how do you write a growing up essay

Growing Up Essay: Guide & Examples [2024]

What does it mean to grow up? Essays on this topic might be entertaining yet challenging to write. Growing up is usually associated with something new and exciting. It’s a period of everything new and unknown.

Now, you’ve been assigned to write a growing up essay. You’re not a kid anymore, but not quite the adult. It would be interesting for your teacher to learn about your childhood memories or read what you think about the experience of growing up.

That’s why:

In this article, we will provide a guide on how to write an essay on growing up. Our team listed some topics to make your writing process more manageable.

• 📍 How to Write It

🏡 About Your Childhood

🧒 about someone else.

• 👧 Growing Up

🔗 References

📍 how to write a growing up essay.

Writing an essay about growing up can seem complicated, but it’s always easier to handle when you have a plan. In this section, we will talk more about how to write an essay on the topic.

• Reflective essays focus on the author’s attitude towards individual experiences. This type is often required during the college admissions process. For instance, one may write about growing up in poverty and how it shaped his character.
• Narrative essays focus on a specific event or sequence of events. For example, you might write about the most memorable trip from your childhood.
• Choose the topic on the familiar subject. It will be easier to reflect on the issue when you have a lot of relevant experience.
• Choose the topic of interest. Write about something that provokes a strong emotional reaction from you.
• Show a unique vision on the topic. Try to approach writing college essays about growing up from a different perspective. When writing a narrative essay, you need to remember that your work should tell a story. Your essay topic about growing up needs to agree with the paper’s length and follow the essay structure. Focus on a specific point in your writing.
• Think about the event in your life that provokes a strong emotional response;
• Write what you have learned from the experience;
• Consider writing about experiences with your friends or relatives. What those events taught you?
• Introduction : Your growing up essay introduction is an opening paragraph of the work. It grabs a reader’s attention and contains a thesis statement.
• Body Paragraphs : The childhood and growing up essay can contain three body paragraphs. In each one, provide an example of an event or situation that supports the general topic.
• Conclusion : In your growing up essay, the conclusion is the final paragraph. It summarizes the main points and brings the paper to an end.
• Revise your draft a couple of days after writing it. That way, you will be able to notice mistakes or typos you missed.
• Try to avoid passive voice . Rewrite the sentences in an active one, if possible.
• Read your essay out loud. If it doesn’t meet the set criteria, keep revising it.

👩‍👦‍👦 Growing Up Essay Topics

You may not know what your essay on growing up should be devoted to. If it’s the case, look at this section. Earlier, we talked about how to write, but here we will tell you what to write about.

See the topics that can navigate an essay about your childhood experience:

• Your family values and how they have been shaping your personality. Engage in reflective writing to show how certain factors of growing up influenced your character. What do you think were the effects of your growing-up period? 
• What various roles have you had in your family? How and why did they change? As children grow, the family adjusts accordingly. Remember your roles as a child, adolescent, and young adult . How did they change?
• Your personal changes over the course of growing up. Write an essay describing your personal development. What caused those changes? 
• Sudden adulthood. Write a “growing up too fast” essay. Reflect on your feelings and emotions about growing up so suddenly.
• Growing up with siblings. Write an essay about your childhood experience in a house where you weren’t the only child. Remember what it was like growing up with blood brothers and sisters? Or, maybe you have step-siblings? How did it influence you?
• A short memoir. You don’t need to have a dramatic adolescence or an out-of-ordinary story to write about yourself. Share your most exciting stories from childhood.
• A significant event from my childhood.
• Personal experience of parenting styles .
• Describe the events that helped you to learn about life.  
• Tell about the time you tried to challenge gender norms.
• Analyze your experience of growing up in another culture and the influence it had on your adult life.
• Most memorable Christmas of my childhood. 
• Discuss how the relationships with your parents influenced your growing up and character formation.
• Describe the experience of self-disclosure in your childhood and the consequences it had.
• How I used to cope with stress at high school.
• Write about your family trips and the effect they had on the relationships within your family.
• Analyze how the relationships with your peers impacted your growing up and adult life.
• How I learned to ride a bicycle .
• Examine how different teaching styles you’ve experienced in childhood influenced your growing up.

In other words, try to focus on something that made your growing up experience memorable and tell about it.

What if you do not feel like talking about your own experience in the essay on growing up? Do not worry. There are many other ways to complete your paper.

What follows next are additional ideas for you:

• Write essays on growing up based on a work of literature or songs. Choose your favorite piece of literature or a song that talks about growing up. Write several paragraphs about the portrayal of the growing up period in music or literature. 
• Write essays on growing up with a single parent. Write an essay about growing up without a father or mother. What is it like? What impact can it make on a person’s character?
• Write about growing up without parents . A childhood spent in an orphanage or with distant relatives can have lasting consequences. Think about the effects it can have on a person’s character.
• Write an essay about growing up in a small town. Think about the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town . Why do you think it’s good or bad to live in a small town?
• Write about youth growing up fast. Children become adults quite quickly. Discuss the possible reasons for children to grow up faster.
• What happens to the mentally challenged children when they grow up?
• Examine how Nhuong depicted childhood in the book Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam .  
• Discuss the changes digital technology brought into a growing-up process.
• Childhood’s effect on adulthood: the story of John Wayne Gacy .
• Explain how the environment influences the growing up and physical development of a child.
• Describe the relation between difficult childhood and personal development .
• Description of lost childhood in Night by E. Wiesel.
• Analyze the consequences being bullied or being a bully in childhood may have in adult life.  
• Frank Conroy’s childhood in his book Stop-Time.    
• Explore how childhood development and growing up shown in Born to Learn video .
• Examine the stories about coming of age and infantilism in literature.
• Discuss the peculiarities of growing up in multiracial family.
• Analyze the authors experience in Country Pride: What I Learned Growing Up in Rural America by Sarah Smarsh .
• Describe the problem of childhood obesity and the ways it influences children’s life.

👧 Growing Up Topics for College Essays

Writing a college essay about growing up essay is a great opportunity to reflect on the challenges and triumphs that made you who you are. Here are some compelling essay prompts and topics that will help you share your unique coming-of-age experience.

• Essay on how growing up has shaped my life. Describe the pivotal moments from your upbringing that have had an impact on your personality and aspirations. You may also reflect on the lessons learned from your family, friends, community, and cultural surroundings. How did these experiences shape your values and worldview?
• What are the effects of growing up in poverty? Essays on this topic can explain how growing up in financially disadvantaged circumstances shapes people’s lives. If it’s something that resonates with you, you can write about it in your college essay. For example, describe the challenges you’ve faced and the experiences that have fostered your resilience. You can also analyze how these circumstances have impacted your values, such as a passion for social justice.
• What are the challenges of growing up? Consider the impact of family dynamics and cultural influences on your personal development. You can also discuss how overcoming these challenges has influenced you as a person and how it made you stronger.
• Is taking risks a necessary part of growing up? An essay on this topic can discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of taking risks at a young age. Is taking risks an essential part of maturing and gaining independence, or are there other ways to learn? Remember to provide examples to illustrate your point.
• Fear of growing up. For this essay, consider how young people grapple with the challenges of transitioning to adulthood. What anxieties are associated with leaving behind the safety of childhood? Discuss the potential consequences of the fear of embracing adult responsibilities and provide real-life examples.
• Explain how peer influence shapes a person’s identity.
• The challenges of being the oldest sibling.
• How does one’s cultural background determine one’s childhood milestones?
• Social media and the coming-of-age experience.
• How education shapes a person’s future opportunities.
• The impact of childhood experiences on adult development.
• Explore the influence of gender identity on your journey to adulthood.
• The connection between your childhood hobby and adult career choice.
• The importance of self-discovery in the process of growing up.
• Write about the challenges and joys of adolescence.

📝 College Essay about Growing Up: Example

For your inspiration, we came up with a growing-up college essay example. It will provide insights into the content and structure and help you write an outstanding paper.

I have always been captivated by the world of art. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I have been experimenting with different forms of self-expression, such as painting and sketching.

As a child, I was fortunate to have a supportive family that nurtured my love for art. My mother enrolled me in an art class and was always ready to provide me with supplies. All this helped foster my creativity to the point where I decided to pursue an art education in college.

During my teenage years, I was surrounded by a diverse group of friends who shared my interests. We went to galleries, attended art events, and collaborated on projects. These friendships enriched my artistic perspective even further. They also taught me about the diversity of creativity and expression.

In addition to art, I have various hobbies that help me become better at what I do. In particular, I enjoy reading non-fiction about renowned artists. Aside from traditional art forms, I also experiment with photography and digital design.

My family and friends played a major role in my decision to pursue a career as a creative. Their support and my belief in the power of self-expression will help me contribute to our school and the whole community.

Thank you for reading this article! Hopefully, you found the information written here useful. If so, don’t forget to comment and share this article with your friends.

This might be interesting for you:

• School Days Essay: How to Describe a Memorable Event
• Childhood Memories Essay: Brilliant Writing Ideas
• Writing Essay about Someone Who Has Made an Impact on Your Life
• Excellent Remembering a Person Essay: Free Writing Guidelines
• Life Experience Essay: How to Write a Brilliant Paper
• Essays that Worked: Hamilton College
• Essay Growing Up: Bartleby
• Narrative Writing: Brigham Young University
• Reflection Essay: Kent State University
• My Childhood Memories Essay: Cram
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Essays About Personal Growth: Top 5 Examples and 8 Prompts

If you’re writing essays about personal growth, our guide’s article examples and prompts will help stimulate your creative thinking.

Personal growth is looking at ways to improve yourself mentally, socially, spiritually, emotionally or physically. It is a process where we envision a better version of ourselves and strive to realize that ideal self. Personal growth demands the setting of personal goals and ensuring routine progress. The work toward personal development involves a great deal of hard work and discipline as we push our existing skills and strengths to a higher boundary while reducing our underlying weaknesses.  

Read our essay examples and prompts below to help you produce a rich and creative essay about personal growth.

5 Essay Examples About Personal Growth

1. is it really too late to learn new skills by margaret talbot, 2. i’ve completed hundreds of 30-day challenges. here’s what i’ve learned by tara nicholle-nelson, 3. i was a self-help guru. here’s why you shouldn’t listen to people like me by michelle goodman, 4. how to craft a personal development plan that inspires meaningful results by scott jeffrey, 5. personal development and the power of feedback by emily marsh, 10 prompts on essays about personal growth, 1. why is personal growth important, 2. take up a personal growth challenge, 3. your personal growth journey, 4. personal growth among successful people, 5. personal growth for leaders , 6. personal growth at work, 7. best personal growth books, 8. strong motivation for achieving personal growth.

“… [H]e decides to throw himself into acquiring five new skills. (That’s his term, though I started to think of these skills as “accomplishments” in the way that marriageable Jane Austen heroines have them, talents that make a long evening pass more agreeably, that can turn a person into more engaging company, for herself as much as for others.)

Learning new things may not be a cup of tea for those in their middle ages. To get out of established expertise, be looked down on as a novice, and push the brain to work double time may even be a dreary and intimidating process. , But Journalist Tom Vanderbilt, award-winning writers, and Nobel Prize recipients prove that satisfaction is worth it for personal growth and fulfillment. 

“I think of Challenges as self-directed projects to change my behavior or spark some personal growth or development I’m clear that I’d like to have. Sometimes I want a mindset shift or want to make (or break) a habit, or I just have a sort of big project I want to sprint to finish…”

Why are we so drawn to self-imposed challenges? For one, it’s a competition only between you and yourself, giving room for flexibility in the rules you set. It provides structure to your goals, chunks your bigger long-term self-growth goals into gradual and doable daily tasks, provokes a sense of self-accountability, and helps you focus your energy on what matters most. 

“Apparently, I learned, gurus are people too, even gurus lining the self-help shelves of friendly neighborhood bookstores. They aren’t infallible, all-knowing oracles above worrying about their generous muffin top or widening backside. They are businesspeople — businesspeople with books, keynotes, and openings in their consulting practice to peddle”

From abhorring gurus to becoming one and then hating the industry much more — this is the story of a self-help book author who realizes it was herself who needed the most advice for personal growth. But, as she creates a facade of a well-balanced life to establish her credibility, things turn dark, almost costing her life. 

“When entertainment, distraction, and workaholism consume our attention, something doesn’t feel right within us… To have a full and meaningful life requires us to open to more dimensions of ourselves. And a Personal Development Plan can help us do just that.”

Everyone strives for personal growth. But once we jump at it, some wrong ingredients may spoil the sense of fulfillment we expect. The right process involves navigating your potential, creating a larger vision, selecting areas to focus on, setting your schedule, and monitoring your progress. You might also be interested in these essays about motivation .

“Without feedback, we would learn very little about ourselves, in or out of work. The feedback process is like holding a mirror up to yourself; that’s why it can be uncomfortable at times. You have to be prepared to listen to and acknowledge whatever reveals itself.”

Hearing feedback is critical to personal growth. Negative feedback is constructive in losing our bad habits. However, purely positive feedback is non-progressive and dangerous if we only seek to affirm how we regard ourselves.

We can never be perfect. But we can always progress. In your essay, explain why nurturing a growth mindset in life is essential. What long-term benefits can you reap daily from wanting to be a better person? How does it affect the mind, body, and overall wellness? Answer these while citing studies that outline the essence of personal growth.

Take up any challenge you find exciting and feel up to. Then, write about your experience. If successful, offer tips to your readers on how one can prepare their body, mind, and discipline to stick to the goals. If you did not complete the challenge, don’t worry! Your failure can still be a learning experience that contributes to personal growth and is worth writing about. In addition, you can add what areas of yourself you would like to improve on if you ever take up the challenge again. 

Talk about your goals and your daily efforts to reach this goal. It could relate to acing a test, your sports team winning or professional success. Of course, there will be a handful of challenges in any journey toward a goal. What were the obstacles and distractions that tried to keep you off track? Share these with your readers and how you strived or are striving to conquer them.

When you see people already at the height of their careers, you’ll find some continuing to walk out of their comfort zones and reach for the next higher mountain. For this essay, explain the connection between striving for personal growth and success. Then, provide a list of everyday habits among successful people that others could consider adopting.

Leaders must adapt and address problems efficiently and decisively as they move through a fast-changing landscape. Elaborate on how the pursuit of personal growth helps leaders deliver in their enormous role in organizations, companies, and communities.

If you firmly believe that growth at work translates to personal growth, it would be less hard for you to get by at work. But this gets a bit more complex if your feel that your work is no longer satisfying your self-actualization needs and even limiting you. For this prompt, help your readers determine if it’s time to quit their job and continue their journey for personal growth elsewhere. If you want to address companies, offer recommendations enabling their employees to grow and have a vision for themselves. You may also suggest how managers can keep an open line of communication so that personnel can relay their self-development needs.

We all have that book that has given us a new kind of energy that made us feel and believe we can do anything if we put our heart into it. We keep these books close to our hearts, serving as a reminder of other bigger goals ahead of us when the going gets tough. Create a numbered list of the books that have captivated you and helped you realize your potential. Talk about the best quotes that struck the chord and the thought racing in your mind while reading them.

When you tap onto your inherent and external motivation for a much-needed push, it may be easier to turn bad moments into something that helps advance personal development plans. For your essay, explain how motivation can be a bridge to get you to your growth goals.

If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining what is persuasive writing ?

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Childhood and Growing up Essay: Titles & Examples

What are the challenges of growing up? This question is thought-provoking and exciting to answer. Each person has their unique experience, and for many the process of growing up is not easy. Some live in poverty, others have complex family relationships. A childhood and growing up essay allows you to discover your new sides and see how well you know yourself.

This article is a writing guide for an essay about growing up. It contains creative essay titles on the topic, together with writing prompts and short essay examples. Get inspired to write your growing up essay with us!

• 📝 Growing up Writing Prompts
• 📚 Growing up Essay Topics
• 📜 Essay Sample #1
• 📜 Essay Sample #2

📝 What Are the Challenges of Growing Up? Essay Prompts

Every child is unique, so that everyone can tell a different childhood story.

What is typical for everyone – the process of growing up is a challenge. Although there’re lots of challenges, it’s also an exciting experience.

Growing up essays usually describe hobbies, relationships with siblings, difficulties with parents, etc. Check our essay ideas below.

What Does It Mean to Grow up?

This is not only about aging or changing your looks. Growing up is a physical and a deep psychological process at the same time. Your picture of the world changes, people come and go, and you change too.

Creating a mind map of your childhood can help you understand what exactly growing up was to you.

A reflective childhood & growing up essay can involve such matters:

• Taking on new responsibilities.
• Learning from mistakes.
• Changes in attitude towards people.
• Childhood dreams and ambitions.
• Childhood beliefs and values.
• Independence, confidence, and self-acceptance.
• Life lessons that shaped one’s personality.
• People who affected the growing up process.

Growing up in a Small Town Essay

Describe the details of being a child in a small town. You can also describe the pluses and minuses of living in a small town. It can be a general overview, but better try to connect it to your life and experience.

In this kind of a growing up essay, you might write about:

• Knowing everyone around.
• Local school.
• The first summer job.
• The places that have always been special.

A comparative essay is a good choice in this case. Discuss why life in small towns is different from life in big cities.

Growing up without a Father Essay

How many children in the United States grow up in single-parent families?

Growing up with a single parent is certainly not the only thing that shapes a kid’s personality. However, it is one of the essential factors, for sure.

• Check the statistics to see how many children grow up with one parent.
• Tell about the mother’s efforts to raise children alone while working.
• Include stories about relatives that were of immense help: siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
• Describe a person who substitutes father and his role.

Growing up without a Mother Essay

This topic might seem similar to the previous one, but there are several differences.

• Write about the general psychological effects of growing up without a mother.
• Compare the scientific facts with personal experience and conclude.
• Describe how it affects adult life and childhood.
• Write about the typical leisure time with father.

While describing a relationship with a father, describe daily responsibilities and how they influence a child’s life. What challenges do children growing up with a single parent experience?

Growing up Asian in America Essay

Even though the US is multicultural, there are still issues that people of color face. Including children.

Explain how the childhood of an Asian is different from the experience of white Americans. Describe it if you were a part of an Asian community such as a neighborhood or school you attended. Write about your national traditions that you maintained or abandoned.

In your essay on growing up, describe the challenges you overcame. These might include:

• The time you faced racism.
• The stereotypes and misconceptions you faced.
• The choice between your identity and the one imposed by society.
• How has the social position of Asians in the United States changed?

Growing up in Poverty Essay

How many young Americans live in families with incomes below the poverty threshold? There are several risks which growing up in poverty possesses.

You can discuss them in your growing-up-poor essay:

• Malnutrition. Starting from low birth weight, ending with health problems.
• Psychological damage. Being in need as a child might cause emotional and behavioral issues.
• Academic failures. Some poor children have to work and attend school at the same time. This interferes with the proper learning process.

Use growing up in poverty topic for a problem-solution essay. Here you can discuss how to deal with poverty and provide equal opportunities for all children.

Growing up in Two Cultures Essay

Adapting to a new culture is a complicated process. It is a massive challenge for children as they can’t identify themselves.

Here is what you can discuss in your essay on growing up:

• Traditions of your family. They might include cuisine, holidays, religious practices.
• Transcultural adaptation. Describe the change of behavioral patterns, language, or looks.
• Your relationships with peers. Tell about the situations you remember: bad experiences such as bullying or good ones such as interest in your culture.

Write a narrative essay about your vision of what it’s like to be a person who belongs to two cultures.

📚 Essay Titles about Growing Up

And here is your selection of essay topics that you can also use as ideas for a speech or discussion.

You can pick your essay title from this list:

• What country is the best for children to grow up in?
• Should kids and teenagers work during the summer holidays?
• Explain how growing up among American children influences children of migrants.
• What is the most important lesson you learned from your parents?
• Were you more like your father or mother as a child?
• What do you think you needed the most as a child?
• What are the common problems between parents and adolescents?
• Have you ever been a victim or took part in school bullying?
• What are the consequences of growing up too fast?
• Describe a life-changing experience from your childhood.
• How to motivate children to study based on their early childhood performance?
• Does having a pet teach children responsibility?
• Did you have any secrets that you kept from your parents?
• What is it like growing up in a small town with big ambitions?
• What tips could you give your parents if you went back in time?
• What advice would you give yourself if you went back in time?
• How did your race and ethnicity affect your childhood?
• Describe your childhood hobby and the achievements in it.
• How do childhood problems might affect adult life?
• Is it more challenging to grow up as a girl or a boy?
• Who was your role model as you were a child?
• What challenges did you face while growing up, which you think others didn’t?
• What was the biggest mistake you made in your childhood?
• What are the psychological effects of family issues on children?
• How well do you remember your childhood?
• What are the main reasons for suicide among teenagers?
• Describe your best childhood friend and your relationship.
• How does growing up in a low-income family affect one’s attitude to money?
• Why do children lie to their parents?
• What is your brightest childhood memory?
• Why do teenagers tend to be rebellious and sometimes violent?
• What would you change in your childhood if you had a chance?
• Describe the moment when you felt you had grown up.
• How has your music taste changed since you were a kid?
• How to instill tolerance in children from an early age?
• Growing up without a father made me a stronger person.
• What was your dream profession when you were a child?
• What is the most unforgettable present you received as a kid?
• Were you popular in middle and high school?
• What is your earliest childhood memory, and why do you think it’s this one?
• What is the best advice you have received as a child?
• How successful were you academically as a child?
• How to avoid and prevent bullying at school?
• What experience in your family affected you the most and why?
• Did your parents support your dreams and ambitions?
• How can you describe your relationships with your siblings?
• What were the common traits of teenagers of your generation?
• What is the most valuable object that reminds you of childhood?
• Describe your first love and what you felt about it?
• How did your family affect your current values?
• Videogame Addiction and Its Impact on Children.
• Can a single parent provide enough attention and care to their children?
• Who was the closest to you in your family?
• What are the things your parents have done you are grateful for?
• What opportunities do you wish you could have as a kid?
• What were your phobias in childhood or as a teenager?
• What were your strong and weak sides when you were a child?
• What do you want your future family to be like?
• How to detect and prevent child abuse at early stages?
• Why do teenagers try smoking, drugs, or alcohol?

📜 Growing Up Essay Example #1

To make it easier for you, our experts prepared a couple of childhood and growing up essays. Check them below!

Everyone defines growing up in their way. It is more than just physical changes that you notice in the mirror. As for me, growing up means accepting responsibilities, being able to take care of somebody, and becoming independent. I remember the first time my parents asked me to babysit my little sister. Rachel was a silent kid, but I was nervous anyway. I wanted my parents to come home as early as possible because I was afraid of the responsibility. I felt as if they entrusted her life and safety to me, just a teenager. Some weeks later, I discovered that it was not terrifying me anymore. We had fun together; I taught her how to play games and enjoyed our time together. Rachel was also the first person I learned to take care of. I helped my sister with her homework, picked her from school, and gave her advice when she asked for it. The feeling that I do it without waiting for something in return taught me a lot. I changed my attitude towards people, learned how to be kind and generous. Now I am sure that I will be able to nurture my kids in the future. Moving to a college dormitory made me independent. I thought I was an adult fully responsible for myself at high school, but I was wrong. Living alone and being in charge of my life motivated me to change a lot. I learned how to spend time alone, value it and take care of my health. I also started managing my time rationally. Independence doesn’t mean you don’t need other people in your life. It means you can rely on yourself in any case. I can’t say that I am a one hundred percent adult at this stage of my life. I am sure that I grew up helping my parents, my sister, and myself. I changed a lot. But many challenges are waiting for me in the future. Taking up more responsibilities and facing difficulties will help me on my way.

📜 Growing Up Essay Example #2

Growing up asian in america.

Asian-American children are a vulnerable group that needs protection. My experience is an excellent example of the difficulties that Asian-Americans might face in their childhood. As an Asian, I faced bullying at school, low expectations regarding my future career, and troubles with self-identification. High school was a hard time for me. 21.7% of Asians report being bullied at school . The rate is the highest among all the ethnic groups. I didn’t report my own experience as I didn’t want to seem weak. I was bullied because I studied harder than many other students and cared about my grades too much. I am sure that I would have been bullied less if I were a white child. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious regardless of your ethnicity. My family and friends didn’t support my aspiration to become a doctor. They said that no one from my family went to college and that it was too hard to be admitted. It was challenging to keep my motivation without support. Even when they knew I had all the chances to receive financial aid, they just didn’t believe it. It was always hard for me to identify myself. I don’t know if I am like children from China as I have never been there. I was born and raised in the United States. But my motherland does not feel like home too. I don’t look like many of my peers, and my family has a different lifestyle and traditions. I don’t think that I belong to any of the communities. In conclusion, my experience shows how a childhood of an Asian-American kid might look like. I feel that further generations will confront similar challenges facing society and themselves. That is why I want to raise attention to the mentioned problems and change people’s attitudes.

We hope that our article clarified what a growing up essay should look like.

We will be glad to learn about your experience of writing such an essay! Share your thoughts below in the comment section.

This is it for today. Good luck and happy writing!

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Essays About Growing Up

What makes a good growing up essay topics.

When it comes to writing a compelling essay about growing up, choosing the right topic is crucial. A good essay topic should be thought-provoking, relevant, and engaging. It should allow the writer to explore their experiences, challenges, and growth in a meaningful way. Here are some recommendations on how to brainstorm and choose a great essay topic.

When brainstorming for a growing up essay topic, it's important to consider your own experiences and the lessons you have learned. Reflect on the pivotal moments in your life that have shaped you as a person. Consider the challenges you have faced, the lessons you have learned, and the people who have influenced you. These personal experiences can serve as a rich source of inspiration for your essay topic.

Furthermore, it's essential to choose a topic that is relatable and relevant to your audience. Consider the universal themes of growing up, such as self-discovery, identity, and the transition to adulthood. A good essay topic should resonate with the readers and evoke emotions and empathy.

Lastly, a good essay topic should be specific and focused. Avoid broad and generic topics that lack depth and personal connection. Instead, choose a specific aspect of growing up that is meaningful to you and allows for a deeper exploration.

