college application essays about leadership

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Talking about Leadership in Your College Application Essay

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It’s easy to talk about being a leader, but how do you demonstrate that in your college application essay? Here are 5 successful examples from students at UPenn , Stanford , Brown , and Columbia :

To divide all mankind into such a distinctive and witty set of classes can only be the  brainchild of someone as clever as Benjamin Franklin. Still, this classification is one of profound implications. Defining oneself amongst the movers, the movable, or the immovable can reveal one’s true character. It is with this mindset that I consider myself one that ‘moves.’ Of course, as an inherently imperfect human being I cannot deny that I have been lazy or inflexible at times; nor have I not been one to follow and let others take action for me. But I the grander scope, I am definitely one who prefers to lead and be the individual to take action or make decisions. Keep reading.  

Columbia’ 17

I watch my grinning friends troop into the auditorium. Some can sense my nervousness, and call out to me reassuringly. I wonder if our relationship will change, once I become head boy. I will no longer be able to take part in all the pranks that they wanted to pull off in senior year. I just hope they will not do something so reckless that I need to march them to the principal’s office. I realise then that I would if I had to. Read more.

I stand on the peak of a mountain, 4,867 feet above the ground, accompanied by a handful of summer camp friends. From the top of the mountain, I take in the beautiful panoramic view of the Adirondacks, unfettered by pesky clouds. The sun shines directly into my eyes, forcing me to squint. Beads of sweat drip down my forehead. Although I am tired, I feel exhilarated. This particular summit is perhaps the most significant of those I have climbed as a hiker. Continue reading.

Stanford ‘17

I felt a bead of sweat tracing its way down my forehead. My legs began to twitch, as if they knew how badly I wanted to run. I stared, in desperation, back at the nine pairs of eyes that watched my every move. For a second, I imagined my escape- sprinting down the stairs, past the faded murals on the walls, out the gate and into the street. But just for a second. Read more.  

Brownandproud

Stanford ‘15.

I walk off the stage and see my nephew running to me. He says “congratulations,” and as I look around I see my 2 parents, 2 sisters, 15 cousins, 9 aunts and 9 uncles smiling at me and clapping so loud I forget where I am. Twenty five years ago, my parents decided to leave not just Mexico City but their home, family, and culture, in pursuit of a better and brighter future for their families. My father and mother worked endlessly to bring their families over to California. I envy my father’s determination, as he gave up his teaching job in Mexico and worked 60-hour weeks for a decade to provide homes for my relatives. He was the leader, the commander of the ship guiding though the rapid current. It did not matter that we had 18 people living in our home; the most important priority was that we were together. View full profile.

Liked these essay intros? Unlock them all in one go in this leadership package . Brainstorm and think carefully about what you want to write in your personal statement and how you want to share your own, unique story. For more inspiration, AdmitSee has a database of 60,000+ successful  college applications files  waiting for you! 

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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13 ways to show leadership on college applications

Students who can lead are considered motivated, dependable, problem-solvers, and team-players. This is exactly why college admission and scholarship review committees are looking for leadership qualities.

What is leadership?

But what does leadership experience mean, and more specifically what does it look like for high school students?

DEFINITION: By leadership experience, we mean everything that demonstrates a student’s ability to take initiative, lead their peers, serve as a role model or even create something new.

There are so many opportunities for students to gain leadership experience – and it’s not just officer positions of a club.

CLARIFICATION: Leadership does NOT mean outgoing; so don’t be intimidated at the thought of taking on a leadership role.

 How do I find leadership opportunities?

Many times, you can make your own opportunities for leadership experience. Don’t limit yourself to the idea that leadership is defined by officer titles such as president, secretary or treasurer. Often, you can find situations that require someone to step up. You can also brainstorm ways to create your own leadership role. Is there an event coming up that needs someone to plan it? Is there a need at your school or in your town that no one is addressing?

BONUS TIP: Students who are heavily involved in a particular interest or know their future career/major should strive for leadership roles that compliment that area.

Here are 13 ways students can show leadership experience on their applications:

• Run for an officer position (the obvious choice):  This could include student government or any other club or organization that you are a part of.
• Plan an event:  Events take a lot of planning, coordination and leadership. Look for opportunities to become a team leader or organizer for an event.
• Lead a project:  Do you have an idea for a project, but no one wants to take on the planning? Do it yourself! Creating a new project or initiative and bringing it to fruition really stands out on applications. Whether it’s implementing a new recycling program at your school, organizing a food donation collection, or starting your town’s first stream team, taking this kind of initiative will set you apart.
• Spearhead a campaign:  Interested in politics? Showcase your leadership abilities by getting involved in school, local community, state, or even national campaigns.
• Step up at work:  Leadership isn’t just for school clubs and community service organizations. You can gain leadership experience at your job by working your way up to shift leader, supervisor or management.
• Become the captain of your sports team:  Playing a sport gives you the opportunity to gain leadership by becoming a team captain or leader of the team.
• Coordinate volunteers:  It takes strong leadership and communication skills to coordinate volunteers. Offer to manage schedules, sign-ups, assignments, and more…
• Start something new:  Are you really passionate about robotics, or the environment, or something else? If there isn’t a club for your particular interest at your school, consider starting one! Not only will it give you leadership experience, it will also give you the opportunity to meet and engage with others who are interested in the same thing!
• Head up a committee:  Next time there’s a call for volunteers to manage a committee, raise your hand. Make sure you track the progress and impact of your committee – what did you accomplish?
• Organize a fundraiser:  Take initiative in a club or organization by offering to organize a fundraiser. This is a big undertaking, but this type of project looks great on an application, especially if you can highlight the specific outcomes of the fundraiser.
• Become a peer mentor:  Is there a peer mentoring program at your school? Have you served as a camp counselor? Look for ways to lead through mentorship.
• Take the lead in community service:  Ask the organization or your volunteer supervisor how you can get more involved and gain some leadership experience. They’ll be impressed and find ways for you to build your resume.
• Show off your entrepreneurial side:  Sell jewelry on Etsy, give private tennis lessons, start a small woodworking business in your basement, repair or tailor clothes for friends and family members, sell your famous granola and blueberry muffins, tutor for the ACT or SAT…. the possibilities are endless! What hobby, skill or interest can you turn into a business?

Here’s your leadership challenge:

Make a list of at least five (5) ideas for leadership experience. They can be roles you’ve already held or ones you can take on in the future. Use the list above to help brainstorm opportunities in areas that interest you. 

