the first day at college essay

Essay On My First Day At College in 150, 350 and 500 Words

A student’s life begins anew when he graduates from school and advances to college. His memory of his first day at college will always remain etched in his heart. The purpose of writing practice in English is to ask students to compose an essay about their first day at college. The following is part of their first day in college essay. In order to help students write their own essays about their first days at college, I’ve provided a sample essay and a sample paragraph about mine.

Table of Contents

 A 150-word essay about my first day at college

 My first day at college was an emotional experience for me, so writing about it was difficult for me. The day I started that new chapter of my life was a turning point in my life. I enrolled in Haji Muhammad Mohsin College after passing the SSC examination. On the first day, I arrived before 9 AM. My first action was to write the procedure on the notice board. It was a three-class day for me. It was English class first. In the classroom, I sat down.

 A large number of students were present. A lively conversation was taking place between them. There was a lot of interaction between the students. Though I had never met any of them before, I quickly made friends with a few of them. In the classroom, the professor arrived on time. The rolls were called very quickly at first. During his speech, he used English as his language.

 He discussed the responsibilities of a college student. My teachers’ lectures were enjoyable, and I enjoyed each class. In the afternoon, I visited several areas of the college after class. Compared to the college library, the college library was much larger. Thousands of books were on display, which amazed me. A memorable day in my life was my first day in college.

 Essay on My First Day at College in 350+ Words

 It was an important day in my life when I attended college for the first time. I will never forget that day. When I was in school. My elder brothers and sisters provided me with a glimpse of college life. Having just started college, I looked forward to it with much anticipation. It seemed to me that college life would offer me a freer life, where there would be fewer restrictions and fewer teachers to worry about. It was finally the day that had been longed for.

 A government college was opened in my city. As soon as I stepped onto the college grounds, I was filled with hope and aspirations. Seeing the diversified perspective offered by the college was a pleasant surprise. I had never seen anything like it at our school or around it. Many unknown faces appeared in front of me.

 As a freshman in college, I experienced some very strange things. My surprise was sparked by seeing students playing indoor and outdoor games as well as listening to radio broadcasts during class time. It is not prohibited to wear a uniform. Students’ movements are free, as I observed. It is up to them to decide what they want to do.

 The newly admitted students were all in good spirits when I arrived. It was a pleasure to make friends with them all. It was a pleasure to move around the college. As I entered the college library, I was delighted to find books on every topic I wanted to learn about. On my first day at the college, I was keen to learn more about the laboratory and conduct experiments. The notice board displayed the timetable for my class. Attending classes was something I did. There is a difference between the method of teaching at the college and at the school.

 A specialized teacher teaches each subject. Classes do not ask questions. Failure to learn a lesson does not result in a reprimand from the professor. This is simply a matter of reminding students they have responsibilities. The school has a homely atmosphere, so students lack access to snacks. Therefore, they feel the comfortable rhythm of life has changed and I returned home feeling a mixture of duty and liberty.

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 My First Day at College Essay In 500+ Words

 a brief introduction:.

A memorable event in my life was my first day at college. When I was a boy, I dreamed of studying in a college. A college was attended by my eldest brother. During our conversation, he told me stories about his college. My mind immediately traveled to another world when I read those stories. As a student, I found college to be a totally different experience from my school. My dream of attending college came true because of that. My college experience seemed to me to be an opportunity to get rid of the rigid school rules that I had gone to school under. The SSC examination was finally passed and I was able to enroll in a college. Some colleges gave me admission forms. Haji Mohammad Mohsin College selected me for admission after I took the admission tests at those colleges. The event marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

  Preparation:

My college life had been on my mind for quite some time. It was finally here. As soon as I arose from my bed, I prepared breakfast. On my way to college, I arrived there well before 9 a.m. In the morning, the routine was written on the noticeboard. It was a busy day for me with three classes. There was a difference in classrooms between my classes and I was surprised by it.

  Classroom experience:

It was English that I studied in my first class. It was time for me to take my seat in the classroom. Many students attended. A lively conversation was taking place between them. There was a lot of student interaction going on. I became friends with some of them in no time, despite not knowing any of them before. In the classroom, the professor arrived on time. He called the roll quickly. After that, he began to speak. 

English was his first language. College students have responsibilities and duties, he said. He held my attention raptly. It was a very informative lecture and I enjoyed it a lot. The next class was Bengali’s first paper. The class was held in a different classroom. Bengali short stories were the topic of the teacher’s lecture in that class. 

My previous school’s educational standards are different from the colleges I am attending. After attending the classes, I understood the difference. Additionally, the college had a better method of teaching. Students were treated politely by the professor as if they were friends.

Libraries, common rooms, and canteens at the college:

After attending the classes, I visited the different parts of the college. There was a large library at the college. Thousands of books were there, and I was astonished. It was a popular place to study. A large crowd of students was chatting in the students’ common. There were also indoor games being played by some of the students. Next, I stopped by the college canteen. Some of my friends and I had tea and snacks there. Everyone on campus was having a good time and enjoying themselves.

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My First Day at College Essay | 2nd Year, 1st Year | 1000 Words

My First Day at College

College is dreamland of every student’s educational career. It is a beautiful period of learning, enjoyment, freedom and friendship. Sweet memories of college life are simply amazing. They have an everlasting impact on human memory.

Related Quotes:

1. What a beautiful chapter of a student’s life, College life is!

2. Colleges are places where pebbles are polished and diamonds are dimmed.

3. Life in a college is more than a serious effort to get education. Moreover college is a place of making friends and chalking programs to go out to the pictures, cinemas and picnics.

College life has its own charm and beauty. Each and every moment spent there is always worth-living, worth-enjoying and also worth-remembering. Out of all the days, we can never forget the first day of college life.

4. A New place and a New Life with a New lifestyle.

First day of college is really very special and memorable for every student.  The first of anything impresses us most. That is why we hardly ever forget our first love, our first success, our first friend. Likewise, we cannot forget our first day at college, the day that symbolizes the transition period from one life, so to say, into another. It comes to my mind again and again with those alien but lively feelings, those impressions, and sights and sounds.

At last the result of matriculation examination was declared and I came out with flying colors. After I passed my school examination with good grades, many excited and heated discussions took place on the choice of subjects and college. I decided to take admission in Government College which was the biggest college of my city. I had heard a lot of stories about college life from my elder sibling and relatives. According to them college is not as strict as school. I was full of excitement, inner joy and high hopes for a promising future. I thought college life would be full of pleasures and of course it was. College life is not as strict as the school life.

On the very first day, I got up early in the morning as I was much excited for the college life. I offered Dawn Prayer and took a hearty bath and got ready for the college. I could even do breakfast because of excitement. As soon as I stepped into the college, I felt like I have entered a new world. It was indeed a completely new world for me. The college had a wonderful building, lovely playgrounds and devoted Professors. The grand traditions, good mannerism, and liberal atmosphere made a great difference to my life. My first-day entry in college always fascinates me. My first day was an unforgettable experience of my educational life.

5. My impressions of the first day at college are still fresh in my memory. It seems impossible to erase those Sweet memories.

On first September, I got up early in the morning, took bath and said my prayers. Meanwhile, my mother prepared breakfast for me. I hurriedly took my breakfast and went to college by bus. As soon as I stepped into the college, I felt like I have entered a new world. It was indeed a completely new world for me. The college had a wonderful building, lovely playgrounds and devoted Professors. The grand traditions, good mannerism, and liberal atmosphere made a great difference to my life. My first-day entry in college always fascinates me. When I reached the gate of the college, some senior students of the college were standing there. Some of them where in a jolly mood and wanted to befool the new-comers. They had worked out their own plans to make the new-comers indulge in strange actions. However, we decided to act together to avoid their practical jokes. Some of the senior were approaching us with an air of superiority. They were large in number so they made us subdue immediately. They asked us to do strange things like singing ridiculous songs and doing monkey pranks. The sense of self- respect did not allow me to act according to their wishes. Still they forced me to obey their orders. I felt a little humiliated but took it sportingly.

Meanwhile, a senior Professor of the college came to our rescue. He asked the boys to assemble in the hall were the Principal would address them. We want to the hall. The Principal addressed the students and advised them not to take part in politics at college. They should pay full attention to their studies and try their best to achieve their goal. Afterwards, a Professor guided us about our time-table and class rooms.

Our first period was of English. We want to the classroom and set on the benches. A Professor entered the room, the boys stood up greet him. He took our roll-call and entered the names of the students in his attitude register. He did not teach us but advised us about our future life. He stressed what we should not misuse the liberty here rather we should keep full use of the opportunity to achieve our end. Afterwards, we moved another room where our teacher in Arabic came. He delivered his lecture on the importance of Arabic language and advised us to come to the class with our books. Then there was no other period on that day. So, we want to the library and read some newspapers. We discussed the lecture of our teacher and decided to work very hard from the beginning to get through the examinations getting very good marks. Then we left the library, shook hands with one another and departed. I took a bus and reached my home. I found a considerable between the school life and that of college. I concluded that liberty or freedom must not be misused at all.

At the end of the first day, I returned home. When I was returning home, all the memories of my first day at College came to my mind. It was like a film. It had fun and fear. I remembered all the happenings and reached home with a smile. I had entered the college to gain knowledge and wisdom and to become a good citizen. Thanks, Almighty Allah I got what I wished. I wrote my memories in a special notebook.

