief; focus less on including everything and more on choosing and explaining the things that have meant the most to you; and upload it here. (650 words max)

Everywhere I looked, I saw a sea of white coats and scrubs; there was constant beeping of the heart monitors, and the smell of disinfectant was strong.

There I stood - a diminutive, awkward high school kid - lacking in experience and confidence, ready to begin volunteering at Vidant Medical Center. Perhaps the very same qualities that made me nervous were what put patients at ease. Many patients, especially younger ones who were uncomfortable speaking with medical professionals, seemed much more comfortable in my presence. I have learned this quality is how I have been able to make a difference - by connecting with many of the younger patients who were nervous just like me. I’ll always remember the two eight-year-old brothers who were waiting as their father got an MRI.

In some ways, they were also like me - they loved sports, and had an interest in math and science. As they were waiting, we talked about everything, from who they thought would win the NBA championship title to me giving them tips on how to remember their multiplication tables. This interaction put them at ease and kept them from becoming restless.

Every time I step into the hospital, I strive to connect with people. I find that I am able to make a difference not strictly due to my tasks of escorting and discharging patients but because of connection and rapport that I establish with them.

My initial nervousness about whether or not I would be able to assist sick and injured patients soon gave way to relief and gratification as I learned that I was indeed able to help them, by bringing a smile to those I escort, discharge, or deliver meals . I’ve met people I might never have met otherwise, and we’ve shared our thoughts and talked about our experiences. I have come to look forward to their company, who, despite their conditions, are still able to smile every day and enjoy engaging in conversation with me - and vice versa.

Even when volunteering in areas of the hospital where I’m not in contact with patients as often, such as doing food preparation, I always make sure to visit the patients I escort after my shift, to talk to them and uplift their spirits. Volunteering at a hospital reminds me every day how fortunate I am to be in good health and of the rewards of helping those who aren’t. While my job as a volunteer at the hospital may not result in the discovery of a cure for cancer, I am happy to have had an opportunity to contribute to improving the experiences of the children and young adults coping with their hospital stays.

College Essay Example #17: Why Carnegie Mellon

This essay was accepted into Carnegie Mellon University . Want to read more essays that worked for CMU? Check out our list of Carnegie Mellon essays that worked .

Prompt: Why Carnegie Mellon? (650 words max)

With a strong background in computer science and communications, I hope to incorporate both into a future career of building data systems, conducting research, and consulting for organizations that serve underrepresented citizens.

Specific details and anecdotes will almost always be more compelling than less specific ones. In this essay, the student does a great job of including specific, "nerdy" details, such as "an association test between melanoma associated variants and survival outcome." These details demonstrate your in-depth knowledge of an area and make your essay more engaging.

This essay does a fantastic job of addressing real-world problems and emphasizing the "bigger picture" impact of their studies. Rather than just explaining what they want to study, this student explains how their education will help them have an impact on the world. Make an argument for what problems you see in the world and how you could potentially help solve them.

For "Why Us?" college essays, one of the most important parts is to reference unique aspects to the school. Almost all colleges have strong academics, great faculty, etc. So instead of referencing those points, reference what makes the school unique and different. In this essay, the student talks about "CMU's Technology Consulting in the Global Community" program, which is both highly specific to CMU and relevant to their own interests.

In general, you should avoid simply listing your achievements. This student has many remarkable activities and experiences, but it comes across less interesting because the first half of the essay is simply describing these accomplishments.

For "Why Us?" essays, it is also a good idea to reference the values the school represents. Each school has a different "culture" and type of student body, and admissions wants to know how you will fit in.

College Essay Example #18: Why NYU?

This essay was accepted into New York University . Writing your NYU essays doesn't have to be stressful if you get inspired by these examples.

Prompt: Why NYU?

We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. We want to understand - Why NYU? (400 words max)

Living in a suburb my whole life, I've always felt as if I lived in a two-dimensional plane. I can go left, right, forward, and backward.

In a suburb, however, it is nearly impossible to get any meaningful altitude. Upon visiting New York City during the summer before my senior year, however, I found myself gazing up at the skyscrapers soaring high above me. I've always loved the views mountains and buildings; both from above and below. I also have spent time studying Mandarin, and Shanghai would offer a unique opportunity to further my linguistic studies while engaging in cultural immersion.

Beyond settings, NYU has the capacity and the resources available for me to engage in research in quantum computation. Playing video games got me into math and science beyond just playing with my calculator as a baby. There were practical applications of the numbers, and I wanted to understand how it all worked in order to get the best equipment and maximize ammo efficiency. I would watch "Mythbusters" and try to come up with my own hypothesis and see if it matched their conclusion.

In 8th grade, I figured out that I loved science along with math, but I didn't exactly know what science I loved. At the time I was in "physical science" and I did enjoy the class a lot, but I always thought of physics as "speed distance time" triangles which were no fun at all. I was convinced to take AP Physics in my junior year with my friends, and I loved it. It was almost every week we would learn something that completely altered my perception of the universe.

Once I learned about quantum physics and how it basically destroys our understanding of everything, I knew I wanted to pursue it further, and be at the forefront of quantum research.

At NYU, not only can I take courses to learn about the subject, but I can also participate in research through the "Center for Quantum Phenomena". Taking advanced courses and conducting research in a new setting, such as New York or Shanghai, can offer me a new perspective and a breath of fresh air. Conversely, I can help over NYU a new perspective on critical thinking and problem-solving. I chose to apply to NYU because NYU is fit for me, and I am fit for NYU.

College Essay Example #19: Moving Places

This essay was accepted into Pomona College . Check out this Pomona supplement that worked.

Prompt: For Pomona students, the College’s location in Southern California is integral in shaping their experience. Tell us about a location, real or fictional, that has shaped you in a meaningful way. (650 words max)

In supplements where they aren't specifically asking you to write about the school, it can still be a good idea to connect to the school subtly. In this prompt, Pomona isn't asking for "Why Pomona," but the author still manages to imply their interest in the school by referencing Pomona's location near the "San Gabriel Mountains" and "East L.A." This is a subtle way of making the essay feel targeted for Pomona specifically, rather than this essay being reused for other schools, without answering the prompt in a way they aren't looking for.

This essay starts off with a strong metaphor, comparing a "Swiss Army knife" to blankets, which implies the many uses of blankets. This is a captivating hook because it is creative and makes sense when thought about, but isn't something immediately obvious. Throughout the essay, "blankets" become a symbol of being able to adapt to new locations and environments. By using "blankets" as a common thread through the essay, it makes their writing about various locations still feel connected. Even though the prompt is asking for "a location," this manages to work because "blankets" becomes the unifying symbol that ties together multiple locations.

By describing the luxurious-sounding places they've traveled, this essay could come across as privileged. Although coming from privilege isn't necessarily a bad thing for applying to colleges, emphasizing that privilege (especially nonchalantly) could come across as "entitled." This essay doesn't necessarily come across that way, but over-emphasizing your privilege could come across as not recognizing that privilege or "out of touch" with others who may come from less privilege. Instead, it may be better to acknowledge your privilege and show gratitude—emphasizing how those opportunities have allowed you to make a positive impact on others.

College Essay Example #20: Double Major

Here's another liberal arts essay that worked, again for Pomona College .

Prompt: Most Pomona students enter the College undecided about a major, or they change their minds about their prospective major by the time they graduate. Certainly we aren’t going to hold you to any of the choices you’ve made above. But, in no more than 250 words, please tell us why you’ve chosen the academic programs (or undecided!) that you have listed. (250 words max)

I’m sitting backstage at my first international piano competition, anxiously awaiting my turn to perform. Unconsciously, I massage my right wrist, still recovering from a recent injury. The young man beside me feels my nervousness and starts a conversation.

As we whisper, I notice him rub his hands together uncomfortably. “What’s wrong?” I ask, quickly leaving my own wrist alone. He suppresses a nervous laugh, then quietly details the long and unsuccessful surgery that shattered his dream of becoming a professional musician. His hands were permanently damaged.

“Alessandra Fang,” the judges call. I stand up, walk to the main stage and look back to see him encourage me with a stiff, crooked thumbs-up. As my fingers dance on the keys, I observe the fragile muscles and ligaments under my skin.

I realize in that moment that it is not in a massive concert hall where I wanted to change people’s lives, but on a smaller stage: an operating room. As an artist who has had her share of painful, music-related injuries, my goal is to become a musician’s physician, and blend my greatest two passions so that I might bring relief to those around me, while understanding their musical and anatomical plight.

I wish to pursue both Biology and Music programs at Pomona College. I want to become a hand surgeon while still developing my artistry on the piano. After all, surgery also has its own cadence, complexity and composition.

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Princeton Admitted Essay

People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is... uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable...

MIT Admitted Essay

Her baking is not confined to an amalgamation of sugar, butter, and flour. It's an outstretched hand, an open invitation, a makeshift bridge thrown across the divides of age and culture. Thanks to Buni, the reason I bake has evolved. What started as stress relief is now a lifeline to my heritage, a language that allows me to communicate with my family in ways my tongue cannot. By rolling dough for saratele and crushing walnuts for cornulete, my baking speaks more fluently to my Romanian heritage than my broken Romanian ever could....

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A cow gave birth and I watched. Staring from the window of our stopped car, I experienced two beginnings that day: the small bovine life and my future. Both emerged when I was only 10 years old and cruising along the twisting roads of rural Maryland...

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The Best Reviewed Essay Collections of 2022

Featuring bob dylan, elena ferrante, zora neale hurston, jhumpa lahiri, melissa febos, and more.

We’ve come to the end of another bountiful literary year, and for all of us review rabbits here at Book Marks, that can mean only one thing: basic math, and lots of it.

Yes, using reviews drawn from more than 150 publications, over the next two weeks we’ll be calculating and revealing the most critically-acclaimed books of 2022, in the categories of (deep breath): Fiction ; Nonfiction ; Memoir and Biography ; Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror ; Short Story Collections ; Essay Collections; Poetry; Mystery and Crime ; Graphic Literature ; and Literature in Translation .

Today’s installment: Essay Collections .

Brought to you by Book Marks , Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.”

1. In the Margins: On the Pleasures of Reading and Writing  by Elena Ferrante (Europa)

12 Rave • 12 Positive • 4 Mixed

“The lucid, well-formed essays that make up In the Margins  are written in an equally captivating voice … Although a slim collection, there is more than enough meat here to nourish both the common reader and the Ferrante aficionado … Every essay here is a blend of deep thought, rigorous analysis and graceful prose. We occasionally get the odd glimpse of the author…but mainly the focus is on the nuts and bolts of writing and Ferrante’s practice of her craft. The essays are at their most rewarding when Ferrante discusses the origins of her books, in particular the celebrated Neapolitan Novels, and the multifaceted heroines that power them … These essays might not bring us any closer to finding out who Ferrante really is. Instead, though, they provide valuable insight into how she developed as a writer and how she works her magic.”

–Malcolm Forbes ( The Star Tribune )

2. Translating Myself and Others by Jhumpa Lahiri (Princeton University Press)

8 Rave • 14 Positive • 1 Mixed

“Lahiri mixes detailed explorations of craft with broader reflections on her own artistic life, as well as the ‘essential aesthetic and political mission’ of translation. She is excellent in all three modes—so excellent, in fact, that I, a translator myself, could barely read this book. I kept putting it aside, compelled by Lahiri’s writing to go sit at my desk and translate … One of Lahiri’s great gifts as an essayist is her ability to braid multiple ways of thinking together, often in startling ways … a reminder, no matter your relationship to translation, of how alive language itself can be. In her essays as in her fiction, Lahiri is a writer of great, quiet elegance; her sentences seem simple even when they’re complex. Their beauty and clarity alone would be enough to wake readers up. ‘Look,’ her essays seem to say: Look how much there is for us to wake up to.”

–Lily Meyer ( NPR )

3. The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan (Simon & Schuster)

10 Rave • 15 Positive • 7 Mixed • 4 Pan

“It is filled with songs and hyperbole and views on love and lust even darker than Blood on the Tracks … There are 66 songs discussed here … Only four are by women, which is ridiculous, but he never asked us … Nothing is proved, but everything is experienced—one really weird and brilliant person’s experience, someone who changed the world many times … Part of the pleasure of the book, even exceeding the delectable Chronicles: Volume One , is that you feel liberated from Being Bob Dylan. He’s not telling you what you got wrong about him. The prose is so vivid and fecund, it was useless to underline, because I just would have underlined the whole book. Dylan’s pulpy, noir imagination is not always for the squeamish. If your idea of art is affirmation of acceptable values, Bob Dylan doesn’t need you … The writing here is at turns vivid, hilarious, and will awaken you to songs you thought you knew … The prose brims everywhere you turn. It is almost disturbing. Bob Dylan got his Nobel and all the other accolades, and now he’s doing my job, and he’s so damn good at it.”

–David Yaffe ( AirMail )

4.  Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos (Catapult)

13 Rave • 2 Positive • 2 Mixed Read an excerpt from Body Work here

“In her new book, Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative , memoirist Melissa Febos handily recuperates the art of writing the self from some of the most common biases against it: that the memoir is a lesser form than the novel. That trauma narratives should somehow be over—we’ve had our fill … Febos rejects these belittlements with eloquence … In its hybridity, this book formalizes one of Febos’s central tenets within it: that there is no disentangling craft from the personal, just as there is no disentangling the personal from the political. It’s a memoir of a life indelibly changed by literary practice and the rigorous integrity demanded of it …

Febos is an essayist of grace and terrific precision, her sentences meticulously sculpted, her paragraphs shapely and compressed … what’s fresh, of course, is Febos herself, remapping this terrain through her context, her life and writing, her unusual combinations of sources (William H. Gass meets Elissa Washuta, for example), her painstaking exactitude and unflappable sureness—and the new readers she will reach with all of this.”

–Megan Milks ( 4Columns )

5. You Don’t Know Us Negroes by Zora Neale Hurston (Amistad)

12 Rave • 3 Positive • 1 Mixed

“… a dazzling collection of her work … You Don’t Know Us Negroes reveals Hurston at the top of her game as an essayist, cultural critic, anthropologist and beat reporter … Hurston is, by turn, provocative, funny, bawdy, informative and outrageous … Hurston will make you laugh but also make you remember the bitter divide in Black America around performance, language, education and class … But the surprising page turner is at the back of the book, a compilation of Hurston’s coverage of the Ruby McCollom murder trial …

Some of Hurston’s writing is sensationalistic, to be sure, but it’s also a riveting take of gender and race relations at the time … Gates and West have put together a comprehensive collection that lets Hurston shine as a writer, a storyteller and an American iconoclast.”

–Lisa Page ( The Washington Post )

6. Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us by Rachel Aviv (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

11 Rave • 4 Positive • 2 Mixed Listen to an interview with Rachel Aviv here

“… written with an astonishing amount of attention and care … Aviv’s triumphs in relating these journeys are many: her unerring narrative instinct, the breadth of context brought to each story, her meticulous reporting. Chief among these is her empathy, which never gives way to pity or sentimentality. She respects her subjects, and so centers their dignity without indulging in the geeky, condescending tone of fascination that can characterize psychologists’ accounts of their patients’ troubles. Though deeply curious about each subject, Aviv doesn’t treat them as anomalous or strange … Aviv’s daunted respect for uncertainty is what makes Strangers to Ourselves distinctive. She is hyperaware of just how sensitive the scale of the self can be.”

–Charlotte Shane ( Bookforum )

7. A Line in the World: A Year on the North Sea Coast by Dorthe Nors (Graywolf)

11 Rave • 1 Positive Read an excerpt from A Line in the World here

“Nors, known primarily as a fiction writer, here embarks on a languorous and evocative tour of her native Denmark … The dramas of the past are evoked not so much through individual characters as through their traces—buildings, ruins, shipwrecks—and this westerly Denmark is less the land of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales and sleek Georg Jensen designs than a place of ancient landscapes steeped in myth … People aren’t wholly incidental to the narrative. Nors introduces us to a variety of colorful characters, and shares vivid memories of her family’s time in a cabin on the coast south of Thyborøn. But in a way that recalls the work of Barry Lopez, nature is at the heart of this beautiful book, framed in essay-like chapters, superbly translated by Caroline Waight.”

–Claire Messud ( Harper’s )

8. Raising Raffi: The First Five Years by Keith Gessen (Viking)

4 Rave • 10 Positive • 1 Mixed Read an excerpt from Raising Raffi here

“A wise, mild and enviably lucid book about a chaotic scene … Is it OK to out your kid like this? … Still, this memoir will seem like a better idea if, a few decades from now, Raffi is happy and healthy and can read it aloud to his own kids while chuckling at what a little miscreant he was … Gessen is a wily parser of children’s literature … He is just as good on parenting manuals … Raising Raffi offers glimpses of what it’s like to eke out literary lives at the intersection of the Trump and Biden administrations … Needing money for one’s children, throughout history, has made parents do desperate things — even write revealing parenthood memoirs … Gessen’s short book is absorbing not because it delivers answers … It’s absorbing because Gessen is a calm and observant writer…who raises, and struggles with, the right questions about himself and the world.”

–Dwight Garner ( The New York Times )

9. The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser (Doubleday)

8 Rave • 4 Positive • 2 Mixed • 1 Pan Watch an interview with CJ Hauser here

“17 brilliant pieces … This tumbling, in and out of love, structures the collection … Calling Hauser ‘honest’ and ‘vulnerable’ feels inadequate. She embraces and even celebrates her flaws, and she revels in being a provocateur … It is an irony that Hauser, a strong, smart, capable woman, relates to the crane wife’s contortions. She felt helpless in her own romantic relationship. I don’t have one female friend who has not felt some version of this, but putting it into words is risky … this collection is not about neat, happy endings. It’s a constant search for self-discovery … Much has been written on the themes Hauser excavates here, yet her perspective is singular, startlingly so. Many narratives still position finding the perfect match as a measure of whether we’ve led successful lives. The Crane Wife dispenses with that. For that reason, Hauser’s worldview feels fresh and even radical.”

