College admissions essays should have a deeply personal tone to them.
So what’s the best approach to writing college essays? The list below outlines a tried and true approach for tackling the college application essay. (Don’t worry, each section will be explored more in-depth later in this article.)
What is most irritating about all the hand-wringing over ChatGPT’s threat to the integrity of the admissions essay is that it assumes the essay ever had much integrity or value. It has always been possible to pay for help on college essays, but as long as the cheating was mostly limited to the rich, it seemed to have been cool with admissions officers. Yale admissions officers discuss what works and what doesn’t in three dedicated episodes about essays on the podcast: Inside the Yale Admissions Office. Hiring an , some of whom charge , is one way to make your essay stand out, assuming that the consultant is good at their job. Although companies that do exist, most college consultants take the ethics of their work very seriously and limit themselves to assisting with identifying topics and editing drafts. Even so—and I say this as a person who has been paid to help students with their application essays—it is very hard to keep a clean line between helping a student with their essay and shaping that essay. In the real world, of course, editors often significantly contribute to a writer’s work. Great writing is often collaborative, but the college application encourages an illusory notion that writing is a product of a single person working in total isolation. After writing so many essays about my experiences, interests, and desires, I realized that my supplemental essays were emblematic of what I wanted out of life and my college experience. For example, after I began writing about my intended major (economics), it occurred to me that what I’m truly passionate about is policy’s intersection with economics and mathematical modeling. After I began writing about my most treasured extracurricular experiences, it became clear to me how much I valued using my voice as a tool to impact my community and effect change. I believe that writing about your genuine interests is more valuable to you than simply trying to present something that you think will appeal to colleges. The most daunting aspect of the college application essay process for many applicants is writing the first draft. They might have a million thoughts running through their head about what they want to write about, or fancy hooks they’re excited to try. Maybe, they’re overwhelmed at the idea of writing about themselves and can’t even start to think about . The personal essay is a writing assignment that many high schools never assign, so the opportunity to write a personal story comes with a lot of stress. It’s important to take a deep breath, step back, and plan how to tackle the assignment. As the says, “Colleges want to see that prospective students can write well and build a logical argument with supporting ideas. Some colleges also use the essay to help them determine whether an applicant is a good fit.”
Check out these outstanding college essay examples
Before starting the writing process, it’s important to review and address why college admissions boards want college application essays in the first place. The supplemental essays provide the opportunity to let the admissions boards know about unique traits that they can’t read in the general application. Each essay is a chance for every applicant to speak directly to the admissions board and let them know their unique story.
14 College Essay Examples From Top-25 Universities (2024–2025)
For many, the essay section is the most exciting and most stressful part of the college admissions process. It offers students the opportunity to show off what makes them unique and creative. However, most students have little experience writing personal essays. They are unaware that writing a personal essay will take just as much time, if not more than any academic paper. It requires self-reflection, articulation, and a whole lot of editing. Instead of focusing on getting into the school of your dreams, try to craft a story that you could read back in five years with pride.
College Admission Essay Samples - Essay Writing Center
Most college applications include a supplemental essay that offers the opportunity to understand each applicant on a more qualitative level. The essay section asks about each student’s life experiences and goals with the aim to learn more about them. Colleges include the application process because the admissions board knows that applicants are more than just a GPA, extracurriculars, and test scores. These essays give applicants the chance to showcase their thinking process, resilience, and communication skills. writes, “Colleges are looking for thoughtful, motivated students who will add something to the first-year class,” and the essays are the perfect opportunity to showcase that.
Popular College Application Essay Topics (and How to Answer Them)
Now that students have gotten to know more about each school’s mission and about the school’s student body. Think of each school as a persona and how would a prospective student befriend them. What interests do they have in common? Now think about how to incorporate that into the college essay.
More College Essay Topics · Describe a person you admire
I am no expert in college admissions, but I have spent hundreds of hours applying to colleges. In the interest of benefitting future applicants and providing some insight into what it’s like to apply to college, here are some of my biggest takeaways from the whole process.