Read These Top College Essay Examples

Read These Top College Essay Examples One-on-One Advising Work with one of CEA’s expert Advisors to conceptualize, edit and refine admissions essays that stick with admissions and make you stand out. Have another person (or several!) read your essay, whether it’s a teacher, guidance counselor, parent, or trusted friend. You know what you meant to say, but is it clear to someone else reading your work? Have these people review your application essay to make sure your message is on target and clear to any audience. Don’t rely solely on the computer spelling and grammar check. Computers can't detect the context in which you're using words, so be sure to review carefully. They might be fine in a text message, but not in your college essay. Believe it or not, the brainstorming stage may be more tedious than writing the actual application essay. You need to be sure we can deliver on our promises. Just reach out to our customer support 24/7 and we’ll be happy to answer every one of your questions. An introduction is important in college admission essays also. To start an introduction, add all the important points in it. However, keep everything brief and do not add all the details here. You need to rise above the crowd, and the best way to do that is with an amazing application essay you can be proud of. Reading essay prompts and samples can be helpful in opening doors and coming up with your topic. Below are some of the ways through which you can come up with a great admission college essay. Detailed and proper planning is necessary to write a compelling essay. For this, you need time, research, dedication, patience, and will power. On the other hand, one should avoid including accomplishments, a sensitive issue, humour, self-expression, illicit behaviour, or other irrelevant details in the college essay. When you start working with us and entrust your papers and essays with us, it is our responsibility to help you get admission to your dream college. If you’re really hesitant to work on essays because official updated prompts for your schools haven’t come out yet, then working on the UC essays can be a safe alternative. The UCs rarely change the prompts and even if they did change them, the changes would probably be announced by now. Just like it says, some students are still not satisfied by what they’ve come up with, but think they’re really close to finding the right topic. Remember, your main essay is the only essay that you put THIS much work into because of how important it is. In order to give an essay a proper chance in the editing process, it needs to be crafted to the vision that you have for it. Great essays ideas are oftentimes thrown away because the first version of an essay was executed poorly and readers are unable to even comprehend the message behind it. Before asking others to give feedback, really try to finalize the essay to the best of your ability. Although you don’t have to make final decisions for your college list yet, you want to have a number of schools that you’re stoked to apply to and will stay on your college list. The earlier you can accomplish this, the earlier you can start on the rest of the application work. Your identity and personal information is never revealed to any third parties. All communications and college essay work products are strictly confidential. Our seasoned professional writers and academic experts will write your essay from original research and in your unique voice. We guarantee that any writing delivered to you will pass the most stringent plagiarism scrutiny. You’ve just found the #1-ranked college essay team on the planet. Below are some things that you should not add into your college essay. We have helped thousands of students to get admissions in their desired institutes so we know the drill. Our team of skilled and professional experts knows what the admissions committee wants from you. College admissions have never been more competitive. Do online research, visit campuses if possible, check out schools on CampusReel, attend college fairs, talk to alumni, etc. This is about you figuring out where it is you can academically flourish. Our experts know exactly what your institute is looking for in your essay. Whether a personal statement or thesis research, you have got yourself covered if you need professional college essay help.

