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14 College Essay Examples From Top-25
Universities (2022–2023)
College essay examples from students accepted
to Harvard, Stanford, and other elite schools

REVIEWING SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE ESSAY EXAMPLES CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR ODDS OF

ACCEPTANCE

Responding effectively to college essay prompts is quite different from other essay
writing. The combined challenge of addressing a question in an interesting way while
staying focused and making yourself stand out, all within a limited number of words,
is something that students struggle with every year. With a wide variety of prompts
used by each school, alongside the Common App essays, it can be overwhelming to
write strong, memorable essays.

However, there are some standard practices that will help elevate your essay:
 Directly address any questions the prompt asks. Many essay prompts will ask
you to write about extracurricular experiences in your life or to list interests such
as your favorite movies or music. Be sure to include the answer to any questions
and don't get distracted while providing context or other extra information.
 Use specific information. Make sure to mention the specific volunteer program
you worked at or the name of your favorite instructor from your summer STEM
camp. While it's important not to overburden your essay with small details,
peppering in a few specifics will highlight what's important to you both
academically and personally.
 Create a narrative. Just like with any story or news article, you want to start
your essays with a good hook. Setting the stage for your experiences, including
anecdotes to drive home a point, or carrying a thematic element throughout your
essay will help keep the reader interested and will show off your creativity.
 Reuse material. There’s no reason to write completely new essays for every
school you’re applying to. Many schools ask the same questions with slightly
different wording, like the commonly used “diversity essay” which essentially
asks how you contribute and benefit from diversity. With some editing, a single
essay could answer multiple prompts — and cut down on your stress!

Here are some example essays from some of the thousands of students we've helped
get accepted to their dream school.

Note: Some personally identifying details have been changed.

College essay example #1

This is a college essay that worked for Harvard University.

(Suggested reading: 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 . Under the
mentorship of Professor Wendy Bozeman and Professor Georgia Lebedev from the
department of Biological Sciences, my goal this summer was to research the
effects of cobalt iron oxide cored (CoFe2O3) titanium dioxide (TiO2)
nanoparticles as a scaffold for drug delivery, specifically in the delivery of a
compound known as curcumin, a flavonoid known for its anti-inflammatory effects.
As a high school student trying to find a research opportunity, it was very difficult
to find a place that was willing to take me in, but after many months of trying, I
sought the help of my high school biology teacher, who used his resources to help
me obtain a position in the program.

Using equipment that a high school student could only dream of using, I was able
to map apoptosis (programmed cell death) versus necrosis (cell death due to
damage) in HeLa cells, a cervical cancer line, after treating them with curcumin-
bound nanoparticles. Using flow cytometry to excite each individually suspended
cell with a laser, the scattered light from the cells helped to determine which cells
were living, had died from apoptosis or had died from necrosis. Using this
collected data, it was possible to determine if the curcumin and/or the
nanoparticles had played any significant role on the cervical cancer cells. Later, I
was able to image cells in 4D through con-focal microscopy. From growing HeLa
cells to trying to kill them with different compounds, I was able to gain the hands-
on experience necessary for me to realize once again why I love science.

Living on the Notre Dame campus with other REU students, UND athletes, and
other summer school students was a whole other experience that prepared me for
the world beyond high school. For 9 weeks, I worked, played and bonded with the
other students, and had the opportunity to live the life of an independent college
student.

Along with the individually tailored research projects and the housing
opportunity, there were seminars on public speaking, trips to the Fermi National
Accelerator Laboratory, and one-on-one writing seminars for the end of the
summer research papers we were each required to write. By the end of the
summer, I wasn’t ready to leave the research that I was doing. While my research
 didn’t yield definitive results for the effects of curcumin on cervical cancer cells,
my research on curcumin-functionalized CoFe2O4/TiO2 core-shell
nanoconjugates indicated that there were many unknown factors affecting the
HeLa cells, and spurred the lab to expand their research into determining whether
or not the timing of the drug delivery mattered and whether or not the position of
the binding site of the drugs would alter the results. Through this summer
experience, I realized my ambition to pursue a career in research. I always knew
that I would want to pursue a future in science, but the exciting world of research
where the discoveries are limitless has captured my heart. This school year, the
REU program has offered me a year-long job, and despite my obligations as a
high school senior preparing for college, I couldn’t give up this offer, and so
during this school year, I will be able to further both my research and interest in
nanotechnology. 

College essay example #2

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. We don’t know what life is or why we are in
this world; all we know, all we feel, is that we must protect it anyway we can.
Buddha said it clearly: “Life is suffering.” Life is meant to be challenging, and
really living requires consistent work and review. By default, life is difficult
because we must strive to earn happiness and success.

Yet I've realized that life is fickler than I had imagined; it can disappear or change
at any time. Several of my family members left this world in one last beating
symphony; heart attacks seem to be a trend in my family. They left like birds;
laughing one minute and in a better place the next.

Steve Jobs inspired me, when in his commencement address to Stanford University
in 2005, he said "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's
 thinking." I want to make mistakes, because that is how I learn; I want to follow
the beat of my own drum even if it is "out of tune." The important thing is to live
without regrets, so when my heart ceases to beat, it will make one last happy note
and move on.

I want to live my life daily. Every day I want to live. 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. But I won't give up on it because, I can still get infinitely close and
that is amazing.

Every day is an apology to my humanity; because I am not perfect, I get to try

again and again to "get it right." I breathe the peace of eternity, knowing that this
stage is temporary; real existence is continuous. The hourglass of life incessantly
trickles on and we are powerless to stop it.

So, I will forgive and forget, love and inspire, experience and satire, laugh and
cry, accomplish and fail, live and die. This is how I want to live my life, with this
optimistic attitude that every day is a second chance. All the time, we have the
opportunity to renew our perspective on life, to correct our mistakes, and to simply
move on. Like the phoenix I will continue to rise from the ashes, experienced and
renewed. I will not waste time for my life is already in flux.