BONUS TIP: Anything that recognizes your leadership role should be kept, including awards, newspaper articles or pictures.

Congrats, you’re now officially on your way to creating an impressive application. Leadership is just one piece of the puzzle, read on for more tips: 

• How to make your resume stand out
• How to save and display your awards and honors
• How do you actually find scholarships?
• How to make the most of your college tours
• The secret to preparing for college and scholarship applications
• Mistakes That Could Make or Break Your Essay

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Showcase Your Leadership Experience for College Admissions: Examples for College Applications

Leadership skills. It’s something that all prospective college students should have listed on their applications.

Why is it so important? In today’s competitive college admissions landscape, demonstrating strong leadership skills can give applicants a significant edge.

But to really showcase your leadership experience and skills, you need to know what leadership truly means–and get a little creative.

Simply put, leadership is service. Andrew Malrux said, “To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less.”

But can talking about service really help you?

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling ( NACAC ) 2020 State of College Admission report, yes. More than half of colleges and universities surveyed consider a student’s demonstrated leadership qualities as a significant factor in their admissions decisions.

These institutions understand that leaders not only contribute positively to campus life but also go on to make a difference in their communities and excel in their careers.

This blog post aims to guide students on effectively showcasing their leadership skills during the college application process. In addition, applicants can demonstrate their commitment to leadership through extracurricular activities, volunteer experiences, and personal narratives.

Let’s dig in.

Importance of Leadership Skills in College Admissions

Leadership skills refer to a set of abilities that enable an individual to effectively guide, influence, and motivate others toward achieving a common goal. These skills play a crucial role in the college application process and in helping students excel throughout their higher education journey and impress employers upon entering the workforce.

You attract leadership opportunities when you use these skills to serve a purpose. You don’t have to be certain age or member of a specific club or organization to do that. Student leaders from all walks of life can develop and strengthen these important skills. This, in turn, shows employers (and the admission committee) that you have what it takes to be a good team member, finish a group project, and set a great example on campus.

Examples of Leadership Skills

Some key leadership skills include:

• Communication: Effective communication involves clearly articulating ideas, actively listening to others, and adapting one’s message to suit diverse audiences. Strong communication skills are essential for leaders to convey their vision, facilitate group discussions, and maintain open channels of dialogue with team members.
• Decision-making: Leaders often need to make quick, informed decisions while considering various factors and potential consequences. The ability to assess situations and make sound judgments is vital for successful leaders.
• Problem-solving: Leaders must identify issues, analyze information, and develop practical solutions. Problem-solving skills allow leaders to navigate challenges, overcome obstacles, and find new ideas for achieving their goals.
• Teamwork: Effective leaders know how to collaborate with others, delegate tasks, and foster a supportive environment where team members can thrive. Being a team player involves recognizing and valuing the contributions of others, resolving conflicts, and promoting a culture of mutual respect.
• Empathy: Leaders who demonstrate empathy can understand and relate to the feelings, perspectives, and experiences of others. This quality allows them to build strong relationships, offer support, and lead with compassion.

What Does This Look Like?

Let’s say you’ve served as a student orientation leader at your school. There are many situations where you would need to utilize a variety of skills to ensure the successful orientation of new students.

During the orientation process, an incoming student approaches you, expressing concern about a scheduling conflict between a required course and a part-time job. The student is worried about losing their job but also wants to ensure that they fulfill all academic requirements.

To address this issue, you listen attentively to the student’s concerns and ask clarifying questions to understand the situation entirely. Then you explain the options available to the student, such as seeking a course override or looking for a new job that accommodates their schedule.

Using problem-solving skills, you help the student weigh the pros and cons of each option and provide guidance on how to make an informed decision. You also encourage students to communicate with the appropriate academic and career services departments to explore additional resources.

Throughout the interaction, you demonstrate empathy by acknowledging the student’s worries and fears and offering emotional support. You make sure the student feels heard and validated while also providing practical solutions to address the issue at hand.

By utilizing effective communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and empathy skills, the orientation leader is able to help the student navigate a difficult situation and feel more confident and supported during their transition to college life.

Although you might not have this same leadership experience for college just yet, you probably have one you can use similarly.

What about a community service project or time spent on a sports team? Volunteer experience requires you to talk the talk while getting to contribute to causes you are interested in, even if for a short period of time. The same for part-time jobs that allow you to earn both extra cash and confidence.

Identifying Your Leadership Experiences

What qualifies as a leadership role? Does it have to be a student government position or a paid job? The answer is no! Here are a few examples.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities play a significant role in helping students develop and showcase their leadership skills. For example, participating in student government, sports teams, cultural events, or clubs and organizations provides opportunities to hold leadership roles such as team captain, club president, or event organizer.

These experiences allow students to gain hands-on experience in decision-making, teamwork, and communication, demonstrating their leadership abilities to college admissions officers.

Community Service

Community service and volunteer experiences also offer a platform for students to exhibit their leadership skills. Students can make a difference in their communities while building valuable skills by participating in community service projects or taking the initiative to create and lead their own projects.

This could involve organizing a fundraiser for a local organization, coordinating a neighborhood clean-up effort, or mentoring younger students in after-school programs. These experiences demonstrate a student’s commitment to community engagement and highlight their ability to lead, problem-solve, and work with diverse groups of people.

Work or Internship Experiences

Work or internship experiences are another avenue for students to gain leadership experience and showcase their skills. Whether it’s a part-time job during the school year, a summer internship, or a volunteer position, these experiences often present opportunities for students to take on responsibilities, manage tasks, and collaborate with team members.

By taking the initiative to lead projects or contribute new ideas, students can demonstrate strong leadership qualities, such as time management, interpersonal skills, and the ability to adapt to a professional environment.

Including these experiences on college applications and resumes will impress both admissions officers and future employers, signaling a student’s potential for success in higher education and the workforce.

How to Showcase Your Leadership Skills in Your Application

College application.

To effectively showcase your leadership skills in your college application, strategically highlighting your experiences and personal growth is essential. College applications, such as the Common Application or individual university applications, often include sections dedicated to extracurricular activities, work experience, and community service. Be sure to emphasize the leadership roles you’ve held and your impact in these areas. A college admissions consultant can help you with all aspects of showcasing your leadership skills and much more with the admissions and application process.

Essays and Personal Statements

College admissions essays and personal statements provide an excellent opportunity for you to delve deeper into your leadership experiences.