Read These Top College Essay Examples

Read These Top College Essay Examples One-on-One Advising Work with one of CEA’s expert Advisors to conceptualize, edit and refine admissions essays that stick with admissions and make you stand out. Have another person (or several!) read your essay, whether it’s a teacher, guidance counselor, parent, or trusted friend. You know what you meant to say, but is it clear to someone else reading your work? Have these people review your application essay to make sure your message is on target and clear to any audience. Don’t rely solely on the computer spelling and grammar check. Computers can't detect the context in which you're using words, so be sure to review carefully. They might be fine in a text message, but not in your college essay. Believe it or not, the brainstorming stage may be more tedious than writing the actual application essay. You need to be sure we can deliver on our promises. Just reach out to our customer support 24/7 and we’ll be happy to answer every one of your questions. An introduction is important in college admission essays also. To start an introduction, add all the important points in it. However, keep everything brief and do not add all the details here. You need to rise above the crowd, and the best way to do that is with an amazing application essay you can be proud of. Reading essay prompts and samples can be helpful in opening doors and coming up with your topic. Below are some of the ways through which you can come up with a great admission college essay. Detailed and proper planning is necessary to write a compelling essay. For this, you need time, research, dedication, patience, and will power. On the other hand, one should avoid including accomplishments, a sensitive issue, humour, self-expression, illicit behaviour, or other irrelevant details in the college essay. When you start working with us and entrust your papers and essays with us, it is our responsibility to help you get admission to your dream college. If you’re really hesitant to work on essays because official updated prompts for your schools haven’t come out yet, then working on the UC essays can be a safe alternative. The UCs rarely change the prompts and even if they did change them, the changes would probably be announced by now. Just like it says, some students are still not satisfied by what they’ve come up with, but think they’re really close to finding the right topic. Remember, your main essay is the only essay that you put THIS much work into because of how important it is. In order to give an essay a proper chance in the editing process, it needs to be crafted to the vision that you have for it. Great essays ideas are oftentimes thrown away because the first version of an essay was executed poorly and readers are unable to even comprehend the message behind it. Before asking others to give feedback, really try to finalize the essay to the best of your ability. Although you don’t have to make final decisions for your college list yet, you want to have a number of schools that you’re stoked to apply to and will stay on your college list. The earlier you can accomplish this, the earlier you can start on the rest of the application work. Your identity and personal information is never revealed to any third parties. All communications and college essay work products are strictly confidential. Our seasoned professional writers and academic experts will write your essay from original research and in your unique voice. We guarantee that any writing delivered to you will pass the most stringent plagiarism scrutiny. You’ve just found the #1-ranked college essay team on the planet. Below are some things that you should not add into your college essay. We have helped thousands of students to get admissions in their desired institutes so we know the drill. Our team of skilled and professional experts knows what the admissions committee wants from you. College admissions have never been more competitive. Do online research, visit campuses if possible, check out schools on CampusReel, attend college fairs, talk to alumni, etc. This is about you figuring out where it is you can academically flourish. Our experts know exactly what your institute is looking for in your essay. Whether a personal statement or thesis research, you have got yourself covered if you need professional college essay help.

Freshman Admissions

Freshman Admissions The number of readers depends on how “borderline” the applicant is, and the number of applicants being processed. So do your best on that part of the application. Even colleges who say their essay is “optional,” you shoulod definitely write one. The essays may form the most deciding part of the application after the student has met basic application criteria â€" grades, standardized test scores, etc. Again, the number of readers for each essay would depend on individual institutional practices. Among the top 250, I know my colleagues review essays because some are moved to “check” authenticity or to contact the school source to verify veracity of the context as provided by the student. It is my understanding that if essays are required by an institution, they are actually read. This subreddit is for anyone looking for advice about undergraduate college admissions, including college essays, scholarships, SAT/ACT test prep, and anything related to college applications. Three former admissions officers I spoke to told me that, contrary to Steven’s observations, officers read every essay that comes across their desks. “We definitely read the essays,” says Joie Jager-Hyman, president of College Prep 360 and former admissions officer at Dartmouth College. “You don’t do that job unless you enjoy reading the essays. A college application essay may be as short as 150 words, but those words can mean the difference between a “maybe” and a “yes” when it comes to getting admitted. The essays tell the admissions committee how and why one student is different from all the others. Your girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other.Choosing this topic might be the biggest faux pas in the history of college essay writing. No matter how wonderful this person is, and no matter how good a writer you are, there is absolutely zero chance that this topic will present you in the best possible light to college admissions professionals. It can make all the difference in your admission decision. Different colleges have varying review processes. At almost all selective colleges however, every college essay will be read by multiple people. Typically, applications received two reads and a third if the decisions were split. The number of reads and the process for reviewing application essays vary from college to college. The application essay is a common part of the university and college admissions process. My daughter worked with Michaela from Moon Prep on her college applications. She had a top ACT score and has always been strong in science and math , but was really struggling with writing all the essays. She must have rewritten the personal statement over five times. She helped her with brainstorming different topics and proofread everything. There are many different kinds of schools, however, so it would be impossible to know how each of them handles the essays which are submitted. I do know that some schools have a group of readers, each receiving one set of essays, with each individual essay being read by just one person. In other instances, each essay is distributed to several readers, who will then compare their impressions when the admissions committee meets to decide upon student admissions. In this instance, the essay would be read by several people. If a student is on the fence, not an early admit or deny, essays will probably be read multiple times by multiple people while an applicant is being discussed. So yes, they are read by all the admissions officers, particularly the ones who oversee your county and region. If you send more than the one supplemental essay suggested, there’s no guarantee they’ll read themâ€"unless they don’t think they have enough to go on. That said, if they don’t think they have enough to go on after 2 essays, you’ve got a bigger problem. Based on my experience, we read every essay at the institutions were I served. Again, the number of readers for each essay would depend upon individual institutional practices. Many large schools don’t require essays at all because they don’t have the personnel resources to process the huge number of admission essays which would be submitted. Schools which require essays, however, use the essay input to form a more complete picture of the applicant, over and above the numbers, grades, lists, and so on, which are entered onto the application form.