In all its splendor

The Phoenix rises
In a burst of orange and yellow
It soars in the baby blue sky
Heading to that Great Light
Baptized in the dance of time
Fearless, eternal, beautiful
It releases a breathtaking aurora
And I gasp at the enormity
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College essay example #3

This is a college essay that worked for Duke University.

(Suggested reading: 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. Though I had never smelled it before, I knew
instinctively what it was: rotting flesh. A small, elderly woman sat in a wheelchair,
dressed in a hospital gown and draped in blankets from the neck down with only
her gauze-wrapped right leg peering out from under the green material. Dr. Q
began unwrapping the leg, and there was no way to be prepared for what I saw
next: gangrene-rotted tissue and blackened, dead toes.

Never before had I seen anything this gruesome–as even open surgery paled in
comparison. These past two years of shadowing doctors in the operating room
have been important for me in solidifying my commitment to pursue medicine, but
this situation proved that time in the operating room alone did not quite provide a
complete, accurate perspective of a surgeon’s occupation. Doctors in the
operating room are calm, cool, and collected, making textbook incisions with
machine-like, detached precision. It is a profession founded solely on skill and
technique–or so I thought. This grisly experience exposed an entirely different side
of this profession I hope to pursue.
 Feeling the tug of nausea in my stomach, I forced my gaze from the terrifying
wound onto the hopeful face of the ailing woman, seeking to objectively analyze
the situation as Dr. Q was struggling to do himself. Slowly and with obvious
difficulty, Dr. Q explained that an infection this severe calls for an AKA: Above
the Knee Amputation. In the slow, grave silence that ensued, I reflected on how
this desperate patient’s very life rests in the hands of a man who has dedicated his
entire life to making such difficult decisions as these. I marveled at the compassion
in Dr. Q’s promise that this aggressive approach would save the woman’s life. The
patient wiped her watery eyes and smiled a long, sad smile. “I trust you, Doc. I
trust you.” She shook Dr. Q’s hand, and the doctor and I left the room.

Back in his office, Dr. Q addressed my obvious state of contemplation: “This is the
hardest part about what we do as surgeons,” he said, sincerely. “We hurt to heal,
and often times people cannot understand that. However, knowing that I’m saving
lives every time I operate makes the stress completely worth it.”

Suddenly, everything fell into place for me. 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. I now understand surgeons to be
much more complex practitioners of medicine, and I am certain that this is the
field for me.

College essay example #4

This is a supplemental essay that worked for Stanford University.

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Stanford Undergrad and How to Ace the
Stanford Roommate Essay)
 In most conventional classrooms, we are taught to memorize material. We study
information to regurgitate it on a test and forget it the following day. I thought this
was learning. But this past summer, I realized I was wrong.

 I attended the SPK Program, a five-week enrichment program with New Jersey’s
best and brightest students. I lived on a college campus with 200 students and
studied a topic. I selected Physical Science. On the first day of class, our teacher
set a box on the table and poured water into the top, and nothing came out. Then,
he poured more water in, and everything slowly came out. We were told to figure
out what had happened with no phones or textbooks, just our brains. We worked
together to discover in the box was a siphon, similar to what is used to pump gas.
We spent the next weeks building solar ovens, studying the dynamic of paper
planes, diving into the content of the speed of light and space vacuums, among
other things. We did this with no textbooks, flashcards, or information to
memorize.

During those five weeks, we were not taught impressive terminology or how to ace
the AP Physics exam. We were taught how to think. More importantly, we were
taught how to think together. Learning is not memorization or a competition.
Learning is working together to solve the problems around us and better our
community. To me, learning is the means to a better future, and that’s exciting.

College essay example #5 

This is a college essay that worked for University of Pennsylvania (UPenn).

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into UPenn)

When I was thirteen and visiting Liberia, I contracted what turned out to be yellow
fever. 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. 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 time—so I began to explore.

The exploration led me to the African Disease Prevention Project (ADPP), a non-
profit organization associated with several universities. I decided to create the
first high school branch of the organization; I liked its unique way of approaching
health and social issues. Rather than just raising money and channeling it through
third parties, each branch “adopts” one village and travels there to provide for its
basic needs. As branch president, I organize events from small stands at public
gatherings to 60-person dinner fundraisers in order to raise both money and
awareness. I’ve learned how to encourage my peers to meet deadlines, to work
around 30 different schedules at once, and to give presentations convincing people
why my organization is worth their donation. But overall, ADPP has taught me
that small changes can have immense impacts. My branch has helped raise almost
$3,000 to build water sanitation plants, construct medical clinics, and develop
health education programs in the small village of Zwedru. And the effect doesn’t
stop there—by improving one area, our efforts permeate into neighboring villages
as they mimic the lifestyle changes that they observe nearby—simple things, like
making soap available—can have a big effect. The difference between ADPP and
most other organizations is its emphasis on the basics and making changes that
last. Working towards those changes to solve real life problems is what excites me.

I found that the same idea of change through simple solutions also rang true
during my recent summer internship at Dr. Martin Warner’s lab at UCLA. Dr.
Martin’s vision involves using already available digital technologies to improve
the individualization of healthcare. By using a person’s genome to tailor a
treatment for them or using someone’s personal smartphone as a mobile-monitor
to remotely diagnose symptoms, everyday technology is harnessed to make
significant strides forward. At the lab, I focused on parsing through medical
databases and writing programs that analyze cancerous genomes to find
relationships between certain cancers and drugs. My analysis resulted in a
database of information that physicians can use to prescribe treatments for their
patients’ unique cancerous mutations. Now, a pancreatic cancer patient does not
 need to be the “guinea-pig” for a prototype drug to have a shot at survival: a
doctor can choose the best treatment by examining the patient individually instead
of relying on population-wide trends. For the first time in my science career, my
passion was going to have an immediate effect on other people, and to me, that
was enthralling. Dr. Martin’s lab and his book, Digital Healthcare: A New Age of
Medicine, have shown me that changing something as simple as how we treat a
disease can have a huge impact. I have found that the search for the holy grail of a
“cure for cancer” is problematic as nobody knows exactly what it is or where to
look—but we can still move forward without it.