Best Growing Up Essay Topics

When it comes to choosing the best growing up essay topics, creativity and originality are key. Here are some unique and thought-provoking essay topics that stand out:

• The impact of childhood friendships on personal growth
• Navigating cultural identity in a diverse world
• Overcoming adversity and finding resilience in adolescence
• The role of family dynamics in shaping personal values
• Embracing change and uncertainty during the teenage years
• The influence of social media on the coming-of-age experience
• Discovering passion and purpose in the transition to adulthood
• Challenging traditional gender roles and expectations
• Exploring the meaning of home and belonging in adolescence
• The significance of mentorship and guidance in the journey to adulthood
• Coping with loss and grief during the formative years
• The impact of travel and cultural immersion on personal growth
• Navigating mental health challenges in adolescence
• The influence of pop culture on teenage identity
• Embracing diversity and inclusion in the teenage years
• The significance of rites of passage in different cultures
• Overcoming imposter syndrome and self-doubt in adolescence
• The role of education in shaping personal values and beliefs
• The impact of technology on the teenage experience
• Embracing individuality and self-expression in the digital age

Growing Up essay topics Prompts

If you're looking for some creative prompts to inspire your growing up essay, here are some engaging ideas to get you started:

• Reflect on a specific childhood memory that has had a lasting impact on your personal growth and development. How has this experience shaped your values and beliefs?
• Explore the concept of "home" and how it has evolved for you over the years. How has your sense of belonging and identity changed as you've grown up?
• Consider a time when you faced a significant challenge or obstacle during your adolescent years. How did you overcome this adversity, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Think about a mentor or role model who has had a profound influence on your life. How have their guidance and support shaped your journey to adulthood?
• Examine the role of social media and technology in shaping your teenage experience. How has the digital age impacted your sense of self and identity?

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Personal Growth Essay | A Winning Essay Writing Strategy

EssayEdge > Blog > Personal Growth Essay | A Winning Essay Writing Strategy

Personal Growth. Perhaps this topic is the most popular one since it delves into the heart of what the admissions essay is all about: helping the college gain better insight into an applicant’s personality and character. Some schools ask targeted questions — “What was the most challenging event you have ever faced, and how have you grown from it?” — while others leave the topic open: “Describe an event that has had great meaning for you. Explain why and how it has affected you.”

One of the most successful strategies is to use a past event as a lens through which you can assess who you were and the person you became, how you have grown and changed, your transformation. Most children are curious, but were you the one who asked your teacher what caused the change of seasons of the year and then created a solar system model and explained the concept to your classmates? Though you may think that your topic needs to be more grandiose, that is not necessary for an essay to be effective. Instead, success lies in painting an accurate and vivid picture of yourself — one that will show admissions officers that you have much to offer their school.

The most important advice we can give is to be honest, refrain from using clichés, and show maturity. College represents a radical change from high school, so you want your reader to realize that you are more than ready to take the next major step in your life.

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APA Style for beginners

Then check out some frequently asked questions:

What is APA Style?

Why use apa style in high school, how do i get started with apa style, what apa style products are available, your help wanted.

APA Style is the most common writing style used in college and career. Its purpose is to promote excellence in communication by helping writers create clear, precise, and inclusive sentences with a straightforward scholarly tone. It addresses areas of writing such as how to

• format a paper so it looks professional;
• credit other people’s words and ideas via citations and references to avoid plagiarism; and
• describe other people with dignity and respect using inclusive, bias-free language.

APA Style is primarily used in the behavioral sciences, which are subjects related to people, such as psychology, education, and nursing. It is also used by students in business, engineering, communications, and other classes. Students use it to write academic essays and research papers in high school and college, and professionals use it to conduct, report, and publish scientific research .

High school students need to learn how to write concisely, precisely, and inclusively so that they are best prepared for college and career. Here are some of the reasons educators have chosen APA Style:

• APA Style is the style of choice for the AP Capstone program, the fastest growing AP course, which requires students to conduct and report independent research.
• APA Style helps students craft written responses on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT because it teaches students to use a direct and professional tone while avoiding redundancy and flowery language.
• Most college students choose majors that require APA Style or allow APA Style as an option. It can be overwhelming to learn APA Style all at once during the first years of college; starting APA Style instruction in high school sets students up for success.

High school students may also be interested in the TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students , an annual competition from the APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools for high school students to create a short video demonstrating how a psychological topic has the potential to benefit their school and/or local community and improve people’s lives.

Most people are first introduced to APA Style by reading works written in APA Style. The following guides will help with that:

Many people also write research papers or academic essays in APA Style. The following resources will help with that:

Instructors will also benefit from using the following APA Style resources:

In addition to all the free resources on this website, APA publishes several products that provide comprehensive information about APA Style:

The APA Style team is interested in developing additional resources appropriate for a beginner audience. If you have resources you would like to share, or feedback on this topic, please contact the APA Style team . 

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May 8, 2024

The Diversity Essay: How to Write an Excellent Diversity Essay

What is a diversity essay in a school application? And why does it matter when applying to leading programs and universities? Most importantly, how should you go about writing such an essay?

Diversity is of supreme value in higher education, and schools want to know how every student will contribute to the diversity on their campus. A diversity essay gives applicants with disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds, an unusual education, a distinctive experience, or a unique family history an opportunity to write about how these elements of their background have prepared them to play a useful role in increasing and encouraging diversity among their target program’s student body and broader community.

The purpose of all application essays is to help the adcom better understand who an applicant is and what they care about. Your essays are your chance to share your voice and humanize your application. This is especially true for the diversity essay, which aims to reveal your unique perspectives and experiences, as well as the ways in which you might contribute to a college community.

In this post, we’ll discuss what exactly a diversity essay is, look at examples of actual prompts and a sample essay, and offer tips for writing a standout essay. 

In this post, you’ll find the following: 

What a diversity essay covers

How to show you can add to a school’s diversity, why diversity matters to schools.

• Seven examples that reveal diversity

Sample diversity essay prompts

How to write about your diversity.

• A diversity essay example

Upon hearing the word “diversity” in relation to an application essay, many people assume that they will have to write about gender, sexuality, class, or race. To many, this can feel overly personal or irrelevant, and some students might worry that their identity isn’t unique or interesting enough. In reality, the diversity essay is much broader than many people realize.

Identity means different things to different people. The important thing is that you demonstrate your uniqueness and what matters to you. In addition to writing about one of the traditional identity features we just mentioned (gender, sexuality, class, race), you could consider writing about a more unusual feature of yourself or your life – or even the intersection of two or more identities.

Consider these questions as you think about what to include in your diversity essay:

• Do you have a unique or unusual talent or skill?
• Do you have beliefs or values that are markedly different from those of the people around you? 
• Do you have a hobby or interest that sets you apart from your peers? 
• Have you done or experienced something that few people have? Note that if you choose to write about a single event as a diverse identity feature, that event needs to have had a pretty substantial impact on you and your life. For example, perhaps you’re part of the 0.2% of the world’s population that has run a marathon, or you’ve had the chance to watch wolves hunt in the wild.
• Do you have a role in life that gives you a special outlook on the world? For example, maybe one of your siblings has a rare disability, or you grew up in a town with fewer than 500 inhabitants.

If you are an immigrant to the United States, the child of immigrants, or someone whose ethnicity is underrepresented in the States, your response to “How will you add to the diversity of our class/community?” and similar questions might help your application efforts. Why? Because you have the opportunity to show the adcom how your background will contribute a distinctive perspective to the program you are applying to.

Of course, if you’re not underrepresented in your field or part of a disadvantaged group, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have anything to write about in a diversity essay.

For example, you might have an unusual or special experience to share, such as serving in the military, being a member of a dance troupe, or caring for a disabled relative. These and other distinctive experiences can convey how you will contribute to the diversity of the school’s campus.

Maybe you are the first member of your family to apply to college or the first person in your household to learn English. Perhaps you have worked your way through college or helped raise your siblings. You might also have been an ally to those who are underrepresented, disadvantaged, or marginalized in your community, at your school, or in a work setting. 

As you can see, diversity is not limited to one’s religion, ethnicity, culture, language, or sexual orientation. It refers to whatever element of your identity distinguishes you from others and shows that you, too, value diversity.

The diversity essay provides colleges the chance to build a student body that includes different ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, backgrounds, interests, and so on. Applicants are asked to illuminate what sets them apart so that the adcoms can see what kind of diverse views and opinions they can bring to the campus.

Admissions officers believe that diversity in the classroom improves the educational experience of all the students involved. They also believe that having a diverse workforce better serves society as a whole.

The more diverse perspectives found in the classroom, throughout the dorms, in the dining halls, and mixed into study groups, the richer people’s discussions will be.

Plus, learning and growing in this kind of multicultural environment will prepare students for working in our increasingly multicultural and global world.

In medicine, for example, a heterogeneous workforce benefits people from previously underrepresented cultures. Businesses realize that they will market more effectively if they can speak to different audiences, which is possible when members of their workforce come from various backgrounds and cultures. Schools simply want to prepare graduates for the 21st century job market.

Seven examples that reveal diversity

Adcoms want to know about the diverse elements of your character and how these have helped you develop particular  personality traits , as well as about any unusual experiences that have shaped you.

Here are seven examples an applicant could write about:

1. They grew up in an environment with a strong emphasis on respecting their elders, attending family events, and/or learning their parents’ native language and culture.

2. They are close to their grandparents and extended family members who have taught them how teamwork can help everyone thrive.

3. They have had to face difficulties that stem from their parents’ values being in conflict with theirs or those of their peers.

4. Teachers have not always understood the elements of their culture or lifestyle and how those elements influence their performance.

5. They have suffered discrimination and succeeded despite it because of their grit, values, and character.

6. They learned skills from a lifestyle that is outside the norm (e.g., living in foreign countries as the child of a diplomat or contractor; performing professionally in theater, dance, music, or sports; having a deaf sibling).

7. They’ve encountered racism or other prejudice (either toward themselves or others) and responded by actively promoting diverse, tolerant values.

And remember, diversity is not about who your parents are.  It’s about who you are  – at the core.

Your background, influences, religious observances, native language, ideas, work environment, community experiences – all these factors come together to create a unique individual, one who will contribute to a varied class of distinct individuals taking their place in a diverse world.

The best-known diversity essay prompt is from the  Common App . It states:

“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.”

Some schools have individual diversity essay prompts. For example, this one is from  Duke University :

“We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.” 

And the  Rice University application includes the following prompt:

“Rice is strengthened by its diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders and change agents across the spectrum of human endeavor. What perspectives shaped by your background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity inspire you to join our community of change agents at Rice?”

In all instances, colleges want you to demonstrate how and what you’ll contribute to their communities.

Your answer to a school’s diversity essay question should focus on how your experiences have built your empathy for others, your embrace of differences, your resilience, your character, and your perspective.

The school might ask how you think of diversity or how you will bring or add to the diversity of the school, your chosen profession, or your community. Make sure you answer the specific question posed by highlighting distinctive elements of your profile that will add to the class mosaic every adcom is trying to create. You don’t want to blend in; you want to stand out in a positive way while also complementing the school’s canvas.

Here’s a simple, three-part framework that will help you think of diversity more broadly:

Who are you? What has contributed to your identity? How do you distinguish yourself? Your identity can include any of the following: gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion, nontraditional work experience, nontraditional educational background, multicultural background, and family’s educational level.

What have you done? What have you accomplished? This could include any of the following: achievements inside and/or outside your field of study, leadership opportunities, community service, internship or professional experience, research opportunities, hobbies, and travel. Any or all of these could be unique. Also, what life-derailing, throw-you-for-a-loop challenges have you faced and overcome?

How do you think? How do you approach things? What drives you? What influences you? Are you the person who can break up a tense meeting with some well-timed humor? Are you the one who intuitively sees how to bring people together? 

Read more about this three-part framework in Episode 193 of Accepted’s Admissions Straight Talk podcast or listen wherever you get your favorite podcast s.

Think about each question within this framework and how you could apply your diversity elements to your target school’s classroom or community. Any of these elements can serve as the framework for your essay.

Don’t worry if you can’t think of something totally “out there.” You don’t need to be a tightrope walker living in the Andes or a Buddhist monk from Japan to be able to contribute to a school’s diversity!

And please remember, the examples we have offered here are not exhaustive. There are many other ways to show diversity!

All you need to do to be able to write successfully about how you will contribute to the diversity of your target school’s community is examine your identity, deeds, and ideas, with an eye toward your personal distinctiveness and individuality. There is only one  you .

Take a look at the sample diversity essay in the next section of this post, and pay attention to how the writer underscores their appreciation for, and experience with, diversity. 

A diversity essay sample

When I was starting 11th grade, my dad, an agricultural scientist, was assigned to a 3-month research project in a farm village in Niigata (northwest Honshu in Japan). Rather than stay behind with my mom and siblings, I begged to go with him. As a straight-A student, I convinced my parents and the principal that I could handle my schoolwork remotely (pre-COVID) for that stretch. It was time to leap beyond my comfortable suburban Wisconsin life—and my Western orientation, reinforced by travel to Europe the year before. 

We roomed in a sprawling farmhouse with a family participating in my dad’s study. I thought I’d experience an “English-free zone,” but the high school students all studied and wanted to practice English, so I did meet peers even though I didn’t attend their school. Of the many eye-opening, influential, cultural experiences, the one that resonates most powerfully to me is experiencing their community. It was a living, organic whole. Elementary school kids spent time helping with the rice harvest. People who foraged for seasonal wild edibles gave them to acquaintances throughout the town. In fact, there was a constant sharing of food among residents—garden veggies carried in straw baskets, fish or meat in coolers. The pharmacist would drive prescriptions to people who couldn’t easily get out—new mothers, the elderly—not as a business service but as a good neighbor. If rain suddenly threatened, neighbors would bring in each other’s drying laundry. When an empty-nest 50-year-old woman had to be hospitalized suddenly for a near-fatal snakebite, neighbors maintained her veggie patch until she returned. The community embodied constant awareness of others’ needs and circumstances. The community flowed!

Yet, people there lamented that this lifestyle was vanishing; more young people left than stayed or came. And it wasn’t idyllic: I heard about ubiquitous gossip, long-standing personal enmities, busybody-ness. But these very human foibles didn’t dam the flow. This dynamic community organism couldn’t have been more different from my suburban life back home, with its insular nuclear families. We nod hello to neighbors in passing. 

This wonderful experience contained a personal challenge. Blond and blue-eyed, I became “the other” for the first time. Except for my dad, I saw no Westerner there. Curious eyes followed me. Stepping into a market or walking down the street, I drew gazes. People swiftly looked away if they accidentally caught my eye. It was not at all hostile, I knew, but I felt like an object. I began making extra sure to appear “presentable” before going outside. The sense of being watched sometimes generated mild stress or resentment. Returning to my lovely tatami room, I would decompress, grateful to be alone. I realized this challenge was a minute fraction of what others experience in my own country. The toll that feeling—and being— “other” takes on non-white and visibly different people in the US can be extremely painful. Experiencing it firsthand, albeit briefly, benignly, and in relative comfort, I got it.

Unlike the organic Niigata community, work teams, and the workplace itself, have externally driven purposes. Within this different environment, I will strive to exemplify the ongoing mutual awareness that fueled the community life in Niigata. Does it benefit the bottom line, improve the results? I don’t know. But it helps me be the mature, engaged person I want to be, and to appreciate the individuals who are my colleagues and who comprise my professional community. I am now far more conscious of people feeling their “otherness”—even when it’s not in response to negative treatment, it can arise simply from awareness of being in some way different.

What did you think of this essay? Does this middle class Midwesterner have the unique experience of being different from the surrounding majority, something she had not experienced in the United States? Did she encounter diversity from the perspective of “the other”? 

Here a few things to note about why this diversity essay works so well:

1. The writer comes from “a comfortable, suburban, Wisconsin life,” suggesting that her background might not be ethnically, racially, or in any other way diverse.

2. The diversity “points” scored all come from her fascinating experience of having lived in a Japanese farm village, where she immersed herself in a totally different culture.

3. The lessons learned about the meaning of community are what broaden and deepen the writer’s perspective about life, about a purpose-driven life, and about the concept of “otherness.” 

By writing about a time when you experienced diversity in one of its many forms, you can write a memorable and meaningful diversity essay.

Working on your diversity essay?

Want to ensure that your application demonstrates the diversity that your dream school is seeking?  Work with one of our admissions experts . This checklist includes more than 30 different ways to think about diversity to jump-start your creative engine.

Dr. Sundas Ali has more than 15 years of experience teaching and advising students, providing career and admissions advice, reviewing applications, and conducting interviews for the University of Oxford’s undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, Sundas has worked with students from a wide range of countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and the Middle East. Want Sundas to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! 

Related Resources:

• Different Dimensions of Diversity , podcast Episode 193
• What Should You Do If You Belong to an Overrepresented MBA Applicant Group?
• Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions , a free guide

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5 Eye-catching Introductions for College Application Essays on Childhood Memories

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• essay topic
• northwestern

Memories from childhood make up some of the most popular topics that students like to write about on their personal statement. Partly because they tend to be moments that offered a new perspective or a time they look back to for clarity. Regardless what the reason is, it can be difficult to approach the topic because it’s intimate in nature. Here are a few examples from Northwestern , Yale and UPenn students on how they approach the topic:

University of Pennsylvania ‘17

“Marco”. . . . No reply.

And that was the genesis of a true life lesson.  A game of Marco Polo that gave me a new vantage point on life.

Summer 2012, sixteen years old, long overdue on learning how to swim. In the words of Lao Tzu that “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” so too did my journey begin with one step. A step backwards as I tried to escape from Omar shouting “Marco.” A step backwards that would send me plummeting from the placid 3 feet water in front of me to the engulfing 10 feet of water behind me. View full profile!

Stanford University ‘17

The day our house caught fire I chose to accept my role as the leader of my household and assume its inherent responsibilities.

In the still and frigid hours of the night, I woke up to the stench of burnt plastic and the scorching pain of my smoke-filled lungs. Before I could fully comprehend the dangers of our situation, I was already dashing across the room, dragging younger siblings out of bed while sternly urging them to crawl outside through the back door. Read on . 

Yale University ‘17

To the outsider, the chain-link and barbed wire fence enclosing the field did nothing to enhance its appeal. Save for a few trees and a couple of patches of grass that lay around the edges, the field was flat, brown, and dusty. On some days, when the wind was blowing just right, I could chase the dust twisters. I imagine that it resembled the sort of fields my Midwestern ancestors encountered during the Dust Bowl. Back then, more of life was about living with what was available. That the field was a barren, infertile place did not limit its usefulness. To me, that field was the perfect canvas. Continue reading . 

Northwestern University ‘16

John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

These four names, out of all others, are the most recognizable to me. When I was six years old, on one of the first few days of first grade, a kid who would eventually become my closest friend asked me if I liked them.

“Who?” I asked.

“The Beatles! What’s wrong with you!” View full profile .

Northwestern University ‘17

I was born with everything: not five personal TVs and a butler, but happily married parents, a home, and a big golden spoon clutched in my sticky little fingers. Better yet, I didn’t even need to share. Growing up as an only child, “daddy’s little angel” and “mommy’s personal food critic”, I was a concoction of spoiled, spice, and everything not-so-nice—reflecting all the stereotypes of an only child. Keep reading .

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About The Author

Frances was born in Hong Kong and received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. She loves super sad drama television, cooking, and reading. Her favorite person on Earth isn’t actually a member of the AdmitSee team - it’s her dog Cooper.

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How to Write a Great College Essay, Step-by-Step

College Admissions , College Essays

Writing your personal statement for your college application is an undeniably overwhelming project. Your essay is your big shot to show colleges who you are—it's totally reasonable to get stressed out. But don't let that stress paralyze you.

This guide will walk you through each step of the essay writing process to help you understand exactly what you need to do to write the best possible personal statement . I'm also going to follow an imaginary student named Eva as she plans and writes her college essay, from her initial organization and brainstorming to her final edits. By the end of this article, you'll have all the tools you need to create a fantastic, effective college essay.

So how do you write a good college essay? The process starts with finding the best possible topic , which means understanding what the prompt is asking for and taking the time to brainstorm a variety of options. Next, you'll determine how to create an interesting essay that shows off your unique perspective and write multiple drafts in order to hone your structure and language. Once your writing is as effective and engaging as possible, you'll do a final sweep to make sure everything is correct .

This guide covers the following steps:

#1: Organizing #2: Brainstorming #3: Picking a topic #4: Making a plan #5: Writing a draft #6: Editing your draft #7: Finalizing your draft #8: Repeating the process

Step 1: Get Organized

The first step in how to write a college essay is figuring out what you actually need to do. Although many schools are now on the Common App, some very popular colleges, including Rutgers and University of California, still have their own applications and writing requirements. Even for Common App schools, you may need to write a supplemental essay or provide short answers to questions.

Before you get started, you should know exactly what essays you need to write. Having this information allows you to plan the best approach to each essay and helps you cut down on work by determining whether you can use an essay for more than one prompt.

Start Early

Writing good college essays involves a lot of work: you need dozens of hours to get just one personal statement properly polished , and that's before you even start to consider any supplemental essays.

In order to make sure you have plenty of time to brainstorm, write, and edit your essay (or essays), I recommend starting at least two months before your first deadline . The last thing you want is to end up with a low-quality essay you aren't proud of because you ran out of time and had to submit something unfinished.

Determine What You Need to Do

As I touched on above, each college has its own essay requirements, so you'll need to go through and determine what exactly you need to submit for each school . This process is simple if you're only using the Common App, since you can easily view the requirements for each school under the "My Colleges" tab. Watch out, though, because some schools have a dedicated "Writing Supplement" section, while others (even those that want a full essay) will put their prompts in the "Questions" section.

It gets trickier if you're applying to any schools that aren't on the Common App. You'll need to look up the essay requirements for each college—what's required should be clear on the application itself, or you can look under the "how to apply" section of the school's website.

Once you've determined the requirements for each school, I recommend making yourself a chart with the school name, word limit, and application deadline on one side and the prompt or prompts you need to respond to on the other . That way you'll be able to see exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it by.

The hardest part about writing your college essays is getting started. 

Decide Where to Start

If you have one essay that's due earlier than the others, start there. Otherwise, start with the essay for your top choice school.

I would also recommend starting with a longer personal statement before moving on to shorter supplementary essays , since the 500-700 word essays tend to take quite a bit longer than 100-250 word short responses. The brainstorming you do for the long essay may help you come up with ideas you like for the shorter ones as well.

Also consider whether some of the prompts are similar enough that you could submit the same essay to multiple schools . Doing so can save you some time and let you focus on a few really great essays rather than a lot of mediocre ones.

However, don't reuse essays for dissimilar or very school-specific prompts, especially "why us" essays . If a college asks you to write about why you're excited to go there, admissions officers want to see evidence that you're genuinely interested. Reusing an essay about another school and swapping out the names is the fastest way to prove you aren't.

Example: Eva's College List

Eva is applying early to Emory University and regular decision to University of Washington, UCLA, and Reed College. Emory, the University of Washington, and Reed both use the Common App, while University of Washington, Emory, and Reed all use the Coalition App.

Even though she's only applying to four schools, Eva has a lot to do: two essays for UW, four for the UCLA application, one for the Common App (or the Coalition App), and two essays for Emory. Many students will have fewer requirements to complete, but those who are applying to very selective schools or a number of schools on different applications will have as many or even more responses to write.

Eva's first deadline is early decision for Emory, she'll start by writing the Common App essay, and then work on the Emory supplements. (For the purposes of this post, we'll focus on the Common App essay.)

Pro tip: If this sounds like a lot of work, that's because it is. Writing essays for your college applications is demanding and takes a lot of time and thought. You don't have to do it alone, though. PrepScholar has helped students like you get into top-tier colleges like Stanford, Yale, Harvard, and Brown. Our essay experts can help you craft amazing essays that boost your chances of getting into your dream school . 

Step 2: Brainstorm

Next up in how to write a college essay: brainstorming essay ideas. There are tons of ways to come up with ideas for your essay topic: I've outlined three below. I recommend trying all of them and compiling a list of possible topics, then narrowing it down to the very best one or, if you're writing multiple essays, the best few.

Keep in mind as you brainstorm that there's no best college essay topic, just the best topic for you . Don't feel obligated to write about something because you think you should—those types of essays tend to be boring and uninspired. Similarly, don't simply write about the first idea that crosses your mind because you don't want to bother trying to think of something more interesting. Take the time to come up with a topic you're really excited about and that you can write about in detail.

Analyze the Prompts

One way to find possible topics is to think deeply about the college's essay prompt. What are they asking you for? Break them down and analyze every angle.

Does the question include more than one part ? Are there multiple tasks you need to complete?

What do you think the admissions officers are hoping to learn about you ?

In cases where you have more than one choice of prompt, does one especially appeal to you ? Why?

Let's dissect one of the University of Washington prompts as an example:

"Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. "

This question is basically asking how your personal history, such as your childhood, family, groups you identify with etc. helped you become the person you are now. It offers a number of possible angles.

You can talk about the effects of either your family life (like your relationship with your parents or what your household was like growing up) or your cultural history (like your Jewish faith or your Venezuelan heritage). You can also choose between focusing on positive or negative effects of your family or culture. No matter what however, the readers definitely want to hear about your educational goals (i.e. what you hope to get out of college) and how they're related to your personal experience.

As you try to think of answers for a prompt, imagine about what you would say if you were asked the question by a friend or during a get-to-know-you icebreaker. After all, admissions officers are basically just people who you want to get to know you.

The essay questions can make a great jumping off point, but don't feel married to them. Most prompts are general enough that you can come up with an idea and then fit it to the question.

Consider Important Experiences, Events, and Ideas in Your Life

What experience, talent, interest or other quirk do you have that you might want to share with colleges? In other words, what makes you you? Possible topics include hobbies, extracurriculars, intellectual interests, jobs, significant one-time events, pieces of family history, or anything else that has shaped your perspective on life.

Unexpected or slightly unusual topics are often the best : your passionate love of Korean dramas or your yearly family road trip to an important historical site. You want your essay to add something to your application, so if you're an All-American soccer player and want to write about the role soccer has played in your life, you'll have a higher bar to clear.