Choosing a Leadership-Related Essay Prompt

Begin by selecting a leadership-related essay prompt or crafting your own if the application allows for open-ended topics. This gives you a chance to showcase your unique perspective on leadership, share personal anecdotes, and highlight the qualities that make you a great leader.

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

When crafting a compelling narrative, focus on telling a story that demonstrates your leadership growth. Describe the challenges you’ve faced, the lessons you’ve learned, and the impact you’ve had on others. By illustrating your journey and the obstacles you’ve overcome, you can demonstrate your resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities.

Showcasing Your Leadership Growth

Showcasing your leadership growth is an essential component of your application. It not only highlights your past accomplishments but also indicates your potential for continued development and success in college and beyond. By weaving your leadership experiences throughout your application, you can paint a vivid picture of your strengths and potential, ultimately making a lasting impression on college admissions officers.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation play a crucial role in showcasing your leadership skills to college admissions officers.

To ensure your letters effectively highlight your abilities, it’s important to choose recommenders who have directly observed your leadership experiences, such as teachers, coaches, or supervisors. These individuals can provide specific examples of your leadership qualities, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving abilities, giving admissions officers valuable insight into your potential.

When requesting letters of recommendation, provide your recommenders with context for your leadership experiences. Share your resume, a list of your extracurricular activities, and any relevant accomplishments or projects you’ve led. This will enable your recommenders to craft a well-rounded, detailed portrait of your leadership abilities, which will strengthen your application .

Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Positions

Selecting meaningful extracurricular activities that align with your passions and interests is vital in developing your leadership skills. By engaging in activities that genuinely interest you, you’ll be more likely to demonstrate commitment and consistency, which are important qualities of successful leaders.

Seek out leadership positions within your chosen activities, such as becoming a club president, team captain, or event organizer. To obtain these roles, show initiative, contribute new ideas, and actively participate in meetings and planning. Demonstrating your dedication and enthusiasm can increase your chances of being selected for leadership roles.

Balancing your extracurricular responsibilities with your academic performance is essential. Ensure that you allocate sufficient time to both your leadership pursuits and your studies to maintain a strong application.

Pursuing Leadership Positions

Obtaining leadership roles within your chosen activities can significantly enhance your college application and demonstrate your commitment to personal growth. Here are some tips to help you secure these positions:

Tips for Obtaining Leadership Roles

• Show initiative: Be proactive in your involvement with clubs, organizations, or teams by contributing new ideas, volunteering for tasks, and actively participating in meetings and planning sessions.
• Build relationships: Establish strong connections with other members, mentors, or advisors within the organization. This will demonstrate your teamwork and interpersonal skills, which are essential qualities of a leader.
• Be reliable: Consistently fulfill your responsibilities and meet deadlines, showing that you can be trusted to take on more significant roles within the group.
• Seek feedback: Ask for input from your peers and mentors on your performance and how you can improve your leadership abilities. This will show your dedication to growth and self-improvement.

Developing Your Leadership Skills

Attending leadership workshops and conferences.

To further develop your leadership skills, consider attending workshops, conferences, or training programs that focus on leadership development. These events can provide valuable insights, resources, and networking opportunities to help you refine your leadership abilities. Many schools, universities, and organizations offer such programs, which can cover topics such as public speaking, time management, and effective communication. Participating in these events not only enhances your skills but also demonstrates your commitment to personal growth and continuous improvement.

Participating in Mentorship Programs

Mentorship programs can also play a significant role in developing your leadership skills. By connecting with experienced leaders or professionals in your field of interest, you can gain practical advice, guidance, and support as you navigate your leadership journey. Mentors can offer valuable perspectives on overcoming challenges, setting goals, and building on your strengths as a leader.

Engaging in Self Reflection and Seeking Feedback

Engaging in self-reflection and seeking feedback from peers, mentors, and supervisors is another crucial aspect of leadership development. Reflect on your experiences, identify areas for improvement, and set actionable goals for growth. By actively seeking feedback from others, you can gain insights into your strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan for further improvement. This ongoing process of self-reflection and growth will not only enhance your leadership abilities but also showcase your dedication to personal development, setting you apart from other applicants in the college admissions process.

Showcasing Your Leadership Skills in Interviews

In addition to highlighting your leadership skills in your college application, it’s essential to showcase these qualities during interviews with college admissions officers or potential employers. Proper preparation is key to making a lasting impression and effectively conveying your leadership experiences.

Preparing for Interviews

Begin by preparing for college interviews by researching the institution or organization and reflecting on your leadership experiences. Develop a list of potential leadership-related questions that you might be asked, such as “Can you describe a time when you faced a challenge as a leader and how you overcame it?” or “What qualities do you believe make a great leader, and how do you embody them?” Practice your responses, focusing on providing specific examples that demonstrate your leadership abilities.

Answering Leadership Related Questions

When answering leadership-related questions during interviews, be sure to communicate your experiences effectively. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) to structure your responses, clearly describing the context, your role, the actions you took, and the outcomes of your leadership efforts. This will provide a comprehensive and engaging narrative of your experiences, showcasing your problem-solving, decision-making, and teamwork skills.

Get Help From College Admissions Consultants With Your Leadership Skills

Showcasing your leadership skills in college applications is crucial, as it demonstrates your ability to contribute positively to the campus community and excel in your future endeavors. By embracing and developing your leadership potential, you can stand out from other applicants and increase your chances of success in higher education and beyond.

Remember that showcasing your leadership skills involves not only highlighting your experiences but also continuously refining your abilities through workshops, mentorship, and self-reflection. Embrace your potential and become the leader you aspire to be.

Leadership experience for college can encompass a wide range of activities, including extracurricular activities, community service, work or internship experiences, and volunteer opportunities. Any experience in which you have taken on a leadership role, demonstrated initiative or contributed to a team’s success can be considered leadership experience.

To gain leadership experience in high school, you can participate in extracurricular activities, join clubs or organizations, volunteer in your community, or pursue internships or part-time jobs. Seek out leadership positions within these activities, such as club president, team captain, or project leader, and actively contribute your ideas and efforts to make a difference.

Even if you haven’t held a formal leadership position, you can still showcase your leadership skills by highlighting instances where you took the initiative, collaborated effectively with others, or made a significant impact within a group or project. Focus on specific examples that demonstrate your problem-solving, decision-making, and teamwork abilities.