Working with Project ADPP and participating in medical research have taught me
to approach problems in a new way. Whether it’s a complex genetic disease or a
tropical fever, I’ve found that taking small steps often is the best approach.
Finding those steps and achieving them is what gets me excited and hungry to
explore new solutions in the future.

College essay example #6

This student was admitted to UC Berkeley.

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into UC Berkeley and How to Write Great UC
Essays)

The phenomenon of interdependency, man depending on man for survival, has

shaped centuries of human civilization. However, I feel, the youth of today are
slowly disconnecting from their community. For the past few years, human
connection has intrigued me and witnessing the apathy of my peers has prompted
me to engage in various leadership positions in order to motivate them to complete
community service and become active members of society.

Less than a year before ninth grade began, my cousin and close friend passed
away from cancer, and in the hodge-podge of feelings, I did not emotionally deal
with either death. However, a simple tale helped me deal with these deaths and
take action. 

I was never fully aware of how closely humans rely upon each other until I read
The Fall of Freddy the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia in freshman year. The allegory is
about a leaf that changes with the seasons, finally dying in the winter, realizing
that his purpose was to help the tree thrive. After reading it, I was enlightened on
the cycle of life and realized the tremendous impact my actions had on others. 

Last year, I joined the American Cancer Society‘s Relay for Life, a twenty-four-
hour relay walk-a-thon designed to raise funds for cancer research and create
awareness about its early detection. I started a team at school, gathered thirty
students and chaperones, and raised $800 for the cause. I watched as each student
created friendships with other students on our team and members of the Phoenix
community. This year, I let a team in the relay for life again with the schoolwide
team of 95 members, and we raised $2,900 for the cure for cancer. At first the
group leader ship consisted of only my advisor in me; however, I gained the
support of the administrators. I spent well over an hour a day preparing for the
event, and it was all worth it! 

The Sonora Eagles were students of different grade levels, ethnicities,

socioeconomic backgrounds, and educational ability. We joked and played
football while volunteering. The most important moment occurred during the
night’s luminaria ceremony, during which cancer patients of the past and present
were commemorated. Our whole team gathered around, and I asked people to
share how they have been affected by cancer. As I went through the crowd, their
faces illuminated by candlelight, their cheeks were wet with cleansing tears, I
realize the impact I had on them, the purpose I was fulfilling; but most
importantly, I realized the impact they had had on me. The Sonora Eagles were my
means for dealing with the death of my loved ones to cancer. 

The theme for relay for life is a hope for a cure. 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. I have continued this momentum by starting a Sonora High School
chapter of American Cancer Society Youth, a club dedicated to youth involvement
and several aspects of the American Cancer Society, including the recent Arizona
Proposition 45. 

Each one of us leaves find a legacy as we for fill our purpose in life. I believe my
purpose as a student is to encourage others to become active community members
and motivate them to reach new heights. As a student of the University of
California, I will contribute my understanding of the human condition and student
motivation to help strengthen student relationships within the campus and
throughout the community.
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College essay example #7
This is a college essay that worked for Cornell University.

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Cornell)

My fingers know instinctively, without a thought.  They turn the dial, just as they
have hundreds of times before, until a soft, metallic click echoes into my eardrum
and triggers their unconscious stop.  I exultantly thrust open my locker door,
exposing its deepest bowels candidly to the wide halls of the high school. The
bright lights shine back, brashly revealing every crevice, nook, and cranny,
gleaming across its scintillating, bare surfaces.  On this first day of senior year, I
set out upon my task. I procure an ordinary plastic grocery bag from my backpack.
The contents inside collectively represent everything about me in high school –
they tell a story, one all about me.

I reach in and let my fingers trail around the surfaces of each object.  I select my
first prey arbitrarily, and as I raise my hand up to eye level, I closely examine this
 chosen one.  A miniature Flamenco dancer stares back at me from the confines of
the 3-D rectangular magnet, half popping out as if willing herself to come to life. 
Instantly, my mind transports me back a few summers before, when I tapped my
own heels to traditional music in Spain. I am reminded of my thirst to travel, to
explore new cultures utterly different from my familiar home in Modesto,
California.  I have experienced study abroad in Spain, visited my father’s
hometown in China five times, and traveled to many other places such as Paris. As
a result, I have developed a restlessness inside me, a need to move on from four
years in the same high school, to take advantage of diverse opportunities whenever
possible, and to meet interesting people.

I take out the next magnet from my plastic bag.  This one shows a panoramic view
of the city of Santa Barbara, California.  Here, I recall spending six weeks in my
glory, not only studying and learning, but actually pursuing new knowledge to add
to the repertoire of mankind.  I could have easily chosen to spend my summer
lazing about; in fact, my parents tried to persuade me into taking a break. Instead,
I chose to do advanced molecular biology research at Stanford University.  I
wanted to immerse myself in my passion for biology and dip into the infinitely rich
possibilities of my mind. This challenge was so rewarding to me, while at the same
time I had the most fun of my life, because I was able to live with people who
shared the same kind of drive and passion as I did.

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.  It was a bold, black square,
with white block letters proclaiming my motto, “Live the Life You Imagine.” In my
four years at Cornell University, I will certainly continue to live life as I imagine,
adding my own flavor to the Cornell community, while taking away invaluable
experiences of my own. 

College essay example #8

This student was admitted to Northwestern University.
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. However, I
know that I want to do something unique.  I am determined to even surpass my last
summer, in which I spent one month with a host family in Egypt and twelve days at
a leadership conference in New York City  The college courses I have taken at
Oregon State University since the summer after 7th grade will no longer provide
the kind of challenge I seek.

Six months later, I step off the airplane to find myself surrounded by palm trees,
with a view of the open-air airport.  I chuckle to myself about the added bonus of
good weather, but I know I have come to Palo Alto, California, with a much higher
purpose in mind.  I will spend six weeks here in my glory, not only studying and
learning, but actually pursuing new knowledge to add to the repertoire of
mankind.  Through the Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research
Program, I will earn college credit by conducting original molecular biology
research, writing my own research paper, and presenting my findings in a
research symposium.

