

Essays written by the Johns Hopkins Class of 2020.Essays written by the Johns Hopkins Class of 2021.Students don’t always have to follow a set path, but the essays below, which were written by students in the past, can give today’s applicants a good idea of what a successful essay looks like. Sometimes the best way for applicants to gauge what makes a good college application essay is to take a look at what worked in the past. #2 - Past essays can shed some light on what works Don’t waste four years of your life at a school you aren’t passionate about attending. College is expensive, and can be difficult. And if you are just applying for the sake of applying, maybe think again. Instead, tell an honest story about what motivated you to apply. Don’t just ramble on about how great a school is. When writing “ why this school?” essays, it’s important to be sincere. What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? What to consider when writing “ why this school? ” essays Please tell us what you value most about Columbia and why. Here are some past example essay questions from Columbia University and Yale University: Additionally, many prestigious schools want to guarantee that they only admit students who are deeply committed and eager to attend. Each school has a unique culture and focus, so they want to make sure applicants will fit in and excel once admitted. Many colleges and universities want to know why each applicant wants to attend their school. But, again, the best essays are stories about one specific event, person, place, or thing that had a deep, lasting impact on your life. When answering “ what inspires you?” it is easy to get sidetracked and bounce around to moments throughout your life. What inspires you? What you should consider when writing “ what inspires you? ” essays If this sounds like you, then please share your story. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. Here are some past example essay questions from the Common App and Yale University: Generally, these questions are best fit for students who already have an idea of what they want to study in college and pursue after graduation. The “ what inspires you?” essay is a college admission department’s attempt at seeing the intellectual and creative aspirations of applicants. College isn’t easy, and schools want to guarantee that the students they admit have the mental strength to graduate. Generally, by way of these questions, applicants will have to recall a time where they overcame adversity or faced a fear. It is better to take a deep dive into one specific event, idea or thing and explain how that has shaped or influenced you.Ĭolleges and universities use the “ personal growth” essay to gauge how resilient and driven applicants are. It’s important to remember that you shouldn’t explain your life story in these types of essays, for that could cause you to ramble and fail to ever get to the meat of your essay. What you should consider when writing “ who are you? ” essays These can be physical places where you have lived, or a community or group that is important to you. Tell us about the place, or places, you call home. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? Brown University essay prompt Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time.