Yes, you can still develop your leadership skills even if you’re not naturally outgoing or assertive. Leadership comes in many forms, and different situations call for different leadership styles. Focus on developing your unique strengths, such as active listening, empathy, or creative problem-solving, and seek out opportunities to practice and refine your skills in various contexts.

To improve your communication skills as a leader, practice active listening, ask open-ended questions, and provide clear and concise instructions. Be receptive to feedback from others and be willing to adapt your communication style based on the needs of your team or audience. Participating in public speaking workshops or joining clubs like Toastmasters can also help you develop your communication skills.

Some common mistakes to avoid when showcasing leadership skills in college applications include being overly vague about your experiences, focusing solely on your accomplishments without discussing the challenges you faced, and neglecting to mention the impact your leadership had on others or the organization. To effectively showcase your leadership skills, provide specific examples, discuss the lessons you’ve learned, and highlight the positive outcomes that resulted from your efforts.

Bryce Welker is an active speaker, blogger, and regular contributor to Forbes, Inc.com, and Business.com where he shares his knowledge to help others boost their careers.  Bryce is the founder of more than 20 test prep websites that help students and professionals pass their certification exams.

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How to write an essay about leadership

Leadership essays, or essays where you are asked about your work as a leader in your school or community, are not as common as you might imagine. Given all of the emphasis schools and clubs put on leadership roles and titles, essays asking students to dive deeply into this work are actually pretty rare in college applications. That said, it is important to consider leadership very broadly! You do not need to be the President or Founder of a club to write an effective essay for one of these prompts. In fact, sometimes the less common considerations and definitions of “leadership” can make for more compelling essays.

Example Leadership Essay Questions:

• U of California: Describe an example of your leadership and a way that you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
• U of Texas: How do you show leadership in your life? How do you see yourself being a leader at UT Austin?

LET'S BREAK DOWN THE ESSENTIAL POINTS YOU NEED TO HIT WHEN RESPONDING TO THIS SUPPLEMENT:

Leadership is more than titles – it is important, when you consider questions like these, that you reflect on activities where you have contributed to an accomplishment and learned something (about yourself, about your community). In fact, it would be a more powerful essay to reflect on a leadership contribution that was not connected to a title of leadership, but where you learned something important, than to reflect upon your activity where your leadership title is big “in name only.”

Sometimes leadership happens within your family – you do not need to limit your focus to leadership that happens during your school day.

You can consider this essay happening in two distinct ways: narrative structure – where you present a challenge you faced in a leadership role, actions you did that had an impact, and lessons you learned (skills you gained); OR montage structure – where you take on two different activities that both taught you a common lesson about leadership. Don’t muddle these together! Decide whether you want to write linearly (and chronologically in time) about one activity or if you want to write non-linearly about one leadership lesson.

THINGS TO AVOID:

Try to stay away from topics where your leadership takes the reader on a familiar journey. If you want to write about your leadership on an athletic team, that is wonderful, but try to avoid an essay about how your leadership of your team during The Big Game contributed to (winning/losing) The Big Game and the team becoming closer and being “one-strong-team.” Does that feel familiar to you? That’s because college admissions folks will have read thousands of essays that tell this type of story. If you select a common team to lead, take your essay in an uncommon direction.

Avoid lengthy introductions that take away from your word count and don’t actually support your essay response.

Avoid overemphasis on one aspect that detracts from your ability to talk about the other aspects of your story. In other words, if you spend half of your words outlining the challenge you faced, you only have ¼ of the remaining words to discuss your actions and ¼ to discuss the lessons you learned. This is not a good balance!

ADDITIONAL TIPS AND TRICKS:

• What did you do?
• What problems did you solve?
• What lessons did you learn?
• What impact did you have?
• How have you applied these lessons?

Answering these questions (and in this order) actually builds you an outline for this essay!

Do you have an extracurricular activity where the character count really limits you in terms of describing your work and impact? Consider using this essay to further highlight your contributions!

Do you have an extracurricular activity that speaks directly toward your intended major or field of study? This might be a great time to make your application stand out by sharing your leadership and contributions to this field! What problems have you solved? How can you use this prompt to share these solutions?

Elise holds a BA in Political Philosophy from Williams College and an MEd in Administration & Social Policy from Harvard. She has spent the past twenty years working in top-tier independent schools.

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Leadership Essay: What To Write To Put Your Best Foot Forward

EssayEdge > Blog > Leadership Essay: What To Write To Put Your Best Foot Forward

Because schools are looking for applicants who will make a contribution, it is becoming increasingly common for programs to specifically ask for essays on leadership. In this type of essay, the admissions officers are asking you to go beyond your resume, CV or activities list and provide them with a meaningful example that not only demonstrates your skills as a leader but reflects your values, ability to manage setbacks, and resilience in overcoming dilemmas. Therefore, I created these tips to guide you in writing the kind of leadership essay that will help you get noticed in the admissions process.

Table of Contents:

Choose an anecdote where you played a significant role

If you haven’t decided how to write a leadership essay. Your best anecdote may not necessarily be one where you were at the helm. Just because you didn’t have the title of President, Coordinator or Leader doesn’t mean that you didn’t take a strong leadership role in the project. The admissions officers are looking for results, and that means a situation where you were able to ensure outcomes, overcome obstacles, foster team cohesiveness, and exceed expectations. When brainstorming for your leadership essay, think more about the criteria of leadership rather than the title. The title and introduction to leadership essay will come up in your mind as soon as you understand what you want to write about.

Tackle dilemmas

An essay where you were in charge and everything went smoothly doesn’t make for the most compelling narrative. Instead, focus on anecdotes where you had to face tough choices. This could refer to interpersonal situations regarding assigning tasks, making budgetary decisions that might have displeased certain team members or even superiors, navigating contract negotiations between parties that did not trust each other or even dealing with unethical behaviors. Show the admissions officers that you can persevere despite setbacks and find a way forward to realize success in your endeavors.

Acknowledge the contribution of others

This is the most common pitfall that I see in leadership essays. Yes, a personal statement should be personal. However, when writing about leadership, it is impossible to demonstrate this if you write as if no one else was part of the situation. Be gracious in giving praise to team members for their insights, loyalty, and hard work. Let the admissions officers envision you as someone who can inspire others to collaborate and work as a cohesive whole to achieve common goals.

