Sample College Application Essays

Sample College Application Essays This seemingly insignificant event caused him to think about why he loved art and philosophy over science and math. Quite simply, the best college essays make a personal statement and give admissions officers a window into your soul. Shared by admissions staff, these essays stand out, they say, because the student voices shine, helping the school get to know them. U.S. News has compiled several college essay examples that helped students get into school. The problem is when a student seeks so many opinions from trusted adults. It's highly unlikely that any of these people have actually read college essays before â€" and certainly not as a member of a college admissions committee. But a few simple tips, some introspection and insight into what admissions officers are looking for can help ease the pressure. News has compiled several college essay examples that helped students get into school. It’s also easy to fall into the comparison trap and begin worrying that your essays will never be as good as these examples. Remember that the sample essays colleges are posting are the BEST essays from among the thousands of students they admit. So, most accepted students’ essays are not this exceptional. And of course, it goes without saying that you should NEVER copy or imitate someone else’s essay. Many students write essays that are too clichéd or shallow, or too impersonal and uninformative. For some students, the essay itself will be cause for rejection. I fell into the trap of reading a bunch of “successful” essays that were published online. Reading them made me feel like I had to have experienced a traumatic event or done something spectacular for admissions officers to notice my essay and application. When I started the whole essay writing process, I honestly felt really stressed out about feeling like I haven’t had experiences that were “worthy” of the Common Application essay. If you’re applying to schools that request supplemental essays or do not accept the Common Application, you may have several different essays to write. Sample essays can provide you with some great inspiration, and valuable insights into how to write a great essay. However, be careful not to get so caught up reading other peoples’ essays that you neglect to start your own. I’m surprised when students have trouble writing their college essays. Students have keen powers of energetic observation about themselves and the world around them, but ask them to share any of those ideas in a college essay, and the silence speaks volumes. Writing an essay is something students learn to do in school from a fairly young age, but it is a skill that must be perfected over a number of years. The college application essay is the true test of those skills and of your ability to present an accurate picture of who you are. According to an article published on Time.com, college application essays aren’t as important as they are cracked up to be. These types of pieces can come off negatively, and sometimes a teenager’s perception of a life changing event is much different than that of a college admissions reader. I once had a student who wrote about how he observed a water droplet while on vacation. If you try to make your essay sound like someone else’s, it will end up sounding fake and awkward, and will NOT work to your advantage. Contrary to popular belief, students should not write about a horrible life event that changed their life forever. The fact is that most of us have not had such a life changing situation before the age of 18 (so don’t make one up either!). Even if you have had such an experience, don’t write about it. But I literally ended up writing about a time I performed a poem. One of my favorite Common Application essays is about a trip to Costco. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what you write about, but rather, why you write about it and what you’re trying to convey with it. Evaluating a college essay, much like any piece of writing, is highly subjective. Two people might both like the same movie or song, but for totally different reasons. As college application deadlines near, students across the country are hoping that their essays will earn them a spot at their dream school. For most students, it takes about 10 hours to write a good college essay.