In the end, I can say that college life is a beautiful blend of joys and memories. Right from my first day, every day spent in College was full of colorful events. Surely, College life is an ideal part of student life.

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Essay on My First Day at College

Students are often asked to write an essay on My First Day at College in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My First Day at College

Anticipation and excitement.

My first day at college was filled with a mix of anticipation and excitement. I was eager to meet my new classmates, learn from experienced professors, and explore the vast campus.

Class Introduction

The day began with a class introduction. I was nervous but soon found myself chatting with fellow students, sharing our dreams and aspirations.

First Lecture

The first lecture was intriguing. It was different from school, more interactive and engaging. I could feel the academic rigor and was thrilled.

Exploring the Campus

Post-classes, I explored the campus, discovering libraries, cafeterias, and the beautiful green spaces. It was an enriching and memorable day.

250 Words Essay on My First Day at College

The anticipation of a new beginning.

The day I had been waiting for had finally arrived – my first day at college. The blend of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation was a unique emotional cocktail. I had spent my entire summer imagining what this day would be like, but reality was about to exceed my expectations.

Embracing the Unknown

Walking through the grand entrance, I was immediately struck by the sheer size of the campus. The hustle and bustle of students rushing to classes, the diversity of faces, and the grandeur of the architecture made my high school seem like a distant memory. I felt like a small fish in a vast ocean, ready to explore the unknown.

Breaking the Ice

As I entered my first class, the room filled with unfamiliar faces, I felt a twinge of anxiety. However, the ice-breaking session, designed to introduce us to each other, eased my nerves. We shared our backgrounds, interests, and aspirations. It was a comforting reminder that we were all in the same boat, navigating the waters of this new life together.

Lessons Beyond the Classroom

The rest of the day was a flurry of lectures, introductions, and tours. But the most profound lesson I learned was not academic. It was the realization that college was not just about acquiring knowledge, but also about learning to adapt, making connections, and growing as an individual.

My first day at college was a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. It marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life, a chapter filled with opportunities, challenges, and the promise of growth. As I walked back to my dorm that evening, I knew I was ready to embrace this new journey with open arms.

500 Words Essay on My First Day at College

Anticipation and apprehension.

The transition from high school to college is a significant milestone in a student’s life. My first day at college was an amalgamation of emotions ranging from anticipation to apprehension. I was stepping into an environment that promised intellectual growth, new friendships, and a journey towards self-discovery.

The New Academic Culture

As I walked through the gates of my college, I was immediately struck by the sheer diversity of the student body. The campus was teeming with students from different backgrounds, each bringing a unique perspective to the table. This was a stark contrast to my high school, where the student population was relatively homogeneous.

My first class was an introduction to philosophy. The professor, a renowned scholar in his field, challenged us to question our beliefs and assumptions. The class was interactive, and students were encouraged to voice their opinions. This was a departure from the rote learning methods I was accustomed to in high school. The emphasis was on critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential in the real world.

Building New Relationships

Another significant aspect of my first day was the opportunity to forge new relationships. I met my roommate, a friendly person from a different city. We found common ground in our shared love for music and literature. The day was also filled with introductions to future classmates, professors, and administrative staff. Each interaction was a step towards building a network that would support me throughout my college journey.

Extracurricular Activities

The college also showcased a plethora of extracurricular activities. The clubs ranged from debate societies to sports teams, each offering a platform to pursue passions outside the academic realm. I was particularly drawn to the student-run newspaper, seeing it as an opportunity to hone my writing skills and stay informed about campus affairs.

Embracing Independence

Perhaps the most profound aspect of my first day at college was the sense of independence. For the first time, I was responsible for my schedule, managing my time between classes, extracurricular activities, and personal time. This newfound freedom was both exciting and daunting. It signified the beginning of my journey towards becoming a self-reliant individual.

My first day at college was a whirlwind of new experiences, filled with anticipation, excitement, and a bit of nervousness. It marked the beginning of a transformative journey, a journey that would shape my intellectual growth, personal development, and prepare me for the challenges of the future. As I reflect on that day, I realize that it was not just about the start of my college education, but also about the start of a new chapter in my life, one that would be filled with opportunities, challenges, and lifelong learning.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — College Students — First Day at College Experience

First Day at College experience

• Categories: College Life College Students Expectations

About this sample

Words: 896 |

Published: Jul 7, 2022

Words: 896 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited:

• Aller, S. (2019). The story behind the beloved book Little Women. National Geographic Kids. https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/history/general-history/story-behind-little-women/
• Bussey, T. J. (2015). Little Women. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Literature.
• Louisa May Alcott. (2019). Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• Lyon, D. (2018). The feminist legacy of Little Women. Literary Hub.
• McCormack, K. (2021). 10 surprising facts about Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Smithsonian Magazine.
• Nissen, E. (2018). The legacy of Little Women: How Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel became a feminist touchstone. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-legacy-of-little-women-how-louisa-may-alcotts-classic-novel-became-a-feminist-touchstone-107181
• Olsen, S. (2019). Little Women: A feminist reading. Humanities Commons. https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:25904/
• Silverthorne, D. (2018). The secret feminist history of Little Women. Independent.
• Thomason, K. (2019). Little Women: Themes & analysis. CliffsNotes.
• Urbanski, H. (2016). Little Women and the feminist imagination: Criticism, controversy, personal essays. Routledge.

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Most selective colleges require you to submit an essay or personal statement as part of your application.

It may sound like a chore, and it will certainly take a substantial amount of work. But it's also a unique opportunity that can make a difference at decision time. Admissions committees put the most weight on your high school grades and your test scores . However, selective colleges receive applications from many worthy students with similar scores and grades—too many to admit. So they use your essay, along with your letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities , to find out what sets you apart from the other talented candidates.

Telling Your Story to Colleges

So what does set you apart?

You have a unique background, interests and personality. This is your chance to tell your story (or at least part of it). The best way to tell your story is to write a personal, thoughtful essay about something that has meaning for you. Be honest and genuine, and your unique qualities will shine through.

Admissions officers have to read an unbelievable number of college essays, most of which are forgettable. Many students try to sound smart rather than sounding like themselves. Others write about a subject that they don't care about, but that they think will impress admissions officers.

You don't need to have started your own business or have spent the summer hiking the Appalachian Trail. Colleges are simply looking for thoughtful, motivated students who will add something to the first-year class.

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It could be an experience, a person, a book—anything that has had an impact on your life. 

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My First Day at College

Of all the enemies of people, the worst is a human itself. This is the way people think when they refuse to communicate with others, though they do not air it and maybe even don’t think of it directly in this precise form. But it is still there. And the less we try to consider and defy this feeling, the more strength the psychological communication difficulties gain, those in our minds. Some of us, however, are rather comfortable being locked up inside themselves. But when the life itself pushes you towards the situation that does not fit your psychological area of comfort, it is a right moment to reconsider your attitude, despite all the fears you may have.

Long before my first college day I had heard a story that shifted greatly my opinion of how the things in colleges are. It was about a guy who was, like me, adapting to college rules and regulations. It was about two weeks after the first of September when he had an unpleasant talk with his dean about antisemitism. He was accused of racism towards other students and not long after that he was expelled. In fact, he only had a badge on his bag that looked like a swastika, which people interpreted due to their private visions. No actual offense was caused to anyone directly. The guy was trying to defend himself from the false accusations, but futile. His only fault was a little self-expression that he allowed to himself, being good at ancient peoples’ symbolic traditions. The statement, which I derived from the store, was: watch out for everything and everyone; one step aside, and it is the end. In the matter of fact, I had been very gullible.

When it was my time to enter the college, I was utterly nervous. I was not very outgoing as a person, having my own reasons for that, and the story I had heard made me even more shut. On that day, my firm determination was not to give any sign of weakness. I was strained and reserved: everyone seemed to be a potential threat, which will carry my every word to higher echelons. So I hardly said a word to anybody, group mates included, although they seemed to be cheerful towards me. The first day was the day of acquaintances with professors, so students didn’t have to say much. In classrooms, I was taking places as close to the exit as possible. Unwittingly I was trying not to be noticed. I don’t know what I feared the most: expulsion or just a confrontation. In any case, I didn’t feel comfortable with anyone. I did not know yet whether I am going to be like that during all my college years.

It was not until the end of classes when the situation changed. When I was leaving the college, in the front yard I saw her. She caught my attention right away – the girl with multiple piercings and unnatural hair color. First I thought that she was just a passer-by, who occasionally stopped to read a book in a calm atmosphere. Curiosity gave me courage. I came up to her and started a talk. Being startled, I spoke right to the point without any pretext. In hindsight, I might have been a little rude with that. She appeared to be on her third year, and she had always been like that. And she did not look like anything I had thought of an average student. This fact embarrassed me, though she supposed to be the one to be embarrassed with what I asked her. During that conversation, I learned much about the college that I entered, about the attitude of staff and what professors pay attention to. It was that moment when the story that I had heard started to vanish from my head. The most peculiar fact that I remembered was the smile on her face while she was talking to me.

The conversation gave me a great deal to consider. Looking at that day with a new sight, I was able to see that all the reasons for caution were only in my head. Being taken up by overestimated dangers, I forgot to be rational. It was the lesson I learned that day. I can’t say that I changed entirely the next day. It takes time to rebuild one’s attitude, and I am no exception. Still, I’m proud of being able to overstep my fears.