I decided to spend my summer doing research because I knew that I liked scientific
thought, and that I would passionately throw myself into any new challenge.  I
always want to know more – to probe deeper into the laws of the universe, to
explore the power and beauty of nature, to solve the most complicated problems. I
have an insatiable curiosity and a desire to delve deeper down in the recesses of
my intellect.  At the Summer Research Program, I found out how much I enjoy
thinking critically, solving problems, and applying my knowledge to the real
world. 

While pursuing research in California, I was also able to meet many similarly
motivated, interesting people from across the United States and abroad.  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.

I could have easily chosen to spend that summer the traditional way; in fact, my
parents even tried to persuade me into taking a break.  Instead, I chose to do
molecular biology research at Stanford University. I wanted to immerse myself in
my passion for biology and dip into the infinitely rich possibilities of my mind. 
This challenge was so rewarding to me, while at the same time I had the most fun
of my life, because I was able to live with people who share the same kind of drive
and passion as I do.

College essay example #9

This student was admitted to Harvard University.

When I turned twelve, my stepdad turned violent. He became a different person

overnight, frequently getting into fights with my mom. I didn’t deal with it well,
often crying to my mom’s disappointment, afraid that my life would undo itself in a
matter of seconds. You might say that my upbringing was characterized by my
parents morphing everyday objects into weapons and me trying to morph into the
perfect white walls that stood unmoving while my family fell apart.

This period in my life is not a sob story, but rather, the origin story of my love of
writing. During a fight once, my stepdad left the house to retrieve a baseball bat
from his truck. He didn’t use it, but I’ll never forget the fear that he would, how
close he’d gotten. And in that moment, I did not cry as I was prone to do, but I
pulled out a book, and experienced a profound disappearance, one that would
always make me associate reading with escapism and healing.

Soon I came to write, filling up loose ruled paper with words, writing in the dark
when we didn’t have money to pay for electricity. And as I got older, I began to
think that there must be others who were going through this, too. I tried to find
them. I created an anonymous blog that centered what it meant for a teenager to
 find joy even as her life was in shambles. In this blog I kept readers updated with
what I was learning, nightly yoga to release tension from the day and affirmations
in the morning to counter the shame that was mounting as a result of witnessing
weekly my inability to make things better at home.

At that time, I felt uncertain about who I was because I was different online than I
was at home or even at school where I was editor of my high school literary
journal. It took me a while to understand that I was not the girl who hid in the
corner making herself small; I was the one who sought to connect with others who
were dealing with the same challenges at home, thinking that maybe in our
isolation we could come together. I was able to make enough from my blog to pay
some bills in the house and give my mom the courage to kick my stepfather out.
When he exited our home, I felt a wind go through it, the house exhaling a giant
sigh of relief.

I know this is not the typical background of most students. Sharing my story with
like-minded teens helped me understand what I have to offer: my perspective, my
unrelenting optimism. Because even as I’ve seen the dark side of what people are
capable of, I have also been a star witness to joy and love. I do not experience
despair for long because I know that this is just one chapter in a long novel, one
that will change the hearts of those who come across it. And I can’t wait to see
how it will end.

College essay example #10

This student was accepted at Yale University.

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Yale)

I was a straight A student until I got to high school, where my calm evenings
cooking dinner for my siblings turned into hours watching videos, followed by the
frantic attempt to finish homework around 4 am. When I got an F on a chemistry
pop quiz my mom sat me down to ask me what was happening. I told her I couldn’t
focus or keep track of all my materials for classes. I thought she would call me
lazy, accuse me of wasting the gift of being an American that she and my father
gave me. Instead, she looked around at the walls covered in sticky notes, the index
cards scattered on the computer desk, the couch, the table, and she said, “How are
your friends managing it?” 

It turned out while my peers were struggling to juggle the demands of high school
it didn’t seem like they were working as hard to complete simple tasks. They only
had to put things in a planner, not make sure the deadlines were placed in multiple
locations, physical and digital. At my next doctor’s appointment my mom
mentioned that I had a learning problem, but the doctor shook his head and said
that I didn’t seem to have ADHD. I was just procrastinating, it’s natural.

My mom took off from her grocery store job to take me to two more appointments
to ask about ADHD, the term the doctor had used, but other doctors were not
willing to listen. I had As in every class except for World Literature. But I knew
something was wrong. After our third doctor visit, I worked with the librarian
after school to sift through research on ADHD and other learning disabilities until
we came across the term executive functioning. Armed with knowledge, we went to
a new doctor, and before my mom could insist that we get testing or get referred to
a specialist, the doctor handed us a signed referral. She asked me about the folder
in my hand. I told her it was full of my research. My mom mentioned that some
doctors had refused to refer us to a specialist because my grades were too high.
“It’s because we’re Asian,” she added. 

I was shocked at this revelation. The last three doctors had mumbled something
about grades but had never said a thing about race. Before I could deny it
fervently, the doctor, who was from Taiwan, nodded sympathetically. She said it’s
common to miss learning disabilities among different races due to biases. And
some adolescents learn to mask symptoms by building systems. “You don’t have to
prove anything to me. I believe you should get tested.” My mom thanked her
fervently and the doctor said to her, “She’s going to be a great lawyer.”
 The semester following the confirmation of my learning disability diagnosis was
challenging to say the least. My school switched me out of all of my IB courses to
“accommodate my special needs,” and I went back to the library, working with
the librarian with numerous index cards and stacks of books to make a case for
discrimination. The librarian, who had become my close confidante, introduced
me to an academic tutor who specialized in learning disabilities and taught me
skills like using redundancy and time management to make it easier for me to
grapple with moving parts. He noted that with ADHD, the problem wasn’t always
the inability to focus but rather the difficulty focusing without adequate perceived
reward. It wasn’t that I was not capable but that I had to make myself sufficiently
interested or reiterate why something mattered. This reframe changed my life, and
when I came back to the library with my new schedule in hand, the most advanced
courses my school had to offer, the librarian said, “You’re going to make a great
lawyer.”