Need help? Check out EssayEdge editing services:

Highlight organization skills and interpersonal acumen

Depending on your personality type and individual leadership style, applicants tend to focus on either the technical aspects of leadership or the more interpersonal ones. In creating your leadership essay, remember to include both in a way that is as balanced as possible. Usually, I will recommend applicants write an opening paragraph that sets the stage, a paragraph about technical aspects such as assigning tasks and coordinating resources, a third paragraph that discusses obstacles encountered in the project, and then a concluding paragraph. The two middle paragraphs should be approximately the same length. By following this basic outline, applicants are sure to cover all bases and formulate a leadership essay that has a strong logical flow from start to finish.

Check some leadership application essay examples to understand what exactly has to be written in your paper.

Reflect on what you would have done differently

If, given the opportunity to do it again, you would have done everything exactly the same, I would advise writing about a different situation. Anecdotes where everything works out perfectly don’t typically provide the admissions officers with the information that they need to help them make a choice about your application. They will want you to engage in self-reflection either in the penultimate paragraph or the concluding paragraph. The admissions officers want to see both growth and willingness to grow. For this reason, be sure to discuss ways that you would like to continue to develop your personal leadership style so that you will be a more prepared and effective leader in the future.

Make a difference. That’s what you should do to be sure that your essay will be noticed by the admissions board. The combination of your writing skills and our guidelines must help you craft a winning paper. Keep in mind that you can always find an assistant on our essay proofreading service, trust proofreading them, and submit a high-quality leadership essay.

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Writing College Essays That Showcase Your Leadership Skills

Whats Inside?

Why leadership skills matter in college essays, identifying your leadership qualities, showcasing leadership in your personal statement, crafting a compelling leadership narrative, overcoming challenges, tips for a strong leadership college essay.

​ A lot of students find it hard to write college essays. It's your chance to say hello, talk about your experiences, and make yourself stand out from the other thousands of candidates. The task gets even harder when you need to write a college essay that shows off your leading skills. This piece will talk about how important leadership skills are in college essays and show you how to write an essay that really shows off your leadership skills.

College admissions officers are interested in more than just your grades. They also want to know what makes you a good student all around. Leadership skills are very important because they show that you can make a difference on campus and do well in many areas of college life.

Your leadership skills are like a shining beacon in your college essay, guiding admissions officers toward a deeper understanding of your potential. In the middle of this paragraph, consider seeking guidance and support from an online essay writing service at https://papersowl.com/last-minute-essay where help for students, provided by professionals, can elevate your essay to its full potential. These skills demonstrate your ability to not only excel academically but also to make a positive impact on campus life. College admissions teams seek students who can contribute meaningfully to their academic community, and showcasing your leadership qualities can significantly boost your chances of acceptance.

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It's important to know what kind of boss you are before you start writing your essay. Just think about the times in your life when you stepped up, moved others, or did something good. The main idea of your essay will be these events.

Leadership in Extracurricular Activities

Bring attention to the clubs, sports, or groups you belong to. Talk about any leadership jobs you've had, like being the captain of a sports team, the president of a club, or a mentor to younger students.

Academic Leadership

Talk about what you've brought to the academic world . This could mean running study groups, planning educational events, or helping other students.

Leadership in Community Involvement

If you've done volunteer or community service, stress how your guidance made other people's lives better. Tell stories that show how dedicated and important you are.

Pay attention to the following things to write an interesting essay:

Be Authentic

Honesty is valued by admissions officers. Write about real-life events that show how you lead and how you've grown as a person.

Highlight Specific Experiences

Give specific examples of good guidance instead of making general claims. Describe events and problems, as well as your part in solving them.

Explain Your Impact

Show how your leadership made the people around you better. Whether it was your friends, the community, or a group, explain what your deeds meant.

Dealing with Humility

It's important to show that you're a leader, but it's also important to talk about times when you failed and learned from it or asked for help. Admissions officers like people who are humble.

Handling Setbacks

Talk about any setbacks you encountered on your way to becoming a leader and how you kept going. Committees that decide who gets in want to see that you are strong and flexible.

Start Early

Start writing your essay early so you have time to come up with ideas, make drafts, and make changes. Having articles written quickly might not show your best work.

Seek Feedback

Let your teachers, peers, or mentors read your writing. Giving you helpful feedback can help you improve your essay and get rid of any mistakes.

Revise and Edit

Make sure your essay is free of grammar mistakes and runs well by proofreading it several times. A well-edited essay shows that you are a professional.

Your essay is a great way to show how much you care about being a star on your college application. You can write an essay that stands out by focusing on your unique traits, sharing real experiences, and showing how you have made a difference. Always begin early, ask for help, and improve your work. Your chances of getting into the college of your dreams will go up if you write a college essay that shows off your leadership skills.

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The Admissions Strategist

How to demonstrate leadership on college applications.

Many high school students think they have to be involved in as many clubs and activities as possible in order to get into the university of their choice.

While these thoughts sound reasonable, participation in too many extracurricular activities can have a  negative effect on your application .

Colleges today want leaders, and if you really want to stand out, it’s time to take a strategic approach to becoming one.

If there’s one thing to remember, always  take a legitimate interest in a subject . Nothing beats honesty and sincerity! That’s a good rule for life, as well.

The key to looking like a leader is becoming one. This is the golden rule of college application leadership!

Always a Member, Never a Leader

You may know the person at your school who is a member of every club and plays five sports.

You might even be that person.

Membership in these groups can show your dedication, but it’s also exhausting.

More importantly, colleges aren’t looking for hundreds of renaissance people each year; instead, they want applicants who are dedicated to and passionate about their involvement in activities outside of the classroom.

How many people actually attend all of the clubs they put on their transcript? Is going to a club the only thing that matters?

• Colleges know that “attendance” doesn’t always reflect the personal skills of the applicant and that participation in sports or clubs doesn’t always mean that the applicant is playing an active role.

So, how do you show a college that you’re a dedicated and passionate individual? Here are a few helpful steps.

Step 1: Discover Your Passion

Right now, you might not be able to define yourself. Are you an artist? A writer? A team leader or captain?

Discovering a passion , and having it on your transcript is the first step to showing that you know who you are, and that you can communicate it clearly to a college.

Here are some places, within your school, to discover your talents and passions:

• Arts/Theater
• Science/Robotics
• Literary magazine/Journalism
• Sports (playing and management)
• Student government
• Peer tutoring/Academic tutoring
• Academic organizations (Debate, Scholars’ Bowl, Model UN)

Chances are that your school offers most or all of these options. While it might seem attractive to join as many of them as you can, your time is too valuable.