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College Admissions , College Essays

The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I'll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 11 different schools. Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 177 full essays and essay excerpts , this article is a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You'll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author's present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author's world, and for how it connects to the author's emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don't take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don't want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don't bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

And if you need more guidance, connect with PrepScholar's expert admissions consultants . These expert writers know exactly what college admissions committees look for in an admissions essay and chan help you craft an essay that boosts your chances of getting into your dream school.

Check out PrepScholar's Essay Editing and Coaching progra m for more details!

Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these.

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of 177 college essay examples responding to current and past Common App essay prompts. 

Connecticut college.

• 12 Common Application essays from the classes of 2022-2025

Hamilton College

• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2026
• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022
• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2018
• 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2012
• 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2007

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Coalition Application (which Johns Hopkins used to accept).

• 1 Common Application or Coalition Application essay from the class of 2026
• 6 Common Application or Coalition Application essays from the class of 2025
• 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2024
• 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2023
• 7 Common Application of Universal Application essays from the class of 2022
• 5 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2021
• 7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2020

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

• 2 Common Application essays ( 1st essay , 2nd essay ) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a collection of essays that are college-specific.

Babson College

• 4 essays (and 1 video response) on "Why Babson" from the class of 2020

Emory University

• 5 essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) from the class of 2020 along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on why the essays were exceptional
• 5 more recent essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on what made these essays stand out

University of Georgia

• 1 “strong essay” sample from 2019
• 1 “strong essay” sample from 2018
• 10 Harvard essays from 2023
• 10 Harvard essays from 2022
• 10 Harvard essays from 2021
• 10 Harvard essays from 2020
• 10 Harvard essays from 2019
• 10 Harvard essays from 2018
• 6 essays from admitted MIT students

Smith College

• 6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018

Books of College Essays

If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers.

College Essays That Made a Difference —This detailed guide from Princeton Review includes not only successful essays, but also interviews with admissions officers and full student profiles.

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson—A must for anyone aspiring to Harvard .

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays and 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe—For essays from other top schools, check out this venerated series, which is regularly updated with new essays.

Heavenly Essays by Janine W. Robinson—This collection from the popular blogger behind Essay Hell includes a wider range of schools, as well as helpful tips on honing your own essay.

Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example 1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

"Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?"

"Why me?" I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. "The water's on fire! Clear a hole!" he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I'm still unconvinced about that particular lesson's practicality, my Dad's overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don't sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don't expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame.

It's the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren't going to get food or dinner; they're going for "Texas BBQ." The coat hanger comes from "a dumpster." Stephen doesn't just move the coat hanger—he "jiggles" it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn't just uncomfortable or nervous; he "takes a few steps back"—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word "click."

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally.

"Unpredictability and chaos" are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like "family of seven" and "siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing," Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: "in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed."

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase "you know," so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father's strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn't occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad's approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can't control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like "twists and turns" and "don't sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he "learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

Example 2: By Renner Kwittken, Tufts Class of '23 (Common App Essay, 645 words long)

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go," and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration.

Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear.

I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

In the lab, Dr. Ray encouraged a great amount of autonomy to design and implement my own procedures. I chose to attack a problem that affects the entire field of nanomedicine: nanoparticles consistently fail to translate from animal studies into clinical trials. Jumping off recent literature, I set out to see if a pre-dose of a common chemotherapeutic could enhance nanoparticle delivery in aggressive prostate cancer, creating three novel constructs based on three different linear polymers, each using fluorescent dye (although no gold, sorry goldbug!). Though using radioactive isotopes like Gallium and Yttrium would have been incredible, as a 17-year-old, I unfortunately wasn't allowed in the same room as these radioactive materials (even though I took a Geiger counter to a pair of shoes and found them to be slightly dangerous).

I hadn't expected my hypothesis to work, as the research project would have ideally been led across two full years. Yet while there are still many optimizations and revisions to be done, I was thrilled to find -- with completely new nanoparticles that may one day mean future trials will use particles with the initials "RK-1" -- thatcyclophosphamide did indeed increase nanoparticle delivery to the tumor in a statistically significant way.

A secondary, unexpected research project was living alone in Baltimore, a new city to me, surrounded by people much older than I. Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research. Whether in a presentation or in a casual conversation, making others interested in science is perhaps more exciting to me than the research itself. This solidified a new pursuit to angle my love for writing towards illuminating science in ways people can understand, adding value to a society that can certainly benefit from more scientific literacy.

It seems fitting that my goals are still transforming: in Scarry's book, there is not just one goldbug, there is one on every page. With each new experience, I'm learning that it isn't the goldbug itself, but rather the act of searching for the goldbugs that will encourage, shape, and refine my ever-evolving passions. Regardless of the goldbug I seek -- I know my pickle truck has just begun its journey.

Renner takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but their essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through some of the strengths of this essay.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

This essay is ultimately about two things: Renner’s dreams and future career goals, and Renner’s philosophy on goal-setting and achieving one’s dreams.

But instead of listing off all the amazing things they’ve done to pursue their dream of working in nanomedicine, Renner tells a powerful, unique story instead. To set up the narrative, Renner opens the essay by connecting their experiences with goal-setting and dream-chasing all the way back to a memorable childhood experience:

This lighthearted–but relevant!--story about the moment when Renner first developed a passion for a specific career (“finding the goldbug”) provides an anchor point for the rest of the essay. As Renner pivots to describing their current dreams and goals–working in nanomedicine–the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” is reflected in Renner’s experiments, rejections, and new discoveries.

Though Renner tells multiple stories about their quest to “find the goldbug,” or, in other words, pursue their passion, each story is connected by a unifying theme; namely, that as we search and grow over time, our goals will transform…and that’s okay! By the end of the essay, Renner uses the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” to reiterate the relevance of the opening story:

While the earlier parts of the essay convey Renner’s core message by showing, the final, concluding paragraph sums up Renner’s insights by telling. By briefly and clearly stating the relevance of the goldbug metaphor to their own philosophy on goals and dreams, Renner demonstrates their creativity, insight, and eagerness to grow and evolve as the journey continues into college.

An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Renner sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know them.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Renner's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks their younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver.

I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Renner gives a great example of how to use humor to your advantage in college essays. You don’t want to come off as too self-deprecating or sarcastic, but telling a lightheartedly humorous story about your younger self that also showcases how you’ve grown and changed over time can set the right tone for your entire essay.

Technique #2: intentional, eye-catching structure. The second technique is the way Renner uses a unique structure to bolster the tone and themes of their essay . The structure of your essay can have a major impact on how your ideas come across…so it’s important to give it just as much thought as the content of your essay!

For instance, Renner does a great job of using one-line paragraphs to create dramatic emphasis and to make clear transitions from one phase of the story to the next:

Suddenly the destination of my pickle car was clear.

Not only does the one-liner above signal that Renner is moving into a new phase of the narrative (their nanoparticle research experiences), it also tells the reader that this is a big moment in Renner’s story. It’s clear that Renner made a major discovery that changed the course of their goal pursuit and dream-chasing. Through structure, Renner conveys excitement and entices the reader to keep pushing forward to the next part of the story.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Renner emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research.

In the examples above, Renner switches adeptly between long, flowing sentences and quippy, telegraphic ones. At the same time, Renner uses these different sentence lengths intentionally. As they describe their experiences in new places, they use longer sentences to immerse the reader in the sights, smells, and sounds of those experiences. And when it’s time to get a big, key idea across, Renner switches to a short, punchy sentence to stop the reader in their tracks.

The varying syntax and sentence lengths pull the reader into the narrative and set up crucial “aha” moments when it’s most important…which is a surefire way to make any college essay stand out.

Renner's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Connecting the research experiences to the theme of “finding the goldbug.”  The essay begins and ends with Renner’s connection to the idea of “finding the goldbug.” And while this metaphor is deftly tied into the essay’s intro and conclusion, it isn’t entirely clear what Renner’s big findings were during the research experiences that are described in the middle of the essay. It would be great to add a sentence or two stating what Renner’s big takeaways (or “goldbugs”) were from these experiences, which add more cohesion to the essay as a whole.

Give more details about discovering the world of nanomedicine. It makes sense that Renner wants to get into the details of their big research experiences as quickly as possible. After all, these are the details that show Renner’s dedication to nanomedicine! But a smoother transition from the opening pickle car/goldbug story to Renner’s “real goldbug” of nanoparticles would help the reader understand why nanoparticles became Renner’s goldbug. Finding out why Renner is so motivated to study nanomedicine–and perhaps what put them on to this field of study–would help readers fully understand why Renner chose this path in the first place.

4 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Get Help From the Experts

Getting your college applications together takes a lot of work and can be pretty intimidatin g. Essays are even more important than ever now that admissions processes are changing and schools are going test-optional and removing diversity standards thanks to new Supreme Court rulings .  If you want certified expert help that really makes a difference, get started with  PrepScholar’s Essay Editing and Coaching program. Our program can help you put together an incredible essay from idea to completion so that your application stands out from the crowd. We've helped students get into the best colleges in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.  If you're ready to take the next step and boost your odds of getting into your dream school, connect with our experts today .