Of course if you have a more serious part of your personal history—the death of a parent, serious illness, or challenging upbringing—you can write about that. But make sure you feel comfortable sharing details of the experience with the admissions committee and that you can separate yourself from it enough to take constructive criticism on your essay.

Think About How You See Yourself

The last brainstorming method is to consider whether there are particular personality traits you want to highlight . This approach can feel rather silly, but it can also be very effective.

If you were trying to sell yourself to an employer, or maybe even a potential date, how would you do it? Try to think about specific qualities that make you stand out. What are some situations in which you exhibited this trait?

Example: Eva's Ideas

Looking at the Common App prompts, Eva wasn't immediately drawn to any of them, but after a bit of consideration she thought it might be nice to write about her love of literature for the first one, which asks about something "so meaningful your application would be incomplete without it." Alternatively, she liked the specificity of the failure prompt and thought she might write about a bad job interview she had had.

In terms of important events, Eva's parents got divorced when she was three and she's been going back and forth between their houses for as long as she can remember, so that's a big part of her personal story. She's also played piano for all four years of high school, although she's not particularly good.

As for personal traits, Eva is really proud of her curiosity—if she doesn't know something, she immediately looks it up, and often ends up discovering new topics she's interested in. It's a trait that's definitely come in handy as a reporter for her school paper.

Step 3: Narrow Down Your List

Now you have a list of potential topics, but probably no idea where to start. The next step is to go through your ideas and determine which one will make for the strongest essay . You'll then begin thinking about how best to approach it.

What to Look for in a College Essay Topic

There's no single answer to the question of what makes a great college essay topic, but there are some key factors you should keep in mind. The best essays are focused, detailed, revealing and insightful, and finding the right topic is vital to writing a killer essay with all of those qualities.

As you go through your ideas, be discriminating—really think about how each topic could work as an essay. But don't be too hard on yourself ; even if an idea may not work exactly the way you first thought, there may be another way to approach it. Pay attention to what you're really excited about and look for ways to make those ideas work.

Consideration 1: Does It Matter to You?

If you don't care about your topic, it will be hard to convince your readers to care about it either. You can't write a revealing essay about yourself unless you write about a topic that is truly important to you.

But don't confuse important to you with important to the world: a college essay is not a persuasive argument. The point is to give the reader a sense of who you are , not to make a political or intellectual point. The essay needs to be personal.

Similarly, a lot of students feel like they have to write about a major life event or their most impressive achievement. But the purpose of a personal statement isn't to serve as a resume or a brag sheet—there are plenty of other places in the application for you to list that information. Many of the best essays are about something small because your approach to a common experience generally reveals a lot about your perspective on the world.

Mostly, your topic needs to have had a genuine effect on your outlook , whether it taught you something about yourself or significantly shifted your view on something else.

Consideration 2: Does It Tell the Reader Something Different About You?

Your essay should add something to your application that isn't obvious elsewhere. Again, there are sections for all of your extracurriculars and awards; the point of the essay is to reveal something more personal that isn't clear just from numbers and lists.

You also want to make sure that if you're sending more than one essay to a school—like a Common App personal statement and a school-specific supplement—the two essays take on different topics.

Consideration 3: Is It Specific?

Your essay should ultimately have a very narrow focus. 650 words may seem like a lot, but you can fill it up very quickly. This means you either need to have a very specific topic from the beginning or find a specific aspect of a broader topic to focus on.

If you try to take on a very broad topic, you'll end up with a bunch of general statements and boring lists of your accomplishments. Instead, you want to find a short anecdote or single idea to explore in depth .

Consideration 4: Can You Discuss It in Detail?

A vague essay is a boring essay— specific details are what imbue your essay with your personality . For example, if I tell my friend that I had a great dessert yesterday, she probably won't be that interested. But if I explain that I ate an amazing piece of peach raspberry pie with flaky, buttery crust and filling that was both sweet and tart, she will probably demand to know where I obtained it (at least she will if she appreciates the joys of pie). She'll also learn more about me: I love pie and I analyze desserts with great seriousness.

Given the importance of details, writing about something that happened a long time ago or that you don't remember well isn't usually a wise choice . If you can't describe something in depth, it will be challenging to write a compelling essay about it.

You also shouldn't pick a topic you aren't actually comfortable talking about . Some students are excited to write essays about very personal topics, like their mother's bipolar disorder or their family's financial struggles, but others dislike sharing details about these kinds of experiences. If you're a member of the latter group, that's totally okay, just don't write about one of these sensitive topics.

Still, don't worry that every single detail has to be perfectly correct. Definitely don't make anything up, but if you remember a wall as green and it was really blue, your readers won't notice or care.

Consideration 5: Can It Be Related to the Prompt?

As long as you're talking about yourself, there are very few ideas that you can't tie back to one of the Common App or Coalition App prompts. But if you're applying to a school with its own more specific prompt, or working on supplemental essays, making sure to address the question will be a greater concern.

Deciding on a Topic

Once you've gone through the questions above, you should have a good sense of what you want to write about. Hopefully, it's also gotten you started thinking about how you can best approach that topic, but we'll cover how to plan your essay more fully in the next step.

If after going through the narrowing process, you've eliminated all your topics, first look back over them: are you being too hard on yourself? Are there any that you really like, but just aren't totally sure what angle to take on? If so, try looking at the next section and seeing if you can't find a different way to approach it.

If you just don't have an idea you're happy with, that's okay! Give yourself a week to think about it. Sometimes you'll end up having a genius idea in the car on the way to school or while studying for your U.S. history test. Otherwise, try the brainstorming process again when you've had a break.

If, on the other hand, you have more than one idea you really like, consider whether any of them can be used for other essays you need to write.

Example: Picking Eva's Topic

• Love of books
• Failed job interview
• Parents' divorce

Eva immediately rules out writing about playing piano, because it sounds super boring to her, and it's not something she is particularly passionate about. She also decides not to write about splitting time between her parents because she just isn't comfortable sharing her feelings about it with an admissions committee.

She feels more positive about the other three, so she decides to think about them for a couple of days. She ends up ruling out the job interview because she just can't come up with that many details she could include.

She's excited about both of her last two ideas, but sees issues with both of them: the books idea is very broad and the reporting idea doesn't seem to apply to any of the prompts. Then she realizes that she can address the solving a problem prompt by talking about a time she was trying to research a story about the closing of a local movie theater, so she decides to go with that topic.

Step 4: Figure Out Your Approach

You've decided on a topic, but now you need to turn that topic into an essay. To do so, you need to determine what specifically you're focusing on and how you'll structure your essay.

If you're struggling or uncertain, try taking a look at some examples of successful college essays . It can be helpful to dissect how other personal statements are structured to get ideas for your own , but don't fall into the trap of trying to copy someone else's approach. Your essay is your story—never forget that.

Let's go through the key steps that will help you turn a great topic into a great essay.

Choose a Focal Point

As I touched on above, the narrower your focus, the easier it will be to write a unique, engaging personal statement. The simplest way to restrict the scope of your essay is to recount an anecdote , i.e. a short personal story that illustrates your larger point.

For example, say a student was planning to write about her Outward Bound trip in Yosemite. If she tries to tell the entire story of her trip, her essay will either be far too long or very vague. Instead, she decides to focus in on a specific incident that exemplifies what mattered to her about the experience: her failed attempt to climb Half Dome. She described the moment she decided to turn back without reaching the top in detail, while touching on other parts of the climb and trip where appropriate. This approach lets her create a dramatic arc in just 600 words, while fully answering the question posed in the prompt (Common App prompt 2).

Of course, concentrating on an anecdote isn't the only way to narrow your focus. Depending on your topic, it might make more sense to build your essay around an especially meaningful object, relationship, or idea.

Another approach our example student from above could take to the same general topic would be to write about the generosity of fellow hikers (in response to Common App prompt 4). Rather than discussing a single incident, she could tell the story of her trip through times she was supported by other hikers: them giving tips on the trails, sharing snacks, encouraging her when she was tired, etc. A structure like this one can be trickier than the more straightforward anecdote approach , but it can also make for an engaging and different essay.

When deciding what part of your topic to focus on, try to find whatever it is about the topic that is most meaningful and unique to you . Once you've figured that part out, it will guide how you structure the essay.

Decide What You Want to Show About Yourself

Remember that the point of the college essay isn't just to tell a story, it's to show something about yourself. It's vital that you have a specific point you want to make about what kind of person you are , what kind of college student you'd make, or what the experience you're describing taught you.

Since the papers you write for school are mostly analytical, you probably aren't used to writing about your own feelings. As such, it can be easy to neglect the reflection part of the personal statement in favor of just telling a story. Yet explaining what the event or idea you discuss meant to you is the most important essay —knowing how you want to tie your experiences back to your personal growth from the beginning will help you make sure to include it.

Develop a Structure

It's not enough to just know what you want to write about—you also need to have a sense of how you're going to write about it. You could have the most exciting topic of all time, but without a clear structure your essay will end up as incomprehensible gibberish that doesn't tell the reader anything meaningful about your personality.

There are a lot of different possible essay structures, but a simple and effective one is the compressed narrative, which builds on a specific anecdote (like the Half Dome example above):

Start in the middle of the action. Don't spend a lot of time at the beginning of your essay outlining background info—it doesn't tend to draw the reader in and you usually need less of it than you think you do. Instead start right where your story starts to get interesting. (I'll go into how to craft an intriguing opener in more depth below.)

Briefly explain what the situation is. Now that you've got the reader's attention, go back and explain anything they need to know about how you got into this situation. Don't feel compelled to fit everything in—only include the background details that are necessary to either understand what happened or illuminate your feelings about the situation in some way.

Finish the story. Once you've clarified exactly what's going on, explain how you resolved the conflict or concluded the experience.

Explain what you learned. The last step is to tie everything together and bring home the main point of your story: how this experience affected you.

The key to this type of structure is to create narrative tension—you want your reader to be wondering what happens next.

A second approach is the thematic structure, which is based on returning to a key idea or object again and again (like the boots example above):

Establish the focus. If you're going to structure your essay around a single theme or object, you need to begin the essay by introducing that key thing. You can do so with a relevant anecdote or a detailed description.

Touch on 3-5 times the focus was important. The body of your essay will consist of stringing together a few important moments related to the topic. Make sure to use sensory details to bring the reader into those points in time and keep her engaged in the essay. Also remember to elucidate why these moments were important to you.

Revisit the main idea. At the end, you want to tie everything together by revisiting the main idea or object and showing how your relationship to it has shaped or affected you. Ideally, you'll also hint at how this thing will be important to you going forward.

To make this structure work you need a very specific focus. Your love of travel, for example, is much too broad—you would need to hone in on a specific aspect of that interest, like how traveling has taught you to adapt to event the most unusual situations. Whatever you do, don't use this structure to create a glorified resume or brag sheet .

However you structure your essay, you want to make sure that it clearly lays out both the events or ideas you're describing and establishes the stakes (i.e. what it all means for you). Many students become so focused on telling a story or recounting details that they forget to explain what it all meant to them.

Example: Eva's Essay Plan

For her essay, Eva decides to use the compressed narrative structure to tell the story of how she tried and failed to report on the closing of a historic movie theater:

• Open with the part of her story where she finally gave up after calling the theater and city hall a dozen times.
• Explain that although she started researching the story out of journalistic curiosity, it was important to her because she'd grown up going to movies at that theater.
• Recount how defeated she felt when she couldn't get ahold of anyone, and then even more so when she saw a story about the theater's closing in the local paper.
• Describer her decision to write an op-ed instead and interview other students about what the theater meant to them.
• Finish by explaining that although she wasn't able to get the story (or stop the destruction of the theater), she learned that sometimes the emotional angle can be just as interesting as the investigative one.

Step 5: Write a First Draft

The key to writing your first draft is not to worry about whether it's any good—just get something on paper and go from there. You will have to rewrite, so trying to get everything perfect is both frustrating and futile.

Everyone has their own writing process. Maybe you feel more comfortable sitting down and writing the whole draft from beginning to end in one go. Maybe you jump around, writing a little bit here and a little there. It's okay to have sections you know won't work or to skip over things you think you'll need to include later.

Whatever your approach, there are a few tips everyone can benefit from.

Don't Aim for Perfection

I mentioned this idea above, but I can't emphasize it enough: no one writes a perfect first draft . Extensive editing and rewriting is vital to crafting an effective personal statement. Don't get too attached to any part of your draft, because you may need to change anything (or everything) about your essay later .

Also keep in mind that, at this point in the process, the goal is just to get your ideas down. Wonky phrasings and misplaced commas can easily be fixed when you edit, so don't worry about them as you write. Instead, focus on including lots of specific details and emphasizing how your topic has affected you, since these aspects are vital to a compelling essay.

Write an Engaging Introduction

One part of the essay you do want to pay special attention to is the introduction. Your intro is your essay's first impression: you only get one. It's much harder to regain your reader's attention once you've lost it, so you want to draw the reader in with an immediately engaging hook that sets up a compelling story .

There are two possible approaches I would recommend.

The "In Media Res" Opening

You'll probably recognize this term if you studied The Odyssey: it basically means that the story starts in the middle of the action, rather than at the beginning. A good intro of this type makes the reader wonder both how you got to the point you're starting at and where you'll go from there . These openers provide a solid, intriguing beginning for narrative essays (though they can certainly for thematic structures as well).

But how do you craft one? Try to determine the most interesting point in your story and start there. If you're not sure where that is, try writing out the entire story and then crossing out each sentence in order until you get to one that immediately grabs your attention.

Here's an example from a real student's college essay:

"I strode in front of 400 frenzied eighth graders with my arm slung over my Fender Stratocaster guitar—it actually belonged to my mother—and launched into the first few chords of Nirvana's 'Lithium.'"

Anonymous , University of Virginia

This intro throws the reader right into the middle of the action. The author jumps right into the action: the performance. You can imagine how much less exciting it would be if the essay opened with an explanation of what the event was and why the author was performing.

The Specific Generalization

Sounds like an oxymoron, right? This type of intro sets up what the essay is going to talk about in a slightly unexpected way . These are a bit trickier than the "in media res" variety, but they can work really well for the right essay—generally one with a thematic structure.

The key to this type of intro is detail . Contrary to what you may have learned in elementary school, sweeping statements don't make very strong hooks. If you want to start your essay with a more overall description of what you'll be discussing, you still need to make it specific and unique enough to stand out.

Once again, let's look at some examples from real students' essays:

Neha, Johns Hopkins University

Brontë, Johns Hopkins University

Both of these intros set up the general topic of the essay (the first writer's bookshelf and and the second's love of Jane Eyre ) in an intriguing way. The first intro works because it mixes specific descriptions ("pushed against the left wall in my room") with more general commentary ("a curious piece of furniture"). The second draws the reader in by adopting a conversational and irreverent tone with asides like "if you ask me" and "This may or may not be a coincidence."

Don't Worry Too Much About the Length

When you start writing, don't worry about your essay's length. Instead, focus on trying to include all of the details you can think of about your topic , which will make it easier to decide what you really need to include when you edit.

However, if your first draft is more than twice the word limit and you don't have a clear idea of what needs to be cut out, you may need to reconsider your focus—your topic is likely too broad. You may also need to reconsider your topic or approach if you find yourself struggling to fill space, since this usually indicates a topic that lacks a specific focus.

Eva's First Paragraph

I dialed the phone number for the fourth time that week. "Hello? This is Eva Smith, and I'm a reporter with Tiny Town High's newspaper The Falcon. I was hoping to ask you some questions about—" I heard the distinctive click of the person on the other end of the line hanging up, followed by dial tone. I was about ready to give up: I'd been trying to get the skinny on whether the Atlas Theater was actually closing to make way for a big AMC multiplex or if it was just a rumor for weeks, but no one would return my calls.

Step 6: Edit Aggressively

No one writes a perfect first draft. No matter how much you might want to be done after writing a first draft—you must take the time to edit. Thinking critically about your essay and rewriting as needed is a vital part of writing a great college essay.

Before you start editing, put your essay aside for a week or so . It will be easier to approach it objectively if you haven't seen it in a while. Then, take an initial pass to identify any big picture issues with your essay. Once you've fixed those, ask for feedback from other readers—they'll often notice gaps in logic that don't appear to you, because you're automatically filling in your intimate knowledge of the situation. Finally, take another, more detailed look at your essay to fine tune the language.

I've explained each of these steps in more depth below.

First Editing Pass

You should start the editing process by looking for any structural or thematic issues with your essay . If you see sentences that don't make sense or glaring typos of course fix them, but at this point, you're really focused on the major issues since those require the most extensive rewrites. You don't want to get your sentences beautifully structured only to realize you need to remove the entire paragraph.

This phase is really about honing your structure and your voice . As you read through your essay, think about whether it effectively draws the reader along, engages him with specific details, and shows why the topic matters to you. Try asking yourself the following questions:

• Does the intro make you want to read more?
• Is the progression of events and/or ideas clear?
• Does the essay show something specific about you? What is it and can you clearly identify it in the essay?
• Are there places where you could replace vague statements with more specific ones?
• Do you have too many irrelevant or uninteresting details clogging up the narrative?
• Is it too long? What can you cut out or condense without losing any important ideas or details?

Give yourself credit for what you've done well, but don't hesitate to change things that aren't working. It can be tempting to hang on to what you've already written —you took the time and thought to craft it in the first place, so it can be hard to let it go. Taking this approach is doing yourself a disservice, however. No matter how much work you put into a paragraph or much you like a phrase, if they aren't adding to your essay, they need to be cut or altered.

If there's a really big structural problem, or the topic is just not working, you may have to chuck this draft out and start from scratch . Don't panic! I know starting over is frustrating, but it's often the best way to fix major issues.

Consulting Other Readers

Once you've fixed the problems you found on the first pass and have a second (or third) draft you're basically happy with, ask some other people to read it. Check with people whose judgment you trust : parents, teachers, and friends can all be great resources, but how helpful someone will be depends on the individual and how willing you are to take criticism from her.

Also, keep in mind that many people, even teachers, may not be familiar with what colleges look for in an essay. Your mom, for example, may have never written a personal statement, and even if she did, it was most likely decades ago. Give your readers a sense of what you'd like them to read for , or print out the questions I listed above and include them at the end of your essay.

Second Pass

After incorporating any helpful feedback you got from others, you should now have a nearly complete draft with a clear arc.

At this point you want to look for issues with word choice and sentence structure:

• Are there parts that seem stilted or overly formal?
• Do you have any vague or boring descriptors that could be replaced with something more interesting and specific?
• Are there any obvious redundancies or repetitiveness?
• Have you misused any words?
• Are your sentences of varied length and structure?

A good way to check for weirdness in language is to read the essay out loud. If something sounds weird when you say it, it will almost certainly seem off when someone else reads it.

Example: Editing Eva's First Paragraph

In general, Eva feels like her first paragraph isn't as engaging as it could be and doesn't introduce the main point of the essay that well: although it sets up the narrative, it doesn't show off her personality that well. She decides to break it down sentence by sentence:

I dialed the phone number for the fourth time that week.

Problem: For a hook, this sentence is a little too expository. It doesn't add any real excitement or important information (other than that this call isn't the first, which can be incorporate elsewhere.

Solution: Cut this sentence and start with the line of dialogue.

"Hello? This is Eva Smith, and I'm a reporter with Tiny Town High's newspaper The Falcon. I was hoping to ask you some questions about—"

Problem: No major issues with this sentence. It's engaging and sets the scene effectively.

Solution: None needed, but Eva does tweak it slightly to include the fact that this call wasn't her first.

I heard the distinctive click of the person on the other end of the line hanging up, followed by dial tone.

Problem: This is a long-winded way of making a point that's not that important.

Solution: Replace it with a shorter, more evocative description: " Click. Bzzzzzzz. Whoever was on the other end of the line had hung up."

I was about ready to give up: I'd been trying to get the skinny on whether the Atlas Theater was actually closing to make way for a big AMC multiplex or if it was just a rumor for weeks, but no one would return my calls.

Problem: This sentence is kind of long. Some of the phrases ("about ready to give up," "get the skinny") are cliche.

Solution: Eva decides to try to stick more closely to her own perspective: "I'd heard rumors that Atlas Theater was going to be replaced with an AMC multiplex, and I was worried." She also puts a paragraph break before this sentence to emphasize that she's now moving on to the background info rather than describing her call.

Step 7: Double Check Everything

Once you have a final draft, give yourself another week and then go through your essay again. Read it carefully to make sure nothing seems off and there are no obvious typos or errors. Confirm that you are at or under the word limit.

Then, go over the essay again, line by line , checking every word to make sure that it's correct. Double check common errors that spell check may not catch, like mixing up affect and effect or misplacing commas.

Finally, have two other readers check it as well . Oftentimes a fresh set of eyes will catch an issue you've glossed over simply because you've been looking at the essay for so long. Give your readers instructions to only look for typos and errors, since you don't want to be making any major content changes at this point in the process.

This level of thoroughness may seem like overkill, but it's worth taking the time to ensure that you don't have any errors. The last thing you want is for an admissions officer to be put off by a typo or error.

Example: Eva's Final Draft (Paragraphs 1 and 2)

"Hello? This is Eva Smith again. I'm a reporter with Tiny Town High's newspaper The Falcon , and I was hoping to ask you some questions about —" Click. Bzzzzzzz. Whoever was on the other end of the line had hung up.

I'd heard rumors that the historic Atlas Theater was going to be replaced with an AMC multiplex, and I was worried. I'd grown up with the Atlas: my dad taking me to see every Pixar movie on opening night and buying me Red Vines to keep me distracted during the sad parts. Unfortunately my personal history with the place didn't seem to carry much weight with anyone official, and my calls to both the theater and city hall had thus far gone unanswered.

Once you've finished the final check, you're done, and ready to submit! There's one last step, however.

Step 8: Do It All Again

Remember back in step one, when we talked about making a chart to keep track of all the different essays you need to write? Well, now you need to go back to that list and determine which essays you still need to write . Keep in mind your deadlines and don't forget that some schools may require more than one essay or ask for short paragraphs in addition to the main personal statement.

Reusing Essays

In some cases, you may be able to reuse the essay you've already written for other prompts. You can use the same essay for two prompts if:

Both of them are asking the same basic question (e.g. "how do you interact with people who are different from you?" or "what was an important experience and why?"), or

One prompt is relatively specific and the other is very general (e.g. "tell us about how your family shaped your education" and "tell us something about your background"), and

Neither asks about your interest in a specific school or program.

If you choose to reuse an essay you wrote for a different prompt, make sure that it addresses every part of question and that it fits the word limit. If you have to tweak a few things or cut out 50-odd words, it will probably still work. But if the essay would require major changes to fit the criteria, you're probably better off starting from scratch (even if you use the same basic topic).

Crafting Supplemental Essays

The key to keep in mind in when brainstorming for supplemental essays is that you want them to add something new to your application . You shouldn't write about the same topic you used for your personal statement, although it's okay to talk about something similar, as long as you adopt a clearly different angle.

For example, if you're planning to be pre-med in college and your main essay is about how volunteering at the hospital taught you not to judge people on their appearance, you might write your secondary essay on your intellectual interest in biology (which could touch on your volunteering). There's some overlap, but the two topics are clearly distinct.

And now, you're really, truly, finally done. Congrats!

What's Next?

Now that you know how to write a college essay, we have a lot more specific resources for you to excel.

Are you working on the Common App essay ? Read our breakdown of the Common App prompts and our guide to picking the best prompt for you.

Or maybe you're interested in the University of California ? Check out our complete guide to the UC personal statements .

In case you haven't finished the rest of the application process , take a look at our guides to asking for recommendations , writing about extracurriculars , and researching colleges .

Finally, if you're planning to take the SAT or ACT one last time , try out some of our famous test prep guides, like "How to Get a Perfect Score on the SAT" and "15 Key ACT Test Day Tips."

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Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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How to Write a College Essay: The Personal Statement and Writing Supplement

March 31, 2021 (updated november 13, 2023) | estimated read time: 8.5 minutes.

By Rachel Blakley

Whether you are applying to college through The Common Application or directly from the college’s website, you will be asked to write a college essay, sometimes called the personal statement. Here, we will explore how to write a college admission essay you feel proud of by exploring tips from college admissions counselors and looking at college essay examples for admission.

The Basics: How to Write a College Essay

Before we talk about how to write a college admission essay, let’s take a step back and talk about the process and how to set yourself up for success.

Start early

It may be intimidating to sit in front of a blank computer page and start writing, so think about gathering your thoughts in a different format. Before you sit down to write, consider taking notes on your phone or on sticky notes around your room as ideas come to you. When you do sit down to write, try laying out your ideas in an outline first and then draft it into complete sentences later. Breaking down the process in this way can be less daunting and will allow you to focus on the topic and the most important part of the essay—YOU!

Schedule time to write

No matter how hard you try, there will always be something that seems more pressing than sitting down to write your essay. As you prepare for your college application process, schedule time into your day to write. Find a quiet, distraction-free space, and write your thoughts down. Whether you just work on a few sentences or you’re able to write the bulk of your essay, you’ll be glad you set time aside once it comes time to submit your applications.

Read the instructions

This is the most simple yet possibly the most important part of the essay-writing process. You want to read each part of your application carefully, including the essay prompt. If you submit something that doesn’t follow directions, the admissions counselors may assume you won’t know how to follow directions, and it could affect your chances of getting into your desired school.

The Common Application

The Common Application, known as Common App, is accepted by more than 900 schools , and helps streamline the tedious process of applying for colleges. Information, including your name, address, grades, extracurriculars, and parental employment, will just be entered one time so you don’t have to spend extra time inputting this in multiple applications.

It’s a good idea to start your Common Application around August 1, when applications open up. This will give you enough time to get all of your background information in and explore any questions you have before you get ready to start your senior year. The essay you will write in the Common App will be used by all colleges you choose to apply to, so it’s important to keep your essay broad but specific to yourself.

When you apply via the Common Application you will be asked to write an essay responding to one of seven prompts . Be sure to read each prompt carefully and choose the one that speaks to you the most or the one you feel you have the most to write about.