I smiled and said, “I’ve heard that before.”

CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE OUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO EVERY
ASPECT OF THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
College essay example #11
This student was accepted at the University of Pennsylvania.

My brother and I are exactly one year and one day apart. We look like twins —
people confuse us — but we couldn’t be any more different. As children we wore
the same clothes, received the same haircut. By the time we got to middle school it
was clear that my older brother preferred quiet, indoor activities, while I was a
born performer who preferred the theatrical, even when off stage. I took his
relative silence to be disinterest and found it offensive. To the chagrin of my
parents, we simply didn’t get along. 

I didn’t mind having a tense relationship with my brother because I was involved
at school. In particular I delved into the world of musical theater in addition to
regularly singing solos at our high school choir concerts. I spent hours after
school preparing for shows. And when I came home, I practiced as well, falling
 into a rigorous routine I thought I needed to remain at my best and be competitive
for parts. 

My bedroom was far enough from my parents so as not to disturb them, but space
to practice became an issue with my brother because, well, we shared a room.
Imagine him meditating on a window seat while I am belting, trying to sustain a
high note. Needless to say, this created tension between us. From my point of view
he could have meditated in the living room or while I was at practice, but he
wasn’t willing to budge. From his point of view, high school was hard enough
without the constant sound of Glee arrangements.

At the start of the semester, I practiced “Circle of Life” for a concert audition.
While I could sing it fine in its original key, I had a hard time singing it along with
the music because the arrangement of the song we were working on had a key
change that was out of my range. I couldn’t change key without my voice cracking
as I switched to a head voice. This was the first time I struggled to learn a song,
and I was a week from the audition. I was irritable in that period and stopped
practicing, declaring I had reached the height of my singing career. My brother
experiencing quiet when I got home for the first time in years. 

After a couple days of this, when I got home, he asked me to join him in
meditation. And feeling my anger at my inability to navigate this song gracefully, I
did. It was difficult at first. I was trying to clear my head. Later my brother told me
that wasn’t the point. When your mind drifts away, you simply come back, no
judgment. I liked the sound of that, and it became my new philosophy. I kept trying
at the song, no longer getting angry at myself, and just in time for the audition I
was able to maintain power in my voice despite the key change. It was important
for me to learn you don’t have to always get everything right the first time and that
good things come with continual effort. As for my brother, we no longer argue. I
now understand why he prefers the quiet. 

College essay example #12

This student was admitted to Brown University.

(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Brown)

My parents are aerospace engineers, humble even as their work helps our society
explore new frontiers. They believe that you make a stand through the work that
you do, not what you say. This is what they taught me. This is what I believed until
my sophomore year when I was confronted with a moment where I could not stay
quiet. 

I live outside of a major city in a small, rural town that’s majority white but for a
small South Asian population. My high school wasn’t diverse by any standards.
Some students were openly the children of skinheads. After a racist exchange with
a student who insulted her and refused to sit at the same lunch table, my best
friend, who was Muslim, did not stand for the pledge of allegiance in homeroom
the next day.

I hadn’t heard about the encounter that sparked this move on her part and was
surprised when she didn’t stand up beside me, hand against her heart, mouth
chanting an oath. She hadn’t mentioned any mounting discomfort to me, nor had I
noticed anything. Unlike my “patriotic” peers, I was less upset by her refusal to
stand up for the pledge of allegiance and more upset that she didn’t share with me
that she was hurting and what she was going to do to protest how she was treated
because of her beliefs and the color of her skin. 

She was suspended for insubordination and when I called her, she said that surely
in this situation I might find a way to think of more than my own feelings. I felt
ashamed. It didn’t even occur to me to seek to understand what was behind her
decision in the first place. I apologized, asking how to best support her. She said it
was just important that I listen and understand that she could not thrive in an
environment that promoted sameness. She spoke to me with a vulnerability I had
never heard before. At the end of our conversation, I apologized profusely. She
said she did not need my words and what she needed from me was to take a stand.
 This was the opposite of the belief my parents drilled in me. I felt conflicted at
first, as if by speaking about the situation I was doing something wrong. However,
my friend had to deal with a reality that I did not. And perhaps taking a stand
would allow my institution and everyone in it to learn to be a more inclusive space
for everyone. Maybe there was a way to take a stand and to do the necessary work
to change things.

I started a petition with my friend’s permission to end her suspension and to take
disciplinary action instead on the student who had taken racist actions in the first
place. Of the 1000 students at my high school, over 200 signed, a number that far
exceeded my expectation. When I shared the results with my friend, she said to me,
“Because of who you are, you will always have supporters. Use your power to do
good.”

Since then, I have tried to be more aware that not everyone experiences comfort in
the same environments that I do. Rather than assume everyone feels safe and
supported, it’s best to create space to listen and to ask how you can be supportive.
My friend and I created a club to foster cross-cultural dialogue. In the past year
two other clubs of its kind began at other local schools. More than anything I am
proud that I have learned to be a better friend and a more thoughtful community
member in a way that honors who I am and what I value.

College essay example #13

This is a college essay that worked for Washington University in St. Louis
(WashU).

I held my breath as my steady hands gently nestled the crumbly roots of the lettuce
plant into the soil trench that I shoveled moments before. Rainwater and sweat
dripped from my brow as I meticulously patted and pressed the surrounding earth,
stamping the leafy green creature into its new home. After rubbing the gritty soil
off of my hands, I looked at Brian, a co-volunteer and nonverbal 20-year-old with
autism, who extended his arm for a high-five. In the year that I’ve been working
with him, I’ve watched him revel in planting, nurturing, and eventually harvesting
his veggies, especially the grape tomatoes, which we enjoy eating fresh off the
vine! Upon walking to the next row of hollowed cavities, we were not
contemplating the lengthy work that lay ahead, but rather, we sought to liberate
the helpless lettuces, imprisoned in produce cartons that were too small for them
to grow in. Finally, after taking a step back to admire the day’s last plant, my
chest swelled as a wave of contentment flushed through my body. 