–Hope Reese ( Oprah Daily )

10. How to Read Now by Elaine Castillo (Viking)

8 Rave • 2 Positive • 1 Mixed Read an excerpt from How to Read Now here

“Elaine Castillo’s How to Read Now begins with a section called ‘Author’s Note, or a Virgo Clarifies Things.’ The title is a neat encapsulation of the book’s style: rigorous but still chatty, intellectual but not precious or academic about it … How to Read Now proceeds at a breakneck pace. Each of the book’s eight essays burns bright and hot from start to finish … How to Read Now is not for everybody, but if it is for you, it is clarifying and bracing. Castillo offers a full-throated critique of some of the literary world’s most insipid and self-serving ideas …

So how should we read now? Castillo offers suggestions but no resolution. She is less interested in capital-A Answers…and more excited by the opportunity to restore a multitude of voices and perspectives to the conversation … A book is nothing without a reader; this one is co-created by its recipients, re-created every time the page is turned anew. How to Read Now offers its audience the opportunity to look past the simplicity we’re all too often spoon-fed into order to restore ourselves to chaos and complexity—a way of seeing and reading that demands so much more of us but offers even more in return.”

–Zan Romanoff ( The Los Angeles Times )

Our System:

RAVE = 5 points • POSITIVE = 3 points • MIXED = 1 point • PAN = -5 points

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Essay Guides and Essay Examples

Your best college essay: tips for writing a college essay that helps you stand out.

Your college essays are a key chance to set yourself apart in the college admissions process. A strong college essay will showcase all of your unique qualities that will help you succeed on a college campus. Avoid the fatal mistake of leaving your college essays until the last minute. Instead, reserve enough time to craft a college admission essay beyond compare.

Keep in mind that the average acceptance rate for college applicants is 68% , but the rate for your dream school may be even lower. For example, many of the best colleges in the U.S. , including Ivy League universities, have single-digit acceptance rates. Admissions departments across the U.S. received well over a million Common App applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Many schools are growing more competitive every year, so it’s more important than ever to stand out.

Your personal essay and supplemental essays can easily get lost in the wave of other applicants. In truth, only the best college essays will rise to the top, so it is important to make sure yours is among them.

CollegeAdvisor’s resources will guide you through the entire process, including key information on:

Selecting college essay topics.

• College essay ideas
• Types of college essay prompts
• How to write a great college essay

College essay format

• How to start a great college essay
• How to start a ‘why this college’ essay
• How to end college essays

Writing about yourself isn’t easy, but you can also find more great tips on how to write a college essay for individual schools at CollegeAdvisor.com. As you begin, keep in mind that knowing how to write a college essay is the mark of a great candidate. 

American University Essay 2022-23 American University Essay: Quick Facts Does American University require any supplemental essays? Yes. There is one 150-word American University essay that students must complete—the “Why American […]

Not sure how to approach the Amherst essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Amherst supplemental essays will show you how to write strong Amherst essays to maximize your chances of admission. […]

Amherst College Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Wondering how to get into Amherst? The key is the Amherst essays. Your Amherst supplemental essays are a critical part of making your application stand […]

Apply Texas Essays 2023 If you live in Texas or plan on applying to schools there, it’s likely that you’ve heard of the Apply Texas portal. At Texas schools, the […]

Babson College Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Do you have your heart set on attending Babson College? Well then, your Babson supplemental essay will be a critical part of your application. In […]

Barnard Essay Examples – Introduction If you are looking for Barnard Essay examples you’ve come to the right place. But, before we dive into how to write Barnard supplemental essays […]

Barnard Supplemental Essays 2023-24 One of the key steps to getting into Barnard is writing your Barnard College supplemental essays. Like many top schools, Barnard uses supplemental essays to learn […]

Not sure how to approach the Baylor University essay? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Baylor application essay will break down the Baylor essay prompts, showing you how to write an engaging […]

Bentley Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Wondering how to approach the Bentley supplemental essays? If so, then this article is for you. We’ll start by going over Bentley essay expectations, including how […]

In this Boston College Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Boston College supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in […]

Boston College Supplemental Essays 2023–2024 A private liberal arts college in the town of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Boston College is ranked among America’s top 50 colleges by U.S. News. This […]

Boston University Essay 2023-2024 As admission to Boston University becomes more competitive, the Boston University essay continues to be incredibly important. Although essays are often the most time-consuming part of […]

In this Boston University Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Expert and BU graduate Sally Kim will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Boston University supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal […]

Boston University Supplemental Essays 2022-2023 Do you need help writing your Boston University supplemental essays? Then this Boston University supplemental essay guide is for you. First, we’ll look at each […]

Not sure how to approach the Boston University supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s Boston University Supplemental Essay 2021 Guide will show you exactly how to write engaging Boston University supplemental essays to […]

Bowdoin College is a classic New England liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine, just 3 miles from the ocean, 30 minutes from Portland, and 2 hours from Boston. Bowdoin […]

Bowdoin Supplemental Essays Widely considered one of the best liberal arts schools, Bowdoin College has a rigorous admissions process. However, well-written Bowdoin supplemental essays can help your application stand out. […]

Brandeis Supplemental Essays  One of the most important parts of your Brandeis application is the Brandeis supplemental essays. Like at many other top schools, when you apply to Brandeis University, […]

Not sure how to write Brandeis supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Brandeis supplement essay will show you exactly how to write engaging Brandeis University supplemental essays and maximize your […]

Brown Essays Examples  If you’re applying to Brown University, reading Brown essays examples can help you begin to craft your own supplements. The Brown supplemental essays are a critical part […]

The following essay examples were written by several different authors who were admitted to Brown University and are intended to provide examples of successful Brown University application essays. All names […]

In this Brown University Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts Nick and Elinor will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Brown University supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and […]

Brown Supplemental Essays 2023-2024 If you’re wondering how to get into Brown, a solid strategy begins with strong Brown supplemental essays. With most colleges and Ivy League universities going test-optional, […]

Brown University supplemental essays are a key part of your application to Brown University. Not sure how to approach the Brown University essay prompts? With tips from a current Ivy […]

In this PLME and Brown-RISD Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 supplementary essays for Brown University’s specialized undergraduate programs. For more guidance on personal essays and […]

Bryn Mawr College Supplemental Essays  As one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation, Bryn Mawr College is looking for intellectually curious applicants—with some writing chops. Therefore, knowing […]

Bucknell Supplemental Essay 2022-23 A top private liberal arts college, Bucknell University is located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. If you are considering applying to Bucknell, you’re likely a motivated student with […]

In this California Institute of Technology essay guide, we will give tips for applicants to best express themselves in their personal statements as prospective Caltech students. For more guidance on […]

Caltech Supplemental Essays 2022-23 Quick Facts- Caltech Essays What are Caltech’s supplemental essays? The Caltech supplemental essays are listed on the Common App website. You can also find the Caltech […]

Carleton College Supplemental Essay Carleton College is among the most sought-after liberal arts colleges in the Midwest—and one that requires strong supplemental essays. In this guide, we’ll provide details about […]

In this Carnegie Mellon University essay guide, we’ll be diving into some tips to help future applicants best represent themselves in the Carnegie Mellon University supplemental essays. For more guidance […]

Carnegie Mellon Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Carnegie Mellon University is renowned for its unwavering commitment to academic excellence, especially in engineering and computer science. As one of the nation’s top universities, […]

Not sure how to approach the Carnegie Mellon essay prompts? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the CMU supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging Carnegie Mellon essays and maximize […]

Not sure how to approach the Case Western supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Case Western Reserve University supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging Case Western […]

Claremont McKenna Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Curious about how to get into Claremont McKenna? As a liberal arts school, Claremont McKenna cares deeply about how you think, write, and experience the […]

Clemson Essay Prompts 2022-23 Most of the top colleges and universities in the country require applicants to complete additional essays beyond the regular Common Application or Coalition Application essay. Clemson […]

Colorado College Supplemental Essays Founded in 1874, Colorado College is a private liberal arts college located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school is home to approximately 2,000 undergraduates. As part […]

Columbia Essays Examples Are you interested in applying to Columbia University? If so, Columbia essays examples are a great way to start considering your own essay strategy.  As with any […]

Columbia Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Columbia University is a highly ranked private institution located in New York City. It is not only one of the most sought after colleges in New […]

The following Columbia University essay examples were written by several different authors who were admitted to Columbia University. All names have been redacted for anonymity. CollegeAdvisor.com has shared these essays […]

In this Columbia University Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Columbia University supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in […]

Not sure how to approach the Columbia essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Columbia University supplemental essays will show you exactly how to […]

Common App Transfer Essay — Introduction If you’re considering transferring colleges, you’ve likely started thinking about your college transfer essay. At CollegeAdvisor, we’re here to fill you in on the […]

Cornell Supplemental Essays 2023-2024 Cornell University is one of the most competitive schools in both New York and the nation. In recent years, the Cornell acceptance rate has only gotten […]

In this Cornell University Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Cornell University supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in […]

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples If you’ve started to research college application requirements for the schools on your list, you might have come across the “cultural diversity essay.” […]

In this Dartmouth College Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Dartmouth College supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in […]

Not sure how to approach the Dartmouth essay prompts? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Dartmouth application essays will show you exactly how to write engaging Dartmouth supplemental essays and maximize your […]

Dartmouth Essays Like many schools, Dartmouth College requires supplemental essays as a part of the admissions process. Through the Dartmouth essays, you can showcase elements of your application that may […]

Dartmouth Essays that Worked – Introduction Are you interested in learning more about how to get into Dartmouth? Dartmouth is a highly-ranked Ivy League institution with a competitive applicant pool. […]

Drexel Supplemental Essays 2022-23 Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Drexel University is undeniably an excellent school for students to add to their college lists. The school has over […]

Duke Essays 2023-24 Writing college essays is an integral part of crafting an impactful application narrative, and the Duke essays are no exception. Duke University is one of the most […]

Duke Essay Examples Often confused for an Ivy League university because of its prestigious reputation, Duke University is one of America’s top schools. While not a member of the Ivies, […]

In this Duke University Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts Anya (Duke ‘17) and Gagan (Duke ‘13) will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Duke supplementary essays. For more guidance on […]

Duke Supplemental Essays 2022-2023 Lauded for its academic excellence, Duke University is one of the most elite universities in the nation. If you want to stand out in the admissions […]

Elon Supplemental Essays 2023-24 All applicants to Elon University must complete the Elon supplemental essays. Moreover, each Elon application essay helps you craft a strong application. Every year, Elon admissions […]

Emory Essays  Emory University, nestled in Atlanta, Georgia, is known for its commitment to intellectual rigor and interdisciplinary exploration. The Emory essays offer students a great chance to stand out […]

In this Emory University Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Emory supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, […]

Emory Essays that Worked Are you wondering how to get into Emory University? As a sought-after college for many students, applicants interested in Emory must pay great attention to each […]

Not sure how to approach the Emory essay prompts? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Emory supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging Emory supplemental essays and maximize your […]

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples – Introduction  As you work through your college applications, you may come across a version of the extracurricular activities essay. Many college application requirements include an […]

Fordham Supplemental Essays 2022-2023 Fordham Supplemental Essays: Quick Facts How many essays does Fordham require? So, does Fordham have supplemental essays? The answer is yes, Fordham gives students the opportunity […]

George Mason Supplemental Essays 2023-24 College essays play an important role in the admissions process, just as they do at George Mason University. While there is only one George Mason […]

Not sure how to approach the George Washington essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the George Washington University supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging George Washington essays and […]

Georgetown Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Supplemental essays are an important part of every college application, and Georgetown is no exception. Each Georgetown essay is an opportunity for applicants to share something […]

Georgetown Supplemental Essays: 2022-2023 Georgetown Essay Guide Quick Facts: Does Georgetown have supplemental essays? Yes. You will be required to answer three Georgetown University essay prompts as part of the […]

In this Georgetown University Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts and Georgetown graduates Brynlee and Tamara will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Georgetown University supplementary essays. For more guidance on […]

Georgia Tech Essay 2022-23 Georgia Tech Essay: Quick Facts Does Georgia Institute of Technology have supplemental essays? Yes. In addition to your Common App Personal Statement, you will craft a why […]

Georgia Tech Essays 2023-24 Georgia Institute of Technology is a public university in the University System of Georgia, located in Atlanta. As one of the nation’s premier research universities, the […]

Harvard Supplemental Essays 2023-2024 If you’re applying to Harvard, you might be wondering how to approach the Harvard supplemental essays. Harvard is one of the most prestigious schools in the […]

Photographer: Benjamin Rascoe | Source: Unsplash The following essay examples were written by several different authors who were admitted to Harvard University and are intended to provide examples of successful […]

The oldest university in the United States and one of the most renowned higher education institutions in the world, Harvard is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a few […]

In this Harvard University Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts Jesper (Harvard ‘19), Julia (Harvard ‘21), and Miranda (Harvard ‘19) cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Harvard supplementary essays. For more […]

Not sure how to approach the Harvard essay prompts? With tips from a Harvard graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Harvard supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging […]

Not sure how to approach the “Why Harvey Mudd” essay and other Harvey Mudd essay prompts? With advice from a trained Admissions Expert, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Harvey Mudd supplement […]

Haverford Supplemental Essays Interested in applying to Haverford College? Well, the Haverford supplemental essay is a crucial part of your overall application. As one best colleges in Pennsylvania, Haverford is […]

Not sure how to write an Indiana University supplemental essay? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Indiana University application essay will show you exactly how to write an engaging Indiana University supplemental […]

Ivy League Essay Examples Ivy League colleges like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are notoriously competitive. By reading Ivy League essay examples, students can prepare for the application process. The best […]

Not sure how to approach the Johns Hopkins essay prompts? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging Johns Hopkins essays and […]

Johns Hopkins Essays – An Introduction Writing college essays is one of the hardest parts of the college application process. If you’re wondering how to get into Johns Hopkins, you’ll […]

Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essays 2022 – 2023 In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to approach each of the Johns Hopkins essays. But before diving into how to write […]

Lehigh Supplemental Essays 2023-24  If you’re wondering how to get into Lehigh University, this guide to the Lehigh supplemental essays is for you. To craft a strong and compelling application, […]

Not sure how to respond to the Lehigh supplemental essays?  CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Lehigh University supplemental essay questions will show you how to write strong Lehigh supplemental essays and […]

Macalester College Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Students applying to Macalester College will be faced with an important decision: should I complete the Macalester College supplemental essays? Without a doubt, the answer […]

Not sure how to approach the MIT essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the MIT essay questions will show you exactly how to write […]

In this Massachusetts Institute of Technology Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 MIT supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process […]

MIT Essays that Worked – Introduction In this guide, we’ll provide you with several MIT essays that worked. After each, we’ll discuss elements of these MIT essay examples in depth. […]

Not sure how to approach the Morrill Scholarship essay? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the OSU Morrill Scholarship essay will show you exactly how to […]

Mount Holyoke Supplemental Essays  If you want your application to stand out to Mount Holyoke Admissions, you’ll need to write compelling Mount Holyoke supplemental essays. The Mount Holyoke prompts can […]

NC State Supplemental Essay Examples North Carolina State University is a highly-ranked public research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Holding the #72 spot on the U.S. News Best National Universities […]

Not sure how to approach the “Why NYU” essay prompt? CollegeAdvisor.com’s “Why NYU” Essay Guide will show you exactly how to write an engaging “Why NYU” essay to maximize your […]

In this New York University Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts Elinor and Shruthi will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 NYU supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and […]

The following essay examples were written by several different authors who were admitted to Northwestern University and are intended to provide examples of successful Northwestern University application essays. All names […]

In this Northwestern University Essay Guide, you’ll find tips on how to best respond to the supplemental essay prompts for Northwestern. For more guidance on personal essays and the college […]

Not sure how to approach the Northwestern essay prompt? With tips from a Harvard graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Northwestern supplemental essays 2021 will show you how to write an […]

Notre Dame Essay Examples Feeling stuck as you begin to write your Notre Dame essay? By reading Notre Dame essay examples, you can prepare yourself to write your own Why […]

Notre Dame Essay Guide: 2022-2023 Notre Dame Essay Guide Quick Facts:  Not sure how to approach the Notre Dame essay prompts? Our guide to the Notre Dame essay supplemental essays […]

Notre Dame Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Wondering how to approach the Notre Dame supplemental essays? We’ve got you covered.  The University of Notre Dame, located in the vibrant state of Indiana, […]

The following essay examples were written by authors who were admitted to New York University and are intended to provide examples of successful NYU application essays. All names have been […]

NYU Supplemental Essays New York University, also known as NYU, is in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. NYU is not only one of the best universities in New York […]

Occidental Supplemental Essays With the Occidental acceptance rate hovering around 30%, many students are eager to make a game plan for how to get into Occidental College. Occidental College, affectionately […]

Penn State Supplemental Essays 2023-24 With test-optional colleges like Penn State on the rise, mastering the Penn State supplemental essay has never been more important. Beyond seeing a strong academic […]

Not sure how to approach the Penn State essay prompts? With tips from a Penn State graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Penn State supplemental essays will show you how to […]

Found in the heart of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University (PSU) is a public, land-grant university with a multitude of locations and the primary campus being at University Park, Pennsylvania. PSU […]