Editing the College Essay: Dos and Don’ts

Before we get into tips for college application essays, we want to make sure we don’t skip over an important step in the writing process. It is essential that you go into your essay-writing process with the expectation that you will write multiple drafts of your essay. Admissions counselors are expecting your best work, so you don’t want to submit a first draft.

There are many options when it comes to editing your essay. You can have a parent or guardian read your essay if you feel they are capable of giving good feedback, you could seek outside help from a paid service, and you can ask peers or teachers to help edit your essay. Any of these choices can be a good option, but just be sure to not let anyone overedit your essay. You still want it to sound like yourself.

Things to look for when editing your essay

Edits can be done in a couple of rounds, and while you want to make sure your essay is perfect, that doesn’t mean each draft needs to be perfect. Your first draft should get all of your ideas onto paper. Your second draft should sharpen up your ideas and focus on your content. Show, don't tell. Your third and final draft should be checked for grammatical errors, spelling, and punctuation.

When you receive feedback from someone editing your essay, take each suggestion for what it is—a suggestion. The important things to remember are to keep the essay in your voice, the way you would say it, and not to let someone rewrite your essay for you.

College Essay Tips from Admissions Counselors

When you’re learning how to write a college essay, it can be helpful to hear directly from the source who will be reading your work. We talked to two Babson College Admissions Counselors: Jared Pierce, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, and Eric Laboissonniere, former Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions. Here are their top tips for college admissions essays.

• “ Keep it simple. My favorite essays have consistently been those essays that are about the seemingly most mundane and ordinary aspects of an applicant’s life—it is these topics that often showcase a student in the best light.”
• “ Don’t write what you think we want to hear, write about YOU —your passions, what excites you, life experiences that have shaped you into the young adult you’ve become.”
• “ Use the essays as an opportunity to share something about yourself that you may not already have shared in the rest of your application.”
• “ It’s all about the hook! A catchy opening line, when used properly, can do wonders for an essay, baiting the reader to hang on the edge of every sentence.”
• “Don’t restrict yourself with the traditional three- or five-paragraph essay. This is a great opportunity to express yourself creatively and take some risks. Structure your essay in the way that you feel will best tell your story!”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
• “Choose a topic that might not be as easy to see in your application.” Maybe you have a hobby that doesn’t show up on your transcript. Your essay is the place to talk about that passion and show your authentic self.
• “Don’t stress.”

Babson College essay examples for admission

If you’ve read all you can about how to write a college essay but you still can’t seem to get your writing juices flowing, check out some college essay examples for admission from our recent graduates.

“When it comes to defining yourself, no one knows you better than yourself, so don’t be afraid. You don’t have to package yourself into an ideal student, because there isn’t one; you just have to tell them who you are.”​

Writing Prompt:  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.

“...everyone believes the world’s greatest lie.” A boy asked, “What’s the world’s greatest lie?” “It’s that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie”  –The Alchemist.

I was in Mr. Franklin’s World Literature class as he brought Paulo Coelho’s words to life. For me, there was no one point in which my life became controlled by fate. Instead I believed my life was shaped by my ethnicity and the world I grew up in. Mr. Franklin prompted me to take control of my life rather than let fate, and the world’s greatest lie, control who I am.

I had believed fate was the only thing that could explain the near impossibility of my parents falling in love. My dad from Taiwan and my mother from Korea, they traveled separately to Australia to learn English. Neither’s English was very good, but they met and found common ground speaking Japanese. A few years later, my mom was wondering what to call her next baby and “Demi” stood out, mainly because Demi has no “l,” “n,” or “f,” so it was easy for both my parents to pronounce.

Demi fits me in so many other ways too. Demi represents how my Korean and Taiwanese sides meet in the middle of the American culture in which I study. As I learned how others saw me, it seemed impossible to find a definite answer for who I am. Half did not mean one foot in two cultures; it meant each foot stepping quickly over the hot coals of each culture; I never fit in anywhere.

In Korea, I am often made aware that I am not Korean “enough.” While shopping, store clerks seem to intuitively understand I am not entirely Korean—speaking English to me or turning to my mom to answer questions I had asked. I speak fluent Korean and wondered what “gave me away” as a foreigner; looking in the mirror, I suspected my undyed black hair in a sea of trendy brown hair was the culprit. Surprisingly, once I dyed my hair, I was more accepted as Korean.

Yet, the minute I started to find my bearings in the Korean half of my life, my grasp of the other eluded me. When I returned to Taiwan where jet black hair is fashionable, people negatively viewed my lightly colored hair—leading to the surreal feeling of being treated as an outsider in my hometown. Even my fluent Mandarin was not enough to shake the assumptions of some. Demi, cutting across two cultures, left me with two seemingly incompatible halves.

Eventually, doodling helped me understand how artificial boundaries are. I saw how my creativity often went beyond borders, something instinctive inside me that resisted limitations. During my summer internship with the Bach Institute, a Taipei-based music conservatory, my ability to cross cultures through art found expression in the commemorative T-shirt I designed for performers of the Chelsea Music Festival to mark their trip to Taipei. Uniting the imagery of Taipei and New York in my design allowed me to explore how the cultural forces of Taiwan, Korea, and my American education have shaped my creative expression.​

Growing up between two borders in a world in which everyone else tried to define who I am, Demi has come to represent the whole of me; two sides that may not always be in harmony, but the tension inherent in my identity has empowered me to assert my independence. Mr. Franklin’s speech reminded me that half of life is where you come from and the other half is finding who you want to become. When Mr. Franklin finished reading, I realized that I’m the writer of my story—someone who does not believe the world’s greatest lie.

“More often than not, seemingly insignificant events or experiences can best exemplify your passions and personality. Instead of just asking ‘how’ an event has shaped your life, try asking ‘why’ you have become the person you are today.”

Writing Prompt:  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.​

My mother was 15 years old when I was born.

My father has been in prison since my first birthday. He is not coming home.

When I was younger, I would go on the long drive with my father’s family to visit him. At first, I enjoyed the two hour long rides; they were adventures. Soon enough, however, those two hours began to feel like two years—I did not want to see him anymore. I did not want to deal with the awkwardness of pretending to be a family and ignoring the fact that he had killed another human being. He was the hero in their stories, but from my mother’s tears, I knew soon enough he was much less than the courageous hero they made him out to be.

My father’s family could not accept that I wanted to be as far away from their world of ignorance and verbal abuse as possible. I put up walls to keep them out. It seemed everyone did what they thought was best for me, but never once did they ask how I felt. Eventually, I decided I did not want to exhaust myself trying to care for my identity against their expectations. I closed myself off from the world in order to save myself from drowning in the confusion, manipulation, and emotional drama I battled every day.

Over time, this became too difficult. The mental torture of feeling lost in my own mind was worse than what awaited outside of the walls. This past September, I faced one of the tallest and widest walls: my name. For nearly 17 years, I lived with my father’s name—“Reyes.” I was Angellica Reyes. I am now Angellica Diaz. More aware of my past and the realities of my life, I chose to sever off the only connection to my father I had left, his name. I was now the “villain” of his family’s stories. Yet, I believed this action would finally release me from my walls because it would erase my past. I wanted to forget that I had wasted 17 years shutting myself away. All my life I had believed I found strength in silence and reservation. Now, I am deeply ashamed that it took me 17 years to realize vulnerability is the truest measure of our strength and character.

I regret my silence.

I understand now that a name can not fix the void I have created for myself. I know these walls will hold me for years to come, but today I acknowledge that I will always be a product of the past. What matters is I am still searching for that place that exists free from the walls. Today, I do not allow spite or hate to faze me or my visions for the world. I am grounded and balanced. From living in the shadow of ignorance I am now driven to change the lives of others, to inspire with peace and compassion. I am fighting hunger and food waste in my community, I will soon start teaching yoga classes to underprivileged children, and I hope to start a healthy lifestyle education program at my local youth center.

My confidence stems from the understanding that as an active agent, the world I envision is the world that will be. I am still breaking through a world blocked behind walls but no longer do I wait for the world to change. Every day I challenge my family’s categorization of my place in the world.

Today, I will not wait for anyone’s approval. I am not coming home.

“If your essay is taking you awhile to write: stop. Your brain is letting you know that you have selected the wrong topic to write about. The essay should flow, from your mind to your fingertips, with ease.”

Writing Prompt:  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.​

My name is Oussama. Yes, it is pronounced Osama. Growing up with this name, especially post 9-11, was not easy. Although it’s spelled differently, the reaction produced is still the same. I will always remember the painful first days of every new school year, but I particularly recall my first day of eighth grade. I dreaded morning attendance. As the teacher moved down her roster, past the L’s and the M’s, my heart thumped furiously. With the O’s looming closer, I wanted to grow smaller. When she got to my name, she paused for what seemed like an eternity. A look of confusion crossed her face, and then her mouth writhed in a feeble attempt to say my name: Oussama Ouadani. I meekly mumbled a “here.” Shocked, all of the students swiveled in their seats to gawk at me, and a few muffled snickers arose from the edges of the class. Eyes probed my Algerian features, and I sat with cheeks ablaze, wondering what they made of me. I remember going home and crying, wishing that I had a “normal” name, or at the least, a middle name I could use. It became so unbearable that I even questioned my parents’ choice to name me Oussama. Looking back, I realize that these awkward days of school have revealed a great deal to me about human nature.

My name in Arabic means the lion, the brave. To others, I’ve found out, it may mean a whole host of things. I work at Staples, where I wear a name badge that openly states who I am. I get different reactions to it each day. Some people get nervous as a result of my nametag. They glance at it surreptitiously, and then delicately look back at me. Some people are more blatant about it and stare, shamelessly, at my nametag. Some question it, curious about its pronunciation and its roots. Some try to sympathize with the troubles my name has brought me. But then there are those, a very select few, who simply call me “Oussama.” Even though it is such a basic form of respect, it always catches me off guard. It makes me feel normal. I don’t want people to be afraid of my name, or falsely sympathize with me. I simply wish to be me.

Although my name has been an object of hardship, it has also been my greatest teacher. It has put me in positions characterized by emotions ranging from irritation to humiliation. However, I believe these situations have served as the catalyst for my growth in character, and as result, I am a more resilient person. The fact that I no longer want to change my name proves this. My name also acts as a portal through which I can empathize with others. I grasp what it means to truly respect someone, to the core, so they feel important. I appreciate what it means to feel ostracized. I know what it’s like to be shamed by others, and how it feels to reject your own name, your sole identifier, your individuality. Being laughed at has taught me not to laugh at others. Being shunned has taught me to open my arms to others. Being pitied, I’ve learned not to pity others. I try my best to consider the struggles of others, and why their actions and words may be the product of a storied past. I sympathize with the shy, the loud, and the attention seekers. It has allowed me to acknowledge that potentially everyone has a secret fear or personal struggle that I might not know about. My name is an integral component of who I am, for not only does it reflect my cultural heritage and lend me a visionary quality, but it also represents an eternal gift from my parents.

“My advice to prospective students is to really think about what your application is missing—​what you can write about that brings personality to all the parts the evaluators have in front of them. The essay is your chance to give evaluators some insight of who you are, not only as a student, but as a person.”

Christmas has always made me happy. The mountains are glossed by snow as the nearby branches hang low from the weight of the recent blizzard. The smell of fresh Maine pine trees and burning wood fill the crisp air. My family decorates the tree humming along to James Taylor’s Christmas album. But above all else, at the focal point of every Sheehan Christmas, is my favorite Christmas movie,  It’s A Wonderful Life .

The movie follows the life of George Bailey, who, after many years of selflessness runs into a financial crisis. As George begins to act out, family and friends ask God to help him through his tough times. In response, God sends an angel named Clarence to sort out the issue. George asks to see a world in which he was never born to which Clarence reluctantly obliges. In this new George-less world, George witnesses a dreary, alternative universe in which all of his family and friends lead miserable lives. Seeing this allows George to see how important his life actually is and he begs God to let him live again. The story is meant to show people what is truly meaningful in life—that, whether they realize it or not, one person’s actions can cause a positive ripple effect in the lives of so many.

To say this movie is my personal Bible is an understatement.  It’s A Wonderful Life  has been the centerpiece of many dinner conversations and family gatherings. I try to bring it up as often as possible because it gives me an appreciation for the lives of those around me. Each person’s life touches so many, and when that person isn’t around, there’s an awful hole that can’t be filled.

Certainly there are other influences in my life, but none have quite affected my definition of what it means to live well. I have the choice to be an integral part of everyone’s life. The movie particularly made me curious about people’s passions and caused me to do a lot of self-reflection. I couldn’t remember the last time I asked the people closest to me what it was that made them happiest; I couldn’t tell you their favorite things, or much about their personal lives. These were some of the most important people in my life and I couldn’t even understand why they were the way they were. There’s a difference between knowing someone on the surface and truly knowing who they are.  It’s A Wonderful Life  encouraged me to delve into the lives of those around me.

There’s a line from another great movie,  Patch Adams , that says: “Our job is to improve the quality of life, not just delay death.” The message resonates well with what  It’s A Wonderful Life  did for me. It’s easy to get caught up in our personal lives and not worry about the surrounding world. But what’s easy is not always what’s best. My biggest fear is to have the opposite effect that George Bailey had—If I were to not be a part of the world, that nobody’s life would be different. So I’ve dedicated my life to making sure that every day I seek to improve the quality of life of those around me.

Every person I’ve met, every relationship I’ve had, every hello I’ve said, my actions stem from the lessons I’ve learned in  It’s A Wonderful Life . I now realize that I can have a serious impact on the lives of those around me. I’m more curious, I’m more engaging, I’m more positive in my relationships with other people all because of a two hour and fifteen minute Christmas movie. Every year, as the snow begins to fall, as the temperature drops, as I set up my family’s nativity scene, I can’t help but feel excitement knowing that it’s time to watch  It’s A Wonderful Life  again, the movie that changed my life.

The Babson Writing Supplements

When you apply to Babson with The Common Application you will be asked to submit two writing supplements in response to the following prompts:

The Babson education prepares students for all types of careers across business, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and more. Tell us about your interest in this area of study and in Babson specifically.

You are invited to respond with either a traditional essay (500 words maximum) OR a one-minute video. Whichever you choose, no preference is given to either format in admission decisions.

A defining element of the Babson experience is learning and thriving in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives and interests. Please share something about your background, lived experiences, or viewpoint(s) that speaks to how you will contribute to and learn from Babson's collaborative community.  

Please respond to this prompt with an essay (250 words maximum).

Good Communication Skills Are Critical to Your Success

Whether you’ve come here to learn about how to write a college essay or to learn more about Babson College’s admissions process, we encourage you to check out Babson’s one-of-a-kind education that balances action, experimentation, and creativity. From day one, students learn by doing through immersive, hands-on experiences that complement our innovative, rigorous academic curriculum.

Effective communication is critical in business. Babson offers highly regarded courses in writing and public speaking to prepare our students for the challenges of the business world so that they are best equipped to lead.

Learn more about Babson College admission requirements .

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Looking for more guidance? We’ve compiled our best advice on college admission, career planning, and more to help you get your questions answered and start your journey. 

U.S. News & World Report

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-to-write-a-college-essay https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/common-app https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2019-04-24/college-essay-examples-how-to-write-your-story

https://admissions.tufts.edu/blogs/inside-admissions/post/the-only-four-college-essay-writing-tips-youll-ever-need/

About the Author

Rachel Blakley is a copywriter and digital marketing professional. An alumna of Purdue University, she has worked with startups, associations, direct-to-consumer businesses, and B2B brands across the country to improve their content strategy.

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8 Overcoming Challenges College Essay Examples

The purpose of the Overcoming Challenges essay is for schools to see how you might handle the difficulties of college. They want to know how you grow, evolve, and learn when you face adversity. For this topic, there are many clichés , such as getting a bad grade or losing a sports game, so be sure to steer clear of those and focus on a topic that’s unique to you. (See our full guide on the Overcoming Challenges Essay for more tips).

These overcoming challenges essay examples were all written by real students. Read through them to get a sense of what makes a strong essay. At the end, we’ll present the revision process for the first essay and share some resources for improving your essay.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Essay 1: Becoming a Coach

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one.

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we competed with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

This essay begins with an in-the-moment narrative that really illustrates the chaos of looking for a coach last-minute. We feel the writer’s emotions, particularly their dejectedness, at not being able to compete.

Through this essay, we can see how gutsy and determined the student is in deciding to become a coach themselves. The writer shows us these characteristics through their actions, rather than explicitly telling us: To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side.

One area of improvement of this essay would be the “attack” wording. The author likely uses this word as a metaphor for martial arts, but it feels too strong to describe the adults’ doubt of the student’s abilities as a coach, and can even be confusing at first.

Still, we see the student’s resilience as they are able to move past the disbelieving looks to help their team. The essay is kept real and vulnerable, however, as the writer admits having doubts: Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

The essay comes full circle as the author recalls the frantic situations in seeking out a coach, but this is no longer a concern for them and their team. Overall, this essay is extremely effective in painting this student as mature, bold, and compassionate.

Essay 2: Starting a Fire

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire. 

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family. 

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt. 

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame. 

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him. 

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses. 

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This essay is an excellent example because the writer turns an everyday challenge—starting a fire—into an exploration of her identity. The writer was once “a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes,” but has since traded her love of the outdoors for a love of music, writing, and reading. 

The story begins in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. One of the essay’s biggest strengths is its use of imagery. We can easily visualize the writer’s childhood and the present day. For instance, she states that she “rubbed and rubbed [the twigs] until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers.”

The writing has an extremely literary quality, particularly with its wordplay. The writer reappropriates words and meanings, and even appeals to the senses: “My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.” She later uses a parallelism to cleverly juxtapose her changed interests: “instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano.”

One of the essay’s main areas of improvement is its overemphasis on the “story” and lack of emphasis on the reflection. The second to last paragraph about changing perspective is crucial to the essay, as it ties the anecdote to larger lessons in the writer’s life. She states that she hasn’t changed, but has only shifted perspective. Yet, we don’t get a good sense of where this realization comes from and how it impacts her life going forward. 

The end of the essay offers a satisfying return to the fire imagery, and highlights the writer’s passion—the one thing that has remained constant in her life.

Essay 3: Last-Minute Switch

The morning of the Model United Nation conference, I walked into Committee feeling confident about my research. We were simulating the Nuremberg Trials – a series of post-World War II proceedings for war crimes – and my portfolio was of the Soviet Judge Major General Iona Nikitchenko. Until that day, the infamous Nazi regime had only been a chapter in my history textbook; however, the conference’s unveiling of each defendant’s crimes brought those horrors to life. The previous night, I had organized my research, proofread my position paper and gone over Judge Nikitchenko’s pertinent statements. I aimed to find the perfect balance between his stance and my own.

As I walked into committee anticipating a battle of wits, my director abruptly called out to me. “I’m afraid we’ve received a late confirmation from another delegate who will be representing Judge Nikitchenko. You, on the other hand, are now the defense attorney, Otto Stahmer.” Everyone around me buzzed around the room in excitement, coordinating with their allies and developing strategies against their enemies, oblivious to the bomb that had just dropped on me. I felt frozen in my tracks, and it seemed that only rage against the careless delegate who had confirmed her presence so late could pull me out of my trance. After having spent a month painstakingly crafting my verdicts and gathering evidence against the Nazis, I now needed to reverse my stance only three hours before the first session.

Gradually, anger gave way to utter panic. My research was fundamental to my performance, and without it, I knew I could add little to the Trials. But confident in my ability, my director optimistically recommended constructing an impromptu defense. Nervously, I began my research anew. Despite feeling hopeless, as I read through the prosecution’s arguments, I uncovered substantial loopholes. I noticed a lack of conclusive evidence against the defendants and certain inconsistencies in testimonies. My discovery energized me, inspiring me to revisit the historical overview in my conference “Background Guide” and to search the web for other relevant articles. Some Nazi prisoners had been treated as “guilty” before their court dates. While I had brushed this information under the carpet while developing my position as a judge, i t now became the focus of my defense. I began scratching out a new argument, centered on the premise that the allied countries had violated the fundamental rule that, a defendant was “not guilty” until proven otherwise.

At the end of the three hours, I felt better prepared. The first session began, and with bravado, I raised my placard to speak. Microphone in hand, I turned to face my audience. “Greetings delegates. I, Otto Stahmer would like to…….” I suddenly blanked. Utter dread permeated my body as I tried to recall my thoughts in vain. “Defence Attorney, Stahmer we’ll come back to you,” my Committee Director broke the silence as I tottered back to my seat, flushed with embarrassment. Despite my shame, I was undeterred. I needed to vindicate my director’s faith in me. I pulled out my notes, refocused, and began outlining my arguments in a more clear and direct manner. Thereafter, I spoke articulately, confidently putting forth my points. I was overjoyed when Secretariat members congratulated me on my fine performance.

Going into the conference, I believed that preparation was the key to success. I wouldn’t say I disagree with that statement now, but I believe adaptability is equally important. My ability to problem-solve in the face of an unforeseen challenge proved advantageous in the art of diplomacy. Not only did this experience transform me into a confident and eloquent delegate at that conference, but it also helped me become a more flexible and creative thinker in a variety of other capacities. Now that I know I can adapt under pressure, I look forward to engaging in activities that will push me to be even quicker on my feet.

This essay is an excellent example because it focuses on a unique challenge and is highly engaging. The writer details their experience reversing their stance in a Model UN trial with only a few hours notice, after having researched and prepared to argue the opposite perspective for a month. 

Their essay is written in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. The student openly shares their internal thoughts with us — we feel their anger and panic upon the reversal of roles. We empathize with their emotions of “utter dread” and embarrassment when they’re unable to speak. 

From the essay, we learn that the student believes in thorough preparation, but can also adapt to unforeseen obstacles. They’re able to rise to the challenge and put together an impromptu argument, think critically under pressure, and recover after their initial inability to speak. 

Essay 4: Music as a Coping Mechanism

CW: This essay mentions self-harm.

Sobbing uncontrollably, I parked around the corner from my best friend’s house. As I sat in the driver’s seat, I whispered the most earnest prayer I had ever offered.

Minutes before, I had driven to Colin’s house to pick up a prop for our upcoming spring musical. When I got there, his older brother, Tom, came to the door and informed me that no one else was home. “No,” I corrected, “Colin is here. He’s got a migraine.” Tom shook his head and gently told me where Colin actually was: the psychiatric unit of the local hospital. I felt a weight on my chest as I connected the dots; the terrifying picture rocked my safe little world. Tom’s words blurred as he explained Colin’s self-harm, but all I could think of was whether I could have stopped him. Those cuts on his arms had never been accidents. Colin had lied, very convincingly, many times. How could I have ignored the signs in front of me? Somehow, I managed to ask Tom whether I could see him, but he told me that visiting hours for non-family members were over for the day. I would have to move on with my afternoon.

Once my tears had subsided a little, I drove to the theater, trying to pull myself together and warm up to sing. How would I rehearse? I couldn’t sing three notes without bursting into tears. “I can’t do this,” I thought. But then I realized that the question wasn’t whether I could do it. I knew Colin would want me to push through, and something deep inside told me that music was the best way for me to process my grief. I needed to sing.

I practiced the lyrics throughout my whole drive. The first few times, I broke down in sobs. By the time I reached the theater, however, the music had calmed me. While Colin would never be far from my mind, I had to focus on the task ahead: recording vocals and then producing the video trailer that would be shown to my high school classmates. I fought to channel my worry into my recording. If my voice shook during the particularly heartfelt moments, it only added emotion and depth to my performance. I felt Colin’s absence next to me, but even before I listened to that first take, I knew it was a keeper.

With one of my hurdles behind me, I steeled myself again and prepared for the musical’s trailer. In a floor-length black cape and purple dress, I swept regally down the steps to my director, who waited outside. Under a gloomy sky that threatened to turn stormy, I boldly strode across the street, tossed a dainty yellow bouquet, and flashed confident grins at all those staring. My grief lurched inside, but I felt powerful. Despite my sadness, I could still make art.

To my own surprise, I successfully took back the day. I had felt pain, but I had not let it drown me – making music was a productive way to express my feelings than worrying. Since then, I have been learning to take better care of myself in difficult situations. That day before rehearsal, I found myself in the most troubling circumstances of my life thus far, but they did not sink me because I refused to sink. When my aunt developed cancer several months later, I knew that resolution would not come quickly, but that I could rely on music to cope with the agony, even when it would be easier to fall apart. Thankfully, Colin recovered from his injuries and was home within days. The next week, we stood together on stage at our show’s opening night. As our eyes met and our voices joined in song, I knew that music would always be our greatest mechanism for transforming pain into strength.

This essay is well-written, as we can feel the writer’s emotions through the thoughts they share, and visualize the night of the performance through their rich descriptions. Their varied sentence length also makes the essay more engaging.

That said, this essay is not a great example because of the framing of the topic. The writer can come off as insensitive since they make their friend’s struggle about themself and their emotions (and this is only worsened by the mention of their aunt’s cancer and how it was tough on them ). The essay would’ve been stronger if it focused on their guilt of not recognizing their friend’s struggles and spanned a longer period of time to demonstrate gradual relationship building and reflection. Still, this would’ve been difficult to do well.

In general, you should try to choose a challenge that is undeniably your own, and you should get at least one or two people to read your essay to give you candid feedback.

Essay 5: Dedicating a Track

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

While the writer didn’t succeed in getting the track dedicated to Coach Stark, their essay is certainly successful in showing their willingness to push themselves and take initiative.

The essay opens with a quote from Coach Stark that later comes full circle at the end of the essay. We learn about Stark’s impact and the motivation for trying to get the track dedicated to him.

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The essay goes on to explain how the writer overcame their apprehension of public speaking, and likens the process of submitting an appeal to the school board to running a race. This metaphor makes the writing more engaging and allows us to feel the student’s emotions.

While the student didn’t ultimately succeed in getting the track dedicated, we learn about their resilience and initiative: I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Overall, this essay is well-done. It demonstrates growth despite failing to meet a goal, which is a unique essay structure. The running metaphor and full-circle intro/ending also elevate the writing in this essay.

