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Jul 16, 2020 · Whether it’s a supplemental essay, personal statement, Common App essay, or diversity essay, the essays below can help you better understand what can result from following a college essay format or applying tips for how to write a college essay to help you get into your dream school.
- The Great College Essay Test
Will your essay pass The Great College Essay Test? In this...
- 20 UC Essay Examples
Welcome! The University of California school system covers...
- How to Write a College Essay
A montage is, simply put, a series of moments or story...
- Activities List
College Essay Guy's Epic List of Activities List Verbs....
- Common App Essay
Because the Common App essay prompts are your chance to help...
- College Essay Tips
This college essay tip is by Debbie Stier, publisher, author...
- The Great College Essay Test
May 7, 2024 · Tips on How to Write a Good College Essay. Say what you need to say and avoid unnecessary filler in your essay. A strong college essay is transparent, honest, and meaningful. It should portray you in a positive light, so be cautious about discussing negative experiences or personal weaknesses.
- Why You Should Read Example Personal Statements
- What Does An Admissions Officer Look For in A Personal Statement?
- The Best Personal Statement Examples
- Good Personal Statement Examples
- “Bad” Personal Statement Examples
- Key Takeaways
Reading example personal statements helps you understand why they work (or don’t work) in the admissions process. Now, the point of reading them isn’t to copy them. It’s not even necessarily to be inspired by them. Instead, the point of reading examples is to know what personal statements look like. Think about it: if you’d never seen a children’s ...
Before we get to the essays, let’s briefly walk through what goes through an admissions officer’s head when they open an application. Admissions officers (AOs) read hundreds to thousands of applications in a single year. Different institutions require admissions officers to use different criteria when evaluating applications, so the specifics will ...
Writing an exceptional personal statement takes a lot of time and effort. Even the best writers can find the genre challenging. But when you strike the perfect chord and get it right, it’s almost like magic. Your essay jumps off the page and captures an admissions officer’s attention. They feel like you’re right there with them, telling them everyt...
Even if your essay isn’t worthy of The New Yorker, you can still make your mark on admissions officers. Writing an essay that fulfills all the goals of a personal statement, whether or not it meets every single criterion an admissions officer is looking for, can still get you into a great college. Most personal statements are good personal statemen...
These “bad” essays aren’t necessarily bad. They just aren’t very effective personal statements. Specifically, these two essays make some of the biggest college essay mistakes. Making mistakes, especially when you’ve never written a personal statement before, is to be expected. We’ve included these examples so you can see what those mistakes look li...
Writing a personal statement is a difficult ask, especially when you’ve never even read one before. But now, with these fifteen examples in your back pocket, you’re ready to write your own. If you’re not sure what steps to take next, hop on over to our guide to writing personal statements for advice. You can also find more extensive guidance on the...
- The Tally on My Uniform. Day 19: I am using my school uniform as a slate to tally the days. As the ink slowly seeps through the fabric of my shirt, I begin to understand that being a conscious Arab comes with a cost.
- Quattro Lingue. Day 1: “Labbayka Allāhumma Labbayk. Labbayk Lā Sharīka Laka Labbayk,” we chant, sweat dripping onto the wispy sand in brutal Arabian heat, as millions of us prepare to march from the rocky desert hills of Mount Arafat to the cool, flat valleys of Muzdalifa.
- 12. 12 is the number of my idol, Tom Brady. It’s the sum of all the letters in my name. It’s also how old I was when I started high school.
- Flying. As a young child, I was obsessed with flying. I spent hours watching birds fly, noting how the angle of their wings affected the trajectory of their flight.
- Becoming a Coach. “Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches.
- Starting a Fire. Fire! Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears.
- Last-Minute Switch. The morning of the Model United Nation conference, I walked into Committee feeling confident about my research. We were simulating the Nuremberg Trials – a series of post-World War II proceedings for war crimes – and my portfolio was of the Soviet Judge Major General Iona Nikitchenko.
- Music as a Coping Mechanism. CW: This essay mentions self-harm. Sobbing uncontrollably, I parked around the corner from my best friend’s house. As I sat in the driver’s seat, I whispered the most earnest prayer I had ever offered.
To help illustrate the point, we found these two GREAT examples online for poor examples of weaknesses (the first is a strength dressed as a weakness and people will be able to see right through this. The second comes off as entirely arrogant).
Mar 23, 2023 · These Common App essay examples demonstrate a strong writing ability and answer the prompt in a way that shows admissions officers something unique about the student. Once you’ve read some examples and are ready to get started, read our step-by-step guide for how to write a strong Common App essay.