#2: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

• Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?
• Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?
• Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?
• Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it . Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

#3: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

Check out essays by authors like John Jeremiah Sullivan , Leslie Jamison , Hanif Abdurraqib , and Esmé Weijun Wang to get more examples of how to craft a compelling personal narrative.

#4: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

For more editing tips, check out a style guide like Dreyer's English or Eats, Shoots & Leaves .

What's Next?

Still not sure which colleges you want to apply to? Our experts will show you how to make a college list that will help you choose a college that's right for you.

Interested in learning more about college essays? Check out our detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application , some suggestions on what to avoid when writing your essay , and our guide to writing about your extracurricular activities .

Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

The recommendations in this post are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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10 Lessons I Learned in My First Semester of College

Picture this… you move away from home for the first time of your life to live in a dorm on a college campus with some person that you met on Facebook. You’re on your own, going to college is something you’ve never done before, and you are surrounded by people you’ve never seen before. You’re in a completely unfamiliar place, experiencing something completely new. You’re thrown into this new chapter of life, you have no choice but to simply learn how things work as you go.

Looking back on my first semester, I’m so amazed and encouraged by the countless little lessons I had to learn. Some the easy way, and some the hard way. Here’s a list of a handful of things I learned so that you don’t have to! Maybe this list will answer a question you didn’t know you had, or make you even more excited to come and start your college adventure at Iowa!

1. Everyone is in the same boat.

• Making new friends is intimidating! I was so worried that I was going to be alone, that people weren’t going to want to talk to me, etc. However, what I came to realize was that I was not AT ALL alone. Actually, the complete opposite. All of those things that I was worried about and going through, a countless amount of other people were going through it too. Everyone is trying to meet their people, so you will actually be almost overwhelmed by the number of people you begin to connect with. It all starts out with your name, major, and hometown but then certain friendships will go deeper than that and it is a super exciting and beautiful thing!

2. Academically… you need to apply yourself to a whole new level.

• To be honest, I never truly had to try in high school. The college workload hit me like. a. garbage. truck. I had to teach myself how to take notes in different classes and simply how to study. Outside of class, I needed to really discipline myself in a way I never had to in high school. You need to do MORE than the bare minimum & watch your lectures 🙂

3. Prioritize your meals.

• In the business of life and day-to-day tasks, it’s easy to literally forget to eat! Look at your schedule & make time for food, we have meal plans for a reason! And we kind of need food for like, life. I know it may sometimes seem like getting work done is worth skipping meals. But trust me, your work will still get done & you can be even more productive when you’ve had some food to sustain you. Yes, classes are important and taxing, but when it comes down to it, your wellbeing is worth so much more!

4. Say YES to last-minute plans!

• Okay, there are exceptions to this… if you NEED to do your homework, or if you NEED a night to chill by yourself, it is OKAY to say no to plans if it is better for your mental health. BUT personally, I am an extrovert and love being spontaneous and most of my favorite memories were unplanned. If you want to really get to know people, go do things with them! Go to coffee shops, get insomnia cookies, have game nights, get off campus, etc. Contrary to some beliefs, college is not all about school. I think the college experience and the friends and the memories you make are what make college worth it.

5. Get out of your dorm, go sit somewhere pretty.

• It is difficult to be productive when you’re sitting right next to your bed, or your tv. Also, the dorms are great and all, but it feels soooo good to get out of that shoebox. Especially if you live on the west side, having some go-to study spots on the east side is a must. Voxman Music Building, BizHub in the PapaJohn Business Building, the library, and the IMU are all great places to explore on campus. You could also find a coffee shop downtown if busy environments are more your style. Java House is a really popular one! Other places I’ve tried are High Ground Café, Tru Coffee, and Fix! I have to say though, my absolute favorite place to be is the Encounter Café.

6. Clarity is kindness.

• In the past, I have had such a hard time being straightforward with people because I was worried about what they would think or say. But living with a roommate has taught me extremely valuable lessons about communication and honesty. Be honest with your roommate if you have a need or desire. Be honest with yourself about what you want in life at college. Everybody is learning and growing in different ways, so if there is something on your mind, don’t shove it down, just talk about it! Hard conversations almost always end with relief. I am so thankful for my roommate and the conversations we have had that ultimately brought us closer!

7. Time management.

• In college, time management is more difficult than ever because nobody is keeping you accountable except yourself. I would’ve been completely lost this semester if it wasn’t for my planner. Each week I wrote down when I had classes and student organizations. Then I had a checklist of assignments I had to complete that week and their due date, and a separate checklist for regular to-do items. This system worked for me, so I suggest that you find a system that works for YOU! It is okay if things don’t always go as planned, because let me tell you, they won’t! But having it all organized made even changing plans less stressful.

8. Your feelings are valid.

• Yes, college is super fun and exciting and all, but it has its moments. Though it looks different for everyone… homesickness, sadness, and loneliness are all completely normal and valid feelings. These feelings hit you at the most random times, there is no reason to feel ashamed when they do. It helped me to find a friend to talk about it, chances are they truly understand and you guys can work together through it! Sometimes it really helped to call someone from home that I may be missing at that moment. If you feel like what you go through is more serious, campus has countless mental health resources that you can reach out to. No matter what, you never know what someone is going through so be kind. Smiling and saying hi can really make someone feel appreciated and change the course of their day. <3

9. 3 words. The bus system.

• Learning how to navigate the bus system is important especially if you live on the west side. However, it is quite the complicated adventure when you are first figuring it out. There are so many different routes, and the estimated arrival times are not always accurate and it is confusing! Download the Transit app, and remember this phrase “Blue to Burge, Red to Rienow.”  That’s honestly the only advice I can give you, practice makes perfect. GOOD LUCK!

10. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself!

• I would get SO frustrated with myself if I didn’t do something right. I would act as if I should’ve known better! If you find yourself in the same position as me, won’t you just give yourself some grace?!? It’s okay to mess up, it’s okay to get things wrong, it’s okay to make mistakes. You’ve never been to college before, so you are in no way supposed to know everything. In the end, those mistakes are how I’ve come to learn all of these sweet lessons. If you are frustrated with yourself, take a deep breath, learn from it, and move on. It really is as simple as that, and it is going to be okay.

I feel confident when I say that I am not the same person now compared to when I first entered college. My first semester has stretched me and forced me to grow in all aspects of life. Even with all of the mishaps and roadblocks, I honestly would not change a single thing about the way things went. Over the last few months, I’ve met people and made memories that I can’t imagine my life without. It has been the craziest, best 4 months of my life!

My roommate and I were reflecting before we came home for Christmas break and she said, “Your first semester is everything you want it to be and more, but also nothing like you thought it was going to be at the same time. And it’s outstanding.”

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The writer of the academic essay aims to persuade readers of an idea based on evidence. The beginning of the essay is a crucial first step in this process. In order to engage readers and establish your authority, the beginning of your essay has to accomplish certain business. Your beginning should introduce the essay, focus it, and orient readers.

Introduce the Essay.  The beginning lets your readers know what the essay is about, the  topic . The essay's topic does not exist in a vacuum, however; part of letting readers know what your essay is about means establishing the essay's  context , the frame within which you will approach your topic. For instance, in an essay about the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech, the context may be a particular legal theory about the speech right; it may be historical information concerning the writing of the amendment; it may be a contemporary dispute over flag burning; or it may be a question raised by the text itself. The point here is that, in establishing the essay's context, you are also limiting your topic. That is, you are framing an approach to your topic that necessarily eliminates other approaches. Thus, when you determine your context, you simultaneously narrow your topic and take a big step toward focusing your essay. Here's an example.

The paragraph goes on. But as you can see, Chopin's novel (the topic) is introduced in the context of the critical and moral controversy its publication engendered.

Focus the Essay.  Beyond introducing your topic, your beginning must also let readers know what the central issue is. What question or problem will you be thinking about? You can pose a question that will lead to your idea (in which case, your idea will be the answer to your question), or you can make a thesis statement. Or you can do both: you can ask a question and immediately suggest the answer that your essay will argue. Here's an example from an essay about Memorial Hall.

The fullness of your idea will not emerge until your conclusion, but your beginning must clearly indicate the direction your idea will take, must set your essay on that road. And whether you focus your essay by posing a question, stating a thesis, or combining these approaches, by the end of your beginning, readers should know what you're writing about, and  why —and why they might want to read on.

Orient Readers.  Orienting readers, locating them in your discussion, means providing information and explanations wherever necessary for your readers' understanding. Orienting is important throughout your essay, but it is crucial in the beginning. Readers who don't have the information they need to follow your discussion will get lost and quit reading. (Your teachers, of course, will trudge on.) Supplying the necessary information to orient your readers may be as simple as answering the journalist's questions of who, what, where, when, how, and why. It may mean providing a brief overview of events or a summary of the text you'll be analyzing. If the source text is brief, such as the First Amendment, you might just quote it. If the text is well known, your summary, for most audiences, won't need to be more than an identifying phrase or two:

Often, however, you will want to summarize your source more fully so that readers can follow your analysis of it.

Questions of Length and Order.  How long should the beginning be? The length should be proportionate to the length and complexity of the whole essay. For instance, if you're writing a five-page essay analyzing a single text, your beginning should be brief, no more than one or two paragraphs. On the other hand, it may take a couple of pages to set up a ten-page essay.