Essay 6: Body Image

CW: This essay mentions eating disorders.

I press the “discover” button on my Instagram app, hoping to find enticing pictures to satisfy my boredom. Scrolling through, I see funny videos and mouth-watering pictures of food. However, one image stops me immediately. A fit teenage girl with a “perfect body” relaxes in a bikini on a beach. Beneath it, I see a slew of flattering comments. I shake with disapproval over the image’s unrealistic quality. However, part of me still wants to have a body like hers so that others will make similar comments to me.

I would like to resolve a silent issue that harms many teenagers and adults: negative self image and low self-esteem in a world where social media shapes how people view each other. When people see the façades others wear to create an “ideal” image, they can develop poor thought patterns rooted in negative self-talk. The constant comparisons to “perfect” others make people feel small. In this new digital age, it is hard to distinguish authentic from artificial representations.

When I was 11, I developed anorexia nervosa. Though I was already thin, I wanted to be skinny like the models that I saw on the magazine covers on the grocery store stands. Little did I know that those models probably also suffered from disorders, and that photoshop erased their flaws. I preferred being underweight to being healthy. No matter how little I ate or how thin I was, I always thought that I was too fat. I became obsessed with the number on the scale and would try to eat the least that I could without my parents urging me to take more. Fortunately, I stopped engaging in anorexic behaviors before middle school. However, my underlying mental habits did not change. The images that had provoked my disorder in the first place were still a constant presence in my life.

By age 15, I was in recovery from anorexia, but suffered from depression. While I used to only compare myself to models, the growth of social media meant I also compared myself to my friends and acquaintances. I felt left out when I saw my friends’ excitement about lake trips they had taken without me. As I scrolled past endless photos of my flawless, thin classmates with hundreds of likes and affirming comments, I felt my jealousy spiral. I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.” When that didn’t work, I started to feel too anxious to post anything at all.  

Body image insecurities and social media comparisons affect thousands of people – men, women, children, and adults – every day. I am lucky – after a few months of my destructive social media habits, I came across a video that pointed out the illusory nature of social media; many Instagram posts only show off good things while people hide their flaws. I began going to therapy, and recovered from my depression. To address the problem of self-image and social media, we can all focus on what matters on the inside and not what is on the surface. As an effort to become healthy internally, I started a club at my school to promote clean eating and radiating beauty from within. It has helped me grow in my confidence, and today I’m not afraid to show others my struggles by sharing my experience with eating disorders. Someday, I hope to make this club a national organization to help teenagers and adults across the country. I support the idea of body positivity and embracing difference, not “perfection.” After all, how can we be ourselves if we all look the same?

This essay covers the difficult topics of eating disorders and mental health. If you’re thinking about covering similar topics in your essay, we recommend reading our post Should You Talk About Mental Health in College Essays?

The short answer is that, yes, you can talk about mental health, but it can be risky. If you do go that route, it’s important to focus on what you learned from the experience.

We can see that the writer of this essay has been through a lot, and a strength of their essay is their vulnerability, in excerpts such as this: I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.”

The student goes on to share how they recovered from their depression through an eye-opening video and therapy sessions, and they’re now helping others find their self-worth as well. It’s great that this essay looks towards the future and shares the writer’s goals of making their club a national organization; we can see their ambition and compassion.

The main weakness of this essay is that it doesn’t focus enough on their recovery process, which is arguably the most important part. They could’ve told us more about the video they watched or the process of starting their club and the interactions they’ve had with other members.

Still, this essay shows us that this student is honest, self-aware, and caring, which are all qualities admissions officer are looking for.

Essay 7: Health Crisis

Tears streamed down my face and my mind was paralyzed with fear. Sirens blared, but the silent panic in my own head was deafening. I was muted by shock. A few hours earlier, I had anticipated a vacation in Washington, D.C., but unexpectedly, I was rushing to the hospital behind an ambulance carrying my mother. As a fourteen-year-old from a single mother household, without a driver’s license, and seven hours from home, I was distraught over the prospect of losing the only parent I had. My fear turned into action as I made some of the bravest decisions of my life. 

Three blood transfusions later, my mother’s condition was stable, but we were still states away from home, so I coordinated with my mother’s doctors in North Carolina to schedule the emergency operation that would save her life. Throughout her surgery, I anxiously awaited any word from her surgeon, but each time I asked, I was told that there had been another complication or delay. Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities.

My mother had been a source of strength for me, and now I would be strong for her through her long recovery ahead. As I started high school, everyone thought the crisis was over, but it had really just started to impact my life. My mother was often fatigued, so I assumed more responsibility, juggling family duties, school, athletics, and work. I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover. I didn’t know I was capable of such maturity and resourcefulness until it was called upon. Each day was a stage in my gradual transformation from dependence to relative independence.

Throughout my mother’s health crisis, I matured by learning to put others’ needs before my own. As I worried about my mother’s health, I took nothing for granted, cherished what I had, and used my daily activities as motivation to move forward. I now take ownership over small decisions such as scheduling daily appointments and managing my time but also over major decisions involving my future, including the college admissions process. Although I have become more independent, my mother and I are inseparably close, and the realization that I almost lost her affects me daily. Each morning, I wake up ten minutes early simply to eat breakfast with my mother and spend time with her before our busy days begin. I am aware of how quickly life can change. My mother remains a guiding force in my life, but the feeling of empowerment I discovered within myself is the ultimate form of my independence. Though I thought the summer before my freshman year would be a transition from middle school to high school, it was a transformation from childhood to adulthood.

This essay feels real and tells readers a lot about the writer. To start at the beginning, the intro is 10/10. It has drama, it has emotions, and it has the reader wanting more.

And, when you keep going, you get to learn a lot about a very resilient and mature student. Through sentences like “I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover” and “Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities,” the reader shows us that they are aware of their resilience and maturity, but are not arrogant about it. It is simply a fact that they have proven through their actions!

This essay makes us want to cheer for the writer, and they certainly seem like someone who would thrive in a more independent college environment.

Essay 8: Turned Tables

“You ruined my life!” After months of quiet anger, my brother finally confronted me. To my shame, I had been appallingly ignorant of his pain.

Despite being twins, Max and I are profoundly different. Having intellectual interests from a young age that, well, interested very few of my peers, I often felt out of step in comparison with my highly-social brother. Everything appeared to come effortlessly for Max and, while we share an extremely tight bond, his frequent time away with friends left me feeling more and more alone as we grew older.

When my parents learned about The Green Academy, we hoped it would be an opportunity for me to find not only an academically challenging environment, but also – perhaps more importantly – a community. This meant transferring the family from Drumfield to Kingston. And while there was concern about Max, we all believed that given his sociable nature, moving would be far less impactful on him than staying put might be on me.

As it turned out, Green Academy was everything I’d hoped for. I was ecstatic to discover a group of students with whom I shared interests and could truly engage. Preoccupied with new friends and a rigorous course load, I failed to notice that the tables had turned. Max, lost in the fray and grappling with how to make connections in his enormous new high school, had become withdrawn and lonely. It took me until Christmas time – and a massive argument – to recognize how difficult the transition had been for my brother, let alone that he blamed me for it.

Through my own journey of searching for academic peers, in addition to coming out as gay when I was 12, I had developed deep empathy for those who had trouble fitting in. It was a pain I knew well and could easily relate to. Yet after Max’s outburst, my first response was to protest that our parents – not I – had chosen to move us here. In my heart, though, I knew that regardless of who had made the decision, we ended up in Kingston for my benefit. I was ashamed that, while I saw myself as genuinely compassionate, I had been oblivious to the heartache of the person closest to me. I could no longer ignore it – and I didn’t want to.

We stayed up half the night talking, and the conversation took an unexpected turn. Max opened up and shared that it wasn’t just about the move. He told me how challenging school had always been for him, due to his dyslexia, and that the ever-present comparison to me had only deepened his pain.

We had been in parallel battles the whole time and, yet, I only saw that Max was in distress once he experienced problems with which I directly identified. I’d long thought Max had it so easy – all because he had friends. The truth was, he didn’t need to experience my personal brand of sorrow in order for me to relate – he had felt plenty of his own.

My failure to recognize Max’s suffering brought home for me the profound universality and diversity of personal struggle; everyone has insecurities, everyone has woes, and everyone – most certainly – has pain. I am acutely grateful for the conversations he and I shared around all of this, because I believe our relationship has been fundamentally strengthened by a deeper understanding of one another. Further, this experience has reinforced the value of constantly striving for deeper sensitivity to the hidden struggles of those around me. I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story.

Here you can find a prime example that you don’t have to have fabulous imagery or flowery prose to write a successful essay. You just have to be clear and say something that matters. This essay is simple and beautiful. It almost feels like having a conversation with a friend and learning that they are an even better person than you already thought they were.

Through this narrative, readers learn a lot about the writer—where they’re from, what their family life is like, what their challenges were as a kid, and even their sexuality. We also learn a lot about their values—notably, the value they place on awareness, improvement, and consideration of others. Though they never explicitly state it (which is great because it is still crystal clear!), this student’s ending of “I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story” shows that they are constantly striving for improvement and finding lessons anywhere they can get them in life.

Where to Get Your Overcoming Challenges Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Overcoming Challenges essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

How to Write a Contract

A handshake deal is a start, but a written contract makes the agreement official and binding. Learn how to create your own contract in seven steps.

Need a contract reviewed by an attorney?

by   Miles Almadrones

Miles is a legal writer and content marketing specialist with a background in operations management and logistics. He...

Read more...

Updated on: September 2, 2024 · 11 min read

Why contractual agreements are so necessary

How to make a contract in 7 steps, do’s and don’ts of writing a contract, contract examples.

Contracts are the backbone of practically every personal and business transaction, from employment agreements and car leases to subscription services. While you don’t necessarily need to be a lawyer to write a basic contractual agreement, it’s crucial to proceed with caution, as a small misstep can lead to unintended consequences. 

Before you get started, let’s look at a few considerations to keep in mind regardless of your contract's intended purpose.

Contractual agreements turn verbal discussions into written, legally enforceable terms that all parties must follow. From a broad perspective, a legally binding contract outlines each party’s rights, responsibilities, expectations, and the basis for resolution or legal action in the event of a breach. 

Common types of contracts you may need or come across include the following: 

• Employment contracts when you start a new job or hire workers for your business 
• Independent contractor agreements if you’re a freelancer or paying contractors for specific work 
• Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) if you need to protect confidential information 
• Lease agreements for real estate, vehicle, or equipment leases 
• Bills of sale to keep accurate records of a purchase or sale 
• Licensing agreements when you use intellectual property or allow another party to use yours

Without a legal contract, however, it’s difficult to enforce the agreed-upon terms since there’s no point of reference besides each party’s verbal testimony . While a contract doesn’t guarantee everyone follows through with their obligations, it mitigates risk and helps prevent misunderstandings, not to mention costly legal disputes. 

Contractual agreements can vary in their specifics and core sections, but most contracts share a few common elements. Here’s how to start drafting yours:

Step 1: Outline the basics

The first step in creating a legally binding agreement is to outline the essential information for the contract and parties involved, such as: 

• Purpose. Briefly describe the overall objective of the contract (e.g., bill of sale, nondisclosure agreement, or the applicable term describing the nature of the agreement). 
• Identification. Clearly state the full legal names of two or more parties or entities bound by the agreement. 
• Start and end dates. Specify when the contract goes into effect and, if applicable, when it will terminate. 
• Contact information. Include relevant contact methods for all parties, such as mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. 

In most cases, you’ll state the purpose of the contract and identify the parties upfront, whereas the other information might be mentioned towards the middle or end. Still, there’s no single standard format for drafting contracts (except for situations like government contracting ), so what’s important is that all of it makes its way into the final agreement. 

Step 2: Define the key terms and scope of work

Next, you’ll write the contract terms (i.e., what’s being agreed upon) and provide definitions for any specialized phrases. Here’s what this step involves. 

Scope of work: Include a detailed description of the products, services, or actions covered by the legal agreement. Be as specific as possible about: 

• Deliverables. What exactly will the other party provide or produce? 
• Timelines. When will they complete each part of the work or action? 
• Quality standards. What level of quality do you expect? 
• Quantity. How much of a product or service will the other party provide? 

Key terms: Definitions of any industry-specific or technical terms used in the contract. For instance, in a software development employment agreement, define terms like “API” or “source code.” Conversely, if you’re writing an NDA, clearly define what’s considered confidential information. 

Exclusions: If relevant, specify what isn’t included in the scope of work to avoid confusion or false expectations later on. 

Step 3: Set payment terms

If your contract doesn’t include payment terms (such as for an NDA), then you can skip to the next step. On the other hand, if you expect to receive or send money, then you’ll want to specify how, when, and what payment(s) will be made, including these elements: 

• Expected amount. The total cost of the goods or services provided. If the price may vary, clearly explain the fee structure (e.g., an hourly rate or based on the quantity delivered). 
• Payment schedule. When payments are due, whether upon completion, at specific milestones, or on a recurring basis 
• Payment method. Acceptable forms of payment, such as via bank transfer or check. 
• Expenses and taxes. Which party is responsible for related expenses (e.g., traveling, equipment purchases, and even tax payments) 

Additionally, it’s a good idea to mention the consequences (if any) for late payments, such as applicable interest charges, suspension of services, or a full termination of the contract after a specified period. 

Step 4: Include protective clauses

A protective contract clause sets boundaries for various situations that might arise during the course of the agreement. Depending on the purpose of your agreement, you might want to include certain protective clauses, such as: 

• Indemnification . Outlines how one party will compensate the other for potential losses or damages. 
• Confidentiality. Specifies how confidential information should be handled (similar to an NDA). 
• Limitation of liability. Caps the amount of damages a party can be held responsible for, including any types of excluded damages. 
• Dispute resolution. Specifies the process for resolving disagreements, such as mediation requirements before litigation. 
• Termination conditions. Clearly defines under which circumstances the contract can be ended. 
• Force majeure. Addresses unforeseeable circumstances (e.g., natural disasters or global pandemics) that prevent parties from meeting their obligations. 

You aren’t required to include protective clauses in your contract, but they can certainly make the agreement more robust by providing guidelines for how to handle potential issues. 

Step 5: Negotiate

Once you’ve drafted the initial contract, you can share it with the other party and give them time to review it. You might even specify a window for when you expect a response (e.g., five business days) before the agreement or offer will expire. 

During this phase, each party should review the contract and pay close attention to the outlined responsibilities, expectations, and clauses. Try to keep an open and honest line of communication, and be prepared for any questions, concerns, or suggestions. 

While some parts might be nonnegotiable, remember that an agreement is about finding common ground that satisfies everyone. Ultimately, you want to ensure that all parties are comfortable with the terms before making it official, so it may be necessary to revise the contract again and go through additional rounds of review. 

Step 6: Get a contract review

After reaching a tentative agreement with the other party, it’s highly recommended to at least have a lawyer review the contract before finalizing it. 

This may seem unnecessary, especially for smaller agreements, but hiring a lawyer familiar with contract law can protect your interests. Most importantly, they can identify potential legal issues, ambiguities, or loopholes that could lead to disputes later on. Likewise, they can confirm you included all necessary clauses and that your contract complies with relevant laws and regulations. 

While you can write a contract without a lawyer, the potential costs of errors or omissions can easily exceed the price of a professional contract review. Still, even if you don’t hire a lawyer, you want to make every effort to address potential issues before signing rather than after the fact. 

Step 7: Sign and date

Now that you’ve completed all the complex parts, the final step is relatively simple: sign on the dotted line and date the document, along with all other parties. If your contract involves another business, you’ll also want to ensure that the person signing has the authority to enter the agreement on behalf of the company. 

Otherwise, the contract becomes legally binding once all signatures and dates are recorded. You should provide each party with a copy of the completed agreement, and remember that any changes will typically require a new contract or an amendment that all parties must sign again. 

Now that you’ve learned the basics of contract writing, review these helpful tips to understand what you should and shouldn’t do when you write yours: 

• Start with a clear outline. Before getting to the details, make a structured outline that captures the key elements of a valid contract .  
• Use easy-to-understand and consistent terminology. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid using advanced legal or technical terms. Instead, try to use straightforward and consistent language that all parties can easily reference and comprehend. 
• Set realistic terms and expectations. Overpromising or setting unrealistic expectations sets you and the other parties up for failure, so be realistic about timelines, quality standards, and deliverables. 
• Keep the format simple. Contracts need to be comprehensive, but they shouldn’t be more complex than they need to be. Prioritize short paragraphs, bullet points, and numbered sections to improve readability. 
• Consider future scenarios. Think ahead and include clauses that address potential changes or developments, such as provisions for amendments, dispute resolution, or how to handle unforeseen circumstances (i.e., force majeure). 
• Try a reputable contract template. Nothing says you need to create your own contract from scratch. In fact, starting with a well-crafted template can save time and help you include the basic (but not necessarily all) elements.  
• Don’t overload the contract. While it’s important to be thorough, avoid the urge to include every possible scenario or clause, as an overly lengthy contract can be intimidating and discourage parties from reading it carefully. 
• Don’t make the contract one-sided. Ensure the agreement is fair and works for all parties involved. A contract that heavily favors your interests is less likely to be signed by others and can damage professional relationships. 
• Don’t include unenforceable clauses. Avoid including provisions that may not hold up in court and ensure the other party has the legal capacity to agree to it. You’ll need to research relevant laws in your area or consult a lawyer to ensure all clauses are legally sound. 
• Don’t leave room for ambiguity. What seems clear to you might not be understood by others, so be specific about expectations, deliverables, and consequences, even if you’ve already established them verbally. 
• Don’t mindlessly follow a contract template. Templates can be useful starting points as discussed, but you still need to adjust the contract to fit your situation, so only use one if you can customize it.

Finally, let’s look at some real-world contract examples to help you understand what you might need to include in your agreement. Make sure to reference the links to the contract templates to follow each example. 

First, let’s say you're a small business owner and want to hire a graphic designer to overhaul your brand. In this case, you’d want to create an independent contractor agreement and include the following elements:

• The scope of work (e.g., new logo, color palette, and font)
• Project timeline 
• Payment terms
• Ownership rights for the final designs 
• The process for revisions and requesting changes 

As another example, imagine you own construction equipment and meet a home builder who wants to lease a few vehicles. This would call for an equipment lease agreement that contains these clauses: 

• The lease duration
• Monthly rent amount and security deposit
• Permitted use of the vehicles
• Responsibilities for maintenance and repairs 
• Terms for renewal, termination, and any restrictions on usage

You can also browse our entire catalog of free templates to find one that matches your needs. Alternatively, we can partner you with an attorney who can review or revise business contracts —all for a flat and predictable price.

Can I write my own contract?

Yes, you can write your own contract. However, including all necessary elements is crucial to make it legally binding. For complex situations or high-stakes agreements, it’s advisable to consult a contract attorney to review or draft your agreement. 

Is there a format for contracts?

There’s no single or mandatory format for writing contracts, but they typically follow a standard structure. This includes identifying the parties, outlining the agreement’s terms, specifying obligations and rights, and including signatures. 

What should I do if I don’t understand the terms of a contract?

If you come across unfamiliar or confusing terms, you’ll want to clarify them before signing. You can ask the other party for explanations, speak to a lawyer, or research the terms independently. Regardless, you should wait to sign until you fully understand the agreement’s implications. 

Can a contract be amended after it’s signed?

Yes, many finalized contracts can be amended if all parties agree. This is typically done by creating a new amendment outlining the changes and asking all parties to sign the updated agreement. 

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What are ‘click frauds’ – and how can we stop them?

Professor of Software Systems and Cybersecurity, Monash University

Disclosure statement

Monica Whitty receives funding from RCUK, ARC, Defence and Intelligence UK and Australia

Monash University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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In the world of the internet, clicks are currency. The more people click on a website, social media post or an advertisement, the more that content generates revenue.

But cybercriminals can exploit this rapidly growing market for clicks through what are known as “click frauds”. And everyone, from everyday internet users to large organisations that use the web to share content or sell their products, is vulnerable.

But what exactly are “click frauds”? And what can be done to prevent them?

What is click fraud?

Click fraud occurs when someone creates a network of bots or sets up “farms” of human workers to generate clicks online. It can take many forms.

Fraudsters often use automated bots or click farms to generate fraudulent clicks on ads or likes on their own websites. They create websites and invite businesses to advertise on their site at a cost. If advertisers are paying per click, then the fraudster will earn money for their business (which is often a fake business) and divert traffic to their site.

Alternatively, a genuine business might create their own advertisements and place them on various websites. Cybercriminals might bombard these advertisements with clicks, which will be very costly for genuine businesses when they are paying per click.

The motivation here may be that the criminal has their own genuine business, and they are hoping the advertising cost will be so expensive it will put their competitor out of business.

A third method is that a criminal may create a fake website they hope users will click on.

This is because the site has a malicious link that will download malware onto a user’s computer, or because they hope to scam the user in another way (for example, by paying upfront fees for a service or items that do not exist).

By increasing traffic to their website, the website moves up in online search rankings. This impacts the general user who believes that because the site is high up in the order, it is a genuine and popular business they should trust.

Higher clicks can lead to higher trust

The psychological theory of planned behaviour provides some explanation for why people might trust a site that has numerous clicks and likes compared to a site that has few.

According to the theory, human behaviour is guided by three main factors: attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control.

Let’s consider each of these with respect to click fraud:

Attitudes : people often associate higher numbers of clicks, likes and traffic with credibility and trustworthiness. This is based on the belief that if many others engage with a site, it must be valuable, reputable or of high quality.

Subjective norms : subjective norms involve the perceived social pressure to perform or not perform a behaviour. If people see their peers, or society in general, trusting and using sites with many clicks and likes, they may feel pressured to trust these sites as well. This social influence can reinforce the behaviour of valuing and trusting high-traffic sites.

Perceived behavioural control : high traffic, clicks and likes can serve as indicators a site is reliable, reducing the perceived risk and effort required to evaluate it. When people perceive it is easier to trust a site with many popularity indicators, they are more likely to trust that site.

How can you prevent click fraud?

Ad fraud software is one method to prevent harm from click fraud.

Businesses can use specialised ad fraud detection and prevention tools, such as ClickCease, Fraudlogix or DoubleVerify. These tools can analyse click patterns, detect anomalies and block suspicious activity.

Businesses can also use IP blacklists to identify and block known fraudulent IP addresses. An IP – or “internet protocol” – address is a unique identifying number for any device connected to the internet.

Businesses can also employ geo-targeting to limit ad exposure to specific regions or locations, reducing the risk of fraudulent clicks from irrelevant or high-risk areas.

The general internet user can also be a part of the solution. We need to change our online shopping and trust behaviours. Some of the following checks will help users determine if a website or business is genuine:

• verify the source. Is it credible and well-known?
• hover over the URL. Is it a known web address? It may mimic one, so a close inspection is needed. For example, the legitimate website www.google.com might be www.go0gle.com
• become more aware of click fraud. Knowing it is prolific and that you are most likely to encounter it in your everyday life will help you learn to spot it and avoid it.
• use antivirus and anti-malware software protection to help protect you, identify malicious websites, and keep your software up to date. You cannot solely rely on this software to protect you, but it is an important part of the solution.
• Social media
• Cybersecurity
• Online advertising
• Viral content
• Online fraud
• Online scams
• cybercriminals

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• Essay Editor

How to Use Transition Words for Essays + Examples

Transition words play a key role in essay writing. They connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs, helping readers follow your text easily. These words do many jobs, from comparing things to showing cause and effect. They turn scattered thoughts into a clear story.

Learning to use transition words for essays isn't just about making your writing sound better. It's about making your ideas clearer and easier for readers to understand. Let's look at transition words and how to use them well in your essays.

Understanding Transition Words for Essays

Transition words for essays are like road signs. They guide readers through your ideas. They help show how your thoughts connect, making your writing easier to follow.

The Purpose and Placement of Transition Sentences

Transition sentences do several important things:

• They make your ideas flow better
• They help readers grasp your main point
• They link sentences and paragraphs
• They show how ideas relate to each other
• They make your writing easier to read

Where you put transitions matters. They're often used:

• Between parts of an essay to sum up or introduce new ideas
• Between paragraphs to show connections or changes in focus
• Within paragraphs to link related thoughts

Here's an example: 

"The Industrial Revolution brought many new technologies. On the other hand, it also caused social problems."

In this case, "On the other hand" shows a contrast between the good and bad effects of the Industrial Revolution.

Putting transitions in the right places helps your ideas flow smoothly. For instance, transition words to start a paragraph in an essay can signal a new point or a shift in focus, preparing the reader for what's next.

Types of Transitions Words

There are different types of transition words for essays, each with its own job. Knowing these types can help you pick the right words for different parts of your writing.

• Adding information: "Also," "In addition," "Furthermore"
• Showing contrast: "But," "However," "On the other hand"
• Showing cause and effect: "So," "As a result," "Therefore"
• Showing order: "First," "Second," "Finally"
• Giving examples: "For example," "Such as," "To illustrate"

Using different transition words can make your essay flow better and be more coherent. Aithor can suggest good transition words based on what your essay is about, helping you improve your writing.

Creating Smooth Transitions in Your Writing

To make your transitions smooth:

• Use your essay's structure to find logical connections between sections.
• Put transitions where they best show how ideas relate.
• Don't use too many transition words, or your writing might sound forced.
• Try not to use the same few transitions over and over.

Remember, sometimes less is better. Using too many transition words can make your writing sound unnatural. Writing tools like Aithor can help you find places where transitions might make your essay flow better, suggesting good transition words based on your essay's content.

List of Transitions

Let's look at different types of transition words and phrases you can use in your essays:

1. Addition

Transition words to start a paragraph in an essay that add information include:

• Furthermore
• Additionally
• In addition

Example: "The new policy aims to cut down on carbon emissions. Also, it encourages the use of energy from renewable sources."

2. Contradiction

To show contrast, you can use:

• Nevertheless
• On the other hand
• In contrast
• Despite this

Example: "Many people thought the project would fail. On the other hand, it did better than anyone expected."

