Newest College Application Essays

Knowledge is a fickle matter. Some things we learn will stay with us until our deathbed, while others will leave with the speed of a hummingbird's wings. By far the most memorable piece of literature I have ever read is J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord...

In the words of the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising each time we fall." Whether in ancient days or the present, this phrase holds true for all of humanity. It holds true for my life...

My father has always said that I have "hands of a true pianist," probably because they're rather large with fingers so long and thin that I had to resize my class ring with duct tape. Those who know less about my ambitions tend to call them...

Last fall, my mother was able to snag four tickets to Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. The Arizona Diamondbacks, my home team, were taking on the New York Yankees. We had an extra ticket, and since my brother was studying in Europe, I invited my...

Ask any high school student about the John Hughes film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and you'll find that this mid-eighties teeny bopper flick still has kids hooked. Matthew Broderick stars as Ferris, the rebellious teenager from a wealthy suburb of...

Throughout the American Revolution, John Adams often humbly remarked, "We are ordinary men living in extraordinary times." Due to his modest nature, Mr. Adams most likely believed his statement to be true. However, I must disagree with Mr. Adams....

To Whom It May Concern:

[full name] selected Colgate because he believed a large liberal arts college would allow him to explore many fields of study, while the strong community service program would afford unlimited opportunities to continue his...

I never knew when I was speaking Farsi, Chinese, or English. After all, I would flit back and forth from my Taiwanese mother to my Persian father, rapidly translating words between them. Then, I'd settle into bed for my regular Dr. Seuss bedtime...

I have been told I am a thinker: one who is commonly lost in thought - which arises as a result of the interactions between the various parts of the brain, according to one theory, as the logical center in the front left hemisphere attempts to...

Like I said, I'm inept. I don't tie my shoelaces. I don't understand seat belts. I can't change tires. I can't cook or fish or dance or sing or act or lie. I don't see how a plane can stay in the air or how it can land. I don't know how to paint...

Columbia is still my absolute, number one, pick-of-them-all college. I intend to hold my ground here on the wait-list. If a spot does indeed open up for me, I will immediately enroll.

Columbia matches me better than any other college. I alluded to...

When my English teacher died last spring, I wrote in his tribute a song called "Confusion." It is not the most technically impressive thing I have written, but it's my favorite because it conveys emotions I still can't put into words. Taking...

"Relate a clever anecdote from your life in which you make veiled references to your academic abilities, talents, and personality in the fashion of a college admissions essay. Be neat."

Last summer, I was accepted to attend Brown University for a...

The history of politics reads somewhat like a petty drama. The son of the president who lost to Clinton later beats Clinton's vice president. His brother, Jeb, beats a guy who beat Clinton's attorney-general in the gubernatorial primaries. Mel...

Headlines like "Baghdad Residents Treated To Magnificent Light Show" and "Duraflame Introduces Slow-Burning American Flag" aren't typical of mainstream publications. But writing such leads has been a major interest of mine for the past year and a...

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My surprise at winning the district FBLA Accounting competition was understandable. Accountants are, on the whole, prosaic individuals, and I didn't consider myself a prosaic person. Or an accountant, for that matter.

Yet I did win, and...

Sitting in Starbucks in Providence, I had one day to complete three "character sketches." A friend and I figured a coffee shop would be a good place to find unique individuals to describe, though we ended up taking different approaches - she...

While my classmates were eagerly participating in a discussion of The Grapes of Wrath, their hands constantly raised, I looked down, avoiding eye contact with Mr. Colgate, and pretended to jot down notes. I wanted to say something, but my mouth...

It was the first day of third grade at Oakville Christian School. Like every year, I was excited to meet my new teacher, see my old friends, and make new friends. For six children in our class, however, the first day of school was much more...

I have always been enamored of the ideal of public service, which is to say, I have always envisioned myself becoming a perfectly disinterested public servant whose only impetus is to serve his country. Although I am constantly reminded that...

Things are not looking good for the Griffins. They have just lost the slight lead they had over their opponent and they seem extremely fatigued. To make matters worse, there are only a few minutes left in the game. My legs feel weak and tell me...

One literary work that I always find inspiring is Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". In Frost's poem the speaker, on the verge of making a decision, symbolizes this decision by using a reference to one road forking into two. Each road represents...

Ever since middle school, I have envisioned my college experience on a small, New England campus, with an abundance of trees, grand Gothic architecture, and intimate classes allowing for a constant dialogue. However, as I began my college search...

"I was born on the banks of the Amazon River. Well, Brazilian birthplaces are limited to that, a soccer field, or a Carnival celebration, you know? What was my mom doing nine months pregnant on the banks of the Amazon? Well, she was seven months...