My love for gardening began when I moved to Georgia during my sophomore

year. In the time I’ve spent learning how to garden, I’ve developed an affinity for
watching my vegetables grow to maturity, eager to be harvested and sold at the
Saturday market. Though many see gardening as tedious busywork, I find it
meditative, as I lose track of time while combining peat moss and soil in the
garden’s compost mixer. Saturday morning garden work has become a weekend
ritual, ridding me of all extraneous responsibilities. My body goes into autopilot as
I let my mind wander. I don’t actively focus on focusing, but rather I observe
myself internally digest the week’s events. I’m a bystander to fireworks of thought
that explode in my mind as my perception of important matters becomes trivial.
Sometimes, it’s the physics midterm that suddenly seems less daunting or the
deadlines I need to meet for my Spanish project that push back farther. Other
times, I contemplate alternative endings to conversations or make perfect sense of
the calculus answer that was at the tip of my tongue in class. 

I met Brian, a close friend of mine who also basks in the tranquility of nature,
through my gardening endeavors. While we aren’t able to communicate verbally,
we speak the language of earth, water, peat, and seedlings. He doesn’t speak with
words, but his face tells stories of newly found purpose and acceptance, a pleasant
contrast to the typical condescension and babying he feels by those who don’t
think he’s capable of independent thought. 

Throughout my time in the garden with Brian, I began to understand that he, like
everyone, has a particular method of communicating. There are the obvious
spoken languages, body languages, facial expressions, and interactions we share
 on a day-to-day basis that reflect who we are and communicate what we represent.
Brian expresses himself through various manifestations of unspoken language that
he uses to signal how he feels or what he wants. But the nuanced combinations of
different methods of communicating are oftentimes overlooked, raising a barrier
to mutual understanding that prevents one from being capable of truly connecting
with others. I began to understand that in order to reach people, I have to speak in
their language, be it verbally or otherwise. Working with Brian over the past year
has made me more aware that people can have difficulty expressing themselves. I
found that I can positively lead people if I can communicate with them, whether on
the track or in my Jewish youth group discussions. As I move into the next phases
of my life, I hope to bring these skills with me because, in order to effectuate
positive change in my community, I learned that I must speak in the language of
those around me. Those are the words Brian taught me.

College essay example #14

This student was accepted at Brown University.

It felt like I threw myself out of a plane without a parachute. My eyes firmly shut, I
feared for my life as I plummeted towards the ground. In hindsight, perhaps half
coming out at a public restaurant wasn’t the brightest idea. Then again, living as
the half-closeted queer kid meant that I was all too familiar with intimidating
situations.

I asked my mom: “What would you do if I had a girlfriend?” She instantly replied
that she couldn’t understand. Immediately, my heart dropped and the emotional
free fall began. She explained that Americans choose to be gay for personal
enjoyment, which in my Korean culture is an attitude that is severely frowned
upon. I sat there like a statue, motionless and afraid to speak, blindly hurtling
towards a hard reality I hadn’t expected. Rejection cut me deeply and I started to
feel the itch of tears welling in my eyes, yet I had to contain myself. I couldn’t let
the pain seep through my facade or else she would question why I cared. All I
could do was keep looking down and shoveling food into my mouth, silently
wishing I could just disappear. That night, I realized it would be a long time
before I could fully come out to my mom. My eyes tightened as I continued to fall.

In the following weeks, I started noticing how discomfort played a natural part in
my life. I recognized the anxious reactions of my classmates as I argued with my
Christian friends when they said my queerness is a sin. I observed the judgmental
glances my mentors gave me as I passionately disagreed with my conservative lab
mates over my sister’s abortion. Eventually, my friends decided to censor certain
topics of discussion, trying to avoid these situations altogether. I felt like
vulnerability was the new taboo. People’s expressions and actions seemed to
confine me, telling me to stop caring so much, to keep my eyes closed as I fall, so
they didn’t have to watch.

Had others felt uncomfortable with me in the same way I had felt uncomfortable
with my mom? Do they feel that our passions might uncover a chasm into which
we all fall, unsure of the outcome?

Perhaps it was too raw, too emotional.

There was something about pure, uncensored passion during conflict that became
too real. It made me, and the people around me, vulnerable, which was
frightening. It made us think about things we didn’t want to consider, things
branded too political, too dangerous. Shielding ourselves in discomfort was simply
an easier way of living.

However, I’ve come to realize that it wasn’t my comfort, but rather, my discomfort
that defined my life. My memories aren’t filled with times where life was simple,
but moments where I was conflicted. It is filled with unexpected dinners and
unusual conversations where I was uncertain. It is filled with the uncensored
versions of my beliefs and the beliefs of others. It is filled with a purity that I
shouldn’t have detained.

Now, I look forward to tough conversations with a newfound willingness to learn

and listen, with an appreciation for uncertainty. I urge others to explore our
 discomfort together and embrace the messy emotions that accompany it. I try to
make our collective discomfort more navigable. Since that dinner, my relationship
with my mother is still in free fall. It’s dangerous and frightening. Thankfully, the
potentially perilous conversations I’ve had with my friends has given me a
newfound appreciation for my own fear. I’ll admit, part of me still seeks to close
my eyes, to hide in the safety I’ll find in silence. Yet, a larger part of me yearns to
embrace the dangers around me as I fall through the sky. I may still be falling, but
this time, I will open my eyes, and hopefully steer towards a better landing for
both my mom and me.

THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE COLLEGE

ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE
LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY 30-MINUTE
CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.
Dr. Shemmassian/ 55 Comments
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Preview POST COMMENT…
Clara david A month ago · 0 Likes
  

WHAT A GREAT MIRACLE THAT I HAVE EVER SEE IN MY LIFE. My names

are Clara David I’m a citizen of USA, My younger sister was sicking of breast cancer
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man's email was there. So I decided to contact the herbal man @herbalist_dr_sakura
for my younger sister's help to cure her breast cancer. I contacted him and told him
my problem he told me that I should not worry that my sister cancer will be cure, he
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USA, he told me That I will pay for the delivery service. The courier service can
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fee. two days later I receive the cure from the courier service so I used it as the herbal
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safia 2 months ago · 0 Likes
  

Very descriptive post, I enjoyed that a lot.

safia 2 months ago · 0 Likes
  

Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful post. Many thanks for providing this info.
Gauri 7 months ago · 0 Likes
  

Hello! I have an idea on my mind but now am I not sure, I was thinking about, how
me deciding to be a vegetarian and because of the consistency, it is one of the things
that helps and encourage me stay consistent in my academic life too.
fiker 8 months ago · 0 Likes
  

please help me i am in my final year of highschool and i need to write personal essay
and i don't have any idea so please don't ignore my comment and i don't know how to
start my essay
sar 8 months ago · 0 Likes
  

alright I may be a bit late but for the start use an attention grabber. Some good ones
are a quote or a question. Then once you have your hook you need to explain it a bit
once you explained it go ahead and write about what your going to say in your essay
Caroline 9 months ago · 1 Like
  

Did not like most of these examples. Most are about some kid doing something
amazing like Stanford research. Most kids don’t do something of that level. Should
include more relatable essays not just about a students research or something similar.
Elijah Ackhurst 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

Thanks for sharing these tips. I found these tips very helpful. I believe that every
mother like me who is reading this article now is truly happy about this very
informative article.
Dr. Shemmassian A year ago · 0 Likes
  

You're welcome! Glad you found the guide helpful.

John 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Can i share an essay for review?

Aya Sridi 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
Hey there ! I wrote my common up essay about the transformation we face from being
a teenager to becoming an adult. And to be quite honest, I am not feeling confident
about it so I would love to hear anyones's pov about it. Please, I hope I get someone to
read it and let me know if I should change it or anything. Thank you so much !
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
Hello Aya! The topic matters less than making sure to communicate your main point
and to set the right foundation for your application's larger narrative. Read this:
https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-to-write-the-common-app-essay

university of manila 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
I’m impressed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s equally educative
and interesting,
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
Thanks for your compliment! Glad you're enjoying our resources.

mishal 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
Hi! I wanted to ask if it's advisable to add a poem to my essay? Should I just focus on
one event of life or talk about 2 to three events and how they shaped me as a person?
And is it necessary to write about what I learned or it's fine if I talk about how my
perspective on life changed?
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
Hello! You can approach your essays many different ways. For advice on how to
brainstorm the right approach, read this:
https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-to-write-the-common-app-essay

zimmel 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
Hey! will it be fine if I write an essay about the disease my mother encountered and
its effects on me and my academic performance?
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
You could, but if your primary goal is to provide context for your lower academic
performance, it might be better to cover this in the Additional Information section:
https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/common-app-additional-information-
section

Sylvester Mtenga 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Thank you so much for your blog.

I'm in my final year of high school, so far my extra curriculars have been essay
writing competitions of which I won awards from 3 of them, being a member of a
charity organization, public speaking competition and attending self development
classes...I'm from Africa in my final year of high school but would really love to study
abroad. Is it too late to add more activities and produce a marvelous essay for college
or do I need to fo more??
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
It's not too late!

Ava 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
I wrote my college essay about how working with horses helped me learn how to
control my anxiety. My topic feels a bit lame and ordinary. How can I spice it up?
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 1 Like
  
Hello Ava! There’s no such thing as a good or bad essay topic, only strong or poor
execution. Follow the advice in our Common App guide and you’ll be on your way!

George Gakenia 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
Could you assist in polishing on my essays?
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
Hello! Yes, we can. Learn more here:
https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/college-admissions

Ann A year ago · 0 Likes

  
Dear Dr Shemmassian,
If a student is straight As and gets one B in one semester - are they automatically out
of consideration for top Ivy League schools? Please advise.
Dr. Shemmassian A year ago · 0 Likes
  
Hello Ana! No, a student would likely not be auto rejected in the situation you
described.

jay 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
is it necessary to connect your essay with the course you are taking?
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
Not necessary!

john bob 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
Thanks for sharing such an informational article which will a great help to the
students.
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
You're welcome!

Russell 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Who wrote the second example?

gianna 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

Could I write my college essay about my mental illnesses and how they have affected
me? I read that I shouldn't do that but I feel like I could make it something positive if I
tried. Anyways, would that be an okay topic, or should I not use that one even if I
could make it not so depressing.
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
Yes, you could. What matters is how you discuss it and what point you communicate
through the topic.

Most people will believe writing about a mental illness is a "hard no." But, depending
on your experience and the sensitivity with which you discuss it, it could shine a very
unique light on your story.
PJ 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

Hi! I have been thinking about what should I write my personal essay about, and by
now my ideas are :
- An extracurricular I enjoy ( this one might be too overused)
- My favorite tv show,
- Specific interests like the smell of something
- A specific moment that happened to me and my friends while on a school trip
- My ADHD, anxiety, and having an autistic brother ( I believe this one might be a bit
overused)

Which one would you think is better to write about? Would you say one of these
topics will make me stand out more but will show colleges who I am? Or maybe, is
there any topic you would not write about?

Thank you very much

Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
All of these could be the foundation for a strong (or weak) essay! What matters is how
you communicate the information.

Va 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
Hey there! As I read these essays, all I can see is what they want to pursue or the huge
things they did for the society or fancy extracurriculars. Nothing except for one essays
deliveres a message that's deep, relatable and gets me(a reader hooked). So, my
question is that is this what the admissions officers look for, fancy extracurriculars,
fancy majors and fancy summer courses or do normal people with normal lives but
great willingness also have a chance?
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
The variety of essays has been presented to show you just how diverse good essays
can be. However, do not mistake “normal stories” with “average applicants.” I assure
you that candidates who get into top schools with seeming “normal lives” were
probably super high achievers when they applied.