3. Condition

Conditional transitions include:

• Provided that
• In the event that

Example: "The company will grow bigger if the market stays good."

4. Emphasis

To highlight important points, use:

• Undoubtedly

Example: "The experiment gave surprising results. In fact, it made people question many old theories in the field."

5. Similarity

Transition words for the second body paragraph showing similarity include:

• In the same way

Example: "The novel explores themes of love and loss. In the same way, the author's previous work dealt with complex human emotions."

To show outcomes or consequences, use:

• As a result
• Consequently

Example: "The team worked very hard on the project. As a result, they finished it early."

7. Conclusion Transitions

Transition words for the conclusion paragraph include:

• In conclusion
• To summarize

Example: "In conclusion, the study shows that social media greatly affects how consumers behave."

8. Sequence

To show order or progression, use:

• First, Second, and Third
• Subsequently

Example: "First, we'll look at the data. Then, we'll explain what it means. Finally, we'll make conclusions based on what we found."

9. Location

Spatial transitions include:

• Adjacent to
• In the vicinity of

Example: "The rare plant was found growing nearby the river bank."

As you start writing, remember this important tip: use transition words carefully. While these words help make your writing easy to read, using too many can confuse your reader. Think of transition words like spices in food — they make it taste better, but too much can ruin the dish.

Your goal is to help your reader easily follow your ideas, not to create a maze of connecting words. So, when you write your next essay, remember: when it comes to transitions, often using fewer is better. Use them thoughtfully to make your argument clear, and your writing will be easy to understand and follow.

If you want to get even better at writing essays, Aithor has special features that can help you choose the best transitions for what you're writing about, making sure your essays flow smoothly from start to finish.

Happy writing!

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What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? Part 2

August 27, 2024 - Rick Robb, Sr. Student Success Specialist, UNM Online

In a previous post we looked at the Japanese concept of Ikigai, your “reason for being,” and how you can use that to discover possible personally fulfilling careers. In this post we will look at some more practical planning ideas that focus on the who, what, when, where, why, and how.

The ideas I’ll present here are based on my experiences in working with job applicants for several regional corporations as well as concepts from Purdue University professor Richard Johnson-Sheehan’s textbook, Technical Communication Today. [1]

When you are starting to prepare for your post-college career, the first thing you might need to do is to adjust your expectations; the job market is competitive . According to a 2023 LinkedIn article, the typical corporate job opening attracts around 250 job applications. That means that, on average, you are competing with 249 other job seekers, many of whom may be more qualified than you. Thirteen years ago, when I first taught students about looking for a career, that number was 100 applications per posting. Clearly, the stakes have gotten higher.

Because of that, planning where you’d like to work — even before you graduate — is essential. Corporate recruiters and career planning professionals agree that, for college students, the ideal time to begin planning is in their sophomore year. This is a time when many students are declaring their majors which are, occasionally, not the one they thought about when they first entered college. Having a more specific career in mind gives them an opportunity to take classes that will help achieve that goal.

As you begin to choose and prepare for a career, I recommend creating and maintaining a list that asks the following questions, giving specific answers, even if they seem a little idealistic.

• What do I want from a job or a career?

Who would I like to work for?

• Where do I want to live?

How soon do I need to be employed?

• What interested me in this career in the first place?
• How much salary, vacation, and benefits do I need?

What do I want from a job or career?

A good starting point for setting your career goal is to consider what it is you want to achieve from your job. (If you missed Part 1 of this series , responding to the questions presented there might help you to zero in on what you are looking for in a career.) Is making a lot of money what’s important to you? Do you want something that will allow you to help others? Or maybe you’re looking for something that will express your creativity or satisfy a natural curiosity about the world around you. For some people, an uplifting corporate culture can offset lower pay or benefits in the beginning. Obviously, happiness and satisfaction will fall into your wants section. You might even break this section into a Pros & Cons list.

While it may seem like a game of “let’s pretend,” considering what company or organization you’d like to work for can give you some great insight. If you’d like to work for Apple, for instance, it may be that the things that attract you there might be the same for similar businesses in Silicon Valley or other global centers for technology. Research these companies, looking at their websites for hints on their corporate culture, opportunities for growth and advancement. Some larger entities may have testimonials from current employees. You can also look for a News or Current Events section on their site to see what sort of projects they’re involved in. Conversely, doing a general search (e.g. “Boeing Corp in the news”) can give indications of a company that is doing some things that really interest you (or is struggling or has major lawsuits going on).

One other place to look for potential future employers, even if you aren’t ready to apply anywhere, is at career fairs. Chatting with the corporate recruiters at these events can give you a sense of the positions they hire, the skillsets they look for, and what the corporate culture is like. Plus, if you are one of those people who get nervous during interviews, this can be a great chance to practice talking to employers without any threat; you aren’t applying for a job, just having a chat. Be prepared to ask them about what they are looking for in job candidates.

A simple way to discover potential employers is to do online searches using terms along the lines of “Engineering jobs in Albuquerque” or “Teaching positions in New Mexico” or “Community Health Education careers in the Pacific Northwest.” These searches will let you see what organizations hire in the field and area you are interested in, potential pay and benefits, and the skills they are looking for.

Thinking outside the box here can open up new career potentials you hadn’t thought of before. Suppose you are a business major focusing on HR. Employers that typically come to mind will be some sort of corporation or business. But let’s expand on that. Are you a sports fan? Major sports organizations such as the NFL , WNBA , or the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee are all organizations that need HR specialists (or computer science majors or any one of a dozen other majors) regardless of your athletic abilities. If you enjoy the entertainment industry, look at job postings for movies studios and record labels. If you’re thinking of a more altruistic organization, non-profit and non-governmental organizations even the United Nations has a need for a wide variety of skillsets and have very competitive salary and benefit packages.

The job market has changed quite a bit over the last 20 years. But, having target companies is still a great idea, and you can use what makes that place desirable to search for other companies with a similar model. As you research employers, create a spreadsheet that list them, the URL for their jobs site, and maybe what about them you find attractive. Add to this list whenever you hear something about an employer that you find interesting. You can revisit this over and over.

Where would I like to live?

This isn’t always an obvious question to many students considering their futures, but it can be very critical to your happiness and satisfaction down the road. To begin with, does the employer you are interested in have locations in the city — or country — where you’d like to live? Once again, researching a company can show you those options. Try this: Go to Google Careers and, in the search field enter a job title — I used “Business Manager.” In the results, you can see cities and countries where Google has operations. In some instances, for non-U.S. locations, it will let you know what level of fluency you need to have in the local language. (That can help you figure out if you should be taking specific foreign language classes while you’re still a student.)

One other important thing to think about when considering where you want to live is “what is the cost of living?” A right-out-of-college starting salary of $50,000 in New Mexico isn’t bad, but that money in another market like San Francisco, Chicago, or New York City might not buy as much. The website Salary.com has a Cost of Living Comparison Tool that lets you compare the buying power of the same dollar amount between two cites. In the example I chose, New York City had an 85.3% higher cost of living meaning your $50k would be worth about $30.5k less. (I’ve had friends who found this out the hard way.)

This is a tricky question with a short answer. Are you graduating this week and need to have money coming in fast? You can probably not afford to be picky about aspects like pay, location, or employer just yet. Years ago, when I was contemplating leaving an uninspiring job — even though I didn’t have a new one lined up — a coworker reminded me that “bad breath is better than no breath.” In other words, a job that stinks is usually better than no job, especially if you’re relying on that paycheck. Remember, though, if you don’t like your job anymore, you should be returning to this process of looking for the one you want.

Now, if you aren’t slated to graduate for a year or two, you have the luxury of putting in the time researching employers. As I said earlier, create a list of employers and revisit if often. Look at job postings for your chosen field and make sure you are on track to meet their qualifications. That semester before graduation is when you should be getting active. Don’t wait until you’ve got your diploma because your classmates likely aren’t.

As the old saying goes, “you never have a second chance to make a good first impression” and your cover letter and résumé are that first impression. (In a previous career in management, I rejected applicants because of major typos or inattention to details in their application materials.) You should be creating a neat, attractive, and error-free résumé. UNM Career Services will be happy to help you with this.

You should also plan to attend job fairs and meet employers. Send out résumés with cover letters, noting that you’ll be graduating soon and expressing interest in applying for a given position.

What interested me in this career to begin with?

This is one of those things you may ask yourself over the course of your career. It might be asked in frustration; Why did I choose this career?! Going hand in hand with the “wants and needs” question we looked at earlier, we can recall what the attraction was.

And, sometimes, as our careers progress, we can return to this to help us remember. “I got into this to make fat stacks of cash,” might be your reason. Is the career you are looking at eventually going to make the kind of money you want? You might need to refine either your search or your expectation. “I got into Community Health Education because I legitimately wanted to help people.” Remembering this during the times when you are feeling a little jaded might help. Or it might be a prompt to move to a different employer who does more of the work that fulfills you.

What kind of salary, vacation, and benefits do I need?

This question will require you to do a little budget projection. It will also involve some guesswork. Notice that this question ends with the word “need”? Naturally, we all want to live very comfortably, and money is helpful in that area. But here we want to consider the bare minimum that we can survive on or, better put, the minimum salary we can work for and cover all of our needs. This is the bottom line of what you can work for. If you will require $60k a year to meet your minimum expenses, you probably shouldn’t consider a job that pays $10k less. If you have a family, those expenses need to be factored in.

You’ll want to take a look at the cost associated with living in the city you plan to work in. Look at the cost of rents, groceries, and utilities. If where you will live is a long way from where you’ll work, what are the gas prices like compared to where you live now? What kind of transportation will you need? You’ll want to include at least some entertainment expenses in there. Don’t forget savings! Once you’ve got a number, you should use the previously mentioned cost-of-living calculator to determine how much you might need in a different location.

Benefits, including medical, dental, and vision, are fairly standard, but the cost of copays that you’ll be responsible for will vary. If you or one of your dependents have any medical challenges or important medications, benefits become more important but may not be immediately available.

Vacation time can be important. Not just for the mental health benefits that taking a break from work can provide, but for visiting friends and family or traveling. Be aware that with some employers you’ll start earning vacation time from day one. Other places may require you to work there for 6 months or a year before you get vacation, and some will have blackout periods where you can’t take off.

Salary, benefits and vacation time will always be in a state of change, and you’ll make adjustments and updates as time passes based on large purchases like a house or new car or adding children to your family.

There are a lot of considerations and possible unforeseen circumstances when planning your career. Current data suggests that the average person changes jobs about 12 times in their working lives. Knowing that change is inevitable, it’s useful to keep documents such as this list — along with your résumé — available and updated so you are prepared in case your job goes away or, as happens, just stops meeting your needs. You never know when you’ll run into a serendipitous job offer you can’t resist.

If you’d like to talk more about finding your ikigai and choosing a career, reach out to UNM Online’s helpful Student Success Team at [email protected], or UNM’s Office of Career Services at [email protected]

---------------

[1] Johnson-Sheehan, Richard. 2018. Technical Communication Today (Instructor's Review Copy) . 6th ed. Boston: Pearson.

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How the media blew 2024′s election | Will Bunch Newsletter

Plus, does America really need the world’s ‘most lethal’ military?

I’m back — back from Chicago and also back, inshallah , with weekly newsletters from now until Election Day. Friends and neighbors who watched on TV keep asking me what covering the Democratic National Convention was really like. It was the difference between seeing Springsteen or the Stones in a documentary versus being at the show for a few pulsating hours.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here .

Critics begged the media to rise to the occasion of the 2024 election, but it’s hitting new lows

This column, about the decline and fall of America’s political news media in such a pivotal election year, has proved very hard to write — not for a lack of material, but because I can’t keep pace with every day’s new and stunning examples of bad journalism, each one spiraling a tad lower.

I’ll start with the weekend’s lowlight: a news story that worked up the media food chain from the muck of smaller right-wing outlets , then got boosted on X/Twitter by Alex Thompson , a widely read national political correspondent for Axios, before the New York Post hyped it in your local Wawa and eventually the New York Times felt compelled to address it. You see, an idea that has animated the right for the last couple of weeks is the fantasy that Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz is a phony. Sunday’s purported news slammed Walz for a 2006 episode when his then-congressional campaign claimed he’d won a youth award from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce when really it was — get this! — the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce!

Never mind that the 2006 Walz campaign had corrected this tiny mistake (picture Barack Obama doing the hand thing , but even smaller), probably the work of a junior staffer, the second they learned about it. The nattering nabobs of negativism had accomplished their mission in a year when the elite mainstream media has lost its doggone mind — going after small daily clickbait like a puppy chasing its tail, demanding news conferences only to ask trivial questions , issuing ludicrous “fact checks ,” and desperately seeking gravitas in the candidate just found guilty on 34 felony counts and liable for rape and financial fraud, who was dinged by NPR for 162 lies or distortions in just one news conference.

Indeed, the outrageous overinflation of the Walz story was nearly forgotten by Monday morning when the Times, which has bent over backwards to belittle the joy of Kamala Harris’ wildly successful Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week, published an op-ed from the editor of the conservative National Review, Rich Lowry, headlined simply: “ Trump Can Win on Character .” Perhaps that’s true, as critics noted, if voters do what Lowry did in his piece and pretend that inconvenient facts like the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection or the fraud verdict had never happened. But while the column was ridiculed on social media, few people said they were giving up on the Times — because in this annus horribilis for the American media, many had already tuned out the NYT weeks or months ago.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The NYU professor and media critic Jay Rosen urged journalists to cover “ the stakes, not the odds” of the 2024 election while Margaret Sullivan — who writes for the Guardian and her Substack after stints at the Times and the Washington Post — was more blunt in beseeching the press to ignore the pull of both-sides journalism and take seriously the threat to democracy posed by Trump, who tried to override his 2020 election loss and has made no comforting assurances that he won’t try to do the same after Nov. 5, 2024.

Few journalists — if any — have listened. Much of the righteous fury during the Chicago DNC was directed at fact - checkers from the Times, Post, and independent organizations like PolitiFact. These organizations or practices were mostly established after the endemic political lying of the 2000s — remember the Iraq War ? But while no one would argue with their stated approach of tough, unbiased scrutiny of all sides, the fact-checking industrial complex can’t handle the truth when one party’s platform is based on a firehouse of lies and the other party is trying to be serious, if not always literal, about reality.

So Democratic convention week brought absurdities like PolitiFact tackling a DNC video that showed an actual Trump 2016 quote that “there has to be some form of punishment” for women who have abortions and labeled it “mostly false” (!!) because his panicked aides later told him to walk back such a politically damaging statement. Also typical was USA Today calling it “false” when the DNC talks about “Trump’s Project 2025″ because the blueprint for his presidency was produced by the Heritage Foundation, even though most of its authors are former and would-be future Trump staffers and it offers the only program for filling jobs in a Trump administration.

C’mon, man.

It would require another column — maybe a book — to explain why this is happening. I see it as less the public’s main complaint (corporate control of the media) and more about our profession’s weird value structure, where it’s more important to be savvy, cynical, and not be portrayed as naive shills for liberalism than to care about saving democracy from authoritarian rule, on top of maybe a new and not always healthy brand of careerism from younger journalists.

The Chicago-based media critic Mark Jacob, a retired veteran editor of that city’s Tribune and Sun Times, nailed it Monday with a piece headlined “Mainstream media on a path to irrelevance.” Jacob has harsh words for how reporters have covered the race, writing that “too many political journalists are marinating in the Washington cocktail culture, writing for each other and for their sources — in service to the political industry, not the public.” But he also notes that traditional media can’t figure out how to compete for young eyeballs against sites like edgy and fast-paced TikTok . Jacob pointed out that public faith in mass media has plunged from 72% in 1976, after Watergate, to just 32% today.

You know who gets the new landscape better than anyone else? Kamala Harris.

The vice president and Democratic nominee is running to be America’s first post-media president. In Chicago, much was made of the fact that Team Harris and the Democrats invited 200 sometimes fawning internet “content creators” who got VIP treatment while mainstream journalists fought over nosebleed-level seats and refrained from eating or going to the bathroom for fear of losing them.

But more broadly, Harris and her campaign is 100% focused on message discipline to build her brand and sell it to the American people in a few short weeks. The surest way to get thrown off that message discipline would be a stray answer at an open news conference or in an interview with the likes of NBC’s Lester Holt — so for now, Harris is simply not doing that .

And she’s getting away with it. Mainstream journalists can carp and whine about this all they want, but when less than a third of Americans trust the mass media, few folks are listening to them. What’s been really striking this year is that while traditionally deep distrust of the mainstream press has been the domain of right-wing Republicans , now it’s liberals who once cheered for the media to do better who seem to be giving up on them .

This is not great. For one thing, the plunge in faith leads to cancelled subscriptions that leads to laid-off reporters or shuttered printing plants — not the vision of America’s founders who believed a free press is essential. In this campaign, I think the healthy journalistic mindset is that we want to save democracy in November, but we also want Harris to show she can answer at least a few tough questions and explain her policies beyond hopelessly vague generalities.

The reality, though, is that Harris might surge into the White House in January doing very little of this — maybe none at all, especially if Trump actually chickens out of their Sept. 10 debate in Philadelphia. Fifty years ago this summer, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency because people believed what they read about him in the Washington Post. Today, Harris feels she doesn’t need journalists at all, and a lot of the public is cheering her on. And a vainglorious elite news media with severe tunnel vision has no one to blame but themselves.

Yo, do this!

In the Better Late Than Never Department, the gap in newsletters deprived me of a chance to tell you that — in preparing for my Chicago trip — I finally watched 1969′s Medium Cool . The film by storied cinematographer Haskell Wexler uses America’s third-largest city, the social crises of the late 1960s, and a frame of journalistic ethics to create a remarkable if sometimes muddled time capsule. Wexler’s nervy decision to film fictional scenes amid the real-life chaos of the 1968 DNC is a compelling reason to track down a true relic.

Earlier this year, I told you about Benjamen Walker’s quirky podcast The Theory of Everything and its deep dive into the fascinating world of Cold War literary intrigue, “ Not All Propaganda is Art .” Walker is back with a great new episode on the 40th anniversary of 1984 (the year, not the book), which ties together Ronald Reagan, Michael Jackson, the new Apple computer, and the zeitgeist of that eventful year from the perspective of a sci-fi obsessed middle-schooler, as George Orwell lurks in the background. A must-listen.

Ask me anything

Question : If Kamala pulls it out but doesn’t have a blue Senate, what will that mean for her agenda? — Everything’s Fine ( @ResistInBux ) via X/Twitter

Answer : The odds of this happening are strong — the GOP is guaranteed a pickup in West Virginia, which means Dems would need to defend every vulnerable seat (including Sen. Jon Tester in blood-red Montana) and/or pull an unlikely upset or two to do better than the slimmest 50-50-plus-Tim-Walz majority. A Republican Senate would surely prevent a President Kamala Harris from any Supreme Court picks, and vote down any progressive Cabinet nominees. And any liberal economic or social safety net policies would be dead on arrival. Pray for miracles this November.

What you’re saying about...

I was blown away by your enthusiastic response to the last newsletter’s question about America’s best and worst vice presidential nominees. In a tight race for worst, Sarah Palin (6 votes), a dunce, edged out Spiro Agnew (5), a felon, with 3 votes for Dan Quayle and single tallies for Richard Nixon, Andrew Johnson, Joe Lieberman, JD Vance , and Dick Cheney (from my dad!...so proud). Showing the leftward bent of this crowd, the best veep race was a tie between the most-progressive-ever No, 2, FDR’s Henry Wallace , and anti-poverty warrior Lyndon Johnson. Al Gore and Joe Biden each got two votes, with one apiece for Nelson Rockefeller, Walter Mondale, Hubert Humphrey, and Mike Pence, because, as Armen Pandola put it, “when you refuse to destroy the Republic, it’s about the best that a VP can do.”

📮This week’s question: Let’s go with more of an essay question. I know most of you aren’t happy with media coverage of the election; what’s wrong with the Fourth Estate, and how can it be fixed? For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me your answer . Please put “Broken media” in the subject line.

Backstory on Harris and the world’s ‘most lethal’ military

The thousands of red, white and blue balloons have all popped, the echoes of DJ Cassidy segueing from Michigan’s Eminem to Minnesota’s Prince have finally died, and those American flags were all confiscated at O’Hare by the TSA (I’m guessing). But two words from Vice President Kamala Harris in her acceptance speech are still ringing for me, and for some other folks also pondering them. Harris made the somewhat boilerplate promise that her administration would offer the strongest military in the world, but added it will also be “ the most lethal .”

It was clear that one of the main purposes of Harris’ speech, in introducing herself as a presidential candidate for little more than a month since President Joe Biden’s abrupt withdrawal from the race, was to get voters picturing the would-be first American woman president behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, dealing with adversaries like Iran or Russia. And it accomplished that mission. But the seeming bloodlust of the “most lethal” vow was a bit cringe for some listeners — even, according to Newsweek , for her stepdaughter Ella Emhoff and sister Maya Harris, who didn’t join others in applauding. Leftists on X/Twitter spent the weekend tweeting about all the things — like health insurance or free college — they’d prefer over the “most lethal” military. Even Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Harris supporter who agreed America needs a strong defense said our bloated Pentagon budget should be cut, and that “ enough is enough !”

Sanders has a point. America currently spends more on defense than the world’s next nine biggest militaries combined, and yet jacking up Pentagon spending every year is the only thing Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill can agree on. And just how lethal do we need to be? One study found that America, mostly through airstrikes from Syria to Afghanistan and elsewhere, killed at least 22,000 civilians since the 2001 terror attack, and maybe as many as 48,000. Some of those folks were anti-American terrorists, but a decent number were Afghanis attending weddings or just living their lives. The United States must be — and by all accounts is — able to defend itself, with deadly force when necessary, but our talent for killing human beings should be reined in, not celebrated by a would-be commander-in-chief. After a week with Stevie Wonder and The Chicks , it was the one false note from Chicago.

What I wrote on this date in 2019

Donald Trump was showing his age, and perhaps losing his mentally acuity or worse — on this date five years ago, when he was still our president. I wrote: “Suddenly, a topic that was only discussed by the unfiltered internet masses — is Trump mentally ill, or at age 73 suffering a steep decline in mental acuity — has gone mainstream, discussed openly by pundits like CNN’s Brian Stelter (“ It’s getting worse — we all can see it”) or with presidential candidates like New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker calling him “ a dangerous president .” In my Aug. 27, 2019 column I wrote that the constitutional remedies for this, such as impeachment or the 25th Amendment, had failed, and that stopping Trump was up to us. Just like today! Check out: “ The Constitution’s 3 ways to stop a demagogue like Trump haven’t worked. Now what ?”

Recommended Inquirer reading

Hopefully a lot of you already know I was in Chicago last week covering the DNC. I looked for the ghosts of 1968 ′s violent and tempestuous Democratic convention that haunted the Windy City (and were perhaps exorcised), drilled into the mindset of the pro-Palestinian protesters in the streets, wrote about the United Center vibes that felt more like a warehouse rave than a political confab, and finally how Kamala Harris and her celebration reclaimed the American flag for the Democrats. It was a week I’ll never forget.

One last thing about Chicago: It capped a truly epic summer not just for me but for my Inquirer colleagues who’ve been providing some of America’s best political coverage both from the road and from our little newsroom overlooking Independence Hall , where it all began. The great coverage from our team at the DNC last week was led by national political reporter Julia Terusso , the hardest working woman in show business; City Hall ace Sean Collins Walsh, who, like a journalistic Brian Dawkins, was all over Philly’s local pols ; photojournalist Jose F. Moreno, who produced some Pulitzer-worthy shots ; and my Opinion colleague Jenice Armstrong, who captured the emotions of watching the first woman of color accept a major-party nomination. You’re going to want to follow these guys and the rest of the Inquirer crew from now through Nov. 5, and to do that you’ll need to subscribe. Why not start today ?

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Are You Growing as a Writer? (Here’s the Only Way to Tell)

I know you do, simply because you  are a writer. I know because you are here reading this post, either because you subscribe to this blog and others like it as a way to mainline writing knowledge on a regular basis, or because you stumbled onto this post in a search through the jungles of the Internet for the answer to one of the many, many writing questions that press down upon us all.

Many of those questions (and the available answers) are craft-based. How to write a story? How to write a good story? How to craft convincing plots, characters, theme, dialogue, narrative, action, romance, mystery, you name it? We seek to further our growth as writers in part to abate the misery of our own inadequacies in the face of such a complex art form, and in part because we are as fascinated by the patterns and techniques of story as we are the stories themselves.

I don’t believe this type of craft-focused growth ever finds an end, but it does, after a time, create a relative mastery. So what then? Where does the true and  deep growth come from then?

Storytelling as an Exploration of the “Shadow”

A few years ago, I wrote a post in which I talked about four levels in our climb up the writing mountain . In it, I talked about how I felt I had reached the stage, in my own journey, where “I knew what I knew.” I wrote the post with a certain amount of satisfaction, of course. But deep in my heart, I also wrote it with more than a little fear and trembling—because what came next? Was writing just going to be easy and fun and a total breeze from that point on? Was it all downhill from there?

Of course not. My storytelling instincts were honed well enough for me to feel the foreshadowing. Hello, False Victory. Hello, Third Plot Point. (And if you know story structure, you  know what that means.)

What I found beyond that plateau was a  total paradigm shift in my relationship to my creativity. It is still ongoing, and even now I do not yet have a clear view of the next mountain. I have always believed mastery is the unconscious made conscious—to the point where the conscious understanding eventually reintegrates with the unconscious as “knowing instinct.” I now believe that is what lies beyond the stage of “knowing what you know.”

Basically, it feels like unlearning everything you learned. For me, I sense it means moving into a creative process that is less obsessively ordered. (I’m still not sure where I’m going next, so I hesitate to speak of it in concrete terms, but I have this sneaking feeling that I, who have identified all my life as an obsessive outliner , might be headed into the terrifying wilderness of pantsing.) More to the point, this is all bringing home to me more clearly than ever that any growth that occurs in the creative process is not merely about mastering skill, but also, and more pertinently, about our growth as human beings .

