Example Essays
The essays that actually worked
Thousands of real essays from admitted students, with the schools they got into. Read what worked before you write yours.
In the summer before 8th grade, I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. I had been going to the bathroom almost eight times a night so my mom thought I had a urinary tract infection and took me to the doctor (I later found out that UTIs are only common in sexually active elderly men... really mom?). Four days and twenty hours of doctor appointments later, my parents and I found ourselves at home with loads of equipment. After two weeks of learning where it really hurts to get a shot and where it’s only not so bad, I knew that one day I would get the hang of it. What once felt like an…
University of Chicago166 w.This past summer, I went on a college tour trip with my father. Notre Dame was the second stop on our trip, and we visited another eight colleges afterward. While all were very impressive, Notre Dame had something special that the others lacked. Pinpointing exactly what excites me about Notre Dame leads to three possibilities. Maybe the college's rural setting, which would naturally attract me as a South Dakotan. Part of it was the Catholicism, with the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Also, the idea of mass in the basement of a dorm is really cool. The…
University of Notre Dame185 w.I wish I could add "reading every single page of the Brown website" to my extracurricular activities. I've spent plenty of hours doing it. I'm addicted to the freedom and passion of Brown. I spent my high school alongside overworked teachers and sleeping students. The disinterest isn't their fault. How can you truly feel committed to school when your curriculum has been force-fed to you for 12 years? Instead, I crave a place where I'm in charge of my own academic career, without having to follow some prewritten path. So much of life is completely out of our hands, but our minds are one thing…
Brown University196 w.Some students struggle with simply writing an essay, but in Moot Court, I was expected to write a twenty page appellate brief in two weeks using proper court language. A tall order for an average sized high schooler. I first began Moot Court during my sophomore year, and it wasn’t the best of beginnings. It was difficult for me to understand the basic concept of actus reus, much less try to argue whether reasonable suspicion or probable cause is applicable. Predictably, my sophomore year brief was not chosen to move on to district level. But I was determined to write better and prove myself…
Duke University398 w.MUSI 243, Timbral Studies- An exploration of sound, such as harmonics, envelopes and the physics of waves; both classical instruments and electronic programs will be used to portray the concepts.
Yale University30 w.As the sound of my classmates’ sandals and Sperrys forcefully clapping against the floor neared me, I was careful not to allow it to disturb the façade of intense focus I always put up as they filed into the lab. Being a year ahead in science meant that, as a sophomore, I had to take physics with the juniors and seniors. To my classmates, I was a scientific savant, awkward yet prodigious. My dexterity in deriving the intensity of light from the inverse of the square of the distance made me not only the pride of the physics department, but also the envy of my tormentors. My facility with that…
Common App651 w.The summer before senior year, I took multivariable calculus through MIT’s OpenCourseWare so that I could further my research efforts. Now, I’m formally enrolled in multivariable calculus at my school. Wait. What? Why not just take another math course, perhaps at the local community college? Or why not just another class in a different subject altogether? Well, I’m not enrolled in the traditional multivariable calculus course. My teacher, and I, with the consent of the administration, have agreed to a modified curriculum. First, in lieu of traditional homework, I prepare presentations of…
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)244 w.Within and among countries, extreme disparities still exist in access to education and healthcare. People are excluded from opportunities and basic services, essentially refused the hope of a better life. Universal political, economic, and social policies are needed, particularly concentrated on the needs of disadvantaged, marginalized, and displaced communities.
Stanford University49 w.It was when I was driving the most familiar road—the one on which I begin each of my mornings and end each night—that I noticed the air was too crisp for my open windows. It was early, still dark out, but my car flooded the streets with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The music infuses me with happiness and fuels my energy. I can’t help but dance in my seat, grinning with so much force I forget the heaviness of my eyes. With my music on, heads turn. Stern faces of morning commuters soften and kids walking to school sway to the sounds. “Shadows searching in the niiiiiiiiiiight!” Regardless…
Yale University249 w.A subtle, but unavoidable, piece of life in southwest Virginia is the driving. It’s such an integral part of life partly because of the sheer amount of time it takes to go anywhere. Teens around the country rejoice on their sweet-sixteenths as they’re finally handed the coveted keys to freedom, but here, your sixteenth birthday is bittersweet. The freedom of driving comes with the heavy burden of having to drive everywhere. For me, a typical day includes about two hours of driving, and no matter the destination, there’s nothing quite like a trip through stop-and-go traffic to ruin your day. ~…
University of Chicago248 w.I would continue to play club baseball; not only do I love the sport, but I also love the kids that play it. I have been part of a baseball team since I was five, and I believe playing team sports keeps me motivated, as everyone needs to continue to improve and fill their role for the team to succeed. Baseball is also a huge stress reliever for me, as I enjoy going down to the field on Saturday mornings with my best friend, playing music, and hitting balls into the net until any anxiety is gone. I can’t imagine my life without baseball, and it would be my first stop at the fall festival.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor115 w.Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held. (About 150 words) Drops of sweat ran down my forehead in the 105? weather; the summer of 2015 was no joke. It was my third tour of the refugee town that day at the Hasan Kalyoncu University Middle East Research Center. After the tour, I’d be interviewing a Syrian family for my Independent Study. Before volunteering at the Center, I’d founded an NGO in 2015, the Give A Hand Organization, and I spent a month both leading a team and working as a teacher for blind young…
Princeton University356 w.Frequently asked questions
Are these real college essays from admitted students?
Yes. Every essay here was written by a real applicant who was admitted, and each is tagged with a school they got into. They are shared as examples to learn from, not templates to copy.
What makes a college essay good?
A strong essay is specific, personal, and reflective. It tells a small true story only you could tell, shows your thinking rather than listing achievements, and sounds like you talking. Admissions readers remember voice and a real moment, not big words.
Can I copy one of these essays for my own application?
No. Colleges run essays through plagiarism checks, and a copied essay is an instant rejection. Read these to understand what works, then write your own story. The point is to learn the moves, not the words.
How long should a college essay be?
The Common App personal statement has a hard limit of 650 words. Supplemental essays are usually shorter, often 100 to 400 words. Aim to use the space you are given, but never pad to hit a count.
What is the difference between the personal statement and supplemental essays?
The personal statement is one essay sent to every school through the Common App. Supplemental essays are extra prompts written for a specific college, like Why us or a community question. Both matter, and both are represented here.
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