College Essays And Application

College Essays And Application However, I know that I want to do something unique. After sticking up my magnets on the locker door, I ran my fingers across the bottom of the bag, and I realized that one remained. The theme for relay for life is a hope for a cure. I tried my best to blend in and give the impression I was silent by choice. I joined no clubs in primary school, instead preferring isolation. It took six years of tongue twisters and complicated mouth contortions in special education classes for me to produce the forty-four sounds of the English language. Through this experience as a leader, I have come to realize, as a community, we hope together, we dream together, we work together, and we succeed together. This is the phenomenon of interdependency, the interconnectedness of life, the pivotal reason for human existence. When I was thirteen and visiting Liberia, I contracted what turned out to be yellow fever. I was captivated by how confidently the debaters spoke and how easily they commanded attention. I was sick of how confining my quiet nature had become. For better or for worse, I decided to finally make my voice heard. I was born with a speech impediment that weakened my mouth muscles. When seniors began to ask me for advice and teachers recruited me to teach underclassmen, I discovered not only that I had been heard, but that others wanted to listen. At heart, I am still reserved , but in finding my voice, I found a strength I could only dream of when I stood in silence so many years ago. Scanning the school club packet, I searched for my place. But then, I sat in on a debate team practice and was instantly hooked. I now understand surgeons to be much more complex practitioners of medicine, and I am certain that this is the field for me. Never before had I seen anything this gruesomeâ€"as even open surgery paled in comparison. Doctors in the operating room are calm, cool, and collected, making textbook incisions with machine-like, detached precision. I met with the local doctor, but he couldn’t make a diagnosis simply because he didn't have access to blood tests and because symptoms such as “My skin feels like it’s on fire” matched many tropical diseases. Luckily, my family managed to drive me several hours away to an urban hospital, where I was treated. It is a profession founded solely on skill and techniqueâ€"or so I thought. This grisly experience exposed an entirely different side of this profession I hope to pursue. The hourglass of life incessantly trickles on and we are powerless to stop it. Every morning when I wake up, I want to be excited by the gift of a new day. I know I am being idealistic and young, and that my philosophy on life is comparable to a calculus limit; I will never reach it. As I learned about their unique lifestyles, I also shared with them the diverse perspectives I have gained from my travel abroad and my Chinese cultural heritage. I will never forget the invaluable opportunity I had to explore California along with these bright people. As I sip a mug of hot chocolate on a dreary winter’s day, I am already planning in my mind what I will do the next summer. I briefly ponder the traditional routes, such as taking a job or spending most of the summer at the beach. 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. Test scores only tell part of your story, and we want to know more than just how well you work. While pursuing research in California, I was also able to meet many similarly motivated, interesting people from across the United States and abroad. Yellow fever shouldn’t be fatal, but in Africa it often is. I couldn’t believe that such a solvable issue could be so severe at the timeâ€"so I began to explore. This completely different perspective broadened my understanding of the surgical field and changed my initial perception of who and what a surgeon was. I not only want to help those who are ill and injured, but also to be entrusted with difficult decisions the occupation entails. Discovering that surgery is also a moral vocation beyond the generic application of a trained skill set encouraged me.

