Beyond the Vision of Dreams by Stella Price

Make sure that it is clear what you are getting at, but also don’t explicitly state what you are getting at-a successful essay speaks for itself. Cohesion is primarily achieved through effective introductions and conclusions, which often contribute to the establishment of a clear theme or topic. This will also make your essay more personal and will make your reader feel more connected to you!Ĭompelling Common App essays tell a cohesive story. Of course, make sure that your grammar and spelling are impeccable, but also put in time crafting your tone and finding your voice. You should be writing and rewriting your essays, perfecting them as you go. They want students who can articulate their thoughts clearly and concisely (and creatively!). If you write about one of these topics, you have to work harder to stand out, so working with a more nuanced topic is often safer and easier.Ĭolleges want good writers. This should be actively avoided! CollegeVine has identified the immigrant’s journey, sports injuries, and overcoming a challenging course as cliché topics. It is pretty easy to resort to clichés in college essays. When writing your Common App essay, you should explore your feelings, worldview, values, desires, and anything else that makes you uniquely you. The ultimate goal is to get them to choose you over someone else! You will have a better chance of achieving this goal if the admissions committee feels personally connected to you or invested in your story.

The point of the Common App essay is to humanize yourself to a college admissions committee. Read our Common App essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. Once you’ve read some examples and are ready to get started, read our step-by-step guide for how to write a strong Common App essay. These Common App essay examples demonstrate a strong writing ability and answer the prompt in a way that shows admissions officers something unique about the student. When you begin writing your Common App essay, having an example to look at can help you understand how to effectively write your college essay so that it stands apart from others.

Is Your Common App Essay Strong Enough?.

Beyond the Vision of Dreams by Stella Price