Instead, focus on the things you enjoy doing.

All of them have leadership positions: whether you’re an editor of the school newspaper, a captain of the basketball team, or the president of your student government, it’s always possible for you to rise to the top.

No one expects you to be an expert at everything, and high school might be just the place to try something new.

Have you ever considered building and testing a robot? Are you an excellent chemistry student who could be a tutor?

You don’t need answers to all of these questions, but you should always be open to trying new experiences .

Step 2: Get Involved

In any school with extracurricular activities, there are usually many opportunities to get involved.

Often coming at the beginning of the year, sports tryouts and club fairs can be ideal times to become part of an activity.

If you’re an underclassman and don’t want to do it alone, tryouts and club fairs work with groups, so you’ll be in good company.

• The earlier you begin to think about leadership, the earlier you can get involved in clubs and activities. You can be a part of something for the entirety of your high school career.

Many activities are seasonal, or meet at different times throughout the year.

If you miss an opportunity in September, but still want to get involved, consider the following options:

• Pay attention to school announcements.
• Ask friends or siblings for recommendations about clubs.
• Talk to teachers/coaches about leadership opportunities.

Step 3: Work Toward a Leadership Position

Taking a leadership position in anything, from school to the professional world, requires a certain set of skills.

Some people are natural leaders, and others learn leadership through experience.

Regardless of which category you might fall into, you should know that being a leader is always attainable.

Here are some things that can take you from simply being a member of an activity to achieving a leadership role.

Show up on time, every time.

Extracurricular activities are serious commitments, both in terms of time and responsibility.

• Leadership means showing that you are a responsible person on whom others can count.
• Your punctuality and attendance speak volumes about how much you care.

If you have scheduled too many clubs that meet at the same time, choose one rather than stretching yourself thin to meet multiple obligations.

When it comes time to choose leaders, only those who have backed up their interest with clear dedication make the cut.

Work well with others .

Listen to what people have to say, and value others’ ideas.

Good leadership means caring for people and making them feel respected.

• Whether you’re planning a potluck for French club or choreographing a new cheer, let people have their say.

Similarly, make sure your contribution to the group is clear.

Don’t hang back silently. If you don’t feel any investment, you might not be in the right group.

An activity that gives you some input and makes you feel worthwhile will be the one that you return to year after year.

Meet your deadlines.

Is your club planning a fundraiser? Is your team organizing a pep rally? Most school activities usually sponsor some sort of event.

• Planning for them might require you to do a job with a deadline.
• Maybe you’re a journalist who has to turn in an article next Wednesday.

Maybe you’re looking for tapas recipes in Spanish club.

No matter what it is, volunteer to do something and make sure it’s done on time.

Meeting deadlines is the easiest way to earn the respect of your peers, teammates, and club officers.

Be enthusiastic .

Encourage your friends to come to your club.

Make announcements about the next soccer tryout in class.

If people see you as someone who can act as a representative of the club, you will more likely be in consideration to take a leadership position as an officer, captain, or manager.

Step 4: Know How to Sell Your Leadership

If you have been given the responsibility of a leadership position in your activity, the next step is showing it to a college.

While your position will go on your transcript (and you must make sure it does), you can also consider writing about it in your college essay, or using it as anecdotal information in an interview with a college representative.

• Remember, leadership isn’t only about what you write on your application; you can extrapolate your experience and tell a story about how certain activities have changed your values and perspective. 

Leadership is about knowing yourself and your position with regard to others.

It’s about knowing how you collaborate with others to get a job done.

Colleges want leaders because they have strong understandings of their own skill set and abilities to succeed within a community.

Take the time to reflect on the moments you were able to help others solve a problem or collaborate during an event.

Consider your role in this process, and how you were indispensable in making the activity run smoothly. It’s always best to see yourself as part of a team, but knowing your role within that team is essential.

Step 5: Try It!

Leadership roles can exist in unlikely places.

• By taking these steps throughout your high school career, you can achieve a position of leadership and clearly communicate it to the colleges of your choice .

Once they see you as someone with knowledge of your own strengths and the ability to communicate them, you have the potential to stand out and rise to the top of a list.

Conclusion: College Application Leadership

Ultimately, leadership success on your college application boils down to finding a passion or interest, taking the time to participate in the activity, and doing your part to progress the activity.

Leadership isn’t a label, it’s a habit and an action.

Nothing can beat taking a legitimate and sincere interest in a subject.

It’s best to start as a freshman, but it’s never too late to dive into something you love.

Never forget the golden rule of college application leadership: The best way to demonstrate your abilities as a leader is to become one.

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Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

Want free help with your college essay?

UPchieve connects you with knowledgeable and friendly college advisors—online, 24/7, and completely free. Get 1:1 help brainstorming topics, outlining your essay, revising a draft, or editing grammar.

Writing a strong college admissions essay

Learn about the elements of a solid admissions essay.

Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes

Learn some of the most common mistakes made on college essays

Brainstorming tips for your college essay

Stuck on what to write your college essay about? Here are some exercises to help you get started.

How formal should the tone of your college essay be?

Learn how formal your college essay should be and get tips on how to bring out your natural voice.

Taking your college essay to the next level

Hear an admissions expert discuss the appropriate level of depth necessary in your college essay.

Student Stories

Student Story: Admissions essay about a formative experience

Get the perspective of a current college student on how he approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about personal identity

Get the perspective of a current college student on how she approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about community impact

Student story: admissions essay about a past mistake, how to write a college application essay, tips for writing an effective application essay, sample college essay 1 with feedback, sample college essay 2 with feedback.

This content is licensed by Khan Academy and is available for free at www.khanacademy.org.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, leadership college essay examples.

Hey there! I'm a junior in high school, and I'm starting to think about my college essays. I want to write about my leadership experiences but I need some inspiration. Does anyone have any examples of successful college essays that talk about leadership and can give me ideas on how to structure mine?

Hi! It's awesome that you're starting to think about your college essays early, and writing about leadership experiences can be a great topic. You can indeed find an example of a leadership essay, written in response to one of the UC system's Personal Insight Questions, on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/university-of-california-essay-examples. The post also contains analysis of what the writer did well, and any aspects that could have been made even better.

I can also give you some general examples of topics that can anchor a strong leadership essay. Remember, overall the key is to pick an experience that stands out and genuinely reflects who you are.

