Hey y'all, I need to write some college-level essays for my applications, but I'm not exactly sure what they should look like. Can anybody point me to where I can find good examples of college-level essays to use as inspiration? Thanks!
Hey there! It's a great idea to get inspiration from successful essays submitted by other students. As you know, it's important not to plagiarize, but rather use these examples to understand what works well and what to avoid. Here are a few resources where you can find college-level essay examples:
1. CollegeVine: One of the top resources for students navigating the college admissions process, CollegeVine has a great essay breakdown section that provides analysis of successful essays for various schools. You can search by school or essay type, and they give a detailed breakdown of how the essays achieved their goals. You can find them here: https://www.collegevine.com/category/essays/essay-examples
2. "50 Successful Harvard Application Essays": This book, published by the Harvard Crimson, showcases essays written by successful Harvard applicants. While these essays are from Harvard applicants, they're still valuable for understanding effective essays that worked for an Ivy League institution. You can find this book on Amazon or at your local library.
3. "Essays That Worked" pages on college websites: Many colleges and universities, including Johns Hopkins and Connecticut College, have specific "Essays That Worked" sections on their websites where they showcase successful essays written by students who were admitted to their schools. Simply search "essays that worked [school name]" on Google to find these examples.
4. Your school's college counseling office: If you're in high school, your college counselor or college counseling office may have an array of successful essays from previous students you can review for inspiration. These can be especially helpful because they were written by students with a similar background to yours as they applied to the same colleges you're considering.
Remember, as you go through these examples, take note of what you find compelling about each essay, such as the structure, storytelling, or unique voice. Use those elements as inspiration, but always write your own essay that reflects your personal experiences and voice. Good luck with your essay writing!
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