Does the business of the beginning have to be addressed in a particular order? No, but the order should be logical. Usually, for instance, the question or statement that focuses the essay comes at the end of the beginning, where it serves as the jumping-off point for the middle, or main body, of the essay. Topic and context are often intertwined, but the context may be established before the particular topic is introduced. In other words, the order in which you accomplish the business of the beginning is flexible and should be determined by your purpose.

Opening Strategies.  There is still the further question of how to start. What makes a good opening? You can start with specific facts and information, a keynote quotation, a question, an anecdote, or an image. But whatever sort of opening you choose, it should be directly related to your focus. A snappy quotation that doesn't help establish the context for your essay or that later plays no part in your thinking will only mislead readers and blur your focus. Be as direct and specific as you can be. This means you should avoid two types of openings:

• The history-of-the-world (or long-distance) opening, which aims to establish a context for the essay by getting a long running start: "Ever since the dawn of civilized life, societies have struggled to reconcile the need for change with the need for order." What are we talking about here, political revolution or a new brand of soft drink? Get to it.
• The funnel opening (a variation on the same theme), which starts with something broad and general and "funnels" its way down to a specific topic. If your essay is an argument about state-mandated prayer in public schools, don't start by generalizing about religion; start with the specific topic at hand.

Remember.  After working your way through the whole draft, testing your thinking against the evidence, perhaps changing direction or modifying the idea you started with, go back to your beginning and make sure it still provides a clear focus for the essay. Then clarify and sharpen your focus as needed. Clear, direct beginnings rarely present themselves ready-made; they must be written, and rewritten, into the sort of sharp-eyed clarity that engages readers and establishes your authority.

Copyright 1999, Patricia Kain, for the Writing Center at Harvard University

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What Is the First Day of College Like? (With Survival Tips!)

Your first day of college is an experience of a lifetime, the start of your tertiary education, and the pathway to your future career. There is no doubt that your first day will be an eclectic blend of excitement and nerves, but what exactly should you expect?

The first day of college is both exciting and overwhelming. It’s a chance to start fresh and meet new friends and your college professors but you might feel nervous or even get lost. Get a good night’s rest, and prepare for your classes.

Many students have left home for the first time when they arrive at college, and it takes time to adjust to their new college life. However, you are not alone feeling nervous before your first day. Here’s what your first day of college will be like and how to make sure you are prepared for the start of your college career. 

Be Prepared for Your Classes

Don’t presume every lecture is just going to be a syllabus run-through. Some lecturers like their students to hit the ground running and may launch straight into your course material. Be prepared with your laptop or notebook and pen and the other material necessary for the course. 

Some courses require students to cover reading materials before their first lecture. So, make sure you have adequately covered your course requirements before heading to your class. Understand that some courses are sink or swim, and it’s up to you to keep afloat. 

Get to your class early in a sober state (more about that later!) and start taking notes. It’s common for college professors to expect an assignment in the first days of your class, so be prepared to work from the get-go. 

Get Some Rest the Night Before Your First Class

Many first-year students are experiencing their first freedom from the tyranny of parental vigilance. It’s a giddy time, and there will be parties and places to be every night for the rest of your college career, so don’t go out before your first day of classes. Set the tone for your studies and a balance between work and play. 

Don’t limp around the campus with bleary eyes and a hangover. There is a lot of information you might miss while nursing your morning-after headache.

There will be nothing but endless opportunities to let your hair down but save that for weekends or when you have a free day. Don’t sabotage the first day when you meet your professors and potential study mates.

Get plenty of rest the night before so that you have all your faculties intact to start your year of studies on the right foot. It also helps to organize your dorm room properly and set up your study space. Cluttered living spaces can lead to increased anxiety levels, poor sleep, and difficulty in concentrating ( source ). 

Start Taking Notes From the First Day

Professors tend to cram The first day of college with valuable information. So, don’t rely on your memory when you have so much new information to take in. Professors often give students a rundown on their teaching methods and student expectations, as well as contact information. 

They may also offer information about what opportunities exist for extra credit, so you don’t want to miss out.

Understand that college is nothing like the passive stream of teaching in many American high schools. College requires active participation in your courses, including extra reading and extra effort on your part. 

Professors will often slip valuable information around the subject into their lectures that will help clarify and explain your course material. Keep your laptop handy and start taking notes; you don’t want to miss out on useful information. 

You Might Get Lost

Your college campus is a foreign city until you learn the layout, so don’t be stressed if you get lost. 

I think I spent my first week of college like a dumb tourist fumbling my way from lecture hall to lecture hall. It is a good idea to walk the campus and learn where your classes will be the day before your college starts so that you have no surprises.

Plan to reach your lecture hall about ten minutes before the class starts. That way, you can find a good seat and prepare your notes for the lecture. It is also an excellent opportunity to introduce yourself to some fellow students before the lecturer arrives. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for directions if you are lost. Most seniors and sophomores also went through the same uncertainties as you and will help you along. You will soon find yourself giving directions to a fresh-faced newbie just like yourself. 

Expect To Be Small Fry Again

Some first-time college students find it hard to adjust from being top of the high school food chain to being right back down at the bottom again. It’s like the first day of high school again but much more intense and bewildering. I remember feeling almost invisible in my lecture halls after the cozy classes I enjoyed at my high school.

When your lecturer explains the syllabus, you may begin to feel some panic. The terminology is different, and the scope of your year’s study may make you feel a bit dizzy on your first day. 

Don’t panic as you take each module step by step, and keep up with your assignments; it should fall into place. 

You won’t feel so spare and lost once you get your feet and find your way around your college classes. Just remember you are not alone, and there is a sea of freshmen feeling just the same way you are feeling.

Everyone has to start somewhere after all. Those above you will soon be merging from college into the job market, and guess what, they will be small fry all over again!

You Get To Start Fresh

High school tends to herd students into their specific groups where you become set in stone as the theatre geek or the football jock. 

College is a new opportunity to remake yourself and discover new ways of thinking and living your life. If you are starting college with high school friends, you should explore friendships outside your familiar circle.

Now that your freshman year has leveled out the playing field, you have the opportunity to mingle and befriend a new circle of friends with different cultures and belief systems. You will discover new ways of perceiving the world that will broaden your mind.

College is truly a melting pot, and you will never again experience the opportunity to explore your identity and forge new relationships. Use this time to move beyond the familiar perceptions of your family and friends and allow yourself to grow. You might be surprised at the new person who emerges!

Be Prepared To Make New Friends

Just because you share a dorm room with your high school BFF does not mean that you have filled your friend quota for college. When you arrive early at your lecture hall, the people you sit next to might become part of your study group or help you with notes and assignments. 

Introduce yourself to new people on your first day of college and find out more about them. 

If you are alone at college, you will find many other students feeling lost and a bit lonely just like you. A shared interest in college courses is a great place to start a friendship or find someone to share the challenges of your coursework.

Mostly, remember to be approachable. Don’t sit at the back of the hall with your headphones on and chewing your pencil. Sit near the front or next to someone who is already there and introduce yourself. As lame as it sounds, try and smile, and people are more likely to approach you or engage in conversation. 

See How To Make Friends in College: 15 Helpful Approaches

Don’t Be Afraid To Reassess Your Workload

We are so keen to start college and jumpstart our careers that we often bite off more than we can chew with our course load. Once you have understood your syllabuses and course requirements, you might need to reassess a more reasonable workload.

You may find the course you anticipated requires more study than you expected, or on closer examination, the subject fails to engage you as you thought it would. Don’t be afraid to drop or change a course or two. 

First-year burnout is very real. So much so that 40% of first-year students drop out of college in their first year in America ( source ). It’s best to leave enough time to socialize and unwind and get the rest you need to perform as a student. 

You Might Feel Overwhelmed

Starting college is a major life event, and often we start our college careers far from our homes and familiar surroundings. Although this is an exciting time, and you can taste the freedom in the air, it may sometimes come at a cost for your mental health. 

Starting from scratch without your usual support base can be overwhelming. New courses, new lecturers, new roommates, and a new campus. That’s a lot for a student to take in at once. 

Lisa Cohen, Ph.D. professor of psychiatry, noted a rise in the number of college students who are at the risk of suicide. She cites overprotective parenting as partially responsible for the lack of resilience of students encountering stresses in their college life. 

She also noted that financial crises such as heavy student loans, pressures of technology and social media, and an increasingly uncertain job market trigger depression ( source ). 

If You Feel Anxious, Find Support

In fact, the World Health Organization found that a staggering 35% of college students suffer from mental health disorders. College time coincides with what psychologists refer to as ’emerging adulthood’ between 18-29 ( source ). 

This period is marked by increased independence from parents, marked shifts in social roles, and instability in relationships. Although this instability and identity formulation is a normal part of starting college, it may lead to mental health implications if undiagnosed and untreated. 

In a comprehensive study of vast proportions, the WHO Mental World Health (WMH) and the International College Student (WMH-ICS) studied a cross-section of first-year students in 19 colleges from several countries, including:

• South Africa
• Northern Ireland
• Australia. 

They found that one in three students among the 13,984 respondents reported at least one lifetime mental disorder. The study showed links between college lifestyle of decreased sleep, increased stress, and experimental substance abuse to the emergence of:

• Substance use disorders
• Bipolar disorders
• Thought disorders.