A Little Book on the Human Shadow by Robert Bly (affiliate link)

In these last few years, it has become less and less of a serendipitous surprise to me to realize that most of my greatest creative insights are arising not from books about writing, but from books about humans. One standout example is a tiny volume I picked up about the psychological theory of the “shadow” (basically, everything we store in the unconscious). The book turned out to be written by (who else?) a poet. In A Little Book on the Human Shadow , poet Robert Bly referenced a quote from medieval philosopher Jakob Böhme, which although speaking about people  reading books is, I think, even more aptly put to people  writing books:

Böhme has a note before one of his books, in which he asks the reader not to go farther and read the book unless he is willing to make practical changes as a result of the reading. Otherwise, Böhme says, reading the book will be bad for him, dangerous.

This brings me back to my original question. How do we know if we are growing as writers—if we are really growing? I daresay it is far less about how well we are crafting our plot structures and our sentences, and much more about whether what we are writing is true enough and powerful enough to affect our own perceptions of life and our approaches to living it.

Bly pointed out:

The European artists—at least Yeats, Tolstoy, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Rilke—seem to understand better that the shadow has to be lived too, as well as accepted in the work of art. The implication of all their art is that each time a man or woman succeeds in making a line so rich and alive with the senses, as full of darkness as [Wallace Stevens’s]: quail Whistle about us their spontaneous cries he must from then on live differently. A change in his life has to come as a response to the change in his language…. [Rilke] was always ready to change his way of living at a moment’s notice if the art told him to.

Beware Your Own Ruts, Formulae, and “Knowledge”

The willingness to be impacted by our own art will manifest differently for each writer (and for each thing written). Sometimes it will mean enacting tremendous personal paradigm shifts. Sometimes it will require lifestyle changes. Sometimes the changes are smaller: just the willingness to see beauty in details we have previously overlooked. Sometimes the changes are ineffable, more a prayer than a crusade. And sometimes the changes have to do with the art itself.

For me, I’m finding it means I cannot create in the ways I used to. I mean, I can . To a certain degree, I have mastered my art. But I begin to realize that in becoming master, I now risk becoming tyrant. Nineteenth-century French literary critic Charles Sainte-Beuve cautions us:

There exists in most men a poet who died young, whom the man survived.

I don’t wish to outlive my inner poet. But that is what I risk if I am unwilling to learn the lesson my creativity would teach me and to keep growing. I have worked so hard to consciously understand my craft—to mitigate those miserable moments when the story isn’t working and I have no idea why. And yet the next step seems to be putting back on the blindfold, trusting my Muse to take my hand and lead me straight back into the misty realms of unconscious creativity.

If this sounds a little hazy and unformed, it is! None of this discounts all the learning and growth that has come before. The formulae, patterns, techniques, practices, guidelines, and structure of the craft are vital. Consciousness and understanding are important in art as in life. I am not saying writers shouldn’t be learning all this stuff. If you feel you don’t yet understand plot structure , for the love of anyone who will read your story, please learn it. But the moment structuring gets to be a rut, realize it’s time to keep growing.

The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass (affiliate link)

Every single day at the page should be a gut-check. But don’t worry. If you don’t check in, your gut will eventually tell you what’s going on anyway. As literary agent Donald Maass shares in the closing of The Fire in Fiction :

How do the events of your story make your point? Do you even have a point? I believe that you do. How do I know? Because I know that you are not a person lacking principles and void of passion. That isn’t possible. You are, after all, writing fiction. That is not an activity taken up by those without a heart.

If you start to feel you are writing the same story over and over, it’s likely because you didn’t allow the story you just finished to change you . Maass goes on with the challenge:

Some bemoan the decline of reading and lament the sad state of contemporary fiction. Are they right? Sometimes I wonder…. [A trend of contemporary novels] is to make characters of Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, and Arthur Conan Doyle or to borrow their creations. What has happened to us? Have we lost confidence in our own imaginations? Are we afraid of portraying grand characters and big events? Do we identify only with victims? Is the story of our age no more than a tale of survival? Perhaps. Contemporary fiction reflects who we are. And who are you? How do you see our human condition? Where have you been that the rest of us should go? … Having something to say, or something you wish us to experience, is what gives your novel power. Identify it. Make it loud. Do not be afraid of what’s in your burning heart. When it comes through on the page, you will be a true storyteller.

Storytelling as the Art of Changing the World Yourself

More than any other form of writing, storytelling is dreaming out loud. It is an exploration of our inner selves , our true selves, conscious and unconscious, sun and shadow. It tells us things we do not know (or at least that we do not know that we know). In so many ways, true creativity—true art—is an act of revelation. This is true of great masterpieces, but it is just  as true of small scribblings that never see the light of day.

If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland (affiliate link)

Last year, I shared some of my ponderings about the ego-driven nature of most fiction . I recognize that a great part of the struggle in my own soul over this new direction I feel my creativity taking is that I’m going to have to return to writing things with no thought for publication. I’m going to have to release the ego’s need for confirmation and remember the inherent worth in the act of creation for creation’s sake. In her fantastically inspiring classic If You Want to Write , Brenda Ueland reminds us:

If I wrote something true and good that nobody cared to read, it would do me a great deal of good.

I think we forget that sometimes. To a large extent, we write either because we want to do it well enough to be published (for any variety of reasons), or we do it because we have this seemingly admirable desire to have a positive effect on our world. But if we create something and it does neither of those things—is that creation somehow worthless?

Perhaps. The answer depends entirely on what and  why and  how we have created it. If, however, we ourselves are changed by act of creating something, anything, even something sloppy and silly—then by that act we have changed the world. And if we have not been changed by our own creation, then have we really done anything after all, no matter how popular the story is?

Ueland also says:

…writing is not a performance but a generosity.

I do not believe she was speaking of the “generosity” of giving people one more story to read or watch. She was speaking of the generosity of writing something with deep honesty, passion, and personal truth just for the sake of writing it.

So once again, we return to my original question: How can you know if you are growing as a writer?

There are many ways. There is the ability to compare your most recent story with the previous story and to know the recent one is more technically sound. Then there is the ability to know what you know —to truly and consciously understand what is required to create a solid story and to fix its problems.

But there is also the growth of you as an individual. There is the growth that comes simply because you wrote a story and now, in any number of possible ways,  you are a different person.

Wordplayers, tell me your opinions! How has being a writer changed you as a person? Tell me in the comments!

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K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally-published author of the acclaimed writing guides Outlining Your Novel , Structuring Your Novel , and Creating Character Arcs . A native of western Nebraska, she writes historical and fantasy novels and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

When I read this post, I think: It sounds like Extraverted Thinking is pushed to the back seat for awhile and Introverted Intuition gets a turn to play. 😀

This deep, excellent post reminds me of what happened with my WIP. The protagonist has a complicated relationship with his mother. She has a type of early onset dementia and doesn’t recognize him most of the time. He simultaneously resents her and wants to save her.

My own mother has schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder. She is abusive and toxic. She doesn’t see me as a person. While writing this book, I grew to empathize with her more. As much as I’ve hated her over the years, the truth is she’s sick. I also was able to mourn the relationship we never had and was even able to summon some empathy for myself for being human and failing to create a loving relationship with her—however much I desired and needed it. I’ve learned more about my life and myself from this WIP than any other. If no one else is helped by it, at least it helped me.

What a beautiful example. Thank you for sharing!

I keep thinking about what you said about writing the same story over and over. I definitely agree when someone does that it’s because his subconscious is trying to tell him something he needs to learn or process.

Before I wrote the novel that helped me, I wrote a short story in third person in which a non POV antagonist’s mother had an illness and she didn’t recognize him. It worked for pathos in the story, but I didn’t get the catharsis I needed. So a similar situation manifested in my WIP, but this time it is a novel, the character is the protagonist, and I’m using deep first person POV. In essence, without realizing it until I was well into writing the novel, I forced myself to truly confront issues with my own mother that I had been neglecting. I feel like when we give our minds enough room to play, we can discover deep truths and healing.

“I didn’t get the catharsis I needed.”

That’s a really interesting way to look at it.

Hat off !!!

Hi Marta! I wasn’t sure if you were replying to Katie or me. If it was me, thank you so much! If it was Katie, I totally agree. This post has had me thinking about it all week.

Sionnach, my heart goes out to you. Thank you for your bravery; many people would simply bury the pain and conflict, and you’re not only facing it, you’re digging out the root. You’re inspiring.

Oh, thank you, Lisa. You’re so kind. That made my day!

It’s difficult. My novel is a dumpster on fire at the moment. It’s got too many unsolved structural problems and too many places where the prose just sucks. But it does have moments, ideas, images, characters that have changed me as a person. I was, before the writing began, in a poorly illuminated relationship, too many dark corners, shadowy creatures shuffling about just out of sight, the words of love hanging in the air like phantoms, but lacking substance, untouchable, unreal. So my story world became my alternate reality, a place I could go to see what real love might look like, feel like, what it might be like to be with someone who really saw me. This led to significant events in my real life, things that made me different, gave me night vision, so I could see what was hiding in those dark corners, even if I was the only one who could see. So in one sense it has made me lonelier. My experimental reality has revealed a lack, a missing something. But it has also brought a measure of peace. I am beginning to know what I don’t know, and there is some comfort in that.

This is wonderful.

And I totally relate to this: “My novel is a dumpster on fire at the moment. It’s got too many unsolved structural problems and too many places where the prose just sucks. But it does have moments, ideas, images, characters that have changed me as a person.”

Sometimes fire is the refining element that purges the dross from the gold. Everyone’s ore has gold in it – it can take a lot of work to find it and refine it, but it is there. And if we don’t start with ore – rough drafts – we have nothing to refine.

Interesting post. For a while now I have pondered the concept of human “inner growth.” Why do we feel such a need to grow? I have that need, though I don’t worry about it too much anymore. I think figuring out how you are growing, in writing or in life, depends on the parameters you set for yourself.

Or not. I can’t read the minds of other animals on this Earth, but I don’t think they worry too much about their own “inner growth.” They seem to get along just fine. I think that particular perspective helps me worry less about my growth. And that helps make me more content.

Well, now you’ve done it, Katie. You got me all philosophical first thing in the morning!

Ideas of growth are one of my favorite things. Nothing gets me more excited. I suppose that in itself can be addictive. But one thing I am learning (growing into) is the realization that growth is much less a mental process of understanding and much more an experiential one–less about learning and more about realizing what we already know to be true. Less head, more gut–and heart.

I loved today’s post. You are embarking on a new adventure in your life known by some as “middle age.” It is the time of un-learning where you will grow in unexpected ways. You will become more deeply and more comfortably you. As I exited my 50’s, I looked back and reflected on nearly everything you wrote. You are a treasure, Katie, and please never stop blogging because it does this old heart good to see young people coming up who “get it.”

Since you connect well with the cinematic world and the performing arts, I’d recommend that you watch “Romancing the Stone” with today’s post in mind. It is what popped into my head while reading your reflections. It is what happens when a writer goes from writing about what she knows to writing about what she’s experienced. The movie is trite and cliche and total brain candy, but the underlying message of transitioning from being a writer who builds stories from knowledge and becoming a writer who writes from experience will resonate well with you.

I tend to read authors in batches and like to follow their writing in publication order. This allows me to see how they grow, change, and mature as a writer. Or not. Some remain stuck in middle age and never dig deep into the depths of their own soul. Their writing never goes through the transition that marks The Change and they end their careers seen as hacks or parodies of themselves.

Others have a very clear break between their “young” stuff and their “old” stuff. (In the world of music, this is most markedly seen in Aaron Copeland whose most “modern” music was when he stopped trying to be modern and instead became comfortable with the old and wrote Appalachian Spring.)

But the ones I like the best are the ones who never seem to change at all until you’ve read their whole body of work. In that case, you watch them become more and more of themselves until they fully express who they are, not just what they know. This is subtle growth that is a delight to experience vicariously through their writing. With Shakespeare, my favorite of all is plays is “The Tempest” because it is most fully Shakespeare. With Dickens, “Great Expectations” is my favorite because he defied convention and reader expectations and omitted the happy ending. The lesson here is that one should never cave to popular pressure when one’s heart is speaking Truth. Write it. Publish it. Be true to who you have become, not what the populous thinks you are.

I wish you all the best on your journey and may you be blessed all along the way.

Your opening sentence made me laugh. I’m turning 35 tomorrow, so I take this very kind and very lovely comment as an early birthday gift. Thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement from a little farther down the road. I do not take them lightly!

Happy birthday a day early. It’s a present each time you post, this post one of the most moving of all. Therefore, the least I can do is gift you these words. Have a lovely day tomorrow, and thank you.

Thank you! 🙂

Happy birthday, Katie! You touch so many others with your love for writing and your desire to help writers write. I wish you many blessings tomorrow and all the rest of 2020. Thank you for your openness and efforts for us.

Thank you, Linda! I appreciate that very much. 🙂

Thanks for pointing back to this post today. I re-read it and it was nice to see the comment stream here. Reading it a second time, one thought popped into my head: “Katie should have a conversation with Neil Gaiman about this very topic.” I think you both would find it very satisfying.

Thank you for this post. It’s a call to something greater than logic.

Am I risking revealing raw, wild truth I need to embrace? Trusting an ineffable and yet real urge? Like trying to hug dense fog, I’m oddly drawn to pursuing this unknown.

I need to go sharpen some pencils before my giddy unconscious floats away like an untethered hot air balloon.

Deep Monday morning thoughts!

Oh, you guys! So many wonderful thoughts here today. 😀

“It’s a call to something greater than logic.”

This is so entirely it . In fact, I’m writing this down in front of my computer right now as a reminder to my logic-addicted brain. 😉

KM, I’m honored. 😉

I read this long ago: there is gold hiding in our shadow side. We don’t just dismiss our darkness to it, but we also may send our very power and best essence into the shadows.

Your post and the comments here remind me of that truth. Lit candle in hand, your post invites me to bravely explore what I’ve denied.

I once heard it like this: the map to the shadow/unconscious/whatever-you-want-to-call-it bears the warning, “Here be dragons.”

But what is it that dragons guard? 😉

And, Happy Birthday, Blessings! May your year overflow with even more creativity. You bless us with your commitment to the writing craft.

Thank you so much! 2020, despite everything, has been an amazing year for me. So much growth, so many discoveries. 😀 I am very excited to see what 2021 may bring. Unexpected things, I’m sure!

I love this!

I mean about the gold hiding in our shadow side, and the dragons!

This is a wonderful essay. It answers some of the questions I’ve had about writing in general and my own failed efforts at getting deeper into my writing over the years, my fear of getting deeper, my fear that people would consider that to be bad writing.

My favorite paragraph: “I do not believe she was speaking of the “generosity” of giving people one more story to read or watch. She was speaking of the generosity of writing something with deep honesty, passion, and personal truth just for the sake of writing it.”

Thanks, Sally! We focus so much on technical finesse, but however worthy that is, it is never the point. I think we (I) lose the forest for the trees sometimes. We except our experience of story to always be the same, but it is not–and sometimes it catches us off guard with its need to run completely off the beaten trail of “good” fiction and all its beautiful, linear, logical “rules.”

It really boils down to letting the story tell itself. It will and it does, if we but listen to it. I learned a lot about listening to the story in my second novel. It also taught me vast amounts about patience.

I’m with you. Listening is key.:)

Wow! Thank you so much for this. I was thinking about it this morning on my walk. The novel I am writing for Nano this year is very different than what I have written before. Yet a writer friend of mine has written 3 series (published) and the characters are all the same… she is making money as a published author while I am still struggling to make sure my quality is at a worthy standard to publish. I was a bit frustrated, but now I’m pleased. Thank you for helping me understand!

I, too, have felt the pressure to try to make my writing more “commercial” and marketable. The market certainly seems to tell us that we need to write genre fiction, write series, and write quickly–at least a book a year. I have adamantly staved off my own temptations in this direction—and yet, in writing this post, I realize how I have allowed myself to be pressured in what I write nonetheless. I’ve been remembering how, when I wrote what would be my second published novel, I determined it would probably never be published and I would write it just for myself. In the end, it did get published, and it remains my favorite of all my novels to this date.

Hey, Katie, which novel was your second? I’m reading Wafarer now and enjoying it, but I’m guessing, based on the dates, Behold the Dawn was your second novel.

Also, thirty-five is a wonderful age! It was definitely one of my favorites. Relish every minute of it!

Yep, Behold ‘s the one. 🙂

Coolness! I got it. It sounds great!

Writing my first book turned out to be part of a long process of accepting certain things about myself, and realizing that I needed to be open about those things with the people in my life.

My new WIP is definitely the product of a somewhat different writer!

“Writing my first book turned out to be part of a long process of accepting certain things about myself, and realizing that I needed to be open about those things with the people in my life.”

This is so spot on.

Thank you for this post. It’s what I needed to hear today. I resumed my writing efforts after a long hiatus by listening to a voice in my head that whispered, “write the story of the woman that Tom Bombadil mentions on the Barrow Downs.” I knew it was unmarketable, and no one I knew would even be interested in such “fan fiction.” But it was important to me to chronicle this mystery person. So I did. And learned something of what it felt like to write just for myself.

Well, that sounds awesome. 😀

@nwjn, I guarantee someone, somewhere, thinks that’s a cool idea. Me, for instance.

Ursula LeGuin took basically the same approach to the Aeneid in her novel, Lavinia, to great effect!

Thank you so much for writing this post.

For the past few months, I’ve been unable to write. I’m transitioning from the second draft to the third draft of my WIP and making some significant changes story wise. When I started, I was so excited to see where the new version lead me. But I’ve barely written anything. There’s just been this deep sense of unease and dissatisfaction and unwillingness to write.

Up until I read this post, I thought that maybe there was an issue with the plot that I hadn’t found that was keeping me from moving forward. (This has certainly been the case before.) But that’s not what it is. I’m stuck between knowing what I know and growing as a person. I can’t even describe how relieving it is to have this named. The only problem now left is trying to grow, trying to figure out HOW I need to grow.

And your part at the end, realizing that you’re writing for publication and no longer yourself…. I’ve tried so hard to resist it, I’ve even spoken against it. I still don’t plan on traditionally publishing, but using the WIP as the basis for a website and its content. But subconsciously, I’ve started writing for that. For the online publishing. For the business I hope to build. I don’t even know when the last time I wrote for myself was.

Hearing other people struggle with these same problems, address them, and begin to overcome them means everything to me. My silent issue has been named and a solution suggested all in one go. I can’t wait to read along and learn as you move through this next stage of writing. Thank you again for your wise words and insights

I relate to this all so hard. :p

I’ve been reading my old journals this year. I’d forgotten how much doubt I’ve gone through *regularly* in between the projects that actually did work. This phase of the last few year has felt like disturbing new ground for me, but now I’m beginning to remember that it is not. There’s comfort in that. 🙂

If you are asking yourself such a question, the answer is “yes.” Such a question would never occur to a writing tyrant.

I experienced this kind of growth in particular with my second novel (I have published two). The emotional growth I had to undergo in order to write several chapters late in the story, chapters that had to be authentic, was a great challenge, but although some of it was painful, it was also uplifting. Although I didn’t know it at the time, it ended up being an apprenticeship for my next work-in-progress, a non-fiction piece dealing with heart-rending material.

That’s awesome. And very inspiring!

This is heavy stuff, Weiland. First, I want to welcome you to the world of pantsers where, having learned the structure and form, you are now allowed to go outside and play (i.e., write from your gut, from your heart, from your blazing eyes and trembling hand, things you always wanted to say, the way you were born to write but plot points prevented you from doing so). Enjoy.

Thank you. I think, in between the blazing and trembling, I shall. 🙂

Sometimes while writing my heart says buck the outline. Wander…go with what the soul needs to say, it’s in the fingertips going a mile a second. I make my excuses and alert my brain ‘the draft’s gone rogue again’. Go with it at least for the moment, figure out how it all structurally fits together later and write as if no one will ever read the muck.

Those moments often produce my most productive writing. It may be garbage, but often ‘aha’ moments pop up with profound plot ideas I’d not thought of in the outline. Word counts are usually wild too so this is ‘my zone’, apparently. Usually I stick to structured outlines but when this hot mess pops up I go with it, working it into some ilk of structure later.

BUT…I’ve always felt utterly unprofessional doing this, grasping for plantsing straws at best. It’s comforting to read this may be okay. Baby steps.

Katie, thank you from my heart for every bit of structural smarts AND soul-wisdom you share with us! This was a great post, as always. Happy Birthday, here’s to growing a year wiser!

The very best teachers never stop learning themselves.

One of my writing credos, since almost the very beginning, has been “treat it like a job.” But I am beginning to question that and, in fact, the whole idea that writing should be “professional.” This isn’t to discount quality or discipline. But the current writing culture, of which I am very much a part and product, is so fixated on “professionalism” in its many guises that I think we are often in danger of forgetting that writing is too wild a creature to be tamed by a business suit.

True this! That happy place betwixt the two.

Yes, I view health as being the balance point between order and chaos. It’s hard point to hold sometimes!

I don’t want writing to be a job. I have a job. Sometimes I enjoy it, sometimes it is rewarding, but mostly it is a tradeoff: my time exchanged for rent or food. Which isn’t to say I don’t want to be paid for writing, but more to say that I don’t want to be in a position where I have to trade the growth or discovery writing provides for the soul deadening drudgery of rewriting the same character in the same plot for the same audience; what would I do with myself if they ever found out the truth? Better to be a patent clerk with a rich imagination and inner creative fire.

It seems I have spent nearly all of my life struggling with just this idea. Is the real (shadow, unexposed, perhaps nascent or immature) me safe to let out to play? The “grown up” me is very careful to present an orderly (though often interesting) facade. The little boy within in is not nearly so confident but he is infinitely more genuine and winsome. He is emotionally fragile but richly creative in ways that never come out unless the adults are told to go have their coffee and brandy in the other room.

I think both “shadow” and “unconscious” can be loaded words. Shadows are dark and can be ominous. They are not just unclear but somehow threatening. The unconscious, too, bears the stigma of not just being hidden behind the curtain but of having tentacles that reach out and try to grab the steering wheel from the logical driver already in charge.

I’m coming to feel that that sense of the unknown or hidden is something we are designed to pursue. I believe that, in the shelter of God’s grace, the discovery of the yet unknown in the light of the already cherished will be an irresistible way of life. The shadows become the north star in a journey that will never end. The unconscious is the store room for maps not out on the table yet.

The structure and order, though, are not a false step. They are the musician’s scales, the athlete’s reps, the base on which later facility flows. Doesn’t the real world show itself to be more complex than the abstraction of logic. Yet, without logic, navigating the real can go awry in foolish ways. Think of the surfer. The ocean is powerful and often unpredictable. But once she is up on her board, the hours of balance responding to the forces beneath become a ballet in freestyle.

The admonition that perfect love casts out fear does not mean that we will never have to deal with scary things. There are plenty of nasty things in the world. I think it more likely means that that which is simply unknown need no longer be feared. It means that the journey into the shadow can be one filled with love and hope.

Who knows what we’ll find? My little boy says he thinks it could be really cool!

I was going to quote your first paragraph because I liked it so much, but then I read the second paragraph and wanted to quote it too, and then I read the third… :p

So, yes, just: this. So beautifully said and, I believe, potently true.

Thank you, Katie, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I hope you get to celebrate in wonderfully INTJ ways (from an INFJ who celebrates pretty much in general). I highly recommend Dr. Suess’ The Birthday Book, a wonderful flight of birthday fancy.

One analogy that I think may have been hinted at but perhaps not explored in this thread is the comparison to classical music and jazz. It’s a little counter-intuitive to think of writing as performance art but I think the idea is helpful. Classical orchestral performance is built on the structure of the score. Jazz performance is built on the extemporaneous recall and blending of patterns learned in practice in, perhaps, very different contexts. In classical performance, the reproduction of the rich, beautiful and specific patterns is real-time. In jazz performance, the creation of the specific patterns themselves is real-time.

Improvisation can be both a source and a final product (sometimes at the same time, but I digress). Having been thoroughly schooled in PUGS and structure, you can follow your heart knowing that, whatever the path, you know how to handle the terrain. And so, bring it!

Many happy returns of the day!

GREAT analogy. And thanks very much for the well wishes! 🙂

This year I have discussed several times with my friends the phenomenon of shifting horizons. This piece reminds me of these talks and my guess is Katie is in process of redrawing hers and bringing it closer to her heart. The poet in her is taking the lead and is looking for followers. Looks like lots of people here feel charmed and ready to join 🙂 count me in.

I think it’s been a year for that. 😀

” If, however, we ourselves are changed by the act of creating something, anything, even something sloppy and silly—then by that act we have changed the world.”

If I know myself better because of what I have written, and can share that knowing with another person, and we can meet on some level of intimacy, then we are both changed in that knowing, in that touching, in that breaking out of the isolation of the self. That is why I write, to reach out from the solitude of my inner being and touch another soul. I want to know and to be known, and that is why I write.

Thank you for the post. It grabbed me! And obviously others as well.

So lovely, Polly! I think it’s so powerful to be able to make these “this is why I write” statements. They are vast and varied, but they are often some of the truest statements we ever make.

I will be 71 this year on Dec. 18th. I started wrjting this book when I was 15. It has grown to 5 volumes over the the last 56 years. In that time I have watched all the Star Trek series except the last 2. Though it is the original Star Trek that affected my writing the most. There are number of the themes from that series that have helped me think deeply about my main character & what was needed for her to do the role as i envisioned it. Also Joseph Campbell had a part in my thinking of what she did & did not need. And, of course, there is a lot of my short comings that gave her things I didn’t have in good supply. I did not have books or people like many of you while I did all my writing just my best girl friend who majored in screen writing at UCLA. I had no idea of where to find other writers that I could could talk to until the internet & even then such groups were in short supply. My writing has given me an awareness of what it is to be human and what she doesn’t have that makes her not human enough. That understanding has given me an awarness of what is graditude & never to expect anything in return for anything I do for anybody. As for you going by the seat of your pants that is exactly how I have written. I start out with a what if question. What if she were to meet her parents that she never knew? Then I write the story already knowing the conclusion. For me as the story writes itself I learn what happens as the reader does. I don’t know what the story is until I finish it. The only time I ever used the outline is to plot out the timeline in the book. My books are from the beginings of humankind to an infinite future for humanity and what happens to my main character & her family. For me writing is an advenrure. I never know where it will take me. Best of luck on your new adventure in writing.