1. Leading a community project: You could write about a time when you took the initiative to create or lead a community project, such as organizing a neighborhood cleanup or starting a tutoring program for underprivileged kids. Focus on your motivation for starting the project, the challenges you faced along the way, and how you addressed those challenges. End by reflecting on the impact the project had on both you and the community.

2. Being a mentor or role model: Think about a time when you stepped up to mentor or support someone in need, whether a younger sibling, a teammate, or a neighborhood kid. Describe the relationship and why you decided to take on that responsibility. Explain the qualities that you demonstrated in your mentorship and how you helped the person grow or overcome challenges.

3. Overcoming adversity in a leadership role: If you've been in a situation where you faced a significant challenge as a leader (such as dealing with conflict within a club or managing a complicated project), you could share that experience. Detail the situation, the steps you took to address the problem, and the outcome. Reflect on the lessons you learned from grappling with that adversity and how the experience has shaped your approach to leadership.

4. An unconventional form of leadership: Don't limit yourself to structured roles or titles. Sometimes, leadership can be demonstrated in unexpected ways, such as by guiding your friends out of the woods after getting lost on a hike. Describe an example where you took charge or influenced others, even if you didn't have an official title, and how that experience has shaped your understanding of leadership.

Remember to keep the essay focused on a specific experience rather than covering multiple instances of leadership. Add personal reflections and insights to make your essay genuinely unique. It's essential to showcase your personality, beliefs, and growth as a leader.

Finally, if you want to be sure your leadership skills are being presented clearly, consider taking advantage of CollegeVine's Free Peer Essay Review Tool, or submitting your essay for a paid review by an expert college admissions advisor on CollegeVine's marketplace. Sometimes, a more objective look at your essay from someone who doesn't already know you can give you the best sense of how well you're communicating your points.

Good luck with your essay writing!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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Showcase Leadership in College Applications

Gelyna Price

Head of programs and lead admissions expert, table of contents, college applications.

Stay up-to-date on the latest research and college admissions trends with our blog team.

“Leadership” is a major buzzword in college admissions . In scope, the word impacts applications, essay supplements, work experience, and extracurricular activities. But what do admissions officers really want to see? Furthermore, how can a student translate leadership in college applications?

Why Leadership Matters

On a scale of 1-4, with 4 being of most important value, schools like Princeton, Yale, Stanford, MIT, and University of Pennsylvania gave personal character a 4/4 in terms of importance in college applications. This specific data is derived from Empowerly ‘ s research . In fact, we have data that allows one to search for other factors influencing an application such as talent/ability, work experience, and extracurricular activities.

Specifically, Yale and Stanford are the top two schools focused on character AND extracurricular involvement, giving both a 4/4 in terms of importance.

This data reveals that leadership is one of the best and most impactful ways to show character and exceptional extracurricular involvement, especially for Top 50 schools. A dmissions officers from these colleges want to find students who are visionary, entrepreneurial, thoughtful, inquisitive, and exemplary. In other words, students who are capable of great leadership.

What Admissions Officers Want to See

Next, these are direct excerpts from the Undergraduate Admissions websites of several Top 50 colleges. Specifically, note the similarities:   

“We want to see the impact you have had on that club, in your school, or in the larger community, and we want to learn of the impact that experience has had on you.” Stanford University

“We seek to identify students who will be the best educators of one another and their professors—individuals who will inspire those around them during their college years and beyond.” Harvard University   

“Decade after decade, Yalies have set out to make our world better. We are looking for students we can help to become the leaders of their generation in whatever they wish to pursue.” Yale University

“The Admissions Committee is interested in knowing the duration of your commitments as this gives us insight into the depth of your involvement and a sense of the impact you’ve made in your community. Note leadership roles and/or specific responsibilities. These details highlight your initiative and developed capacity as a leader, role model, and doer.” University of Pennsylvania

W e definitely notice a common theme here. Looking closely, you can see w ords like “impact” and “inspire,” w hich highlight why “leadership” has become hot this application cycle. This is because admissions officers across Ivies, Stanford, UC’s, and other Top 50 schools ask themselves these type of questions w hile reviewing applications:

• How has this student made lasting change to their activity through leadership?
• Where has he inspired others with his attitude?
• How can this student bring that spirit to my university’s campus?

Moving forward: next steps

In summary, see this Empowerly blog post for more specific details on how to deepen extracurricular involvement. Evidence shows that l eadership in college applications is a must for competitive schools. Admissions officers will read the applications of thousands of club presidents, captains, and elected officials. Therefore, it is not enough just to have a position. Instead, l ook for ways to better evolve your club or team. And finally, don’t be afraid to make changes for the better.

Want to make sure your college applications stand out? Book your free consultation today–don’t wait!

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College apps can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. empowerly college counseling is in it with you., related articles.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 177 college essay examples for 11 schools + expert analysis.

College Admissions , College Essays

The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I'll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 11 different schools. Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 177 full essays and essay excerpts , this article is a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You'll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author's present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author's world, and for how it connects to the author's emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don't take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don't want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don't bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

And if you need more guidance, connect with PrepScholar's expert admissions consultants . These expert writers know exactly what college admissions committees look for in an admissions essay and chan help you craft an essay that boosts your chances of getting into your dream school.

Check out PrepScholar's Essay Editing and Coaching progra m for more details!

Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these.

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. 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. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of 177 college essay examples responding to current and past Common App essay prompts. 

Connecticut college.

• 12 Common Application essays from the classes of 2022-2025

Hamilton College

• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2026
• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022
• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2018
• 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2012
• 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2007

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Coalition Application (which Johns Hopkins used to accept).

• 1 Common Application or Coalition Application essay from the class of 2026
• 6 Common Application or Coalition Application essays from the class of 2025
• 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2024
• 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2023
• 7 Common Application of Universal Application essays from the class of 2022
• 5 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2021
• 7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2020

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

• 2 Common Application essays ( 1st essay , 2nd essay ) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a collection of essays that are college-specific.

Babson College

• 4 essays (and 1 video response) on "Why Babson" from the class of 2020

Emory University

• 5 essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) from the class of 2020 along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on why the essays were exceptional
• 5 more recent essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on what made these essays stand out

University of Georgia

• 1 “strong essay” sample from 2019
• 1 “strong essay” sample from 2018
• 10 Harvard essays from 2023
• 10 Harvard essays from 2022
• 10 Harvard essays from 2021
• 10 Harvard essays from 2020
• 10 Harvard essays from 2019
• 10 Harvard essays from 2018
• 6 essays from admitted MIT students

Smith College

• 6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018

Books of College Essays

If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers.