Elijah Gerald 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

I don't know how to say this, but all i can see is that the illuminati is real, because i
have finally see the goodness of being a member of illuminati, the illuminati is a big
brotherhood family, which help and protect human in this earth, the illuminati is real,
why i said so is because i have meet so many fake people using the illuminati names
to cheat on people, who are really interested to be part of the brotherhood, i was once
a victim and i have so many experience, because of this i was thinking the illuminati
brotherhood is just a name, but now i believe in the illuminati brotherhood because i
finally meet the right agent, i spent thousands of dollars because i want to join, but all
was fake people, when i meet the right people, i was thinking i will pay money to join,
to my own surprise it is totally free to join, the illuminati brotherhood will not charge
you for any fee, there will take care of all the charges, the reason why i am saying this
testimony is to inform you all that it is totally free to join the illuminati, and if you
join the illuminati on your induction day you will be given so many benefits and a
cash of $2,000,000.00 to start a new life as a new member of illuminati, i don't have
much to say all i can do now is, i will direct you to this email and contact phone
number of the real illuminati brotherhood, because i also want you to meet the real
illuminati brotherhood, contact email: richbrotherhoodofwealth@gmail.com
call contact phone number or WhatsApp +1(661) 666-4507 for more info on how to
be part of the brotherhood, everything on how to join is free thanks to you all that will
read my testimony.
Sandra 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

I always get overwhelmed when it comes to writing. I am not confident enough to put
my thoughts into words. It has been a struggle for me, especially now that I am
already in high school. Recently, instead of watching random videos online, I am
reading essays of other people as much as I can. I think it would help me appreciate
writing more and put it into practice. May I ask for your recommendations for
students like me who are struggling with their writing skills?
Osinachi Praise Atama 2 years ago · 1 Like
  

Hi Sandra, I'm Praise. I used to struggle with writing Common app essays and college
essays because the first time I saw them, they looked nothing like the essays I had
written all through my life. I read a few of them, like you are doing now. I just want to
give you a piece of advice, all these scholarship essays, their essence is to tell a story
about the applicant. Just think about something that has had an impact on you, no
matter how small. Write it down anyway you can and read it over and over again to
make corrections. Do not let anyone tell you what to write about because that will be
adding a piece of someone else while trying to describe you. Don't read many people's
essays before you start yours because you might find yourself towing into their own
stories rather than yours. Try to scribble something .... it will work out very soon.
Happy writing!
Dr. Shemmassian 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  
Hello Sandra! Glad you’re here. It’s good to read examples to understand just how
different great essays can be. However, make sure to do some free writing, like what’s
described in our Common App Essay guide

Ashley 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  
Is it okay that most of these essays focus on one accomplishment? Are these essays
the main Common Application personal statements? Because I did the same, talking
about my major passion project. I felt nervous submitting it, however, because I felt
like it wasn't revealing a lot about me.

Osinachi Praise Atama 2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

The truth is that, Common app essays don't necessarily need your accomplishments
because they are already in your application. They want to know who you are, what
you love doing and what you see as your basic life principles. They want to know
your core values.
2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Hi Ashley! It's totally fine if your essay focuses on just one or two accomplishments.
Students often feel pressure to list all of their achievements in the essay, but this
usually results in the essay sounding more like a resume instead of a compelling
narrative. And yes, the majority of these essays were submitted in response to the
main Common App Essay prompt. Hope this helps!
Jayde 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

Hello! I’m of 2023 and currently a sophomore in high school who wants to eventually
go into the biology field for my undergrad studies and I would love some volunteer
hours/extra curriculars at hospitals or anything even related to the health field that I
can demonstrate on my college essay. However, with the pandemic, I know it’s
difficult to find those right now..when I’m applying to colleges, can I in any way
explain to them that I wasn’t able to do so because of the risk of covid and everything
going on right now, and if yes, how will I able to do that?
Thanks so much!

2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Hi Jayde! Colleges are aware of the various challenges applicants have faced this
cycle due to the pandemic and will be understanding of this. However, there are still
many opportunities to demonstrate your heart for service and commitment to your
community. Some examples include working at local food bank or tutoring
disadvantaged students online. Since you are a sophomore, you still have plenty of
time. Hope this helps!
Sejuti Mazumder 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

How do we start our essays?

2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Hi Sejuti! Check out this guide for our advice on college essay intros:
https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/2015/3/3/how-to-get-your-college-or-
scholarship-essays-rejected-at-first-glance-or-not
a 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

I am reading some examples about essays because tomorrow is my final writing test.
These examples are good to study, I hope tomorrow I can have success on my final
writing test!!!!
2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Glad you found them helpful! Best of luck on your test :)

sara 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

How can we list accomplishments and clubs when covid has taken almost all of those
opportunities away? I really want to attend duke university and I know it is a very
competitive school.
2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Hi Sara! Colleges understand that most extracurricular opportunities have been

disrupted by the pandemic. However, we encourage you to think about the sort of
impact you want to have and to come up with creative ways to achieve it. For
example, let's say you wanted to teach young children with disabilities how to play
basketball. With COVID, in-person classes won't be feasible, but you can certainly
host these sessions online over a platform like Zoom.

Hope this is helpful! Also, be sure to check out our guide on How to Get Into Duke:
https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-to-get-into-duke
Aylana 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

Thanks, this really helped me, I may only be a freshman but this has helped
tremendously. I was super worried that when this happened that I would never get
excepted into any schools. But now I know I just need to experience life and that will
help me a lot.
2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Thanks for your comment, Aylana! We're glad to hear the examples were helpful.
Kamauri 2 years ago · 0 Likes
  

I think these examples of college essays are good for students in high school like me
to start to pay attention to because it will make college essays easier for when we get
there
2 years ago · 0 Likes

  

Thanks for your comment, Kamauri! We're glad you found the examples valuable.