Not sure how to approach the Pepperdine essay prompts? With tips from a Harvard graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Pepperdine supplemental essays will give you the tools to write Pepperdine […]

Not sure how to get started on your Pitzer supplement essay? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Pitzer supplemental essays will provide you with the Pitzer core college values, the Pitzer College […]

Pitzer Supplemental Essays 2023-24 If you’re considering applying to Pitzer, you’ll want to do everything you can to stand out from the other applicants. And that means writing stellar Pitzer […]

Pomona Supplemental Essays  If you’re planning to apply to Pomona College, you’ll also need to prepare to write several Pomona supplemental essays. Each Pomona essay that you write should expand […]

Princeton Supplemental Essays 2023-24 If you’re wondering how to get into Princeton, the Princeton supplemental essays play a major role in the admissions process. In this Princeton essay guide, we’ll […]

Princeton Essay Examples – Introduction  Are you wondering how to write the Princeton supplemental essays? Then this Princeton essay guide is just what you need! In fact, we’ll look at […]

In this Princeton University Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Princeton supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, […]

Princeton Supplemental Essay 2022-2023 There are seven Princeton University supplemental essays that all applicants must write. While this may feel daunting, take comfort—each Princeton supplemental essay is on the shorter […]

Purdue Supplemental Essay 2022-2023 Purdue Supplemental Essay: Quick Facts What are Purdue University’s essays? In addition to the Common App essay, students must also complete the Purdue supplemental essay prompts.  […]

In this Rice University essay guide, we’ll be diving into some tips to help future applicants best represent themselves with the Rice University supplemental essays. For more guidance on personal […]

Rice Supplemental Essays 2023-2024 The Rice University supplemental essays play an integral role in any student’s “how to get into Rice” plan. As one of the top universities in the […]

Rutgers Supplemental Essay Rutgers University, located in New Jersey, is celebrated as one of the premier public universities in the nation. Consequently, Rutgers Admissions carefully review thousands of applications, each […]

Not sure how to approach the Rutgers essay prompts? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Rutgers supplemental essays will show you how to write engaging Rutgers essays and maximize your admissions odds. […]

Santa Clara University Supplemental Essays 2022-23 Santa Clara University is a research university located in California. If you want to stand out in the SCU admissions process, the Santa Clara […]

Smith Supplemental Essays  If you’re considering applying to Smith, you’ll need to tackle the Smith essays. Smith College stands out as one of the premier private liberal arts colleges in […]

Spelman College Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Are you wondering how to write the Spelman essays? Like other highly-ranked colleges, the application process at Spelman College is competitive. However, understanding how to […]

About St. Olaf College St. Olaf College is a small, private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and is listed as one of the […]

Stanford Supplemental Essays  The Stanford essays form a critical part of the application process. Like at many top schools around the country, when you apply to Stanford, you’ll complete school-specific […]

Stanford Essays Examples – Introduction Located in sunny California, Stanford is a top choice school for many students. In this guide, we’ll look at the Stanford supplemental essays. Then, we’ll […]

In this Stanford University Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts Michele, Becky, and Matthew will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Stanford supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal essays and […]

Not sure how to approach the Stanford essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Stanford essay prompts will show you exactly how to write […]

Swarthmore Supplemental Essays  Writing the Swarthmore supplemental essays is an important step for any applicant hoping to gain admission to this competitive school. Swarthmore College is one of the best […]

Syracuse Supplemental Essays Looking for guidance on how to get into Syracuse? One key part of your application is the Syracuse supplemental essays. Namely, the Why Syracuse essay will play […]

TCU Supplemental Essays 2022-23 Located in Fort Worth, Texas, TCU is one of the top 100 colleges in the nation. So, as you prepare to apply, you should think carefully […]

Texas A&M Supplemental Essays 2023-24 If you’re thinking about how to get into Texas A&M, you’ve probably come across the Texas A&M supplemental essays. Texas A&M is one of the […]

Not sure how to approach the Texas A&M essay prompts? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Texas A&M application essays will breakdown the Texas A&M essay requirements and show you exactly how […]

Texas Tech Essays 2023-24 If you’re a student looking to learn how to get into Texas Tech, this guide is for you. One way to stand out from other applicants […]

Tufts Essay 2023-2024 If you’re considering applying to Tufts this cycle, you’ve come to the right place. In order to know how to get into Tufts and impress the admissions […]

Tufts Supplemental Essays 2022-2023 If you’ve already started researching how to get into Tufts, stats like the The Tufts acceptance rate may make the Tufts application seem daunting. Getting familiar […]

Tulane Essay Guide: 2022-2023 Tulane Essay Guide Quick Facts: What are Tulane’s supplemental essays? Each Tulane essay for the 2022-2023 application cycle is posted on the Common App site. The Tulane […]

UC Essay Prompts 2023-2024 Students applying to UC schools must be prepared to answer the UC prompts as part of the application process. Each year, the University of California receives […]

UChicago Essay Examples  As one of the world’s top-ranked universities, the University of Chicago deeply values inquisitive and creative learners. For that reason, UChicago essays that worked are some of […]

The following essay examples were written by several different authors who were admitted to University of Chicago and are intended to provide examples of successful UChicago application essays. All names […]

UChicago Essay Prompts 2023-24 If you’re looking to learn more about the UChicago essay prompts, you’ve come to the right place.  Located in Hyde Park, Illinois, UChicago is one of […]

UIUC Supplemental Essays 2023-24 If you’re interested in attending UIUC, writing effective UIUC essays is an important step toward gaining admission. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), located in […]

UNC Supplemental Essay Examples The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top public universities in the United States.  Many students wonder how to get into […]

UNC Supplemental Essays 2022-23 UNC Supplemental Essays: Quick Facts How many essays does the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill require? The UNC supplemental essays come in two categories. […]

Not sure how to approach the UC Personal Insight Questions? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the UC essay prompts will show you how to write […]

The following essays were written by several different authors who were admitted to University of California (UC) schools and are intended to provide examples of successful UC essays. All names […]

University of California, Berkeley, is part of the 10 campuses of the UC system and has been ranked consistently as one of the top public universities in the world. It […]

In this University of California essay guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts and UC alumni Angela, Kaitlin, and Zoë will discuss how to best respond to the University of California Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). For […]

Not sure how to approach the UChicago essay prompts? With tips from one of our Admissions Experts, CollegeAdvisor.com’s UChicago supplement essay guide will show you exactly how to write engaging […]

In this University of Chicago Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts Arielle and Caroline will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 University of Chicago supplementary essays. For more guidance on personal […]

Not sure how to approach the University of Florida supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the University of Florida supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging UF supplemental […]

Not sure how to approach the UIUC essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the UIUC essay prompts will show you exactly how to write […]

University of Maryland Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Wondering how to write your University of Maryland supplemental essays? If so, you’re in the right place. The UMD essay prompts are unique, both […]

Not sure how to approach the University of Miami essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the University of Miami supplemental essays will show you […]

University of Miami Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Wondering how to write your University of Miami supplemental essays? For many students, writing the University of Miami essays can feel like a daunting […]

The following University of Michigan essay examples were written by authors who were admitted to University of Michigan (UMich). All names have been redacted for anonymity. Please note that CollegeAdvisor.com […]

Having trouble answering the University of Michigan’s three supplemental essay prompts? Look no further! In this University of Michigan Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 supplementary […]

University of Michigan Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Like all college essays, the University of Michigan supplemental essays offer the admissions team insight into who you are and what you’ll bring to […]

Not sure how to approach the University of Michigan essays? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the University of Michigan essay prompts will show you exactly […]

Not sure how to approach the University of Minnesota Twin Cities essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the University of Minnesota essay prompts will […]

In this UNC-Chapel Hill Essay Guide, you’ll find tips on how to best respond to the supplemental essay prompts for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more […]

The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic private research university founded by the Congregation of the Holy Cross (not Jesuits). Known for its powerhouse athletic programs, Notre Dame is […]

In our University of Notre Dame essay guide, we’ll be diving into some tips to help future applicants best represent themselves with the supplemental essays. For more guidance on personal […]

In this University of Pennsylvania Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts and Penn students Arham and Claire will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Penn supplementary essays. For more guidance on […]

Not sure how to approach the UPenn essay prompts? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the UPenn supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write engaging UPenn essays and maximize your chances […]

The following University of Pennsylvania essay examples were written by several different authors who were admitted to UPenn. All names have been redacted for anonymity. Please note that CollegeAdvisor.com has […]

The University of Pennsylvania lies on a beautiful urban campus in West Philadelphia. Penn is a private Ivy League research university on a semester-based academic schedule. Benjamin Franklin founded Penn […]

University of Rochester is a well-ranked, mid-sized private research institution located in Rochester, New York. The undergraduate class of University of Rochester includes approximately 6500 students each year. In 2020, […]

Not sure how to respond to a University of Rochester supplemental essay prompt? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the University of Rochester essay questions will show you how to write captivating University of […]

University of Rochester Supplemental Essays 2023-24 The University of Rochester is a mid-sized, private university in the city of Rochester, New York. Rochester ranks in the top 10% of American […]

Not sure how to approach the USC supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the USC essay prompts will show you exactly how to write engaging USC essays and strengthen your application. If you […]

For the latest information on USC’s supplemental essays, check out our 2021-2022 USC Essay Guide. In this University of Southern California Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 USC […]

In this UT Austin Essay Guide, we will cover how to approach the 2020-2021 Apply Texas prompt, as well as the three supplementary essays required to successfully apply for undergraduate […]

Not sure how to approach the UT Austin essay prompts? With tips from a Harvard graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the UT Austin essay requirements will give you the tools to […]

Not sure how to approach the UVA essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the UVA supplemental essays will show you exactly how to write […]

Struggling to write your University of Washington essay prompts? Our latest guide to the UW application essay can help!

Not sure how to approach the UW-Madison essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the UW-Madison essay prompts will show you exactly how to write […]

UPenn Supplemental Essays 2023-24 The UPenn supplemental essays are a key component of your UPenn application. As an Ivy League school, the University of Pennsylvania has an extremely competitive application […]

USC Essay Examples – Introduction  If you’ve been searching for USC Essay Examples, you’re in the right place. The University of Southern California is a private university located in Los […]

USC Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Are you interested in applying to USC? Strong USC supplemental essays can make all the difference in the application process. In this guide, we will discuss […]

UT Austin Supplemental Essays 2023-24 As one of the top public universities in the United States, the University of Texas Austin (UT Austin) is a popular choice for many students. […]

UVA Essay Examples – Introduction In this guide, we’ll learn about the University of Virginia supplemental essays through several UVA essay examples. We’ve included UVA supplemental essays examples, addressing various […]

UVA Supplemental Essays 2023-24 The University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, is one of the top public universities in Virginia and nationwide. As a result, many students […]

Vanderbilt Supplemental Essays 2023-24 The Vanderbilt supplemental essays form a major part of the overall Vanderbilt admissions process. Your Vanderbilt essay helps to provide crucial context to your application. It […]

Vanderbilt Essay Examples – Introduction If you’re looking for Vanderbilt essay examples and Vanderbilt supplemental essays examples, you’ve come to the right place. Vanderbilt is a private research university located […]

In this Vanderbilt University Essay Guide, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts Clay (Vanderbilt ‘20) and Rashmi (Vanderbilt ‘21) will discuss how to approach the 2020-2021 Vanderbilt University supplementary essay. For more guidance […]

In this Vanderbilt University merit scholarship essay guide, I will discuss some tips and tricks on how to respond to the 2020-2021 Vanderbilt University merit scholarship essays. Please keep in […]

Engaging Vanderbilt supplemental essays are sure to standout in the admissions process. Not sure how to write your Vanderbilt essay? With tips from a Harvard graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the […]

Vassar Supplemental Essays 2023-24 As one of the best liberal arts schools in the nation, it’s no surprise that Vassar College attracts its fair share of applicants. This means that […]

Villanova Supplemental Essays 2023-2024 Villanova University is one of the top colleges in its home state of Pennsylvania and in the United States. With over 64 majors and 260 student […]

Not sure how to approach the Villanova essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Villanova supplemental essays will show you how to write engaging Villanova essays and maximize your chances of admission. […]

Not sure how to write Virginia Tech supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Virginia Tech application essays will show you exactly how to write engaging Virginia Tech essays and maximize […]

Wake Forest Supplemental Essays 2023-24 The Wake Forest supplemental essays are an important part of the overall application process. Moreover, with five different Wake Forest essay prompts, you’ll have ample […]

Not sure how to approach the Wake Forest essay prompts? With tips from an Ivy League graduate, CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide to the Wake Forest supplemental essays will show you exactly how […]

In this Wake Forest University Essay Guide, you’ll find tips on how to best respond to the supplemental essay prompts for Wake Forest. For more guidance on personal essays and […]

In this Washington University essay guide, I will discuss how to approach the supplemental essay prompt for Washington University. For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process […]

Not sure how to approach the WashU supplemental essay? CollegeAdvisor.com’s guide will show you exactly how to write an engaging WashU supplemental essay to stand out in the admissions process. Need help […]

WashU Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Are you thinking of applying to Washington University? If so, you’ll need to focus on creating the strongest WashU supplemental essays you can in order to […]

Wellesley Supplemental Essays 2023-24 If you are planning to apply to Wellesley College, you may already be familiar with the Wellesley essay. Wellesley is one of the most prestigious liberal arts […]

Why Davidson Essay 2022-23 The Davidson supplemental essays are a critical part of applying to Davidson College. An important part of the Davidson essay requirements is your Why Davidson Essay. […]

Why Major Essay Examples At many schools, the why major essay forms a crucial part of the college application process. In addition to your Common App essay, many schools require […]

Looking for Why Northwestern essay examples? We’ve got your covered with our guide featuring Northwestern supplemental essay examples today!

Why This College Essay Sample – Introduction Not sure how to start a “why this college” essay? Looking for a why this college essay sample? You’re in luck. We’ve compiled […]

To write a standout college essay, you will have to be creative and original. This means you should avoid the overused typical college essay ideas, such as:

• A historical figure you admire
• Your favorite place to visit
• How you saved the day by making a winning sports play

These and other similar college essay topics are too common, so they won’t help you stand out . Even if you have to use a prompt that looks like this, try to attack it in an unexpected way. You don’t want your college essay to be just one of many cliché college essays that don’t inspire your reader.

Other potentially ineffective college essay ideas to avoid in a college admission essay are those that provide too much personal detail. For example, if you want to write about a serious accident and how you overcame your injuries, avoid taking a deep dive into the medical procedures and details about the accident itself. That is not how to start a college essay. In fact, you could end up putting off members of the admissions committee rather than intriguing them. Instead, a good college essay idea would focus on how you turned a challenge into an opportunity. 

Avoid poetry and fiction

Also, don’t turn in a long poem or a piece of fiction in lieu of a college essay. This advice applies to supplemental essays as well. Although your creative prose might reveal aspects of your spirit and personality, creative writing is a college essay format that admissions teams don’t always appreciate. Your college essay should teach your readers more about you —not your poetry chops. 

That said, creativity is still important in college essays. Your college essay should highlight your ability to illustrate points with strong imagery. The best college essays will use vivid imagery, strong language, and a well-structured form to highlight key parts of the writer’s identity. 

Additionally, boasting about your personal achievements in college essays often does not present your character in the best light. This doesn’t mean you can’t highlight your accomplishments in your college essays. However, if you want to describe an accomplishment, add context. Don’t use language that is too self-congratulatory or prideful. Of course, you can be proud of your achievements. But, the best college admission essay is one that exudes confidence, not arrogance.

College essays are no joke

The best college essays also do not solely rely on humor or jokes to engage an audience. Humor is quite subjective, so what tickles your funny bone may not have the same effect on others. Try not to overuse humor in your college admission essay. 

Instead, take a tip from college essays that worked. Use unique descriptions and insights that help your readers understand who you are. If that includes humor, feel free to add in a few clever jokes throughout your college admission essay. However, don’t use them to distract from the actual content of the essay itself. 

In addition, resist the urge to write a college essay that reads like a travelog. Describing the weather in the South of France does not reveal much about who you are and why a college should accept you. Your college essays need to be about you! 

At times, you might be asked to write a college essay about someone else. These essays might seem deceptive, but at their core, they should still center around you. Think about someone you know or a historical figure you admire. How do their experiences and values relate to your life? What about them engages you, and how does that speak to your identity? 

Stay positive

When writing a college essay, you should also avoid making negative observations about the school you’re applying to (or even other colleges). Admissions officers want their students to have a  positive outlook. So, avoid negativity and criticism in your college essays.

One way to accomplish this is to select college essay topics you care about. Choose a theme that reveals your passion and positivity. Get started with some brainstorming strategies to help you identify a few great college essay ideas. 

Additionally, take advantage of CollegeAdvisor.com’s library of webinars to help you create an application that showcases your personal narrative. Your college admission essay should work in conjunction with your extracurricular and academic interests to show who you are as a whole person. So, as you write your college essays, keep your application narrative in mind. 

After brainstorming

Once you’ve identified some viable college essay topics, see how they compare to some popular topics for college essays that worked, including :

• A college essay on the valuable lessons you learned from a setback or failure
• A college essay reviewing how anc accomplishment inspired your growth
• An essay topic about the ways in which gratitude has broadened your horizons
• A unique college essay about how your favorite hobby adds dimension to your academic interests
• A college essay detailing how one experience impacted your life and goals for the future

These structures give you room to tell a story about who you are and how you’ve grown. However, if you’re not careful, these topics can become cliché. So, if you opt to write your college essay on a common topic, make sure it has your own personal spin. 