Another study showed that anxiety disorders and depression affect a significant number of college students. Experts suggest that these numbers are increasing, which may be problematic when colleges’ mental health care resources have not advanced to meet the demand. 

First-year students often find themselves adrift and have to cope with academic pressures and take on adult responsibilities that they may not be ready to face. Many first-year students have the added stress of navigating romantic relationships and coping with housemates with cultures and belief systems different from their own ( source ). 

Where To Find Support if You Are Anxious

Being anxious and feeling overwhelmed on your first day in college is a common event, so you should never feel ashamed to seek help. If you feel you aren’t coping and floundering in your first days on campus, you should seek help. Many colleges offer resources to help students navigate the new stresses of college life.

These resources typically include peer counseling and mental health services such as therapy. Have a look at the resources of your chosen college and find a suitable professional to deal with your feelings of anxiety.

There are also off-campus alternatives to help you, such as:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
• American Psychological Association: Psychologist Locator
• Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA).
• Or speak with a mental health professional for a referral to a therapist in your vicinity. 

Conclusion 

Regardless of your age or background, college is a major milestone in a person’s life. Be easy on yourself, and don’t expect to get it right from the start.

Be prepared and open to new experiences; after all, you will likely look back one day and remember college as the best years of your life. Most of all, reach out if you are feeling lost or alone, and speak to someone who can help you feel less adrift.

Recommended Reading:

• My College Roommate Won’t Stop Talking (Study Challenges)

College vs. High School Graduation: Similarities and Differences

• My Professor Thinks I Cheated: Confronting the Accusation

Emily is an engineer at a Fortune 100 company. Her degree is in Chemical Engineering with minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. She completed 4 internships in college and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2020. She is from Texas and currently lives in Seattle, WA. Emily loves hiking, traveling, and playing guitar. She is a very proud dog mom to her fur baby, Oliver.

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Your Best College Essay

Maybe you love to write, or maybe you don’t. Either way, there’s a chance that the thought of writing your college essay is making you sweat. No need for nerves! We’re here to give you the important details on how to make the process as anxiety-free as possible.

What's the College Essay?

When we say “The College Essay” (capitalization for emphasis – say it out loud with the capitals and you’ll know what we mean) we’re talking about the 550-650 word essay required by most colleges and universities. Prompts for this essay can be found on the college’s website, the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. We’re not talking about the many smaller supplemental essays you might need to write in order to apply to college. Not all institutions require the essay, but most colleges and universities that are at least semi-selective do.

How do I get started?

Look for the prompts on whatever application you’re using to apply to schools (almost all of the time – with a few notable exceptions – this is the Common Application). If one of them calls out to you, awesome! You can jump right in and start to brainstorm. If none of them are giving you the right vibes, don’t worry. They’re so broad that almost anything you write can fit into one of the prompts after you’re done. Working backwards like this is totally fine and can be really useful!

What if I have writer's block?

You aren’t alone. Staring at a blank Google Doc and thinking about how this is the one chance to tell an admissions officer your story can make you freeze. Thinking about some of these questions might help you find the right topic:

• What is something about you that people have pointed out as distinctive?
• If you had to pick three words to describe yourself, what would they be? What are things you’ve done that demonstrate these qualities?
• What’s something about you that has changed over your years in high school? How or why did it change?
• What’s something you like most about yourself?
• What’s something you love so much that you lose track of the rest of the world while you do it?

If you’re still stuck on a topic, ask your family members, friends, or other trusted adults: what’s something they always think about when they think about you? What’s something they think you should be proud of? They might help you find something about yourself that you wouldn’t have surfaced on your own.  

How do I grab my reader's attention?

It’s no secret that admissions officers are reading dozens – and sometimes hundreds – of essays every day. That can feel like a lot of pressure to stand out. But if you try to write the most unique essay in the world, it might end up seeming forced if it’s not genuinely you. So, what’s there to do? Our advice: start your essay with a story. Tell the reader about something you’ve done, complete with sensory details, and maybe even dialogue. Then, in the second paragraph, back up and tell us why this story is important and what it tells them about you and the theme of the essay.

THE WORD LIMIT IS SO LIMITING. HOW DO I TELL A COLLEGE MY WHOLE LIFE STORY IN 650 WORDS?

Don’t! Don’t try to tell an admissions officer about everything you’ve loved and done since you were a child. Instead, pick one or two things about yourself that you’re hoping to get across and stick to those. They’ll see the rest on the activities section of your application.

I'M STUCK ON THE CONCLUSION. HELP?

If you can’t think of another way to end the essay, talk about how the qualities you’ve discussed in your essays have prepared you for college. Try to wrap up with a sentence that refers back to the story you told in your first paragraph, if you took that route.

SHOULD I PROOFREAD MY ESSAY?

YES, proofread the essay, and have a trusted adult proofread it as well. Know that any suggestions they give you are coming from a good place, but make sure they aren’t writing your essay for you or putting it into their own voice. Admissions officers want to hear the voice of you, the applicant. Before you submit your essay anywhere, our number one advice is to read it out loud to yourself. When you read out loud you’ll catch small errors you may not have noticed before, and hear sentences that aren’t quite right.

ANY OTHER ADVICE?

Be yourself. If you’re not a naturally serious person, don’t force formality. If you’re the comedian in your friend group, go ahead and be funny. But ultimately, write as your authentic (and grammatically correct) self and trust the process.

And remember, thousands of other students your age are faced with this same essay writing task, right now. You can do it!

10 Strategies for Writing a College Application Essay

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Strategies How to Write a College Application Essay

Your college essay, frequently asked questions about writing a college application essay.

Writing a college application essay can have an incredible influence on the college admissions committees . The essay is designed to give students a chance to really show colleges who they are and what they aspire to be. This is why it’s important to compose something that makes your personal statement stand out amongst the hundreds of other students.

You want to write something captivating and impactful without overwhelming the reader yet staying true to you. But between knowing where to start and what to write about, the essay itself seems almost impossible to conquer. And this is where I come in.

Today’s article focuses on my carefully crafted 10-step strategy for writing the perfect college application essay . With some colleges no longer considering factors like high school grades and standardized test scores (i.e., SAT and ACT scores ), the pressure to create a college application essay can be fierce but stress no more. With the help of these ten strategies, you will be on your way to writing the strong college application essay that just might get you a seat at your dream college. Let’s get right into it!

Visit our Scholarship blog for more insight on college-related topics, plus access to hundreds of exclusive scholarships . So, don’t wait. Start applying today !

Start Early:

Because the whole application process is tedious from beginning to end, you want to give yourself plenty of time to work on your essay. Be sure to start brainstorming ideas early and create and outline your essay. Not only will this give you an idea of how you want to structure your essay, but it will also provide an ample amount of time to work on the essay. If you start early, you will also have more than enough time to edit and go through multiple drafts until your final draft is complete.

Understand the Prompt:

Before you begin writing anything, make sure you fully understand the essay prompt. The last thing you want to do is write an essay that has nothing to do with the theme/prompt the school has given prospective students. Look into the essay’s guidelines beforehand to have a clear understanding of what your topic is. That way, you don’t waste words and time.

Show, Don’t Tell:

It’s easy to put words on a paper and call it an essay, but that’s boring (and lazy)! Show your readers what you want them to see; don’t just tell them. Use specific examples to illustrate your points and qualities. Try adding some humor in there to give them an even clearer sense of your personality, as well.

Whatever theme or prompts you are focusing on in your essay, just make sure you show who you truly are. Bring your readers on your journey through any experience you’re highlighting rather than just telling them you were there. Use your achievements and moments of clarity to draw them in. An admissions officer will want to see your colors, not just hear about them.

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Be Authentic:

This is the key and probably the most important part of your essay. Be authentic and unapologetically you. Write in your own voice, and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Share your experiences, passions, and aspirations, but focus on how who you truly are, your values, and your goals. It’s easy to tell when something is forced, so stray away from generic tones and cliché jargon. Be fun, use humor, and showcase your natural tone. College admissions committees respect transparency and honesty as these characteristics usually line up with their institution’s values, so be authentically you.

Focus on a Specific Topic:

When you’re working on something like a college application essay where your goal is to stand out, it’s easy to ramble on about yourself, and that’s okay! But it’s important to know what is necessary and what overflow is. Choose a specific topic/theme that gives your story a way to showcase your personality and stick to it. You want to focus on key details and not details about the details. Stick to what you want to convey and use supporting information and/or characteristics.  

Structure Your Essay:

The key to a well-thought-out, formed essay is a strong outline. Organizing your thoughts will help you more than you know, so make sure you start your outline with a clear introduction that leads to strong body paragraphs that support your main points. And when all is said and done, you will wrap up your essay with an impressionable conclusion. You might go through a few outlines before you get to your final one, but that’s okay! Whatever works for you will shine through your essay.

Edit and Revise:

Editing is going to be your best friend. The first draft is always going to be a little messy, so make sure you go back and proofread your work for any grammar and spelling errors. The editing and writing process can also help you gain some clarity on what you are trying to convey to the college admissions committee. Because we’re the ones writing it, our thoughts make sense as soon they spill onto the paper, so proofreading your work will give you a chance to realign those thoughts and make it more coherent and smoother to read.

