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Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 177 full essays and essay excerpts, this article is a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay! What Excellent College Essays Have in Common
- What Excellent College Essays Have in CommonEven though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you...
- Links to Full College Essay ExamplesSome colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these (pl...
- Analyzing Great Common App Essays That WorkedI've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay...
- 3 Essential Tips For Writing Your Own EssayHow can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.
- What Is The Common Application Essay?
- Prompt 1: Background, Identity, Interest, Or Talent
- Prompt 2: Overcoming Challenges
- Prompt 3: Questioning A Belief Or Idea
- Prompt 4: Appreciating An Influential Person
- Prompt 5: Transformative Event
- Prompt 6: Interest Or Hobby That Inspires Learning
- Prompt 7: Free Topic
- Other Interesting Articles
The Common Application, or Common App, is a college application portal that is accepted by more than 900 schools. Within the Common App is your main essay, a primary writing sample that all your prospective schools will read to evaluate your critical thinking skills and value as a student. Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning...
This essay explores the student’s emotional journey toward overcoming her father’s neglect through gymnastics discipline.
This essay shows how the challenges the student faced in caring for her sister with autism resulted in an unexpected path forward in her education.
This essay illustrates a student’s courage in challenging his culture’s constructs of manhood and changing his course while positively affecting his father in the process.
The student demonstrates how his teacher giving him an unexpected bad grade was the catalyst for his becoming a better writer.
This student narrates how she initially went to church for a boy but instead ended up confronting her selfishness by helping others.
This essay shows how a student’s natural affinity for solving a Rubik’s cube developed her self-understanding, academic achievement, and inspiration for her future career.
In this free topic essay, the student uses a montage structure inspired by the TV show Iron Chef Americato demonstrate his best leadership moments.
If you want to know more about academic writing, effective communication, or parts of speech, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
People also ask
What is a personal essay for college applications?
How to write a personal statement for college?
What is a good example of a personal essay?
What is a college essay?
- This is a college essay that worked for Harvard University. (Note: Learn about how to get into Harvard undergrad) This past summer, I had the privilege of participating in the University of Notre Dame’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program .
- This student was admitted to Harvard University. I believe that humans will always have the ability to rise above any situation, because life is what you make of it.
- This is a college essay that worked for Duke University. (Note: Learn about how to get into Duke) As soon as the patient room door opened, the worst stench I have ever encountered hit me square in the face.
- This student was admitted to Stanford University. (Note: Learn about how to get into Stanford undergrad) (Note: This is a supplemental essay example)
A personal essay for college applications is an opportunity for admission admissions panels to get more insight into who you are and what you have to offer. It's often the most personal component of the application, going beyond grades and standardized test scores.
Writing an essay for college admission gives you a chance to use your authentic voice and show your personality. It's an excellent opportunity to personalize your application beyond your academic credentials, and a well-written essay can have a positive influence come decision time.
Nov 8, 2021 · Published on November 8, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on August 14, 2023. One effective method for improving your college essay is to read example essays. Here are three sample essays, each with a bad and good version to help you improve your own essay.
We’ll break down examples of college essays from every category so that you feel prepared to write your own. Each sample college essay we’ve included in our college essay examples shows how you can use strong, intentional writing to approach a variety of college essay topics.