College Essay Dos & Donts

College Essay Dos & Don’ts Put down anything you can think of that might work as an essay. The more ideas, the better, as you often find your best ideas only after getting the obvious ones out of the way. I’m not sure how else to put this, but there are some things best left unshared in your college app. From there, get out a piece of paper and start brainstorming ideas for each. A natural understanding of narrative structure â€" not the prefabricated “academic paper” structure â€" and a great story to tell. Don’t worry so much that other people may have “better” stories than you. Everyone’s life is full of story, narrative, and it’s up to you to tell these stories in compelling ways. Do not ever tell other people what they should think. Our mind is created to recall things in stories. You want to be memorable to the counselors who read your app. Sometimes, a sense of humor doesn’t hurt, if it’s applicable to your subject and/or that moment in your life. If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. icons new College Packing List Show up to your next semester ready for anything. Listen icons new The College Info Geek Podcast Learn how to be a more effective student, even while you're doing your laundry. Proofread this thing more than any essay you’ve ever written. These are just filler words that we lean on for convenience. You’re trying to show who you are and what you’re about. Furthermore, they likely know nothing about the subject of your essay. Even if they do, they certainly don’t have the same knowledge and perspective that you have. To close this gap, you need to be as specific as possible. I believe the main cause of the problem is that there’s a disconnect between what we know in our heads and what we put down on paper. As I mentioned before, it’s best to start with brainstorming. Once you’ve followed the process I described and have a list of, say, topics, I recommend doing a bit of free writing for each. Now, it’s certainlypossiblethat you happen to be that guy, and I definitely encourage you to highlight any uncommon experience you’ve had on your essay. For instance, if you’ve climbed Mt. Everest or visited space or helped cure a rare disease, then yeah, you should probably mention that at some point. It’s great to be engaged in activist work, but show yourself doing the work rather than using your essay as a platform to make your case. “That was the day I learned how important it is to be kind to everyone.” You just stabbed me in the heart with stupor. To craft an outstanding essay you have to get past these overused descriptions. When writing about an experience like this, it can be really easy to get wrapped up in all the cool things that happened. But you can’t forget to talk about what matters. You need to talk about what you learned, about how this experience changed you, and how it helped form who you are today. To do this, you need to get away from simply summarizing events. For instance, let’s say you spent a summer during your high school years doing a homestay in another country while learning a new language. Remember, you’re not Sergeant Joe Friday writing up a police report. And you’re certainly not telling your story just for the heck of it.

Can I Reuse The Same Essay On A Different Application?

Can I Reuse The Same Essay On A Different Application? Low scores should never be a veto on a student’s life. Students should have confidence that if they practice their math and reading skills, they will improve, which is exactly what we are seeing when students practice for free on Khan Academy. Students should take an exam once and, if they don’t like their scores, practice and take the test once more. Once senior year begins in the fall, there is less and less time to focus on this very important task. It’s never too early to start saving for college with a part-time job. Set a goal that students get to spend half of their paycheck on anything they want if they also save half for college. Juggling a job while in high school also shows initiative and responsibility to college admissions counselors. And while the Varsity Blues admissions scandal shines a light on families that break the rules, it’s time to consider the unhappiness of families that play by them. While competition for seats may be inevitable, students scramble to do ever more to get into collegeâ€"and give away more of their childhood to do so. Collecting a few scholarships for $500 each could pay for books for a year or more. Since many students believe that “Senior Year” begins as soon as junior year ends, we’re taking advantage of that! Summer is a great time to begin the personal essay. Even if a student is attending summer school, they have a lot of free time. Research schools and keep a list of those that match a student’s interest. They should also take into account what kinds of programs and majors schools offer that might be of interest. High school seniors are not the only people who should be thinking about college. The Harvard researcher Richard Weissbourd is right to demand that college applications honor the work some students do to support their families. For lower-income students, it is defeating to ask them for a long list of activities outside class. We need to do all we can to ensure that they have the time, resources, and space to pursue passions in-depth outside classâ€"but also not penalize them if work and family obligations get in the way. Beginning freshman year of high school, there are many things that students and parents can start working on. From grades, activities, and courses to college applications and financial aid, we have you covered with the college planning checklist. We need to change the culture around exams such as the SAT. They should never be more than one factor in an admissions decision. They require a depth of commitment that will serve students well throughout their lives. And yet nearly nothing in the admissions process tells students that these are the keys to their success. Having listened to hundreds of admissions officers, school counselors, parents, and students, and after reflecting on my own experience, I believe there is a healthier model to prepare young people to excel. There are durable ways to invest in children that will help them thrive in college and beyond. The crazed pursuit of college admissions helps no one thrive. This is also the time to think seriously about what kind of college the student would like to attend after graduation. Is a large university far from home appealing, or would they prefer a smaller college close by? MIT recently revised its application to include only four spaces for extracurricular activities, and admissions officials there are evaluating whether they can move to three. Brilliantly, the school also removed the space for students to put any activities from ninth grade on their application. From MIT’s point of view, ninth grade is a safe harborâ€"a year to change your mind, to try different things without regard to your track record. These three shared features are all about intensityâ€"not just participation in college life, but active engagement. They require students to move beyond merely doing something and toward becoming devoted to something. If they still don’t like their scores, we should offer many other ways for them to show their strengths to admissions officers. Time is one of the great inequalities in our society.