And since you’re the one writing it, it’s easy to overlook typos and missed punctuation, so I suggest taking breaks. And this can go any way! You can complete the first few paragraphs and then take a break; you can do one paragraph at a time or even the entire essay and then take a break. Whichever way you choose to go when it comes to writing essays, stepping back from your words can help you regain that sharp eye that will catch the errors.

Seek Feedback:

If you’re anything like me, you don’t like to bother people or ask for help, but for your college application essay, you have to put that aside. Don’t be afraid to ask teachers, counselors, your parents, peers, and friends to read your essay and provide constructive feedback in areas that need improvement. A second, third, and even fourth set of eyes will be able to catch things you can’t. Just be sure the people you know will set time aside to help you.

Also, request that your readers tell you what they gained from the essay. Did you perceive yourself well, did you miss anything, should you include a detail you don’t think it relevant to personal essay, but they do? You want to make sure your essay represents you academically, professionally, and personally, so listen closely to what they have to say and revise until it’s ready to go.

Be Positive:

Though I know it’s important to share your experiences and stories in your applications essay, I want to make sure you don’t focus on the negative aspects of your experiences (if any!). Colleges want to see their prospective student’s personalities and how they get through even the happiest of life experiences, and not just the challenging ones. Focus on your strengths, achievements, and growth while maintaining a positive and optimistic tone throughout your essay.

Leave them wanting more:

The goal point of your application’s essay is to stand out, so ending your essay with a strong closing sentence will amplify the reader’s interest that much more. Not only will these strategies inspire a well-written and authentic essay, but they can also increase your chances of making a strong, lasting impression on college admissions committees. Make sure your closing statement is witty and powerful and ties it all together.

Your college essay should show your personality, special qualities, experiences, and aspirations to the college admissions officers and committee. You don’t want to do too much, but you also don’t want to leave anything out . So, in case you get stuck, here are some elements to include in your college application essay:

• Personal Story : Share your story and experiences that have shaped your identity and/or influenced your passions.
• Academic Achievements : This is not the time to be modest about academic achievements, so highlight any awards or honors that demonstrate your dedication to education.
• Goals and Aspirations : Clearly state your goals and aspirations and explain how attending the college you are applying to support those dreams.
• Unique Perspective : Offer the unique perspectives or insights that set you apart from other applicants. This will showcase your individuality.
• Writing Style : You want your essay to demonstrate strong writing skills, creativity, and clarity. Provide vivid language, clear storytelling, and proper grammar and punctuation.
• Relevance : Make sure your essay directly addresses the college’s prompts or questions and aligns with the values and mission of the institution.
• Reflection : Reflect on your experiences, challenges, and growth, and show how they have shaped your character and prepared you for college.
• Be Yourself : But most importantly, be You. Stay true to your authenticity, as it is the one thing that will make you stand out the most!

In truth, your college application essay doesn’t have to drag . Include some of these elements into your work, and you might even (dare I say) have fun showing every college board member who you are and what you have to offer the world of academia. Good luck, and happy writing your admissions essays .

What should I write about in my college application essay?

When it comes to topics for your college application essay, choose a subject that boasts your unique personality, experiences, and personal values. Consider sharing a personal story that shines a light on your strengths, or write about any challenges you’ve overcome gracefully or a significant moment that helped shape your identity. The goal of college essays is to provide admissions officers with insight into who you are beyond your academic achievements, not just that you can put together an essay.

How long should my college application essay be?

Most colleges have specific guidelines regarding the length of the application essay, typically ranging from 250 to 650 words. It is important to adhere to the word count limit provided by the college to ensure that your essay is concise and focused. Be sure to carefully review the college application process and instructions to determine the appropriate length for your essay.

How can I make my college application essay stand out?

To make your college application essay stand out, focus on your authentic voice and perspective. Avoid clichés and generic statements, and instead, strive to convey your unique personality and experiences. Use bold language, descriptive details, and storytelling techniques to captivate the reader’s attention. Don’t be afraid to get feedback from teachers, counselors, or peers to ensure that your college essay topic is well-written and effectively communicates your message.

Interested in learning more from Bold.org ? Visit our Scholarship Blog to stay up to date on everything you need to know about college topics and apply for scholarships today.

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I Invited My Students to Be the Principal for a Day. Here’s What I Learned

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There is tired and then there’s “educator tired.”

More meetings, more conflicts to mediate, more data to collect and analysis overload, and more staffing decisions—the to-do list is exhausting. By springtime, most of us are operating on empty tanks while battling a seasonal-affective slump carried over from the winter.

With some degree of consistency, we can predict the times of the year when staff morale is highest, as well as the months when you can expect teachers to be crawling toward the finish line of upcoming school breaks. I heard a person once say, “If we can predict it, then we can influence it.”

About This Series

In this biweekly column , principals and other authorities on school leadership—including researchers, education professors, district administrators, and assistant principals—offer timely and timeless advice for their peers.

Like many principals, I’m an optimistic person by nature. But in mid-February, I felt myself struggling to change my heartache of stress into heartfelt joy.

When I analyzed why I was feeling this way, it became clear that I wasn’t living my “why” for working in public education. I was drowning in meetings that discussed adult issues instead of being focused on student learning and the experience of being a student at my school.

After consulting with a colleague, I decided to change how I was spending my time at work. That small change had a huge impact on my ability to refocus and feel fulfilled.

Several years ago, I participated in a principal challenge for which I shadowed a student for a day. It was an amazing experience that allowed me to better understand my school from a student’s perspective.

As I reflected on how to reenergize several months ago, I decided to try this activity once again at my new school—but with a twist. I wanted to help bridge the divide between students and adults. This time, I offered my students the opportunity to be principal for the day by following me as I made my rounds with classroom visits and staff member meetings.

My request of the students who joined me was simple: 1) Get parent permission, 2) be responsible for the work you missed in class, 3) communicate with your teachers that you would be with me for the day, and 4) write up a one-page summary of the events of the day and your reflections.

To my surprise, I was flooded with student requests. Just the idea of having a shared experience with the students we serve was uplifting. I marveled at the idea that students would want to know what my job entailed. It was a great way to connect and build kinship between students and the leaders that serve them.

What I imagined would be one day with one student shadowing me evolved into three days of multiple students per day participating in this activity.

Here are some of the lessons from the students who joined me:

• Students and staff have a right to speak up, even if they are the only dissenting voice.
• Keep an open mind when people bring concerns to you. The importance of growing from mistakes was highlighted.
• Treat everyone with respect, no matter their position.
• Communication should be two ways, not a monologue.
• Make time to help others.

They enjoyed seeing the authentic and positive relationships that occur between administration and students and staff, but I was just as happy to learn from the students. They shared that they were surprised to see how well staff got along with each other behind the scenes, as well as with students in the hallways and classrooms. Our first shadow-the-principal day was March 14 (aka Pi Day in the math world), so the students had a chance to eat pie while talking with teachers in the math workroom.

My “apprentices” also enjoyed hearing a student share his idea for completing his Eagle Scout project that provided diabetic kits for students in need. He and I brainstormed various ways to complete the project, as well as how to market and sustain it in the years to come. The students later commented that they were surprised to observe an administrator working alongside their peers, generating ideas together.

Besides circulating throughout the school and speaking with a number of students and staff, the apprentices and I discussed ways that artificial intelligence could be used to facilitate teaching and learning in a positive way. I always find it enlightening to hear students’ technology ideas, including for AI use—for example, to assist with study tips or to organize their notes—were as innovative as I had heard from any presenters.

Finally, we ended the day by taking a stroll around the track at our football stadium. I shared that I like to go outside as much as I can to exercise and gather my thoughts. I try to do that once per week as part of my self-care routine. The students shared that they were pleasantly surprised to hear me prioritize that type of activity and that they thought their peers would benefit from such an activity as well.

I’m proud of my students for taking a chance on being a leader for the day. Students in 2024 have so many pressures facing them, so accepting one more thing can be a daunting task.

Here’s a challenge for everyone reading this article: Make time to prioritize your own “why.” This is especially important as we enter the final marking period of the year, when emotions tend to run high and stamina tends to wane.

Fill your tank with the kind of energy that inspired you to enter our profession. Look for the moments in your school on a daily basis when you can be kind, learn something new, build a new relationship, and spend time with those that brought you into a career in education—your students!

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My Reflections on the Last Four Years of College: Why Small Life Events Matter

My Reflections on the Last Four Years of College

Why small life events matter, robin kim (com’24, cas’24).

Between the endless hours in Mugar during finals week, a twinge of nostalgia starts to sweep my attention. These past four years of my life have rushed by, and even amidst a chaotic schedule, where I want to run away from all the stress, I am also sitting with emotional sentiments, trying to cling to every single college memory tightly. I am here wondering did I take things for granted? 

What made my college experience worthwhile was not the most significant academic accomplishments, but the smaller life events that I shared with my friends. I feel that this is seen as common knowledge, yet many of us never really understand it until it’s too late. I guess for the rest of the students who still have time here at BU, I wanted to push a new language that might reconsider the way you perceive your college day-to-day life. 