Most importantly, use your own voice and be sincere in any college essay you write. Admissions committees do not want to read the same college essay topics over and over. Instead, they want to see college essays and supplemental essays with fresh voices and thought-provoking. 

College essays that worked are insightful, authentic, unique, and personal. So, as you draft your college essay, keep these qualities in mind. 

Different kinds of College Essay prompts

The personal statement .

Typically, the longest essay you will write in the college application process is your primary College Essay or Personal Statement. This essay will be based on college essay prompts set forth by the Common App and Coalition App.  These college essay prompts typically include an array of predetermined topics as well as an option to write on a subject of your choice. You can find the college essay prompts on each application website. 

The Common App and Coalition App typically release their college essay prompts in the summer before application season begins. That way, they’re available several months before your college applications are due. This gives you ample time to research college essays that worked and develop your own strategy for getting started on a college essay.

The Common App publishes its college essay prompts online each year. The Coalition App college essay prompts are also available online. Additionally, if you are planning to submit your college applications through QuestBridge , you can find the college essay prompts on its website. QuestBridge also offers valuable hints on how to write a great college essay.

School-specific essays

You will also likely be required to write school-specific essays as part of your college application process. These school specific essays, also called supplemental essays, are different from your primary college essay or personal statement. However, supplemental essays are just as important, if not more so, to admissions officers. 

Supplemental essays differ between schools and application systems. So, do your research on which college essays you will need to write well before your college application deadlines.

More on supplemental essays

Each university creates its own supplemental part of the college application. Most schools require you to write supplemental essays specific to them. These are a school’s way to assess how you would fit into their specific school community. They also give you the chance to show each school why you are a good fit!

Some schools ask applicants to write more than one supplemental essay. Some supplemental essays consist of several short questions and one longer supplemental essay. The typical college essay length for a long answer is similar to that of your regular college essay, around 400-650 words.

College essay length requirements for short answer questions are likely to be around 150-200 words. Before you start writing, research  the colleges you are applying to. First, find out the type, number, and college essay length of the supplemental essays they ask for. Then, take your time to learn more about each school and its values—this can help you write an essay sure to stand out. 

Supplemental essay example

For example, if you apply to New York University , the supplemental essay is school-specific. NYU wants its applicants to answer the question “Why NYU?” in a 400-word essay. Specifically, the NYU supplemental essay prompt for 2021-2022 was worded as such:

We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. We want to understand – Why NYU? 

For a college essay prompt like this, you’ll want to start by researching NYU. Then, choose one or two things about NYU that intrigue you. Don’t be too general, and don’t just talk about going to school in New York—instead, show why you would thrive at NYU specifically, and highlight what you would bring to their campus. 

You can get more tips on writing a great supplemental essay at CollegeAdvisor.com. We’ve curated supplemental essay guides for all of the top 100 colleges.

Short answer essays 

Others, like University of Southern California , ask for a series of short response questions alongside their supplemental essays. Short responses questions tend to be around 100-150 characters, but they vary based on school. 

As you write your supplemental essays and short response answers, keep the required college essay length in mind. Also, remember that shorter essays aren’t always easier. Give yourself plenty of time to write a standout 150-word essay; don’t leave it until the last minute. 

“Optional” supplemental essays

In addition to any required college essay prompts, some schools list their supplemental essays as optional. However, if you are applying to a top-tier school, it’s a good idea to answer all prompts, optional or not. Instead of seeing these optional essays as added work, think of them as an invaluable opportunity to share more about yourself.

That said, there are certain cases where you should skip the optional supplemental essay. For example, if the supplemental essay asks you to expand on any extenuating circumstances that impacted your application, and you don’t have any, don’t make something up. These supplemental essays are designed for students to explain an extremely low grade in a class or a personal event that affected their academic performance. In some cases, this will not apply to you. So, don’t feel pressure to answer those types of supplemental essay questions. 

Schools with no supplemental essays

You may also find during your college application process that some universities do not require any supplemental essays. 

State universities like the University of Colorado-Denver and the University of Pittsburg do not ask for supplemental essays. Nor do some liberal arts schools like Lawrence University , Colby College , and Middlebury College . Take these schools’ policies as another incentive to make your personal statement shine. 

How to Write a Great College Essay

Test scores, your GPA, and the list of extracurricular activities you’re involved in provide admissions committees with a sketch of your accomplishments. Your college essay is your opportunity to fill in the rest of the story . 

If your test scores are good but not exceptional, your college essay can convey how exceptional you really are. If your GPA is less than flawless, a great college essay can help strengthen your application.

However, there is no shortcut to writing a college essay that stands out. You will need to spend time brainstorming, drafting, and editing your college essay. College essays that worked for past applicants were not written in a day, or even a week. It can take a few months to write a college admission essay that you’re proud of. 

Check out these hints to write the best college essays possible:

• Choose college essay prompts that fit: The college essay prompts you choose should provide an opening for the topics/stories you have decided to discuss.
• Know your parameters: Before you begin, make sure you are clear on the required college essay length and college essay format.
• Create an outline : Organization is critical to writing a college essay that shines, so structure your ideas into a formal outline to guide you as you write. This will also help you get started on a college essay if you’re feeling stumped.
• Start out strong: Come up with a “hook” in the first few sentences of your college essay that grabs your readers and reels them in. For example, “On New Year’s Day 2020, my life changed forever.”
• Write a rough draft: Do not plan on writing a college essay in a couple of hours. Treat your first effort as a draft that you will reread and revise until it is perfect.
• Follow your outline: Keep your essay prompts and college essay ideas firmly in mind as you write your first draft; you can revise it later to make it one of the best college essays possible.
• Do not go over the college essay length for any of your college essays: Pay attention to college essay length requirements, especially with supplemental essays. Also, do not deviate from standard college essay format. Doing so indicates that you cannot follow instructions.
• Use proper grammar and accurate spelling: Resist the urge to use slang or texting abbreviations in any college essays.
• Observe the rules of best college essays: Breaking college essay format rules or deviating from the college essay prompts will not earn you any points. Be prepared to showcase your excellence as a writer—within your given parameters. 

It’s also a good idea to review the websites of your colleges of choice to see whether they offer guidelines on how to write a strong supplemental essay. In addition, research guides on how to write a great college essay from other resources .

You should also follow the college essay format mentioned in your college essay guidelines , if there is one. If the application does not specify a college essay format, use the standard MLA guidelines for how to write a college essay.

While some colleges may not place any importance on format, most schools expect college essays to meet strict academic standards. So, do not rely on your memory for correct grammar, spelling, and vocabulary definitions. When in doubt, look it up.

How to Start a College Essay

Choosing your college essay prompts and structuring an outline for your college essay format is a great beginning. Now, you’ll probably wonder, how do you start a college essay?

The best method for getting started on a college essay is creating a thesis statement . This is a single-sentence response to the college essay prompts you choose to tackle. It states your topic and the main point of your college essay.

A strong thesis statement forms the foundation of the best college essays. It should be clear and concise. The following paragraphs of your college essay should then provide supportive examples and/or evidence to prove your thesis.

Let’s take a look at the Johns Hopkins “Essays that Worked” page for some examples. For college essay prompts like, “ Describe an obstacle or challenge that you struggled to overcome ,” your thesis statement should be clear and compelling. Your thesis could be, “When I transferred to a new bigger high school and joined the squash team, I discovered how rewarding it is to push myself outside of my comfort zone.” 

When you’re getting started on a college essay like this , start with a bit of context. Then, make sure each paragraph directly relates to the thesis statement and reveals something crucial about you . For example, you might describe a distinct strategy or action that pushed you out of your comfort zone. Was it the fast pace of the sport, or maybe the shyness you felt meeting new people? You might also highlight a specific moment when you overcame insecurities and conquered new challenges. However, don’t try to tackle all of these questions at once; instead, choose one story, and stay focused on your narrative and its relevance to your life. 

Finally, make sure that your essay reflects something crucial about who you are. Don’t just tell an interesting story—instead, explicitly connect this story to your identity and growth. To return to the squash team example, your essay might show how you persevere in the face of difficulty and that you are not afraid to learn from new experiences. 

What about the ending?

So, once you’re this far, you’ll begin wondering how to end a college essay. In most cases, the final paragraph of the best college essays will return to your thesis. Then, it will offer a conclusion that puts the entire experience into context.

In our example about joining the squash team at your new high school, your college essay might conclude with, “The experience showed me that the more I push myself outside of my comfort zone, the more my comfort zone grows.” This sentence shows the reader the relevance of your essay beyond its topic—that is, it shows how your experience helped you grow not just as a squash player, but as a person. 

The above example shows how to end a college essay on a positive note. It will leave your readers feeling good about your experience, just like you did. It also gives you room to talk about how you will apply your new faculties in college. That’s the best strategy when it comes to how to end a college essay.

Key Components of the Best College Essays

Many colleges, including Harvard and the University of California , no longer require you to submit SAT or ACT test scores. In the absence of these scores, an even greater emphasis falls upon your supplemental essays.

That means to get into top schools, you must focus on creating one of the best college essays in response to the college essay prompts. Your college essay provides much-needed insight into both your academic talent and your character.

Before you submit your college admission, check your college essay against the following tenets of how to write a college essay. 

Does your college essay do all of these things?

• Communicate your unique character: What you reveal about yourself in your college essays both answers and expands upon the college essay topics.
• Write with an authentic voice: Your college essays should sound like you, so unless you frequently use complex language or long words, avoid them in both your college essay and supplemental essays.
• Don’t be too broad: College essays should cover a single concept in depth rather than skimming through several concepts. For example, instead of talking a little about each of the jobs you’ve had in your life, focus on one key experience. Anywhere from 1-3 examples is a good amount to aim for in each of your college essays. 
• Provide evocative details: The best college essays draw readers in with interesting and enriching details. Remember to show, don’t tell, when writing a college essay.
• Use specific language/imagery: Put your readers in the scene with adjectives and images that help them see, smell, touch, taste, hear or otherwise feel the event or emotions you describe. That is a common trait of college essays that worked. 
• Tell a story with a beginning, a middle and an end: The best college essays don’t skip around in a confusing manner. Instead, strong college essays simply relay events as they actually happened.
• Contain excellent grammar and spelling : The best college essays are virtually flawless in terms of mechanics. You don’t want to distract from your college admission essay with something as small as a misspelled word. 
• Stay within the college essay format parameters: Show respect for the standard college essay format. Edit until your college essay falls within the stated word limit for college essays. If your essay is too long, you may be denied admission for not following the required college essay length. 

How to Write a College Essay About Yourself

No matter which of the college essay prompts you choose, the story, observations, and reflections should ultimately reveal more about yourself than your test scores and extracurricular activities do. Your college essay is the place to let your personality shine. 

Remember, you are pitching yourself as an excellent fit for a particular university. So, your college essays should present you in the best possible light.

However, you may have never written a personal essay before. So, you’re stuck wondering how to write a college essay about yourself. The trick to writing about yourself is avoiding some of the common pitfalls of autobiography. Avoid describing yourself in such a way that garners sympathy rather than admiration. Try not to sound too negative or bad-tempered. 

For example, instead of indulging in self-pity, describe how a specific challenge has made you stronger. That’s the best approach to the question of how to write a college essay about yourself. Focus on your reactions, your growth, and your takeaways. Communicate how you’ve transformed a negative experience into a positive opportunity for learning and growth.

As you brainstorm college essay ideas and wonder how to start a college essay, remember that you are not the only hero in your story. Your college essay can also mention those who helped you with an important accomplishment. Describing your relationships with others is also a good way to write about yourself. In fact, it illustrates your humility and gratitude, two admirable character traits. However, at the end of the day, stay focused on yourself. 

When thinking about how to write a college essay about yourself, at all costs, be truthful. There’s no need to exaggerate your victories. That’s one of the top takeaways from how to write a college essay. Tell the truth, and be yourself.

In addition, use descriptions that support your thesis statement. If you want your readers to understand your empathy for others, describe a situation that illustrates this rather than just saying so. Relay an anecdote about a time you helped someone without an ulterior motive.

Finally, explain how a story, experience, or accomplishment changed you or broadened your outlook. Don’t just state it; show it .

Find the college essay topic that works for you

Some college essay topics are more personal than others. Some college essay prompts inspire intensely personal reactions. The trick to choosing the right college essay prompts is to find one that allows you to reveal your character without getting overly personal .

The college essay topics you choose should reveal something about who you are and why you will be an asset to a college. If you feel that the best college essay topics are particularly sensitive ones, the best approach is honesty. Focus on the positives , and show how your trials have made you stronger. 

You do not have to give details that might be off-putting to your readers. Try to use each of the college essay topics as a window into your character and the kind of adult you want to become.

How to Start a “Why This College” Essay

You will likely come across college essay prompts asking , “Why this college?” One or more of your supplemental essays will likely be a version of this question. We frequently refer to these essays as “Why School” essays, and they are some of the most common college essay prompts you will encounter.

What is the admissions team trying to find out from these types of college essay prompts? It could be several things:

• How much do you know about a college you are applying to?
• Are you serious about attending if you get accepted?
• Do you have a realistic view of the school’s academics and campus life?
• Will you be a good fit for this particular college?

You should always do your homework before answering these college essay prompts. Research the course offerings, the faculty, the location, dorm life, and study abroad programs. All of these details will be helpful when you’re wondering how to start a “why this college” essay. 

Also, read student reviews to get a perspective from the inside. Then, come up with a definitive and specific answer to each of the “why school” essay prompts that you must answer.

Schedule a campus visit

Before you start a “why this college” essay, visit the campus in person, if possible. Not only will it help you come up with college essay ideas, but also, visiting a school is one of the best ways to show your interest in attending.

Many college admissions officers throughout the U.S. place value on your demonstrated interest (DI) in the college when considering your application. In fact, 16% of colleges consider your DI to have considerable importance.

Rather than just walking around the school campus, try to make an appointment in advance to speak with someone from admissions. When you show up in person, on time and eager, your admissions counselor will be able to connect your application and college essays to a familiar face.

Take a guided tour with a current student. Eat in the cafeteria. Attend a weekend event. Then, you can speak with authority in your college essay when you describe what draws you to the school.

Focus on the school in your college essays

Even though you’re applying to more than one university, you don’t need to mention that in your “why this college” essay. Instead, stay focused on each individual school as you write your school-specific college essays. 

Furthermore, when writing a college essay, put yourself in the role of a student at the school in question. What features do you love? What activities will you join? How would you, personally, embody the mission of the university?

Things to avoid

One thing to avoid in a “why school” essay is mentioning the school’s national rankings. Such statistics are not in themselves a reason to attend. Instead, write about how the school’s philosophy and academic approach align with your own.

Additionally, admissions officers already know about the school’s history, founders, reputation, and graduation rate. Your essay should offer information they don’t know, such as why you chose to apply or how that specific college would nurture your academic growth.

Use the two-part answer strategy

Having trouble deciding how to start a “why this college” essay? As you approach these college essay prompts, think of your essay as a two-part answer. First, describe the intellectual appeal of the college and the ways it speaks to your interests. Second, your “why school” essay should also mention how you will give back as a student.

For example, maybe you want to start a club for other West African students like yourself. Or, maybe you want to work with kids in the school’s inner-city community outreach programs. Colleges will be impressed that you already know how you’d contribute to their campus. 

Examples of College Essays That Worked

Part of the research you do as you begin planning your college essay should be reading college essays that worked. These college essay resources and examples of college essays can offer more expert insight. 

Since supplemental essay prompts are college-specific, use the essays-by-school resource from CollegeAdvisor.com. For example, if you want to apply to the University of Pennsylvania , find out all you can from people who have successfully gained admission to UPenn. Read actual examples of UPenn college essays that worked on our website.

Do your research on each supplemental essay requirement—UPenn asks for two supplemental essays. Along with actual essay prompts, find resources that provide example college essays that worked. These college essay resource pages also offer quick tips for how to write a college essay about yourself.

Our library of resources also includes advice from former admissions officers. This can give you even more insight into how to approach different college essay prompts. With help from our team of experts, you’ll find out what essay topics are most impressive to admissions officers and some tips on past college essays that worked.

At CollegeAdvisor.com, you can read actual examples of college essays that worked. They illustrate what admissions teams look for in a successful supplemental essay. You can also find out how to write a college essay about yourself that is effective.

Final thoughts on College Essays

Generally speaking, the more selective the university, the more important it is to submit stellar college essays. For example, schools like Harvard typically accept less than   5% of those students who apply.

Most of the applicants to selective schools have the best academic records, scores, and teacher recommendations. So, college essays can make a huge difference. 

Think of your college essay, then, as a chance to further your quest for college acceptance. Make the most of it. Find solid resources on how to write a college essay. Then, produce well-planned, well-written college essays that show your readers who you are.

In a 2019 survey of college admissions departments nationwide, respondents ranked the college essay fifth in importance among admissions materials.

First on the list was the student’s high school GPA. Second was the average grade earned in college prep courses, and third was the academic reputation of the student’s high school. Fourth on the level of importance was SAT/ACT scores, and then the essay. However, now that so many schools are test-optional, college essays have become even more important.

Even at larger schools like the University of Minnesota , which accepts about half of those who apply, your college essay carries weight.

Within a large pool of candidates, it’s more important than ever to stand out. Excellent college essays will attract the eye of discerning readers. So, learning how to write a college essay is well worth your time.

A second pair of eyes can make a huge difference on your college essays. However, choose your readers and editors carefully. Choose who to ask how to write a college essay—not everyone can provide the right kind of support. You might ask a teacher, advisor, or family member for a second opinion. 

Finally, focus on what you can control. Nobody can predict if certain college essay prompts will be more of a hit with a particular admissions office. It’s impossible to know beforehand how to write a college essay that will click with all your readers. So, strive to write a college essay that best represents you. 

