This essay could work for prompts 1 and 7 for the Common App.
Another factor that influenced my decision to disclose my low vision is that I became interested in attending my top choice college as well as studying the specific major/minor combination because of my disability. This college was known for having a fantastic Disability Services office as well as faculty members that also have visual impairments, so I did not feel pressured to mask my disability at any point.
Need inspiration for your Common App personal statement? Click below for instant access to 25 full-length example essays including advanced breakdowns of why they resonate with admissions committees. Need inspiration for your Common App personal statement? Click below for instant access to 25 full-length example essays including advanced breakdowns of why they resonate with admissions committees. Seek insight in the everyday. Your college application is rife with opportunities to brag about yourself. Your activities list, for example, is a place where you tell people about all sorts of extracurriculars you do. But life’s made up of significant moments outside of what fits on an activities list (right?!). This writer probably didn’t mention anything about nonograms, Candy Crush, or Wikipedia research anywhere else in their application. And yet those experiences are essential to the argument they’re making here. People often feel like they need to have gone through some wild, extraordinary experiences to make for compelling personal statement content. While that content certainly can work, the success of your personal statement is just as (perhaps more) dependent on how you write about your experiences. So yes, skydiving with sharks can be great content. So too can playing Candy Crush (if you can find the insight in it). Even though I wasn’t very comfortable with people knowing I have low vision at the time of filming for my college video essays, my disability played a huge role in selecting my major/minor combination- I wanted to study computer science and assistive technology so that I could design better tools for people with disabilities and address inequities for disabled students in the classroom. I knew that the college I was applying to was also very inclusive of people with disabilities, so I chose to make my vision loss the “theme” of my college video essay. This included the following elements: This blog provides invaluable insights into crafting compelling college essays. The sample essays are excellent examples of how to convey personal stories effectively. Thank you for sharing these practical tips; they will undoubtedly help many students enhance their applications. Gain instant access to 25 exclusive full-length examples covering all seven prompts, plus comprehensive analyses for each to help you craft stellar essays.
This essay could work for prompts 1, 2 and 7 for the Common App.
It is common for college essay prompts to have a few short answer questions to get to know the student. For a few years starting in 2017 USC adopted a unique question, making students describe themselves with a #hashtag as they would on twitter or instagram. But what a difficult task that is - how would you describe yourself with a single hashtag?
This essay could work for prompts 1, 2, 5 and 7 for the Common App.
Before writing the script for my college video essay, I researched campus clubs, majors, and extracurriculars ahead of time so that I would find ways to connect my interests back to things that were at the college, so that I could show that I would be an active student there. Some examples of ways to execute this include:
Ridiculous college essay topics.
Gain instant access to 25 exclusive full-length examples covering all seven prompts, plus comprehensive analyses for each to help you craft stellar essays.
Example 2: Reality TV offers crucial life lessons.
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Let’s review the seven that inspired our Common App essay examples:
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All the while knowing what my college essay is about.
Since more than three quarters of US universities no longer require students to take standardized tests, college essays are becoming increasingly important in your application.