This is inspiring, Janet. Thank you for sharing!

In my current WIP, the character has a feast and also has a vision about something bad happening to her great-granddaughter. I am also doing flashback backs in the story also. How long does the flash back need to be? I mean a memory that the character has when she is younger.

Flashbacks can be as long or short as you want. Generally, shorter is better, but it really depends on the purpose and pacing of the individual scene.

Okay thanks. Example of Flashback-Summer July 1113

I remember when I was mortal before I was a goddess. When I was one hundred and sixteen years , I was a teenager. I had more training being a healer and a warrior. I studied herbs knowing which were non-posinous and poisonous. Making remedies, ointments and slaves. Playing the harp, learning dancing, learning defense moves of martial arts and also doing gymnastic-like skills. Learning how to use my powers and becoming stronger. When I was finished with my training I traveled to many places and I helped people as a healer and a warrior. Eventually Maia the creator goddess who lived on Mayin’s Land which is on Planet Avanaria made me a goddess. I am now a mermaid-goddess. I married Zane who become a god. After that I gave birth to identical twin girls named Regina and Jasmine. Being an immortal I moved to Mayin’s isle that eventually became Mayin’s Land. Our daughters grew up. Gina liked Andreas so she married him. After a long while they had a daughter named Arielle Ione. Our daughter Jasmine married Caspian and then their daughter Azalea Coralee was born. When my granddaughters Arielle and Azalea grew up. They got married. Arielle and Kai 2 now have a daughter named Iris Jewelyn. Azalea and Zale have a daughter named Lily Marina. I have been blessed being a mother to two kind and caring daughters, loving granddaughters, and sweet great-granddaughters. All of my live in a grotto in Serene Bay which is very close to Mayin’s Land. I only venture to land for celebrations. I forgot to tell you my name is Leilani-Larossa. I go by Rose. My skin coloring has changed because I am not in my original body. I had golden-brown skin and now it is light brown. My eye color changed from being jade-green to indigo. My fishtail also changed from bluish-green and purple to indigo. My black hair stayed the same being streaked with lavender-a light shade of purple. Ch 1

Today is my birthday. I have lived a long life. I am an elder mermaid-goddess now and a member of the council of immortals about eight in all. “My lady, what are you thing about?” Cora asked me the immortal handmaiden. She had auburn hair with sea green eyes. She was tall but not as tall as me or Zane. “I was thinking about the past,” I told her. “Rose, happy birthday,” “Thank you,” I reply then my eyes become wide. I see a silhouette of a man at first then I see the man. This man is young with black hair and green eyes. An evil shape-shifter kidnappes my great-granddaughter Iris. Then when the vision has ending my eyes go back to normal. I get ready for the feast. Cora braided my black hair streaked with lavender. She helped me into a deep indigo dress with a three-inch train. After that she puts a crown on my head of three pearls in the center and also has woven seashells and pearls together. I have my ivory staff with me which has jewels, Avanrian runes and a big pearl on top. My staff is now a pearl bracelet around my wrist. My husband Zane or also called Zane-Aquarius who goes by Ray is getting ready for the feast. After getting ready he goes down stairs walking to the grand stair case to the first floor. When I am finished getting ready. I walk down the grand stair case to the first floor where the dining hall is. Our daughters Regina and Jasmine are getting ready in the cottages with their family. After they are done. All of them walk into the palace after the wooden double doors magical open. A family of immortal mer-folk arrive from the indigo sea. One of them is Finley, he is going to marry Iris. Finley is tall with dark brown hair with sea blue-green eyes. He was by his parents with his younger sister.

Do you think it or does it need to be improved?

Summer July 1113

I remember when I was mortal before I was a goddess. When I was one hundred and sixteen years , I was a teenager. I had more training being a healer and a warrior. I studied herbs knowing which were non-posinous and poisonous. Making remedies, ointments and slaves. Playing the harp, learning dancing, learning defense moves of martial arts and also doing gymnastic-like skills. Learning how to use my powers and becoming stronger. When I was finished with my training I traveled to many places and I helped people as a healer and a warrior. Eventually Maia the creator goddess who lived on Mayin’s Land which is on Planet Avanaria made me a goddess. I am now a mermaid-goddess. I married Zane who become a god. After that I gave birth to identical twin girls named Regina and Jasmine. Being an immortal I moved to Mayin’s isle that eventually became Mayin’s Land. Our daughters grew up. Gina liked Andreas so she married him. After a long while they had a daughter named Arielle Ione. Our daughter Jasmine married Caspian and then their daughter Azalea Coralee was born. When my granddaughters Arielle and Azalea grew up. They got married. Arielle and Kai 2 now have a daughter named Iris Jewelyn. Azalea and Zale have a daughter named Lily Marina. I have been blessed being a mother to two kind and caring daughters, loving granddaughters, and sweet great-granddaughters. All of my live in a grotto in Serene Bay which is very close to Mayin’s Land. I only venture to land for celebrations. I forgot to tell you my name is Leilani-Larossa. I go by Rose. My skin coloring has changed because I am not in my original body. I had golden-brown skin and now it is light brown. My eye color changed from being jade-green to indigo. My fishtail also changed from bluish-green and purple to indigo. My black hair stayed the same being streaked with lavender-a light shade of purple. Today is my birthday. I have lived a long life. I am an elder mermaid-goddess now and a member of the council of immortals about eight in all. “My lady, what are you thing about?” Cora asked me the immortal handmaiden. She had auburn hair with sea green eyes. She was tall but not as tall as me or Zane. “I was thinking about the past,” I told her. “Rose, happy birthday,” “Thank you,” I reply then my eyes become wide. I see a silhouette of a man at first then I see the man. This man is young with black hair and green eyes. An evil shape-shifter kidnappes my great-granddaughter Iris. Then when the vision has ending my eyes go back to normal. I get ready for the feast. Cora braided my black hair streaked with lavender. She helped me into a deep indigo dress with a three-inch train. After that she puts a crown on my head of three pearls in the center and also has woven seashells and pearls together. I have my ivory staff with me which has jewels, Avanrian runes and a big pearl on top. My staff is now a pearl bracelet around my wrist. My husband Zane or also called Zane-Aquarius who goes by Ray is getting ready for the feast. After getting ready he goes down stairs walking to the grand stair case to the first floor. When I am finished getting ready. I walk down the grand stair case to the first floor where the dining hall is. Our daughters Regina and Jasmine are getting ready in the cottages with their family. After they are done. All of them walk into the palace after the wooden double doors magical open. A family of immortal mer-folk arrive from the indigo sea. One of them is Finley, he is going to marry Iris. Finley is tall with dark brown hair with sea blue-green eyes. He was by his parents with his younger sister.

One thing I would suggest is to try mixing up sentence structure so more are active rather than passive.

Happy Birthday.

Thank you for giving us this thoughtful post. I’m far much less mature in writing, and I benefit from your insights on the road you’ve traveled. Writing definitely changes you as a person, particularly the way you think. One thing I’ve come to realize is how important integration is. In writing, structure, creativity, characterization, humor, world building and many other things should be present at all levels of the process. And this includes figuring out the writing process itself. I hope I’m growing as a writing, but I’m definitely changing, trying to be open to all of these areas all the time. I know I have tended to be unbalanced with these, and my writing suffers when this happens. I am far too quick to treat an area as something like a check list rather than immersing myself in it and allowing it to stay alive throughout the outline/draft/revision process.

At the same time, I worry about how writing fits in with the other areas of my life. It’s like its in its own little world, separate from work, friends, faith and family. It is oddly integrated with exercise (there’s nothing like a good hard bike ride for working through a writing problem). And I will confess writing has worked its way into my prayers at times (one thing I keep meaning to do but haven’t is to say prayer of gratitude after each session). I think it is very easy for me to allow writing to pull me away from life rather than to push me toward a fuller life. Sadly, I have no idea of how to fix this.

Everything I’ve written above is all about me. Some of it may be true for others, or it could all just be my bag.

Thanks again for a great article. Andy

Thank you, Andy! 🙂 What you say about struggling to find the balance of writing and “life” is a pertinent one–one I’ve pondered a lot over the years. In fact, I think you may have helped me work through a problem I’ve been thinking about. I’ll have to mull on it some more. Maybe I’ll post about it in the future! But, regardless, thank you!

Glad I could be helpful. I must have written something truly insightful. I’ll try not to let it happen again.

Gotta watch that. 😉

I’m in the exact same place as you – a diehard outliner who has found that the plotting part of writing (which I love to do) has begun to smother my work, somehow. But it’s hard for me to let go of it.

I started a new novel this year which I’m discovery writing. It’s been a journey. But I can confirm that I’m learning SO MUCH. And also having fun? Honestly, I wanted this experiment to fail, but it looks like I’m not getting my wish.

Please keep us updated as things develop! I would love to hear the story from another author who’s undergoing the same challenging (and liberating?) transformation.

I do rather have the feeling that this is something of a common INTJ problem. 😉

I really relate to this; this past year, I sat down and wrote two different stories with no intent of sharing them with the world in mind, and it was the most fun I’ve had writing in YEARS. The drastic difference between what I’d been doing and what I did then was incredible. I’ve been working ever since to discover the way that I work now, because I can tell that I’m changing; my writing process is changing with me, and after I rediscover it, I’m sure it’ll change again on me in the future. But that’s okay.

Here’s to a new season in writing for the both of us. 😊

That’s awesome! In was only in responding to the comments here that I really remembered how the last book I wrote with no intention of publishing (over ten years ago) was also the last book that I felt came from a genuine flow of inspiration. It was also a really hard book in its own right, but it was hard in a different way. It is good to remember that.

Thank you for this post, Katie. My journey is reversed to yours. I cannot outline first. Post minoring in English in University, I have focused on letting the story tell itself. Now I’m back learning again and feel the pull to be technical. Yet, I just don’t believe that’s where the beautiful stories we never forget come from. This post is a needed reprieve from the technical form and has help me sort through it more in my understanding. Sigh!

It’s a balance for sure. We need both order and the chaos of creativity to write a truly great story.

I took a break from nanowrimo to read this post. It’s a longer break than I intended, but it is definitely worth it. So many things orbiting my awareness came to a point in this post. (How do you do that?!) So many times tears were just behind my eyes as I read what I didn’t even know I’d been thinking. You know, those moments when a truth comes to light, like a beam of light hitting a mirror and the mirror is inside you. Or maybe the other way around. Not sure, something like that.

The thing that struck me most was the idea that the very act of creation, even for ourselves, even if no one else ever sees or knows about it, changes the world because it changes us. I was just writing earlier about how noticing something, even a little thing, can cause a course correction, and how that can result in a big shift. How just having the awareness to question something, ourselves, will result in growth in some direction. And how our experiences and perceptions shape and reshape the world.

For nanowrimo this year I decided to just write whatever, journaling, short stories, story sketches, no pressure to get anything right. It’s been amazing. I’m doing more than I knew I could (as far as I knew). It’s a bit ironic because I’m a pantser who has recently discovered that I’m a plantser. I read somewhere that most of us are really a combination of the two. Finding my way to the center was a growth I didn’t expect.

Thank you for this post. I will be reading it again.

And Happy Birthday!

Thank you, Joan! 🙂 And I feel what you’re saying very much. I’ve never done NaNo myself. This was the first year I was tempted, and I may end up doing Camp NaNoWriMo in June. Right now, my creative self resonates with the approach you’re taking with it.

“Rilke was always ready to change his way of living if the art told him too.” What an extraordinary claim and what an extraordinary high bar to reach for. I know almost nothing about Rilke; I will have to learn more, it seems.

I’m sure my writing has changed me, but I think I am still too new, or too close to the process to judge how it’s change me. Or, perhaps I’m still too likely to misjudge how it’s changed me. The possible exception is that I’ve put words to things that I have believed and/or discovered things that I have believed.

Sometimes the changes aren’t conscious. I suppose there are changes we will *never* be conscious of in ourselves. But I’m quite sure that you *have* been changed–that we are all changed by our creative choices every day.

Oh, definitely. And letting go is part of it.

Who knew? :p

Happy Birthday coming up.

This is really cool. It is an opportune time for me to post some thoughts on theme I had when you were posting on that, but I missed my chance. I will take it here. I believe it ties in.

What I have learned the hard way about writing well is that it has two sides which are almost at odds.

One side of the coin is about outlining, plot, structure, all that stuff, which you cannot overlook unless you want to take ten times as long to do it.

But the other side is when you start to write thematically, or artistically, and that means you have to close all of those rule books and shut down the spreadsheet. I think this is where theme and magic start to happen, after all the homework. In my journey, this is where adulthood occurs.

That is to say, I think that theme (or the heart of the book) is what happens when you have finished your notes, knocked out your first drafts, carved out your character arc, story grid, plot matrix and milestones, checked every conceivable box on all of your worksheets, closed all of your notebooks and journals, logged off the Internet, and then…

Finally started writing from the heart.

So true. I think this “two sides” paradigm is true of all of life. I’ve come to think of it as the balance point between order and chaos.

I wrote a novella two years ago, and let it rest, believing it was all it could be. In the meantime, I went back to my novel, and various other short stories. Last night I re-visited the novella, thinking it was time to publish and get it off my plate. During those two years of letting the novella rest, I had studied my craft diligently, working on two novels. Last night, I thought it was time to resurrect the novella. On editing, I was shocked to find how much I have grown as a writer! The novella practically wrote itself last night! When I finished, I was in tears which is exactly the affect I was longing for!

Woot! That’s awesome! 😀

I’ve always been performance-oriented and driven by being the best or the most impressive. (Yes, I’m a 3. Why do you ask?) And a lot of my writing has been very contrived because of that. I could outline with the best of them.

But as I’ve grown as a writer (and hopefully as a person too), I look back at my previous work and see how fake it seems. And because it’s fake, it falls flat.

Now, I’m ditching the outlines and pantsing more. I’m trying to truly “sit at the typewriter and bleed,” to let my genuine, deep, vulnerable self spill out onto the page without a thought to the persona I want to display or the reader I want to impress. The discomfort often has me squirming in my seat, but goodness the stories are so much better!

Haha. Before I got to your third sentence, I was thinking, “Three!” :p As a fellow Three, I definitely see a lot of what I’m speaking about in this post being a result of work I’ve done in confrotning my “Threeness” in the last few years.

I’m a convert to the idea of the creative power of the unconscious – I ran a workshop on it at this year’s Worldcon. I fully agree what you’ve written here. (If interested, google (with quote marks) “unconscious thought theory as a creativity tool”) From what I’ve read of many great writers, they all felt they always had much to learn, and continually strived to improve their work.

That sounds great!

Thanks for such great advice and willingness to answer questions. And, thanks for this timely post. After seeing your scene checklist, I bookmarked the series intending to read it ALL. But, my gut feels that scene writing is *not* one of my problems. Since Judging *and* Prospecting work, Prospecting types shouldn’t feel a push to be Judging just because a Judging type’s checklist looks like the best approach. Now, my prospecting side loves your scene point list when I view it for the principals; just implement them and write on. Life *never* consults a list for instruction on what it should do next, but life is one of the best things you can consult for what your writing should do next. So, thanks for convincing me to stop wasting time ‘binge’ reading on your site (and others) just because I *might* not be doing things quite right [reluctantly removes tempting bookmark].

“Life *never* consults a list for instruction on what it should do next.”

It’s true. Life runs on pattern and structure–the solar, lunar cycles, etc–and yet it is all instinctive and innate.

Thank you for sharing your journey. It’s nice to know we have companions along the way.

Your blogs are always fascinating, but this one caught me in the gut. Go dance with your muse awhile and then come back to tell us how it all turned out!

Being a writer has changed me by expressing myself more than I used to, though it may not always be convenient for everyone, it’s better than always holding back and being a doormat. Many terrible things happened in my past childhood based on my race, gender, and religion that people just got away with, unfortunately, but it’s okay to speak up sometimes. If I could rewind the clock and change certain situations I would. Writing is a creative process of imagination, but it can also be therapeutic in its own right.

[…] Bair has fearless writing advice from fiction’s most fearful protagonist, K.M. Weiland asks if you are growing as a writer, and Julie Carrick Dalton ponders finding truth in […]

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How to Write a College Essay | A Complete Guide & Examples

The college essay can make or break your application. It’s your chance to provide personal context, communicate your values and qualities, and set yourself apart from other students.

A standout essay has a few key ingredients:

• A unique, personal topic
• A compelling, well-structured narrative
• A clear, creative writing style
• Evidence of self-reflection and insight

To achieve this, it’s crucial to give yourself enough time for brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

In this comprehensive guide, we walk you through every step in the process of writing a college admissions essay.

Table of contents

Why do you need a standout essay, start organizing early, choose a unique topic, outline your essay, start with a memorable introduction, write like an artist, craft a strong conclusion, revise and receive feedback, frequently asked questions.

While most of your application lists your academic achievements, your college admissions essay is your opportunity to share who you are and why you’d be a good addition to the university.

Your college admissions essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s total weight一and may account for even more with some colleges making the SAT and ACT tests optional. The college admissions essay may be the deciding factor in your application, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

What do colleges look for in an essay?

Admissions officers want to understand your background, personality, and values to get a fuller picture of you beyond your test scores and grades. Here’s what colleges look for in an essay :

• Demonstrated values and qualities
• Vulnerability and authenticity
• Self-reflection and insight
• Creative, clear, and concise writing skills

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

It’s a good idea to start organizing your college application timeline in the summer of your junior year to make your application process easier. This will give you ample time for essay brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

While timelines will vary for each student, aim to spend at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing your first draft and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Remember to leave enough time for breaks in between each writing and editing stage.

Create an essay tracker sheet

If you’re applying to multiple schools, you will have to juggle writing several essays for each one. We recommend using an essay tracker spreadsheet to help you visualize and organize the following:

• Deadlines and number of essays needed
• Prompt overlap, allowing you to write one essay for similar prompts

You can build your own essay tracker using our free Google Sheets template.

College essay tracker template

Ideally, you should start brainstorming college essay topics the summer before your senior year. Keep in mind that it’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic.

If you want to write about a common essay topic, such as a sports injury or volunteer work overseas, think carefully about how you can make it unique and personal. You’ll need to demonstrate deep insight and write your story in an original way to differentiate it from similar essays.

What makes a good topic?

• Meaningful and personal to you
• Uncommon or has an unusual angle
• Reveals something different from the rest of your application

Brainstorming questions

You should do a comprehensive brainstorm before choosing your topic. Here are a few questions to get started:

• What are your top five values? What lived experiences demonstrate these values?
• What adjectives would your friends and family use to describe you?
• What challenges or failures have you faced and overcome? What lessons did you learn from them?
• What makes you different from your classmates?
• What are some objects that represent your identity, your community, your relationships, your passions, or your goals?
• Whom do you admire most? Why?
• What three people have significantly impacted your life? How did they influence you?

How to identify your topic

Here are two strategies for identifying a topic that demonstrates your values:

• Start with your qualities : First, identify positive qualities about yourself; then, brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities.
• Start with a story : Brainstorm a list of memorable life moments; then, identify a value shown in each story.

After choosing your topic, organize your ideas in an essay outline , which will help keep you focused while writing. Unlike a five-paragraph academic essay, there’s no set structure for a college admissions essay. You can take a more creative approach, using storytelling techniques to shape your essay.

Two common approaches are to structure your essay as a series of vignettes or as a single narrative.

Vignettes structure

The vignette, or montage, structure weaves together several stories united by a common theme. Each story should demonstrate one of your values or qualities and conclude with an insight or future outlook.

This structure gives the admissions officer glimpses into your personality, background, and identity, and shows how your qualities appear in different areas of your life.

Topic: Museum with a “five senses” exhibit of my experiences

• Introduction: Tour guide introduces my museum and my “Making Sense of My Heritage” exhibit
• Story: Racial discrimination with my eyes
• Lesson: Using my writing to document truth
• Story: Broadway musical interests
• Lesson: Finding my voice
• Story: Smells from family dinner table
• Lesson: Appreciating home and family
• Story: Washing dishes
• Lesson: Finding moments of peace in busy schedule
• Story: Biking with Ava
• Lesson: Finding pleasure in job well done
• Conclusion: Tour guide concludes tour, invites guest to come back for “fall College Collection,” featuring my search for identity and learning.

Single story structure

The single story, or narrative, structure uses a chronological narrative to show a student’s character development over time. Some narrative essays detail moments in a relatively brief event, while others narrate a longer journey spanning months or years.

Single story essays are effective if you have overcome a significant challenge or want to demonstrate personal development.

Topic: Sports injury helps me learn to be a better student and person

• Situation: Football injury
• Challenge: Friends distant, teachers don’t know how to help, football is gone for me
• Turning point: Starting to like learning in Ms. Brady’s history class; meeting Christina and her friends
• My reactions: Reading poetry; finding shared interest in poetry with Christina; spending more time studying and with people different from me
• Insight: They taught me compassion and opened my eyes to a different lifestyle; even though I still can’t play football, I’m starting a new game

Brainstorm creative insights or story arcs

Regardless of your essay’s structure, try to craft a surprising story arc or original insights, especially if you’re writing about a common topic.

Never exaggerate or fabricate facts about yourself to seem interesting. However, try finding connections in your life that deviate from cliché storylines and lessons.

Admissions officers read thousands of essays each year, and they typically spend only a few minutes reading each one. To get your message across, your introduction , or hook, needs to grab the reader’s attention and compel them to read more..

Avoid starting your introduction with a famous quote, cliché, or reference to the essay itself (“While I sat down to write this essay…”).

While you can sometimes use dialogue or a meaningful quotation from a close family member or friend, make sure it encapsulates your essay’s overall theme.

Find an original, creative way of starting your essay using the following two methods.

Option 1: Start with an intriguing hook

Begin your essay with an unexpected statement to pique the reader’s curiosity and compel them to carefully read your essay. A mysterious introduction disarms the reader’s expectations and introduces questions that can only be answered by reading more.

Option 2: Start with vivid imagery

Illustrate a clear, detailed image to immediately transport your reader into your memory. You can start in the middle of an important scene or describe an object that conveys your essay’s theme.

A college application essay allows you to be creative in your style and tone. As you draft your essay, try to use interesting language to enliven your story and stand out .

Show, don’t tell

“Tell” in writing means to simply state a fact: “I am a basketball player.” “ Show ” in writing means to use details, examples, and vivid imagery to help the reader easily visualize your memory: “My heart races as I set up to shoot一two seconds, one second一and score a three-pointer!”

First, reflect on every detail of a specific image or scene to recall the most memorable aspects.

• What are the most prominent images?
• Are there any particular sounds, smells, or tastes associated with this memory?
• What emotion or physical feeling did you have at that time?

Be vulnerable to create an emotional response

You don’t have to share a huge secret or traumatic story, but you should dig deep to express your honest feelings, thoughts, and experiences to evoke an emotional response. Showing vulnerability demonstrates humility and maturity. However, don’t exaggerate to gain sympathy.

Use appropriate style and tone

Make sure your essay has the right style and tone by following these guidelines:

• Use a conversational yet respectful tone: less formal than academic writing, but more formal than texting your friends.
• Prioritize using “I” statements to highlight your perspective.
• Write within your vocabulary range to maintain an authentic voice.
• Write concisely, and use the active voice to keep a fast pace.
• Follow grammar rules (unless you have valid stylistic reasons for breaking them).

You should end your college essay with a deep insight or creative ending to leave the reader with a strong final impression. Your college admissions essay should avoid the following:

• Summarizing what you already wrote
• Stating your hope of being accepted to the school
• Mentioning character traits that should have been illustrated in the essay, such as “I’m a hard worker”

Here are two strategies to craft a strong conclusion.

Option 1: Full circle, sandwich structure

The full circle, or sandwich, structure concludes the essay with an image, idea, or story mentioned in the introduction. This strategy gives the reader a strong sense of closure.

In the example below, the essay concludes by returning to the “museum” metaphor that the writer opened with.

Option 2: Revealing your insight

You can use the conclusion to show the insight you gained as a result of the experiences you’ve described. Revealing your main message at the end creates suspense and keeps the takeaway at the forefront of your reader’s mind.

Revise your essay before submitting it to check its content, style, and grammar. Get feedback from no more than two or three people.

It’s normal to go through several rounds of revision, but take breaks between each editing stage.

Also check out our college essay examples to see what does and doesn’t work in an essay and the kinds of changes you can make to improve yours.

Respect the word count

Most schools specify a word count for each essay , and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit.

Remain under the specified word count limit to show you can write concisely and follow directions. However, don’t write too little, which may imply that you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.

Check your content, style, and grammar

• First, check big-picture issues of message, flow, and clarity.
• Then, check for style and tone issues.
• Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Get feedback

Get feedback from 2–3 people who know you well, have good writing skills, and are familiar with college essays.

• Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your content, language, and tone.
• Friends and family can check for authenticity.
• An essay coach or editor has specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and can give objective expert feedback.

The checklist below helps you make sure your essay ticks all the boxes.

College admissions essay checklist

I’ve organized my essay prompts and created an essay writing schedule.

I’ve done a comprehensive brainstorm for essay topics.

I’ve selected a topic that’s meaningful to me and reveals something different from the rest of my application.

I’ve created an outline to guide my structure.

I’ve crafted an introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.

I’ve written my essay in a way that shows instead of telling.

I’ve shown positive traits and values in my essay.

I’ve demonstrated self-reflection and insight in my essay.

I’ve used appropriate style and tone .

I’ve concluded with an insight or a creative ending.

I’ve revised my essay , checking my overall message, flow, clarity, and grammar.

I’ve respected the word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

Congratulations!

It looks like your essay ticks all the boxes. A second pair of eyes can help you take it to the next level – Scribbr's essay coaches can help.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

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