Rely on what you know about each college and how that intersects with your personality, interests and academic goals. Once you’ve figured that out, you should have a good idea how to write a great college essay.

Beyond the College Essays: College Interviews

Although many universities have made applying easier by eliminating standardized tests and financial aid steps, some colleges still consider applicant interviews to be an important part of the admissions process.

It’s a good idea to do your research or touch base with the admissions office before you visit a college. Then, you’ll know whether you can schedule an interview during your visit.

Larger schools send out admissions representatives to various cities or lean on a network of alumni to conduct interviews on their behalf. If your chosen college is among these schools, you can usually schedule interviews during their visits.

Typically, a college interview does not carry as much weight for getting into a school as your GPA or college essay. This is especially true if interviews are optional.

If a college does mandatory interviews , though, they will have some bearing on your acceptance. Prepare in advance and dress to impress, and you will make a positive impression at your interview.

Just like the prep for a college essay, preparing for a college interview involves some research about each specific college. As you gather information, start making a list that includes specific reasons why you want to attend. It’s sure to be one of your interview topics!

Also, as questions arise during your research, take notes. Some of the answers you can find with a quick search of the college website or on CollegeAdvisor.com . If you cannot find an answer to one of your questions, jot it down so you have something to ask at your interview.

Other popular interview questions you may encounter include:

• What should I know about you that I won’t find out from your application?
• What do you enjoy doing outside of school?
• Tell me about a mistake you made that became a positive learning experience.

Keep in mind during your interview that how you answer questions is just as important as the answer itself. Try to relax and be yourself. Getting to know you is your interviewer’s primary interest. Think of your interview as a conversation, and try not to stress. 

It’s also a good idea to:

• Know the interviewer’s name and how to say it.
• Smile often, and offer to shake the interviewer’s hand when you first meet.
• Be prepared to begin with rapport-building small talk.
• Practice good grammar when you speak.
• Listen carefully and take time to think as needed.
• Close the interview with a positive comment.
• Afterward, send the interviewer a thank you note.

Write down your impressions once you’ve completed your interview. Some of the topics you discussed or information you learned could become great college essay ideas. Also, if the colleges on your shortlist do not conduct pre-application interviews, that places more importance on your college essays and supplemental essays. Make sure your personality shines through especially as you compose your “why this college” essay.

Beyond the College Essays: Recommendation Letters

In many ways, the letters of recommendation from your teachers are similar to your college essays. They should tell the truth, talk about your character, be interesting, and be concise. However, you typically don’t have a lot of control over what is said in your recommendation letters. So, you should take care with the aspect you can control: who you choose to write the letter.

You should choose a teacher who knows you well and taught you recently. Ideally, this would be a junior year teacher. Teachers who had you freshman year are not the best choice, as you haven’t been in their classroom for three years. A sophomore year teacher is okay for one of your letters, but try not to have two sophomore teachers writing your recommendation letters. 

Although your teachers will likely submit their recommendations directly to the college admissions office, be sure to ask them to send you a copy too. Most of your teachers will probably agree.

However, if you sign a waiver in your application that waives your right to review your application file, you can’t legally access official copies of your recommendations. Many schools ask you to sign these waivers, so don’t expect to be able to view your recommendations. 

You should be sure to ask teachers for recommendations early. That gives them plenty of time to write a great letter that sings your praises.

However, since truthfulness is a hallmark of a strong recommendation letter, you should ask faculty members that know you well. You don’t want a letter that provides only vague information and faint praise. Ask those teachers with whom you have built rapport over your years in high school. They’ll be familiar not only with your GPA but also your personal character.

Sometimes it takes advance planning to build rapport with your teachers, but it is rewarding in many ways. Often, a coach you have played sports for and also taken classes from is a great choice.

CollegeAdvisor can help

We offer extensive resources at CollegeAdvisor.com for students at every stage of the college admissions process. We add new information about college admissions and college essays constantly, including exclusive webinars with former admissions officers.

Use CollegeAdvisor to research universities like Princeton . Narrow down your choices based on reliable information, and learn how to optimize your chances of admission.

When you join CollegeAdvisor, you’ll have access to our best tips about college admissions from students, former students, and former admissions officers at top universities. You’ll get expert advice on writing college essays that work from students who are attending their dream schools.

We have more than 400 Admissions Experts and former Admissions Officers available to meet with you, discuss your needs, and provide support. To date, we have helped students from the U.S. and 60 countries worldwide gain admission to Ivy League and Top 50 colleges across the nation. 

Applying to college is hard—you shouldn’t have to do it alone. Get started with CollegeAdvisor today.

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‘Miles Walked, Miles Driven’: This Year’s College Essays About Money

Each year, we seek out college application essays about money, work or social class. Here are five from writers who are now undergraduates.

Supported by

By Ron Lieber

Photographs by Lexi Parra

Ron Lieber wrote one of his college application essays about a television commercial for the company formerly known as Waste Management.

• Oct. 22, 2022

Writing a personal essay is more art than science. Discussing money — what you or your family has or lacks — is tricky under the best of circumstances. Doing both well is harder still, especially if you’re a teenager and a committee of grown-ups will sit in judgment on whatever you produce.

Each year, we invite essayists to forward their work to us after they’ve submitted their thoughts on money, work, social class and related matters as part of their college applications. At their best, they inspire a kind of empathy, even if money is not on your mind all that often.

This time, we find ourselves in the human resources department with a racing mind; the kitchen as a daughter observes her mother making do; the car, driving many miles for so many reasons; the house, stuffed with way too much; and the head of a young woman wondering if her soft hands bring honor upon her family.

To write this way about these topics requires perspective, about who has what and why and how. But it also demands bravery — to go where most people don’t, including a lot of adults.

Katya Spajic

“Their hands symbolized their love and sacrifice for family. But my unblemished hands signified nothing in return, only evidence of wasting away their hard work.”

New York — Bronx High School of Science

Mom always told me that if my hands were smooth and unblemished nobody would be able to tell my age.

She wore rings and gloves to cover up the premature wrinkles from her time as a waitress in high school and the scars on her fingers from her first four years in America as a seamstress.

Try as she might, no amount of jewelry or hand cream could erase those markings. But I envied her imperfections: Mom’s weathered hands spoke volumes about her strength, selflessness and love.

Whenever my family gathered at the dinner table, I would steal glances at their hands. Each wrinkle and scar read like a chapter of a life well lived: a life full of purpose. When I looked at my smooth knuckles and babylike palms, I wondered when I would receive markings that told my story.

When Dad squeezed my hand as we crossed the street, I tried to place the sharp ridges and rock-hard calluses that dug into my soft skin. Did they come from summers in Montenegro, gripping the worn handle of the scythe to cut hay? Were they caused by heavy tiles nicking his palms during the kitchen renovations that paid for my babysitters?

During summers in Pljevlja in Montenegro, I would watch Grandma’s trembling hands as she kneaded each piece of burek. What initially seemed like splotches of flour were actually burn scars from 70 years of cooking. Perhaps they came from adding one too many coals to the furnace or accidentally lifting pots out of the oven with her bare hands.

Their hands symbolized their love and sacrifice for family. But my unblemished hands signified nothing in return, only evidence of wasting away their hard work. So I tried to gain markings the only way I knew how: mimicking my family’s defining actions.

I attempted Grandma’s burek, but my imitation’s flaky shell hardened each time I took it out of the oven. And my burns never felt purposeful, only documentation of my mediocrity.

I tried picking up a needle and thread like Mom. But even as my hands took the shape of hers, the needle pricks left me unsatisfied — it never came naturally like for Mom.

My hands began to read like a list of failed ventures — until I found volleyball. Volleyball seemed like a forbidden interest, so independent from family. But each purposeful movement left me satiated with fulfillment. I picked up the game quickly, and my parents were thrilled: Recruitment was my ticket into a top university. I even fractured my thumb while diving for the ball, the bone awkwardly jutting out as my own personal talisman of greater purpose.

But during high school, I was exposed to a plethora of other opportunities. I began spending Monday nights practicing cases for Mock Trial and dedicated weekends to taking photographs for my school’s Dynamo literary magazine. And though my hands remained unchanged, these passions, along with others, showed me sides of my identity that I didn’t know existed.

But with little time left for volleyball, I came to the decision to leave my club team. My crooked thumb became an ominous reminder of another failed pursuit.

My parents were furious. They perceived my new activities as unfocused distractions, leading me away from my ticket to college.

I soon understood that my parents’ anger did not stem from disappointment, but from unfamiliarity. Their only path forward was committing to their available roles, never pondering the existential questions I did: self-discovery in a sea of options.

Becoming “lost” for pursuing seemingly unconnected interests was not what they envisioned for me, but I realized that the best way to fully take advantage of my privileges was to explore all my curiosities. I stopped emulating the identities of my family and realized that my hands would eventually bear the weight of my pursuits.

More importantly, those markings and hands will be my own, not my mother’s or father’s.

Griffin Ayson

“Travel costs may prove too great a financial strain for my parents, but my world map and ingenuity are free.”

Los Angeles — Van Nuys High School

The room was stuffy, cramped and packed with teenagers. I was about to embark on a new adventure — my first job. I made sure I brought everything listed on the required materials list: Social Security card, passport, student ID, work permit.

As I waited for the human resources personnel to call my name, I gingerly opened my passport. A glance at the photo taken when I was 12 brought a big smile to my face: Chubby cheeks. Bowl cut hair. Forced smile. My jolly mood quickly faded when I read the expiration date: 03 Jan 2022. As I flipped through, each page was blank. My heart felt empty.

I tried to shake off the sadness dominating my thoughts. I should not have been bothered by my empty passport or its pending expiration date. But I was. It was a painful reminder that I had never left the country, not once in my entire life.

I remained quiet even as my mom repeatedly asked how my job orientation went. My replies were a mere yes or no. But when we got home, I held up my passport and finally dared to ask her. She looked at me and responded: “I’m sorry, but we can’t afford it. Airfares alone for a family of five would cost an arm and a leg.” Her quavering voice said it all. I walked away, empty. My passport was for “just in case,” not “when.”

When I spend time with Grandma, I am greeted by her cabinet full of cherished souvenirs. Some mark her 90 years on earth, others Grandpa’s travels as a merchant marine. Admiring the elephant tusk from India, brass plates from Morocco and hand-carved Last Supper wall hanging from Italy, I often wondered what it was like to travel the world just like Grandpa did.

Today, I catch myself looking back at those visits at Grandma’s and realizing I don’t need to leave my beloved city — Los Angeles — to experience the world. I satisfy my wanderlust by feasting on hearty, delicious global cuisines here in my neighborhood. Couscous from Morocco. Vindaloo from India. Gelato from Italy. Each is a small marker of my city’s diverse population and the perspectives and experiences surrounding me.

The first and last thing I see from my bed is my vast world map from Ikea, occupying almost an entire wall. This map has been my constant travel companion since I was little. Beginning with Dad’s stories about his business travels early in his career, this map has taken me to the countries he toured and locals he befriended from Belgium to South Korea to Indonesia.

Through Google Earth’s lens, I’m able to transport myself to any far-flung places without leaving the comfort of my bedroom. I have explored the Philippines, where my mother was born and raised. Her accounts of her upbringing fascinated me growing up, the tropical climate a drastic change from L.A.’s dry, sunny summers. When I showed her the schools she attended, the church where she and her family worshiped every Sunday, and the empty land where her house once stood, she was delighted. I was, too.

I don’t need to set foot in an airport to know every country, city and capital in the world. The knowledge I amassed, from the map in my bedroom to virtual tours, has taught me that not traveling outside my birth country will not define who I am. I pull what I can from my surroundings, whether wandering my neighborhood or following the virtual tour of the Louvre’s Petite Galerie exhibition of founding myths. And there are dozens of UNESCO sites still to see.

I am a globe-trotter. Travel costs may prove too great a financial strain for my parents, but my world map and ingenuity are free. So while my passport pages are empty, my limitless adventures are being vividly stamped in my mind forever.

Mimosa Hứa Mỹ Văn

“My treasure was occupying my time and mind. Overflowing piles, boxes and chaos tornadoed around me.”

Tucson, Ariz. — Flowing Wells High School

I was 6 years old.

Waltzing into my room, I had no room to dance. Looking at the floor, I would not be able to convince anyone it is hardwood. Clothes with price tags and unopened toys covered every inch of the ground. Mountains of freebies from convention centers engulfed me every time I entered the room. It was chaos.

Each day, these mountains became mountain ranges. As time passed by, I thought this accumulation would make me better. More items, more wealth and more friends. Having more meant a better life, right?

I waved to my dad at the screen door while I was yawning in jammies that were made authentically from Vietnam. He hopped into the only car to drive eight miles south to sharpen blades for lawn mowers as my mom cared for me, my brother and the house.

And every morning, my mom dropped me off at school on the next fastest transportation: the only electric scooter. Other days, my dad would pick me up and head to the doctor’s as the English-speaking parent before dozing off until his next shift. I cherished my parents’ efforts and actions for me.

When I was 10, my dad was heading into his mid-60s, and he retired. The income cash flow was dripping as my mom joined the work force and slowly gained clients. We celebrated every time a letter came in with government assistance.

We savored all the stuff. Every item made us the richest people on earth. My mom told me stories about when she was younger in Vietnam. She never had new clothes or gifts. She always got hand-me-downs.

I treasured and kept every item as sacred as a pirate’s gold. I felt like I won the lottery by having all this stuff.

Because I knew the most English, I researched Americanized things and how-tos for my parents. With a disastrous house at bay, my mom suggested to me to research how to get a cleaner house. I typed it into the Google search bar, expecting nothing helpful. I went down the rabbit hole, weaving from grease, storage containers, organization and more.

And then, I found this foreign word, minimalism.

Simplifying the number of items in possession to have a tidier home can make people happier. What were these jabberwocky words arranged in this order doing here? Can this end my chaos?

But, I thought more meant better. My treasure was occupying my time and mind. Overflowing piles, boxes and chaos tornadoed around me.

What about the social pressure? What would all my friends think if I didn’t have a lot of things? Would they think I was poor, poorer than I already am? Or worse, could I lose everything in life?

You know what? Let’s just do it. The chaos needs to end.

I slowly start to sort piles and load the car trunk. A part of me vanished at first. As days went by, I felt a weight of possession leave my chest and free me from all of the strings from each item tying me down.

Now, I zoom from assisting my mom with dishes to checking out TED Talks and self-love Instagram reels to working on my random urge to do pottery. The void has been filled with experience, knowledge and gratefulness.

My hands dance as I attempt to take in every single word that emerges from my wandering thoughts. I observe my sleeping plateau and two work space plateaus with a small stack of notebooks and feel content. “I appreciate myself,” I scribbled with one of my five — and only five — writing utensils.

I don’t need to rely on items, wealth and friends to be content. Others’ opinions of my display of wealth are not necessary to me. Without these items gluing me down, I easily settle from place to place. The internet was right. I can experience life now, for new challenges, opportunities and experiences.

Nathaniel Erb

“The miles that I drive, and others that I walk, are a small part of what makes it possible for our family to function, even thrive.”

New Windsor, Md. — Delone Catholic High School

Digits. Miles on the odometer, time on a clock. Neon clock face — 4:00 on a Tuesday morning. Driving 25 quick miles to swim practice, then 45 long ones to school. A rushed 11 miles to work. Finally, 9:30 p.m. Shift over — 13 miles home.

Total: 94 miles in 17.5 hours. A typical Tuesday bleeds into a typical week, adding up to a total of over 600 miles. Nearly three hours each day before I add in school, work, swimming and commitments as a brother, as a son.

These miles are unavoidable. Living in a rural farming community, you soon realize that everything is far away.

Being the oldest of five children, a perch I share with my twin sister, I know what my parents have sacrificed to provide a loving and stable life for us. My dad gets up early every morning — working weekends and missing vacations to provide for our family. My mom gave up her career to raise my four siblings and me.

Their sacrifices have formed the foundation of who I am. The miles that I drive, and others that I walk, are a small part of what makes it possible for our family to function, even thrive.

The longer drives lull me into thinking. Goals and ambitions — for tomorrow or 10 years from now.

I often think about what I have and the people around me who have sacrificed to get me where I am today. Sacrifice isn’t giving up or missing out on something. It is making the hard choices that will lead a person to become extraordinary.

Today, my choices are laying the foundation for something extraordinary of my own, shaping me into my future self. My foundation is supported by cornerstones — a big, loving, supportive family; work with meaning; financial independence; self-direction.

At age 2, I received my first wheelbarrow. It was small, tot-sized, but I used it to help with yardwork. Today, I spend weekends planting and maintaining the gardens — a sacrifice of time and a strain on my body.

Beginning with seeds in the greenhouse and continuing through harvest, I enjoy watching the produce grow and reaping the bounty of my work. These gardens provide us with much food. My wheelbarrow is full-sized now, just like the role I play in helping sustain my family.

The miles I walk pushing a wheelbarrow offer one type of support. Those I drive to and from my job as a restaurant dishwasher provide another 20 to 25 hours a week I scrub and rinse, pacing myself to stay ahead of the front of the house.

These hours demand a different type of sacrifice, but offer the promise of financial independence, my ability to save and even invest. I crave stability and dream of a future I can provide for myself. I want to help pay for college, buy a home on the water, maybe even have a boat.

But the miles I drive to swim practice feel different. These are just for me.

Setting goals and working to achieve them empowers me. After an early alarm and my daily decision to sacrifice sleep and free time, the tough morning workouts motivate me to push through obstacles. I can carry these lessons through college, my future career, my personal life.