When you look up the definition of “moment,” it is defined as a “very brief period of time.” Something about this definition seems to reduce all the moments of peals of laughter shared with friends, the spontaneous trips to get matcha mid–study session, the nights where we were piled with overwhelming amounts of homework but decided to stay in Mugar to keep each other company, or the moments we would strategically enroll in classes so we can take the same classes together. These “moments” are not just brief; these were memories that made college college. Instead of treating each day as another moment, I realized there is a benefit in calling these “mundane” moments small life events . Why? Because it acknowledges that these “moments” shared with my friends were significant. Even Google acknowledges that an “event” is “a thing that happens, especially one of importance.” Although this definition is somewhat limited, I cannot grasp all the minuscule details that made my college experience worthwhile. However, it underscores the significance of treating each day as important as any other significant day that the word “moments” fails to exemplify. 

This blog is a celebration of the things that you might not consider “big.” Your small college life events deserve all the recognition as others because without these events at BU, what would be considered “the college experience” would not exist.  

At BU, it’s easy to get wrapped up in looking forward to the next big thing, whether getting your dream internship or getting the best grade possible.

But I realized that life is not about rushing to achieve the next thing . It gets tiring after a while. I know this because I am guilty of doing it. 

During my freshman year, I recall being anxious about all the uncertainties that my future holds. Most of which consisted of not doing enough. Although the people around me recognized my small accomplishments, I never felt proud of myself for them because I thought there was more to do. 

I’ve always tried to get things done quickly, fueled by the fear of falling behind. But looking back, I realize that the most valuable moments are sometimes spent simply enjoying the waves rather than trying to skip ahead to the next shore. Life is not a series of checkboxes to be completed; it’s a continuous, ever-unfolding process of growth and discovery.

After four years, I realized the crucial need to celebrate not just your As, Bs, or whatever grade you worked towards , but it was these small life events that made my college experience fruitful. There are only a select few people who will tolerate me repeating my jokes, a select few people who will hear me rant about the same things over and over again until I get over it, and a select few people who will go on random walks around Allston to get frozen yogurt, a select few people who will show up excited to your birthday, ready to celebrate you, a select few people who are equally happy for your successes, a select few people who will help you pick your graduation dress, a select few people who will appreciate just your companionship. 

I can’t go back in time, but if I could do it again, I would like to put more effort in these small events, as I did for all the “bigger” accomplishments. 

Congratulations to the Class of 2024; we have had the most unprecedented experience. I will miss BU dearly, but I am looking forward to all the small life events yet to come. 

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Robin Kim (COM’24, CAS’24) is a social media intern with BU Public Relations. She can be reached at [email protected]. Profile

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College grad looking for your first job? What you should know.

College graduation season is in full swing, and millions of students are preparing to enter the workforce.

Many new grads spend months sending resumes into the void, collecting automated rejection emails. As the labor market slows, the class of 2024 may have a challenging time getting their foot in the door.

Even for those who have a job offer in hand, making the transition from full-time school to full-time work can be a culture shock. Some young workers have expressed despair on TikTok that the 9-to-5 life they’ve been building toward for years has turned out to be a huge letdown — an experience that older generations are, unfortunately, all too familiar with.

We asked Bloomberg readers to tell us about their first jobs — how they got them, why they chose them, the best and worst parts, what surprised them — and what advice they would give to new graduates.

Responses have been edited and condensed.

Co-workers matter

I found a help wanted ad to produce help wanted ads! Honestly, working for a recruitment advertising agency was all I could get after I sent out hundreds of resumes to publishing houses in New York City and Boston.

As it was my first “real” job, everything was an adjustment and a surprise. The camaraderie of the entire staff was something I could never have predicted. It was like one big extended family in an office setting.

The job taught me how to work on a weekly deadline while juggling dozens of active projects. Every Thursday night we raced to meet the Sunday paper deadlines. It was fast, furious and stressful, but we all supported each other and celebrated making it through each week. I made lifelong friends there.

Coming from the suburbs, working every day in South Boston was a fun place to be in the early 90s. The worst: walking from my train at South Station to the office in the hard driving wind and rain. No umbrella was built to survive it.

When seeking a job, be intentional, but also open to ideas you may not have considered. Every opportunity brings insight and learning you can carry with you.

Most importantly, look for good people that you respect, enjoy and can learn from. Relationships are everything and can make all the difference in your career. Take good care of them.

— Christy Kemp, class of 1992, communications consultant, Boulder, Colo.

Be open-minded

I did Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) to pay for college, and that included four years in the Air Force. I didn't actually choose my first job. In the office I was assigned, different people had different clearances. Four of us were in the same office, but we each had access to different programs. I didn't know what my boss did, and vice versa. Lots of classified stuff. But I had a much different plan in mind.

My first job wasn't even covered in my initial training. It was specialized to the point that my boss didn't even know what I did. I'll never forget his first words: "The guy you are replacing left six months ago. I don't know what he did. I don't know what you do. There's your desk. Good luck." There were no real expectations, and I was able to pull off a few miracles once I figured out what I was doing, so I had fun with it.

The world is changing so don't be afraid to chart your own path. The working world of your parents no longer exists. Build a model that works for you.

— Robert Longley, class of 1986, consultant, Williamsburg, Mass.

Find out what you don’t want

My college internship, which was at the company I ultimately worked for post-graduation, was in sustainability. However, the job they offered had nothing to do with sustainability. It was hot dogs and beer: an associate concessions operations manager at a major sporting arena.

I sometimes got free tickets for family and friends to sporting events and concerts. But you work whenever there is an event at the venue, so the summers were the slow season. Every other season was six to seven days a week, 10 to 14 hours a day, largely on your feet.

I managed the concessions workers, so I was always walking the stadium. I came home with sore feet and smelling of fries. It reinforced that I wanted to go into sustainability and that I needed to head back in that career direction. I also knew I never wanted to work in a stadium again.

A lot of work is not fun, but any experience is good experience and makes you a stronger candidate for future jobs.

— Bridget Keeler, class of 2015, climate strategy consultant, New York, N.Y.

Learn from bad managers

My first job after graduation was an assistant editor at a medical journal. It was close to where I lived at the time and the pay for trade magazine work was better than local news outlets. The owner was not shy about yelling. She made a former New York City ad executive cry in front of the entire staff. The best thing was I stayed only six months.

What surprised me was the micromanagement. I'd heard so much about "the real world," and yet the company was run like the disciplinary office at my old high school. Having functional adults screaming in a professional setting was an adjustment I never adapted to, but it taught me a lot about how not to run a company or treat staff. I believe in leading with kindness. It can inspire loyalty and invest everyone in the mission of the organization. Additionally, I learned that management by harassment and indifference is the fastest way to lose good people.

Work for a complete j----ss at least once — preferably both early and briefly — in your career. You can learn a lot from someone who doesn't know how to manage people. With luck and effort, it will make you a better, more empathetic leader.

The key lesson is you don't have to be a jerk to succeed.

— Rod Hughes, class of 1997, public relations, Doylestown, Pa.

Embrace new technology

My first job was as a business analyst at Texas Instruments. My father worked there and helped me get an internship, which evolved into a full-time job. I graduated during a recession in 1980 and there were not a lot of jobs available, so the most practical thing to do was take the offer.

Texas Instruments was, at the time, a preeminent leader in computer technology in addition to being a chip maker and defense contractor. As a business analyst, I was doing my job on an early prototype of office software that had been developed in-house. My first year crossed the bridge from large planning sheets (think a spreadsheet on paper) to using an early version of a spreadsheet program on a networked computer system.

As more companies started using this type of software I was able to switch jobs and use those skills immediately. The downside to this was I was always teaching someone how to use the software or stepping on someone’s toes who didn’t want to move forward with technology.

What surprised me most about the work environment was that, just like college, there was a hierarchy of groups. Engineering was at the top, manufacturing was in the middle and business systems at the bottom. We had been led to believe that business was the top and everything else below.

The other thing that surprised me was that the men were just grown-up frat brothers in better clothes.

Your first job will be a culture shock. Stick with it for at least two years before jumping ship. Take advantage of any mentorship opportunities. Learn to budget and save.

— Anne Agee, class of 1980, business analyst and administrator, Hurst, Texas

Value learning and pay

As a licensed merchant marine officer, I wanted nothing more than to go to sea. New oil tankers were being built and put into service so there was a demand for U.S. flag ship officers. I interviewed for a job as an assistant engineer on an oil tanker and was hired almost immediately.

It was a tremendous learning experience. But the worst was my first day when the chief engineer told me the sewage treatment plant was broken and I spent my first three days head down, feet up in a sewage plant. The practical experience working as a union member in a hardhat and steel-toed boots gave me a lifetime appreciation for the dignity of work.

When you take a job, balance the value of the learning experience at least as much as the income, because the learning experience will go with you into the future.

— John Dabbar, class of 1982, energy industry executive, Houston, Texas

— With assistance from Nikki Naik.

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Palestinian medics say Israeli airstrikes kill 35 in Rafah 11:27 pm

Murphy to start eighth ‘Walk Across Connecticut’ on Memorial Day 10:59 pm

Massive offshore wind vessel will not work in New London

Pawcatuck theater developer proposes expansion of $80M project

Police logs ― May 25, 2024

Sign company proposes giant LED billboards on I-395 in Norwich

Eversource customers to face higher bills, but it could have been worse

An altar boy in Newport, Rhode Island

Bee rescuer patrick gaudin, reporting on church sex abuse cases for over 20 years, dictionary researcher joshua pendragon, providing victims of church abuse some justice and accountability.