How To Write The Best College Admissions Essay

How To Write The Best College Admissions Essay DON’T rehash information that is already in your application. The goal of your essay should not be something like “to show I’m co-captain of the soccer team.” They already know that; you need to tell them something new. This may be your only chance to address an admissions officer directly. When you try to impress an admissions officer, it can often appear that way and seem inconsistent with who you are. Use this space to show the school something special, be proud of who you are and let it shine through your written response. Our mind is created to recall things in stories. You want to be memorable to the counselors who read your app. A natural understanding of narrative structure â€" not the prefabricated “academic paper” structure â€" and a great story to tell. Don’t worry so much that other people may have “better” stories than you. Everyone’s life is full of story, narrative, and it’s up to you to tell these stories in compelling ways. Students don’t need to stick to the 5-paragraph model that they’ve used so often in school. You can have a good essay that has 2 or 10 paragraphs, or includes a good amount of dialogue. For more information on specific application requirements, please consult the website for each institution to which you are applying, as requirements often vary. That's easy â€" it's the best way to study for AP classes and AP exams! StudyNotes offers fast, free study tools for AP students. She highlights issues with their work and helps students learn to express themselves in a more engaging and organic manner. She also pushes them to be more intellectually rigorous, when necessary. Evidently, there is a fear that students who hire coaches won’t be presenting original work, which would be cheating. Admissions officials have seen plenty of overused topics, such as a venerated parent, a game-winning goal or volunteer work in the soup kitchen. These essays can’t work without a personal connection or engaging observations. They’re going to turn down lots of highly qualified applicants, so your essay could be critical if the choice comes down to you and another, similarly qualified applicant. That said, your essay probably won’t actually hurt you as long as it’s reasonably literate . Although they're phrased differently from college to college, certain essay question types appear routinely. Be specific and highlight traits that speak to your talents and interests. Don’t be vague and make sure you answer the prompt. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. While there is no perfect length for an essay, we recommend that you aim for 500 to 550 words. Our AP study guides, practice tests, and notes are the best on the web because they're contributed by students and teachers like yourself. Jager-Hyman uses Mad Libs to help students find their own language to express their thoughts. I got my MFA at UT Austin as a Michener Fellow, a program for young writers that accepts less than one percent of applicants. Prompt connects students with a team of professional playwrights, authors, journalists, and educators who are only available through our network. Students applying to highly competitive universities (Ivy and Ivy-equivalent) face tough competition. There has always been speculation as to the value colleges place on the essay. The essay itself won’t propel an average student into Harvard, but may indeed make a difference. Since 2016, I have worked as a high school English tutor, theatre educator, and freelance journalist. I graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University's theatre and creative writing programs. I'm a playwright, editor, and writing teacher with a focus on arts education.