These miles, hundreds walked and thousands driven, take me to and from the century-old farmhouse we call home. We have expanded it several times to house the seven of us, each new cornerstone marking the sacrifices made to get to that point.

Soon, I will expand my foundation, adding cornerstones uniquely mine to the ones I share with my family. This expansion will be in stages — college, a job, a family of my own — but I know how I will mark them. Miles walked, miles driven, sacrifices made. And I know that with each one, I am building something extraordinary.

“The duty of our generation is to ensure the next generation has it a little easier.”

Charlotte, N.C. — Olympic High School

Pieces of me live in my kitchen.

An art easel stands sentry nearby with stained paintbrushes and repurposed mugs. The curtains are drawn back, revealing clouds ambling against a sun-streaked sky.

Cherry-red and mint green boxes of tea sit in the cupboards above the sink — Earl Grey, peppermint, jasmine. Peaches sprawl across the counter, next to honeycombs I would suck on during long, oppressive summers. Very Monet, don’t you think? Beautiful, sweet, impressionist.

Yet if you peer beyond the bowl of bananas and crooning stereo, you would find a drawer of flatware. Rusting. Brown. Cheap. I didn’t know I was poor until I noticed the flatware. You can beautify the ugly in all sorts of ways, paint and plaster over all the cracks and holes. But the truth will stick like tar.

It was the autumn of 2019, and my mother was hunched in the kitchen, beaming and bright. “Look,” she beckoned. She handed me a fork and spoon: so shiny I could see my reflection, heavy in my hand and cold to the touch. There were two more pairs on the counter. She had replaced the entire drawer.

“Three hundred dollars,” Mama said proudly. “Two graveyard shifts.”

My mother works two jobs. I save coupons for back-to-school shopping. Why did I take so long to notice? Maybe I wanted to see myself as something other than a stereotype. Another brown body who lives under the umbrella term of low-income, first-generation. Maybe my mother was embarrassed to be another brown body who couldn’t afford a good cutlery set without 20 extra hours.

But I never had to think about it, because she kept the kitchen picturesque, and I never mentioned the bags underneath her eyes. It was some dark, dirty secret we clutched to our chest, kept away from prying eyes. No one should know (not even us).

“Poor” has always been a tainted word, like “homeless” or “beggar.” The generous donate, the indifferent ignore, the unkind scoff, but there is a quiet murmur, an intrusive “this is your fault” inside all of us. That’s why we say “escape poverty” like it’s some monster under our bed, not a symptom of a monstrous society. We are all eager to escape, and when we do, we do not look back.

I have always had a deep longing for more. I was named Jaylen after a basketball player, but I tell people I was named after the blue jay. Inside me, a small bird, like my namesake, was desperately trying to fly. I wanted to leave, because I was ashamed, and by wanting more for myself, I forgot to want more for everyone else.

But standing there, I saw my mother for the first time. I saw the pride in her purchase, her sunken face, how her hands shook and her hair grayed. She worked every day, so I could one day rest. She never kicked up her feet and enjoyed honeycombs on a Saturday afternoon. She loved my future enough to forsake her present.

Each of us has that small bird inside of us, but birds fly in flocks (and together, cages aren’t really cages). The duty of our generation is to ensure the next generation has it a little easier. There is no shame in that weight. There is pride.

We plant seeds so that our daughters and sons can enjoy the flowers. We add semicolons so that our children continue our story.

I work, no longer to escape my community, but to transform it. I distributed hundreds of letters that I and my classmates had written to nursing home residents who were in quarantine during the holidays. I taught computer science and business classes to underprivileged students. I helped underclassmen transition to the turbulent ocean that is high school. I paint murals, drink tea and take birds with broken wings to animal hospitals.

The other day, I bought my mother another set of cutlery that I hope to give her soon. I can finally say I learned how to fly.

Ron Lieber has been the Your Money columnist since 2008 and has written five books, most recently “The Price You Pay for College.” More about Ron Lieber

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College Essay Topics for 2022

Overwhelmed by the many college essay topics you can write about? Don’t be. We’ll show you potential topics you can choose for your college essay.

As discussed in the post about   How to Choose an Essay Topic , don’t start with the Common App, Coalition App, or other college application essay prompts. Instead, begin writing your essay and go back and choose the prompt it answers best later.

Key Takeaways

• The college essay starts with a compelling essay topic.
• It's not easy to come up with a college essay topic that is interesting, original, and supports the overall theme of your college application.
• Start here for ideas on the best college essay topics of 2022

Table of Contents

What is the college essay.

The college essay is the piece of writing in your college application where you tell admission officers:

• Who you are
• What value you’d bring to the campus community
• Why they should accept you. 

The college essay brings color to your file and can give “aha” moments to highlight or bring clarity about why you’re a good candidate for the college. Your college essay is so important that a great essay can push you over the edge if it’s between you and another candidate. A bad college essay will likely lead to a decision to decline your application. College essay topics set the tone of the entire essay.

2020 is the first year that most colleges considered files without test scores. They placed more emphasis on the college essay. Things will be the same in 2020. The University of California and many other colleges have announced that 2021-2022 will also be test-optional.

While we never know the exact impact of the college essay on admissions, before COVID-19,  75% of admissions officers responded that they found the college essay to be a factor in their decisions . This shows that the college essay is important. The essay you write is guided by the college essay topics you choose.  With so many things happening in your life, how do you choose which to write about? 

This post digs into the most compelling topics of the 2022 college application season. The examples presented here will get you started on writing an essay that is unique to you and makes the case for your admissions.

Something you're afraid of

Fear is a great topic to explore in your college essay. It’s one of the most primal of all human emotions. Fear keeps us from making decisions that can hurt us. But more often than not, fear also holds us back from doing things that will help us grow. With a key objective in your essay to show growth, writing your essay about something that keeps you up at night is sure to be a winner. 

Some examples can include the fear of loneliness, fear of failure, or the fear of success . I had a former student write an essay about his fear of heights and how he overcame that fear and worked his way up to riding the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios. Here’s an excerpt from the student’s essay:

"I am scared of many things (needles, sharks, blood), but no fear has conquered me more than height fright. I spent a decade visiting Disney World with my mom, dad, and younger brother and never set foot on a thrill ride. I especially feared The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a Hollywood Studios headliner, engineered to drop at accelerated speeds while being struck by lightning bolts or what epitomized my waking nightmare. In August 2011, when my dad suggested we ride Terror, I profusely refused. His stone-cold face glared at me down when he said, "Logan, this ride isn't even scary!" But I, arms crossed and standing my ground, wouldn't waver. Of course, I got my way, and he stayed back with me. Although relieved for the time being, upon returning to New York, I felt bad that I had burdened my family with my fear, which persisted for five more years. Then, last year, I rode Terror and haven't looked back since. Here's how I did it." Student Writer

Something you're grateful for

This topic perfectly aligns with the Common Apps new 2021-2022 essay prompt that says: 

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

The motivation for this question update is that so much has happened in the last two years. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the world will never be the same. We have lost so many lives. Also, there is social unrest, economic decline, and lots of uncertainty. Some people liken what’s happening to the early 20th century, ironically in the same 20s decade. If you’re alive, breathing, and have had good fortunes this year, this may be an excellent topic for you to dig into further.

Someone who has inspired you

For this essay topic, you’d write about a real person in your life . Avoid choosing a celebrity, popular politician or pubic figure, out of the risk of being too clich é . The person you choose should have a direct or indirect influence on the person you have become. 

This could be someone like your mom or dad, a grandparent, aunt or uncle, cousin, friend, teacher, coach, or anyone else who you can speak vividly and candidly about lessons they have taught you. This person can be living or may have passed on. The essay you write will illustrate what insights and learnings you can apply to your life because of the influence they have had on you.

Here’s an excerpt from a sample student who wrote about her late father: 

"In his final days, I recall my father reclining on a plush black couch. His expressionless face was attached to a gas mask and oxygen tank. It still brings me to tears that the father I loved - the man who walked ten blocks every Sunday to Parisi's Bakery to buy his little girl strawberry-filled bread cookies - was losing his battle with lung cancer. Even as his health started to deteriorate, my father proved himself to be a hero. Like a devout Muslim, he read his favorite Koran passages and prayed five times daily until the eleventh hour. Oblivious to his weakening condition, I sat by his side, asking questions about everything like spelling a word, the question to a Jeopardy answer, and what a fact means. Hoarse and out of breath, my father always gave me an answer. He was aware that this moment might be the last time we would have together. But I believed that he would pull through cancer and be around forever. After all, real heroes never die, right? While difficult to be fully expressed in words, my father strived to be a good parent to my brothers and me. He made sure we got to school on time, taught us how to save for the future, and encouraged us to value our Muslim beliefs. Still, more importantly, he made us earn his approval. On those rare occasions, when I could get him to share a proud smile for something that I achieved, I felt like my world was complete. For example, my father walked with my brothers and me to Rainey Park on Saturdays, where he challenged us to a relay race. Of course, he always won. But during each race, he yelled at me to run faster, pull through the pain gushing through my legs, and pump harder and harder. After following his advice, on one particular Saturday afternoon, I beat him! And when I waited for his expression, his grave eyes finally gave me the approval I yearned for. On the way home, he stopped at the store to buy me red Baby Bottle Pop candy. It was the perfect day!" Student Writer

Something you're fighting for

2020 is arguably the year of the most protests in your lifetime (and my lifetime!). Mashable featured a great article about the 15 protests of 2020 that you’ll tell your children about. Why wait? Your college essay is a great place to start, especially if you’ve been part of any of the protests. Nothing explains who you are and what you stand for than sharing causes that you care about. 

Something you're sacrificing for

One of the most incredible moves you can make in your life is sacrificing something in your life for the greater good. For example, maybe you’re an aspiring teen entrepreneur and next founder or creator. You’re building a business, like a few of my students. 

One has a jewelry company and sells her products on Etsy. Another is buying and selling cryptocurrency on an exchange. Running a business comes with sacrifices, such as missing out on having fun with friends. Or perhaps your grades. Many of my entrepreneurial students have less than stellar grades or limited extracurricular involvement because they’ve spent more time building their businesses. 

This essay would serve a dual purpose of explaining why their grades aren’t perfect (addressing something that admissions officers would want to know) and showing their passion for something worth sacrificing the time and energy they’d spend elsewhere that wasn’t as significant.

Something or someone you value

A classic topic, you can use it as your general essay. Some schools, like Stanford University, use this topic as a supplemental essay. At its core, motivation, and passion lead to action. In this essay, you can show admissions officers what type of person you are, how you show up in the world, and your plans for the future – for yourself, the campus community, and society. 

To be sure, this is a BIG essay to write. If you select this topic, be sure to focus on one thing (as opposed to ten) that is meaningful and most important to you. Avoid repeating anything you have said in another part of your application. A great example of this essay is a student who wrote about a memory box where she keeps her most precious treasures. She speaks about each treasure, a book from her mom and a pair of gold hoop earrings, and the significance they’ve had in her life. Here’s an excerpt:

Here’s a college essay excerpt from a student who wrote about a box for her most precious treasures: 

I am a collector. It started with a box. But my head is ingrained with the idea that every object worth saving has a story worth remembering. Peeking out from the edge of the box was Our Moon Has Blood Clots, a book my mom had given me two years ago to read. It vividly details Kashmir's purge of the Kashmiri Pandit community, a part of our history my mom felt was important to understand. But I avoided it. For me, it was too uncomfortable to face a past ridden with war, violence, rape, and exile. I didn't want to relive my parents escaping their homes with only a few documents, living in tents, and everything they worked for and knew was gone and forced to restart their lives from ground zero. Instead of reading it, I buried it, deep, in my memory box. Although I was born 13 years later, I read in a PBS article that trauma is an inherited trait. And like so many victims of trauma, be it first-hand or through DNA, we hold on to things but put memories away. I am without a piece of myself. One day, I'll face the truth and accept how the mass exodus has shaped me. But today, I find solace in understanding that my parents' struggle gave rise to more opportunities I could hope for given their arrival as American refugees. By taking advantage of everything at my disposal, I am grateful for my education and relationships, all assets no one can ever take away." Student Writer

Something you're passionate about

This essay topic is a great way to show your curiosity and hunger for knowledge or mastering a skill . You wouldn’t want to write this essay about anything already in your college application, like why you enjoy biology or why you joined your school’s video club. Instead, you’d write about something that shows your interest in something that would not fit anywhere else. You enjoy something so unique that your application would not be complete unless they knew this about you.

Interests you can write about like:

• Podcasting and video blogging
• Bitcoin and cryptocurrency
• Real estate investing
• Running your own business or nonprofit
• Spoken word poetry
• Knitting, scrapbooking, or other creative arts
• Social media and being an influencer

These are a few examples, and you likely have your own examples of interests you’re passionate about that you do on your own and outside of school. Speaking about your hobbies and interests can give insight into what else you’ve been up to during your high school years. Often for students, these interests may lead to career options or influence how you’ll engage in the campus community, both of which admissions officers are very interested in learning about you.

Your cultural roots and background

If you’re a newcomer to the United States or a first-generation American with parents who migrated to our country, this may be a good topic for you to explore. You have a unique voice and perspective that college admissions officers highly value. You can speak about so many things — experiences, culture, food — what meaning these things have had in your life, how you’re balancing with ideals in American culture.

You can speak about it directly, such as telling the reader about your journey as a newcomer or first-generation American student. Or you can talk about it indirectly, as one of my students from last year did. The student wrote about his joy in making empanadas. He shares his grandmother’s recipe and what it’s like making them with her and ties it to his cultural ties to Equador and being of Italian heritage. Here’s an excerpt from his essay:

Here’s a college essay excerpt from a student who wrote about his joy of cooking empanadas for his family: 

"I have become more comfortable with the recipe, and I am confident that I can make any empanada I want. I like making empanadas for several reasons. First, I can be very creative with them, changing the ingredients every time I make them. Over the years, I have made empanadas with all kinds of varieties of beef, chicken, cheese, and vegetables. But if I wanted to, I could fill it with tomato sauce and cheese to make a pizza empanada or American cheese and beef to make a cheeseburger empanada. From start to finish, no matter what you put inside, it takes half an hour, and you have yourself a meal. Also, around the time that I made my first empanadas, it was not often that I would find a restaurant that sold them. I had to make them myself. However, as time has passed, I have seen more restaurants and food trucks that strictly serve empanadas open in my neighborhood, where there are few from my Ecuadorian culture living here. And like so many other things, empanadas have arrived in mainstream American culture, making their mark on the world, something so unique, diverse, and delicious. But most importantly, empanadas represent a significant part of Ecuadorian culture, to which I've always felt connected through my grandma's stories. Growing up, I remember vivid stories about her life in Ecuador. She eventually moved to the United States at 18-years-old and was immersed in American culture as a young woman and immigrant. Learning to cook empanadas and staying true to her recipe has strengthened my relationship with my grandma. While I have never traveled to Quito, Ecuador's capital city, where she was born, the empanadas link me to my cultural roots." Student Writer

Once you decide on a topic, then you can proceed to write your college essay. Start here with this post about Writing a College Essay. Also, you can check out an upcoming College Essay Workshop .

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The Importance of Starting your Essays Junior Year

Highly-selective colleges and universities often require supplemental application materials. These materials help further personalize the admissions process so that each college’s admissions committee has the information it needs to select a vibrant and diverse incoming class. 

In this article, we will look at 10 supplemental essay prompts from top colleges and universities for the 2022-23 admissions cycle. Once you get a better sense of what to expect from a supplemental essay prompt, we will outline key strategies for answering these prompts, as well as provide practical writing tips to help you get started.

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What are supplemental essays and are they important?

Each college has its own sets of values and criteria that it looks for in applicants. This is why determining college fit is so important. By carefully researching each school on your college list and having several clear and compelling reasons for wanting to attend, you will increase your overall chances of admission.    

One way that colleges gauge whether or not a student would be a good fit for their university is by posing unique supplemental essay prompts. This is why knowing how to write a supplemental essay is so important. Most colleges with supplemental essays will have applicants write the “why this college” essay . 

Many selective colleges will require additional supplemental essays as well. In some cases, you will need to prepare an additional five essays per school, so give yourself plenty of time to complete each essay thoughtfully, write multiple drafts, seek out feedback, and proofread. The college application process can feel overwhelming at times, so make sure you brainstorm ways to stay organized during the college application process . 

Although the style and content of the actual prompts can vary greatly, at the core these prompts have one thing in common: They are designed to get to know who you are as a person, what your values are, and whether you demonstrate compatibility with the university’s overall mission. 

How to write supplemental essays

If you’re looking for supplemental essay tips, you’ve come to the right place! In this section, we will discuss how to write a good supplemental essay, by providing several key application essay tips. 

To start, it’s important to remember that the process of writing supplemental essays is similar to the process of writing a successful personal statement . Review components of a strong personal statement to give yourself a fresh perspective before beginning your supplemental essays.

Tips for writing supplemental essays

Supplemental essays are typically pretty brief. This is why it’s important to learn how to write concisely and powerfully. Having very few words to respond does not mean that you should prepare your responses casually or that your responses shouldn’t include lots of details. Rather, approach each word limit creatively. Whether you have 50 words, 200 words, or 500 words, try to use each sentence and detail to your advantage. One of the best ways to do this is to begin by freewriting. Write down everything that comes to mind. Take time to fully flush out your ideas. Then review what you’ve written and see what feels most important. These are the details you will want to highlight in your response.

Some colleges will require three to five additional essays. Maybe even more! This is why it’s important to be prepared and plan ahead. Supplemental essays are an important part of your college application and they require a lot of time and effort. While some supplemental essay prompts may be similar between schools, in general, you want to avoid recycling your college essays. Admissions officers can tell when a student is tweaking an existing essay to fit a prompt.

