college application essays examples

Learn from real college essay examples that worked for various prompts and topics. Find tips, formats, and advice from experts on how to write a successful college essay.

Learn how to write a strong Common App essay with these 21 examples that answer different prompts. See how to make your essay personal, cohesive, and compelling by sharing your story, challenges, and passions.

Learn how to write a compelling Common App essay with these seven examples, each responding to a different prompt. See how to showcase your background, identity, interest, talent, challenges, beliefs, influences, events, hobbies, and more.

Learn how to write effective college essays with examples from students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and other elite schools. Find tips on how to address prompts, demonstrate fit, create narratives, and more.

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of 177 college essay examples responding to current and past Common App essay prompts. Connecticut College. 12 Common Application essays from the classes of 2022-2025 . Hamilton College. 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2026; 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022

Sample essay 1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you (500 word limit). A misplaced foot on the accelerator instead of the brakes made me the victim of someone's careless mistake. Rushing through the dark streets of my hometown in an ambulance, I attempted ...

Learn how to write a strong college essay by reading examples of successful applications from different schools and prompts. See how students use storytelling, humor, reflection, and more to showcase their personality and achievements.

Learn how to write an effective college essay with tips, examples, and feedback. Explore different topics, tones, and levels of depth for your admissions essay.

Your college admissions essay accounts for about 25% of your application's total weight一and may account for even more with some colleges making the SAT and ACT tests optional. The college admissions essay may be the deciding factor in your application, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test ...

Follow these tips to write an impactful essay that can work in your favor. 1. Start Early. Few people write well under pressure. Try to complete your first draft a few weeks before you have to turn it in. Many advisers recommend starting as early as the summer before your senior year in high school.

Essay 1: Sharing an identity or background through a montage. Essay 2: Overcoming a challenge, a sports injury narrative. Essay 3: Showing the influence of an important person or thing. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Show, don't tell. Be specific. Choose active voice, not passive voice. Avoid clichés. Write in a tone that aligns with your goals for the essay. For example, if you are a heavy STEM applicant hoping to use your Common App essay to humanize your application, you will be undermined by writing in a brusque, harsh tone.

Step 0: choose a structure. By "structure," we mean what you'll use to organize your essay's content in a way that helps your reader understand clearly and easily. We'll talk through two structural options below: "montage" and "narrative.". Some quick definitions:

How to Structure Your Essay. A college application essay (like any academic essay) should have an introduction, a conclusion, and body paragraphs. Additionally, it should have overall coherence (that is, it should make a point) and cohesion (that is, it should flow well from paragraph to paragraph).

College Essay Example #1: Clair de Lune. In this first example essay, Clair de Lune, we'll watch Alex review the essay in real-time. Let's take a look. The writer here uses what we call a "sacred practice" format in the Essay Academy, and they do it well. It's easy to see the meaning music holds in the writer's life.

A student should write a college application essay that distinguishes them from other applicants. For example, writing about playing a niche instrument or winning an Olympic medal can help students stand out from other applicants. Doing so also demonstrates how your distinctive qualities will add to campus life. 5.

A good approach is to read some college application essay examples before starting your essay. But keep track of time and do not get lost in reading only. College Application Essay Examples 250 words. College Application Essay Example 300 words. College Application Essay Example 500 words.

And the stakes are high. A great essay can help you get accepted to your dream school. A mediocre essay can contribute to rejection. We want to help you write that great essay and get accepted. We've compiled a list of college application essay examples to use as a springboard for you own reflection and creativity.

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.

College Application Essay Guide: A How-to With Samples! By College Raptor Staff Last updated on May 7, 2024. As you near the end of your college application process, you will need to work on one of the most important parts: the college essay. This piece of writing lets you show admissions officers who you are beyond your grades and test scores.

College Application Essay Example 250 Words. Some colleges require short essays of around 250 to 300 words. Writing these essays can be arduous as short essays need only important details about you, your objectives, and your accomplishments.

A college essay is a piece of writing that responds to a given prompt, either on the Common App lication, Coalition Application, or on a school's individual application. College essays can range anywhere from 50 to 800 words. There are two main types of college essays: personal statements and supplemental essays.

The essays are a place to show us who you are and who you'll be in our community. It's a chance to add depth to something that is important to you and tell the admissions committee more about your background or goals. Below you'll find selected examples of essays that "worked," as nominated by our admissions committee.