While some essay prompts are required, others are optional. In general, try to answer each prompt thoughtfully and creatively. After all, it’s no secret that college admissions are highly competitive so it’s great to give your application “an edge” whenever possible. That said, there are times when you should pass on writing an optional essay. If you’re not sure whether or not you should submit an essay for an optional prompt, begin by drafting a response. Then ask yourself if the essay feels forced or genuine. Does the essay convey something new about you that isn’t included in the rest of your application? If the question doesn’t seem to apply to you and you are genuinely unsure what to contribute, you should probably skip that particular essay. After all, no one wants to read an uninspired essay that doesn’t contribute to your overall application.

2022-23 supplemental essay prompts

As mentioned, supplemental essay prompts can vary significantly. Some prompts ask you to respond in 50 words while other prompts ask you to respond in 500 words. Some prompts focus on academics while others ask you to reflect carefully on your cultural upbringing or life philosophies. Still, other prompts will ask you to introduce who you are as a person or discuss something that you enjoy.

Just as supplemental essay prompts vary in style, your responses will also vary. Some prompts will require you to be thoughtful and serious, while other prompts may encourage you to be humorous or creative. It all depends.

Brown University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Brown University requires three supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Brown’s culture fosters a community in which students challenge the ideas of others and have their ideas challenged in return, promoting a deeper and clearer understanding of the complex issues confronting society. This active engagement in dialogue is as present outside the classroom as it is in academic spaces. Tell us about a time you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond? (200-250 words)

Columbia University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Columbia University requires the following supplemental materials: 1 list of 75 words, 1 list of 125 words, 3 essays of 200 words each, and 1 short answer of 35 words. One of their supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

For the following questions, we ask that you list each individual response using commas or semicolons; the items do not have to be numbered or in any specific order. No explanatory text or formatting is needed. (For example, it is not necessary to italicize or underline titles of books or other publications. No author names, subtitles or explanatory remarks are needed.)  

List the titles of the books, essays, poetry, short stories or plays you read outside of academic courses that you enjoyed most during secondary/high school. (75 words or fewer)

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Dartmouth college supplemental essay prompt.

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Dartmouth College requires three supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

“Be yourself,” Oscar Wilde advised. “Everyone else is taken.” Introduce yourself in 200-250 words. 

Duke University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Duke University requires at least one supplemental essay, with the option to submit an additional two supplemental essays. One of the optional supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?

Emory University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Emory University requires two supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Emory If you could witness a historic event (past, present or future) first-hand, what would it be, and why?

Harvard University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Harvard University requires three supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (50-150 words)

MIT supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, MIT requires five supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.

Princeton University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Princeton University requires three supplemental essays and three short responses. One of the short-answer prompts is as follows:

Please respond to each question in 75 words or fewer. There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!

What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?

What brings you joy? 

What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

Stanford University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Stanford University requires three supplemental essays and five short answer responses. One of the short-answer prompts is as follows:

How did you spend your last two summers? (50-word limit)

UPenn supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, UPenn requires three supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows: 

Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words)

Yale University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Yale University requires the following supplemental materials: 1 list; 6 short answer questions; 1 additional short essay of 400 words. One of the short answer prompts is as follows:

Yale’s residential colleges regularly host conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What would you ask them to discuss? (200 characters or fewer)

Supplemental essay examples

One of the best ways to prepare your supplemental essay responses is to look at successful past examples. In this section, we will look at three examples and explain why each response is successful. 

This first example was submitted as a part of Harvard’s college application. This essay is in response to the prompt: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (50-150 words).

Feet moving, eyes up, every shot back, chants the silent mantra in my head. The ball becomes a beacon of neon green as I dart forward and backward, shuffling from corner to far corner of the court, determined not to let a single point escape me. With bated breath, I swing my racquet upwards and outwards and it catches the ball just in time to propel it, spinning, over the net. My heart soars as my grinning teammates cheer from the sidelines. While I greatly value the endurance, tenacity, and persistence that I have developed while playing tennis throughout the last four years, I will always most cherish the bonds that I have created and maintained each year with my team.

This essay uses rich, descriptive language to evoke a clear sense of movement and place. The first paragraph shows a creative and expert control of language, whereas the second paragraph uses straightforward language to highlight key characteristics. Overall, this response is creative, well-balanced, and uses each word to its advantage. 

Source: https://www.collegeadvisor.com/essay-guides/harvard-university-essay-examples-and-why-they-worked/  

This essay was submitted as a part of an MIT college application. The supplemental essay prompt that it addresses is: Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations?

We were moving away from my home of thirteen years to go miles and miles away, from my whole life. Worst of all: away from New York City – the only place in the world worth knowing – or so I thought. The town might as well have been called “Miniscule Ville”. I resented every second of it. The real shocking thing to me was almost that anything existed outside of New York City. NYC is a world of its own, with its own pulses and lifeblood. I still think it’s a great place, and I’ll likely at least visit it someday, but right now, I want to visit everywhere. My move humbled me. I began to love nature walks, the friendly camaraderie of the small town, and saw a world I never imagined. I thought I knew it all just because I lived in New York. Here was a great place, hidden from view. I loved experiencing that new world, learning local history, and most of all, learning the life stories of my new neighbors, each one of whom had a fascinating life. My greatest dream is to be a journalist, covering other countries, and learning about new worlds and neighbors. My old perspective feels so limited. If I can share global stories, I can open up my perspective, and I can share those stories with a thousand homes so readers can learn about other perspectives as well. The world is full of different lives. Everywhere is somebody’s home.

This essay covers a lot of material; most impressively, it shows a shift in perspective and its effect on the student’s lived experience. It also clearly explains the student’s academic and professional goals. The tone of this essay is both confident and humble. It demonstrates who this student is as a person, what their goals are, and what they value.  

Source: https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/blog/mit-supplemental-essay-examples  

This essay was submitted as a part of a Duke college application. The essay addresses the prompt: What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?

Most teachers who taught me talked a big game about wanting students to engage in debate, or “dialectic” as they called it, and to challenge their ideas. In my experience, most of this was a fabrication. The best essay grades and participation marks were found through parroting what was dictated from on high. Did the teacher think such-and-such is the “correct” interpretation of a novel? You did, too, or you lost points. None of that was true for Ms. Jackie Winters. The first essay I sent her came back with the note, “This doesn’t sound like you; it sounds like me.” I asked her about the note, and this initiated a marvelous learning environment, in which I grew faster than I ever have in any other class. Discussions were lively, and the more I presented my authentic views, the more I was respected. My grades were dependent on being backed up by rhetoric, sources, and logic, not by compliance. Due to this engagement, this was the most enjoyable English literature class I had, and I feel like my viewpoints were challenged. I learned to question my ideas and dig into a text for the best results. Best of all, I was putting in more and more effort to find good, quality sources to back up my arguments. I was held to a high standard and shown respect, and I believe that those qualities made for the best learning environment possible

This essay clearly shows a shift in perspective and the effects it had on this student’s ability to think, speak, and write critically. Structurally, this essay uses an anecdote to introduce and contextualize a topic, but the essay itself isn’t overly narrative. Rather, the student explains, in detail, how this teacher’s encouragement and guidance have influenced their willingness and ability to engage with the source material and academic discourse.

Source: https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/blog/duke-supplemental-essay-examples  

Key takeaways and moving forward

Supplemental essays are an important part of your college applications. In fact, they are a key factor in what college admissions officers look for in an applicant . Highly-selective colleges and universities use supplemental essays to further personalize the college admissions process. After all, thousands of qualified students apply to Ivy League institutions each year and only a small fraction are admitted. Supplemental essays allow you to share more about who you are as a person and as a student. Use each prompt as an opportunity to add something new to your college application. If you feel like you could benefit from professional guidance throughout this process, reach out to learn more about our services .

Frequently asked questions and answers

Still have questions about supplemental essays and the effects they have on college applications? Review the following frequently asked questions and answers for further insight on supplemental essays. 

How important are supplemental essays?

Supplemental essays are an incredibly important part of your college applications and should be properly prioritized. If a college didn’t care about your response, they wouldn’t ask you in the first place. Put plenty of time and care into your responses. Write several drafts, seek out feedback, and always proofread.

How long should supplemental essays be?

Always follow directions. Colleges will specify how long each supplemental essay should be, usually right after the prompt itself. Depending on the college, and the prompt, a supplemental essay’s word count may range anywhere from 50 to 500 words.

Do supplemental essays change every year?

It all depends on the college. Colleges often reuse past prompts, but there are no guarantees. This is why it’s important to plan ahead and make a list of supplemental essay prompts early on in the college application process.

Are supplemental essays required?

Sometimes colleges will have both required and optional supplemental essays. That said, the essay prompts are clearly labeled. In short, each college will specify whether supplemental essays are required. 

Do all colleges have supplemental essays?

No, not all colleges have supplemental essays. Highly-selective colleges, however, often require at least one additional essay.

• December 14, 2022

Supplemental Essay Guide for 2022-23 Prompts

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New York Times Best College Essays 2022

Understanding the significance of college essays.

When it comes to college admissions, applicants put a lot of effort into their applications, including their test scores, extracurricular activities, and recommendations. However, admissions officers consider many factors when deciding whom to accept into their schools. One of the most critical elements is the college essay. College essays provide admissions officers with a chance to learn more about the applicants and their personalities.

The Importance of Crafting a Unique College Essay

The college essay is a critical piece of the admission puzzle. It provides students with an opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competition. Admissions officers read thousands of essays every year, and they have a keen eye for identifying unique, memorable essays. Therefore, students must craft a college essay that stands out from the rest.

Tips for Writing a Successful College Essay

Writing a college essay can be a daunting task. However, by following some tips, students can increase their chances of writing a successful essay. Here are some tips for writing an excellent college essay:

Choose a Unique Topic

The topic of the college essay should be unique and personal. Students should choose a topic that they are passionate about and that showcases their personality. The topic should be something that admissions officers have not seen before.

Be Yourself

Students should be true to themselves when writing their essays. Admissions officers are looking for authentic, genuine students who will contribute to their school community. Students should avoid trying to be someone they are not in their essays.

Show, Don’t Tell

In a college essay, students should avoid telling admissions officers about their experiences. Instead, they should show them. This means using descriptive language and providing specific examples. For instance, instead of saying, “I love music,” a student could write, “Every morning, I wake up to the sound of my favorite jazz album.”

Edit, Edit, Edit

Students should take the time to edit their essays thoroughly. They should check for grammar and spelling errors, and they should make sure the essay flows well. It’s always a good idea to have someone else read the essay to provide feedback.

The New York Times Best College Essays 2022

Every year, the New York Times publishes a list of the best college essays. These essays are selected from thousands of submissions and are considered to be the best of the best. The essays are chosen based on their creativity, originality, and impact.

What Makes a Great College Essay?

The best college essays are ones that are unique and personal. They tell a story and provide insight into the applicant’s personality. These essays are well written, free of errors, and flow smoothly. They are engaging, memorable, and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Examples of Great College Essays

Here are some examples of great college essays from the New York Times Best College Essays 2022:

“The Power of a Name”

In this essay, the author discusses the significance of their name and how it has impacted their life. The essay is personal and provides insight into the author’s life experiences.

“The Magic of Music”

This essay tells the story of how music has impacted the author’s life. The essay is well written and uses descriptive language to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.

“Lessons from a Lemonade Stand”

In this essay, the author discusses the lessons they learned from running a lemonade stand. The essay is unique, personal, and provides insight into the author’s personality.

Writing a college essay is a challenging task, but it’s also an opportunity for students to showcase their personalities and stand out from the competition. By following some tips and writing a unique, well-written essay, students can increase their chances of being accepted into their dream schools.

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10 Best Sample Answers to “Why Do You Want to Work in Our Company?”

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10 Best Sample Answers to “Why Do You Want to Work in Our Company?” was originally published on WikiJob.

If you’ve been invited to an interview, you can expect to be asked some variation of the question, “Why do you want to work in our company?”. People often dismiss this as a trick question, or assume that the interviewer is only looking to hear how great the company is. Yet it is arguably the most significant question an interviewer can ask you.

It is also extremely difficult to answer well. This article will outline exactly what your interviewer is looking for, typical mistakes candidates make, how to prepare your answer and similar versions of the question.

Why Do You Want to Work in Our Company? – What Is the Interviewer Really Asking?

When you are faced with the question ‘Why do you want to work in our company?’ you may feel overwhelmed. However, your interviewer isn’t going to ask you to recite all of their industry awards from memory. Nor do they want you to feed them empty compliments.

The interview is about you. Your interviewer wants to know:

• Why you are perfect for the role
• What motivated you to apply
• How you will fit into the company’s culture
• Whether you understand the company’s strategy and commercial goals
• Whether you are likely to stay at the company for a long time

You need to structure your answer in two parts:

• Why do you want this particular job?
• Why do you want to work at this particular company?

We will unpick these questions below, but first, let’s look at some example answers from job experts:

Why Do You Want to Work in Our Company Sample Answers

Use the below examples to help you pull together your own answer. Remember to structure your answer in two parts, and bear the above points in mind.

Example Answer 1

I applied for the position of E-commerce Marketing Assistant because I am looking to kick-start my career in digital marketing.

As a graduate specialising in digital marketing, I have expertise in promoting online brand awareness.

Whilst at university, I volunteered for a charity by promoting regular bake sales. I used social media to garner attention and boost sales. In fact, our Students’ Initiative raised the highest amount for the charity in four years.

I want to work for [company] because I am interested in your product, a meal plan subscription service. As a keen foodie who is always too busy to cook, I have an in-depth understanding of your target audience.

Why this answer is good:

• They linked their skills and interests to the job role.
• They understood the company’s product and explained why they want to work for this particular company.
• They backed up their answer with examples.

Example Answer 2

Two years ago I spent six weeks volunteering with disabled children in Vietnam. This inspired me to train as a teacher because I firmly believe that education is a right every child deserves.

I want to start my Post-Qualification Employment at this school because it has an excellent reputation for ensuring no child is left behind. You have an outstanding Special Educational Needs policy and the teachers here are passionate about encouraging every student to reach their individual potential. This is all reflected in your annual performance scores.

• They explained their reasons for wanting the position and backed this up with examples.
• They gave reasons for admiring the school and demonstrated they share the same values.
• They have done their research by mentioning specific policies.

Example Answer 3

I am drawn to this position of Media Sales Assistant because I am interested in the marketing side of medicine. My degree is in medical biochemistry, so I am knowledgeable about the medical industry and the principles of ethics that are relevant to medical advertising.

I want to work here because [company] has an impressive reputation for working with the major medical journals, and you offer an excellent opportunity to develop expertise within the medical advertising sector.

I understand [company] is looking to grow its client base. I am a very sociable person so I would love communicating daily with clients and building new client relationships.

• They linked their skills to the job role.
• They outlined why they are interested in the position.
• They stated why they want to work for this company in particular.

Example Answer 4

Ever since I was a small child, I have loved math. I was the kid in school who would ask for extra math homework and I used this passion to help guide my choice when it came to exams and college choices.

Now that I am fully qualified as an accountant, I am hoping to direct my passions in a way that is beneficial to others. I feel that your company and this junior position will be the best ways for me to grow in knowledge about the industry as well as enable me to launch a successful career.

• The background information indicates that this is a long-term passion of yours and something you are very interested in
• States qualifications
• Talks about growing within the company which indicates long-term plans

Example Answer 5

When I was a teenager, my dog got really sick. My parents couldn’t afford to pay for visits to the vet, so I researched and studied everything that I could to help improve the situation.

Through my research and actions, my dog eventually got better. This inspired me to study to become a vet and I am passionate about providing affordable and free veterinary care to people who desperately want to provide for their animals but are unable to.

I feel that your service here at the shelter is exactly what I am looking for to help provide treatment to as many animals as possible.

• Talks about strengths such as the ability to use initiative
• Shows the potential employer that you have researched them before your interview

Example Answer 6

Every step of the way throughout my career, I have known how important it is to learn from people who have more experience and expertise than I do. This is why, when I began looking to take the next step in my career, I researched your company.

What you do here, in terms of marketing, is bigger than anything I have tackled before. It is also the logical next step for me. Your reputation for nurturing and building up individuals to help them find and grow their strengths is exactly what attracted me to the role.

• The background shows that you are willing to learn and grow as a person and an employee
• Shows that you have researched the employer
• Talks about what attracted you to the role and how you think this will help you as an employee and an individual

Example Answer 7

I have been a doctor within a hospital setting for several years now. Although I have loved treating patients and the atmosphere that a hospital setting brings, I feel that it is time for a challenge.

I feel that moving into general practice will provide a wider variety of patients and help me to maintain the level of patient care that I want to provide.

This particular practice is well known for patient satisfaction and I feel that I would be a valuable member of the team.

• It talks about your background and expertise
• It states what it is that you hope to gain through your new role
• It talks about what you can bring to the position

Example Answer 8

Your company is well known in the business world for its ability to nurture individuals and help them to reach their full potential. It is especially well-known for helping those who may not have had the opportunity to attend university and gain formal qualifications. This is why I think that I would be a good fit here.

Although I don’t have all of the formal qualifications, I have worked to expand my knowledge and create a foundation in this area. I feel that I can lend my skills well to this role and the nurturing environment will help me to improve across all areas.

• It shows the employer that you have researched their company and understand their values
• By talking about the things that you have taught yourself, you are showing that you are motivated and keen to learn new skills
• You are explaining how you feel that a role within the company could be beneficial to you.

Example Answer 9

I am passionate about providing a customer service experience that leaves the customer smiling and means that they are more likely to return.

This store, in particular, is widely recognized for its exceptional customer service. I feel that our values are similar and this is an environment I would be very happy working in.

• It talks about your strengths
• It speaks about how your values align with those of the company
• It paints the company in a positive light
• It talks about how you can have a positive impact on the company

Example Answer 10

I have been watching this company for quite a while now, admiring the work that you do and keeping an eye on changes in the industry. You always seem to be ahead of the curve, so I have used your work as inspiration to keep me motivated.

Everything that I have learned so far has been self-taught and when I saw that you had a vacancy available I knew that I had to apply. I feel that I would fit well with the work ethic and values here, adding my personal style to the team dynamic.

More than anything, working here would be a dream and a culmination of years of quietly watching from the sidelines.

• It shows that you have had an interest in the company for a while and understand what it is that they do
• It talks about how the values of the company have already helped you in the past and how you would anticipate this to carry on in the future
• It shows that you have been waiting for an opportunity to join the company

How to Prepare for the Question “Why Do You Want to Work in Our Company?”

Now you know how not to answer, it’s time to prepare your best response to ‘Why do you want to work here?’. Here are some tips:

1. Think About Why You Want This Job in Particular

Research the role and figure out why it interests you. Think about how the job description matches your skill set, ambitions and what you genuinely like most about the business.

For example, some of these may apply:

• The responsibilities of the role align with your personal interests. Ensure you can link what interests you about the job role to specific examples. For example, if you are applying for the role of Editorial Assistant at Love Knitting Magazine, you could mention that you are a prolific knitter and you edited a student magazine at university.
• Opportunities for progression. For example, internal qualifications, networking opportunities or management training schemes.
• You want to work in a professional, team-oriented environment which values collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• You love analytical and logical problem-solving.

Example answers related to why you want the job:

• “I want to work here because this organization’s values align with my own. I’m impressed with the work you do to improve patient outcomes and enhance the quality of care. I believe that this is a place where I can make a meaningful contribution to the healthcare field while also growing and developing my skills.”
• “This role is an excellent fit for my skills and experience. I am confident that I have the necessary technical skills and knowledge required for the role, and I’m excited about the opportunity to take on new challenges and responsibilities.”
• “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with a team of highly skilled and dedicated healthcare professionals. From my research on this organization, I can see that you place a strong emphasis on collaboration and teamwork, and I believe that this is an environment where I can thrive and make a positive contribution.”

2. Think About Your Career Goals and How They Align With the Company’s

A short-term career goal might be to gain more experience in customer service. Whereas a long-term goal might be to aspire to a management position. Make sure your career goal is relevant to the job role.

Here are some examples of how you can link your career goals with the company’s objectives:

• For the role of Product Designer – The company makes a product which has inspired you to enter the industry and your career goal is to design similar products.
• For the role of Healthcare Assistant – You are passionate about providing exceptional healthcare and you always aspire to improve your level of care. This is also a value prioritised by the company.
• For the role of Private Client Paralegal – You value developing close professional relationships with clients and your goal is to build a legal career in private client work.

Example answers related to your career goals:

• “I want to work here because I believe this company is at the forefront of innovation in the industry, and I’m passionate about being a part of a team that’s shaping the future of healthcare. This aligns with my career goal of continuously learning and growing while contributing to an organization’s success.”
• “I’m excited about this opportunity because I believe that working for this company will help me achieve my career goal of becoming an expert in my field. The company’s reputation for providing high-quality care and emphasis on continuous learning aligns with my personal and professional goals.”
• “I’m eager to work for this company because I believe it offers excellent career development opportunities. My career goal is to advance into a leadership role, and I know that this company has a track record of promoting from within and investing in their employees’ growth.”

3. Think About Why You Want to Work at This Company in Particular

Make sure you read the company’s website and any news articles you can find. A company’s blog can also be useful, since it will list important projects the company has worked on and focus on topics which are of value to the company.

If you have any connections within your network who have worked with the company, it’s also a good idea to speak with them to find out more about the company from someone who has experienced it first-hand.

Some other ideas to think about when undertaking your research are:

• Why you admire the company – Is it a front-runner in developing a ground-breaking software? Or is it one of the only companies in the country which specialises in aviation law? Make sure your reasons are specific to demonstrate you have done your research.
• Has the company undertaken any projects that particularly interest you, and why? – As well as the company’s blog, check whether they have listed any case studies on their website which provide more insight into the work they do.
• Can you identify the company’s short and long-term objectives? – A short-term objective might be to reward employees who volunteer for the company’s corporate social responsibility programme. A long-term objective might be a target for the number of annual employee hours dedicated to corporate social responsibility.
• What are the company’s values? – For example, a bank might foster a culture of sustainable lending. Or a healthcare organisation might promote their staff’s caring and attentive approach to their work.

Example answers related to the company:

• “I’m excited about working for this company because of its excellent reputation in the industry. I believe that working for a well-respected and established organization will give me access to opportunities and experiences that will help me grow my career.”
• “I’m passionate about the company’s mission to improve patient outcomes and provide high-quality care. This is a purpose that resonates with me, and I’m eager to be a part of a team that’s making a positive impact on people’s lives.”
• “I want to work here because I’ve heard great things about the company culture and the supportive work environment. I believe that working in a positive and collaborative atmosphere will allow me to perform at my best and contribute meaningfully to the team.”

Why Do You Want to Work in Our Company? – Five Typical Mistakes Candidates Make

Before delving into how you answer the ‘Why do you want to work here?’ question, here is some advice on how not to approach it.

Most interviewers will not appreciate a humorous answer. It makes you appear insincere or suggests that you don’t know how to answer the question.

I’m only here for the money.

You look like you could use my help.

2. Ambiguity

The interviewer doesn’t want to hear vague compliments about how their company “looks really cool”. Ambiguous answers will indicate that you haven’t done any research on the organisation or thought about why you want the job at all.

I just think the work looks fun.

3. Not Relating Your Answer to the Job or Company

It is surprising how often candidates forget to mention the job they are applying for altogether.

I liked your website.

You have bean-bag chairs in the break area, which is a nice touch.

4. Being Too Honest

Even if you’re just here for the money, don’t confess this to your interviewer. Never lie, but keep your answer focused on the job role and why you would be a great addition to the company.

I need to pay the rent somehow.

This isn’t my dream job, but it seems tolerable.

5. Saying You Don’t Know

If you cannot come up with a single reason why the company should hire you, they probably won’t.

“Why Do You Want to Work in Our Company” Similar Questions: How They Are Different

There are many variations of the ‘Why do you want to work here?’ question that you may be asked at interview. Here are some examples of similar questions which ask the same thing:

• “Why do you want this job?”
• “What are you looking for in your next job?”
• “Why did you apply for this position?”

However, make sure you listen carefully to the question you are being asked; some will require a different answer than you first expect. Never repeat a pre-prepared response without listening carefully to the question. For example:

“What qualities can you bring to this role?”

This question differs because it focuses less on what you personally think about the role. Instead, talk about your specific achievements and how you can apply your skills to the job.

Example answer:

As well as my ability to manage and administer pension claims, I have a unique background in data management and analysis.

For example, in my previous role, I was part of a project recording and analysing the causes of delayed pension payments. This led to the implementation of improved payment administration policies. I will be looking for opportunities to use my skills within this role.

This answer is good because the candidate has specified a unique skill which will set them apart from the other candidates and backed it up with an example.

“Why should we hire you?”

This question is used to single out the very best of the qualified candidates. We have a whole article about this one question .

The interviewer wants to know:

• Whether you will do the job better than everybody else.
• Whether you will fit into the company’s culture.

It differs from the ‘Why do you want to work here?’ question because it is less about your personal interest in the job and more about what you can do for the company.

Come up with at least three reasons you stand out from the crowd. For example:

• You have experience in this industry;
• Your past achievements demonstrate a proven track record;
• You have relevant awards;
• You have relevant qualifications or further education;
• Your soft skills (such as communication skills) are especially strong (and proven);
• You have specific technical skills (such as knowledge of certain programming languages).

I have over 8 years of experience working with clients to deliver successful projects. As part of this, I have developed great relationships with my clients and other team members.

This contributes to my ability to manage teams and get results. Last year I led a team that won an industry award for a national project.

“How are you a good fit for this company?”

This question differs because it focuses on your understanding of the company’s culture and what skills you can contribute.

Ensure you research the company and its values. Think about how your own goals and values coincide. Then answer the question by:

• Describing your interpretation of the company’s culture.
• Explaining how you fit into that culture (including specific examples).

Here are some ideas to think about when interpreting the company’s culture:

• Does the company value collaboration?
• Does the company value internal progression?
• Are there any mentoring schemes?
• What is the company’s attitude to work/life balance?

I love that [company] promotes supportive attitudes in its employees. At my current job, we also have a culture of support, especially when a tight deadline is coming up.

For example, I recently worked two weeks’ overtime to help a colleague compile the civil disclosure for a massive fraud case.

I love how stimulating and exciting that kind of work can be. Therefore, I think I will fit in well within your team where everyone comes together to work to similar tight deadlines.

Final Thoughts

Preparing to answer interview questions can be daunting, but follow the advice in this article and you will arrive at your interview prepared to impress. Remember:

• Research the company and the position thoroughly.
• Structure your answer in two parts: first, outline why you want the job. Then outline why you want to work at the company.
• Be enthusiastic and back up all your reasons for wanting the job with specific examples.

US Probes Stellantis 2022 RAM Truck Models Over K1 Snap Ring Transmission Failures

The logo of Stellantis is seen on the company's building in Velizy-Villacoublay near Paris, France, March 19, 2024. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

(Reuters) -The U.S. Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) has opened a preliminary evaluation of a failure of the K1 snap ring in Chrysler-parent Stellantis' year 2022 RAM 3500, 4500, and 5500 trucks, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday.

The ODI has received 82 complaints alleging loss of motive power due to an internal transmission failure of the K1 snap ring, the NHTSA said.

Of these complaints, 16 describe a complete loss of motive power at speeds greater than 25 miles per hour, without the ability for the vehicle to resume normal operation, the NHTSA said.

The snap ring becomes dislodged and forward gears 1 to 4 are no longer functional during a failure, potentially leaving the vehicle disabled.

According to the NHTSA, the company's U.S. unit FCA has conducted some testing and said that during such an event a warning message will display to the operator, and gear 5 and reverse will remain available.

(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Mrigank Dhaniwala)

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Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

Colleges Without Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

We recommend that most students apply to 8-12 colleges —typically at least two safeties, four targets, and two reaches. This strategy boosts a student’s odds of getting into multiple schools, increases their options, and even offers leverage to negotiate for more financial aid. 

Unfortunately, applying to this many schools is time-intensive, especially considering that many schools require supplemental essays as part of their application. Applying to 10 colleges could mean that you need to write 10-20 extra essays! Luckily, there are many schools that don’t have any extra essays beyond the Common App essay or personal statement, if you’re looking for schools to balance out your list without the additional writing.

Below is a list of 45 liberal arts colleges and universities without essay supplements. The list isn’t comprehensive, but it covers a spectrum of schools of varied selectivity. The list does not include any schools with optional essays, which are something we always encourage applicants to complete. 

Top Liberal Arts Colleges Without a Supplemental Essay Requirement

Update: We removed Grinnell College and Colgate University from this list because they’ve historically sent optional supplements to students after they applied.

Top Research Universities Without a Supplemental Essay Requirement

Should you only apply to schools with no supplement.

Applying only to schools with no supplement would limit your options severely, so we don’t recommend it. That said, supplements can serve as a litmus test for how much you care about a particular college. If you’re really excited to attend a particular college, you’re more likely not to mind extra application work (after all, it’s a chance to show a college why they should accept you). Conversely, if you’re turned off by writing a supplemental essay, it could indicate that you’re not as excited about a school as you thought you were.

Some essay prompts also give you insight into the personality of a college. For example, the University of Chicago is known for its quirky essay prompts—the 2021-2022 supplement has applicants explore ideas like What if the moon were made of cheese? and What’s so easy about pie? If UChicago’s unorthodox essay prompts make you cringe, it’s a possible sign that the school’s culture isn’t right for you. If they excite and inspire you, you could be a perfect fit.

Overall, a college’s essay requirements should not be a major deciding factor as to whether or not you apply to a school (unless you’re truly short on time). What’s most important is whether or not you will fit with the school academically and socially . Consider things like:

• Do you match the stats for admitted students? 
• Does the school offer strong programs in your areas of interest? 
• Are there resources to support your unique values and pursuits outside of the classroom? 
• Is the school located somewhere desirable for you? 

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at these Schools?

If you’re trying to round out your school list, it’s important to know whether a particular school is a reach, target, or safety. CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing engine considers factors such as your grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities to estimate your odds at hundreds of colleges across the country, along with providing tips to strengthen your profile.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

More From Forbes

4 college admissions trends shaping top schools’ decisions in 2024.

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Locust Walk with students in fall, University of Pennsylvania, University City area, Philadelphia, ... [+] PA, USA

Ivy Day 2024, the day when top schools' admissions decisions are released, is a pivotal moment to explore the evolving landscape of college admissions and anticipate future directions. This year’s transformations are reshaping college application strategies in profound ways. Let's dive into the latest developments.

Return To Standardized Testing

The return to SAT and ACT requirements by institutions such as Dartmouth, Brown and MIT is a sign that many highly selective institutions may go back to requiring standardized tests. In a slight modification to the testing requirement, Yale’s test-flexible policy allows students to submit Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate scores in lieu of the standard SAT or ACT. This shift may be in response to a decline in college readiness benchmarks ; for instance, ACT exam scores are at their lowest in 30 years, even as GPAs in core subjects rise. This gap highlights a discrepancy between students' perceived readiness and their actual preparedness.

Although I foresee more colleges reinstating standardized testing requirements, I also expect the continuation of test-optional and test-blind policies. These policies serve not only to broaden application pools from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups but also as a strategy for financially challenged institutions to attract more applicants.

In other testing news, the College Board launched the first digital SAT earlier this month , introducing a significant shift from its traditional format. This new version is adaptive and adjusts the difficulty level of questions based on the student's responses, a departure from the fixed difficulty level of previous exams. Notably, students report that the math section was more challenging than anticipated, diverging from their experiences with practice exams. Unlike the SAT, which has transitioned to a fully digital format, the ACT continues to offer both digital and traditional paper-and-pencil options.

It's advisable for students to undertake diagnostic practice exams for both the SAT and ACT to ascertain which exam aligns better with their abilities. Should the practice scores be comparable, I recommend leaning toward the ACT. This preference stems from its stability in format over the years and the choice it offers between digital and paper-based exams.

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Given the evolving landscape of testing policies, including recent SAT modifications, students should embrace a two-pronged approach: rigorously prepare for standardized tests while remaining flexible to the possibility of not submitting scores where test-optional policies prevail.

Rethink The Importance Of The College Essay

Duke University has made significant changes to its admissions process by no longer assigning numerical ratings to applicants' standardized test scores and essays . This adjustment took effect in the current application cycle. Previously, Duke assigned values from one to five for essays and test scores, contributing to a holistic score on a 30-point scale. Now, the point system is applied only to curriculum strength, academics, recommendations, and extracurricular activities.

The move to eliminate numerical scores for essays arises from concerns about the rise in AI-generated submissions and the possibility of essays being ghostwritten. Christoph Guttentag, the dean of undergraduate admissions, noted that although essays play a pivotal role in comprehending an applicant's profile, their reliability as indicators of a student’s actual writing skills has diminished.

This adjustment is not a response to the Supreme Court's ruling against considering race in admissions decisions. Nonetheless, essays have frequently been a focal point in discussions about fostering diversity through admissions. It is expected that other institutions may similarly de-emphasize essays, thereby elevating the significance of academic transcripts, the depth of extracurricular activities, and the relevance and demand for the selected major .

Apply Early

The number of early applications (a combination of early decision and early action) has jumped by 1 million, a 60% increase, over the last five years according to Common Application data in a New York Magazine report . In contrast, applications filed during the regular decision period increased by 26% over the same timeframe. This suggests a growing trend among high school seniors to leverage early application options as part of their strategy for college admissions, reflecting the competitive nature of securing admission to top institutions.

Navigate The FAFSA Challenges

The recent overhaul of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid has led to significant delays, affecting students who rely on financial aid to make college decisions. This FAFSA situation has left many students in limbo, uncertain about their financial aid packages and, consequently, their college choices. Some colleges and universities are extending decision deadlines to accommodate the delays, but the fear remains that this could deter a significant number of students from matriculating.

Alongside the FAFSA, it is imperative for families to engage early with platforms such as the College Board’s CSS Profile. They can help unlock a broad spectrum of financial support options, from federal aid to merit-based scholarships offered by institutions. For example, utilizing tools like the Federal Student Aid Estimator and individual college’s net price calculators can provide early insights into eligibility for federal financial assistance, guiding strategic financial planning for college.

Master Your College Admissions Strategy

As the 2024 college admissions landscape poses its share of complexities, students and families are encouraged to embrace a multifaceted approach tailored to the evolving standards of higher education. From adapting to the reemergence of standardized testing requirements at esteemed institutions like Dartmouth, Brown, and MIT, to addressing the challenges posed by the digitalization of the SAT and the nuanced evaluation of college essays at Duke, it's clear that flexibility and strategic planning are paramount. Furthermore, the rise in early application submissions highlights the importance of proactivity and informed decision-making in securing a favorable college admission outcome. By fostering a thorough understanding of these trends and deploying an informed application strategy, students can enhance their prospects of achieving their academic and career aspirations in this dynamic admissions environment.

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