College Essays That Made a Difference —This detailed guide from Princeton Review includes not only successful essays, but also interviews with admissions officers and full student profiles.

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson—A must for anyone aspiring to Harvard .

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays and 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe—For essays from other top schools, check out this venerated series, which is regularly updated with new essays.

Heavenly Essays by Janine W. Robinson—This collection from the popular blogger behind Essay Hell includes a wider range of schools, as well as helpful tips on honing your own essay.

Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example 1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

"Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?"

"Why me?" I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. "The water's on fire! Clear a hole!" he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I'm still unconvinced about that particular lesson's practicality, my Dad's overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don't sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don't expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame.

It's the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren't going to get food or dinner; they're going for "Texas BBQ." The coat hanger comes from "a dumpster." Stephen doesn't just move the coat hanger—he "jiggles" it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn't just uncomfortable or nervous; he "takes a few steps back"—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word "click."

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally.

"Unpredictability and chaos" are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like "family of seven" and "siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing," Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: "in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed."

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase "you know," so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father's strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn't occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad's approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can't control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like "twists and turns" and "don't sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he "learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

Example 2: By Renner Kwittken, Tufts Class of '23 (Common App Essay, 645 words long)

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go," and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration.

Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear.

I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

In the lab, Dr. Ray encouraged a great amount of autonomy to design and implement my own procedures. I chose to attack a problem that affects the entire field of nanomedicine: nanoparticles consistently fail to translate from animal studies into clinical trials. Jumping off recent literature, I set out to see if a pre-dose of a common chemotherapeutic could enhance nanoparticle delivery in aggressive prostate cancer, creating three novel constructs based on three different linear polymers, each using fluorescent dye (although no gold, sorry goldbug!). Though using radioactive isotopes like Gallium and Yttrium would have been incredible, as a 17-year-old, I unfortunately wasn't allowed in the same room as these radioactive materials (even though I took a Geiger counter to a pair of shoes and found them to be slightly dangerous).

I hadn't expected my hypothesis to work, as the research project would have ideally been led across two full years. Yet while there are still many optimizations and revisions to be done, I was thrilled to find -- with completely new nanoparticles that may one day mean future trials will use particles with the initials "RK-1" -- thatcyclophosphamide did indeed increase nanoparticle delivery to the tumor in a statistically significant way.

A secondary, unexpected research project was living alone in Baltimore, a new city to me, surrounded by people much older than I. Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research. Whether in a presentation or in a casual conversation, making others interested in science is perhaps more exciting to me than the research itself. This solidified a new pursuit to angle my love for writing towards illuminating science in ways people can understand, adding value to a society that can certainly benefit from more scientific literacy.

It seems fitting that my goals are still transforming: in Scarry's book, there is not just one goldbug, there is one on every page. With each new experience, I'm learning that it isn't the goldbug itself, but rather the act of searching for the goldbugs that will encourage, shape, and refine my ever-evolving passions. Regardless of the goldbug I seek -- I know my pickle truck has just begun its journey.

Renner takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but their essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through some of the strengths of this essay.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

This essay is ultimately about two things: Renner’s dreams and future career goals, and Renner’s philosophy on goal-setting and achieving one’s dreams.

But instead of listing off all the amazing things they’ve done to pursue their dream of working in nanomedicine, Renner tells a powerful, unique story instead. To set up the narrative, Renner opens the essay by connecting their experiences with goal-setting and dream-chasing all the way back to a memorable childhood experience:

This lighthearted–but relevant!--story about the moment when Renner first developed a passion for a specific career (“finding the goldbug”) provides an anchor point for the rest of the essay. As Renner pivots to describing their current dreams and goals–working in nanomedicine–the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” is reflected in Renner’s experiments, rejections, and new discoveries.

Though Renner tells multiple stories about their quest to “find the goldbug,” or, in other words, pursue their passion, each story is connected by a unifying theme; namely, that as we search and grow over time, our goals will transform…and that’s okay! By the end of the essay, Renner uses the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” to reiterate the relevance of the opening story:

While the earlier parts of the essay convey Renner’s core message by showing, the final, concluding paragraph sums up Renner’s insights by telling. By briefly and clearly stating the relevance of the goldbug metaphor to their own philosophy on goals and dreams, Renner demonstrates their creativity, insight, and eagerness to grow and evolve as the journey continues into college.

An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Renner sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know them.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Renner's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks their younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver.

I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Renner gives a great example of how to use humor to your advantage in college essays. You don’t want to come off as too self-deprecating or sarcastic, but telling a lightheartedly humorous story about your younger self that also showcases how you’ve grown and changed over time can set the right tone for your entire essay.

Technique #2: intentional, eye-catching structure. The second technique is the way Renner uses a unique structure to bolster the tone and themes of their essay . The structure of your essay can have a major impact on how your ideas come across…so it’s important to give it just as much thought as the content of your essay!

For instance, Renner does a great job of using one-line paragraphs to create dramatic emphasis and to make clear transitions from one phase of the story to the next:

Suddenly the destination of my pickle car was clear.

Not only does the one-liner above signal that Renner is moving into a new phase of the narrative (their nanoparticle research experiences), it also tells the reader that this is a big moment in Renner’s story. It’s clear that Renner made a major discovery that changed the course of their goal pursuit and dream-chasing. Through structure, Renner conveys excitement and entices the reader to keep pushing forward to the next part of the story.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Renner emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research.

In the examples above, Renner switches adeptly between long, flowing sentences and quippy, telegraphic ones. At the same time, Renner uses these different sentence lengths intentionally. As they describe their experiences in new places, they use longer sentences to immerse the reader in the sights, smells, and sounds of those experiences. And when it’s time to get a big, key idea across, Renner switches to a short, punchy sentence to stop the reader in their tracks.

The varying syntax and sentence lengths pull the reader into the narrative and set up crucial “aha” moments when it’s most important…which is a surefire way to make any college essay stand out.

Renner's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Connecting the research experiences to the theme of “finding the goldbug.”  The essay begins and ends with Renner’s connection to the idea of “finding the goldbug.” And while this metaphor is deftly tied into the essay’s intro and conclusion, it isn’t entirely clear what Renner’s big findings were during the research experiences that are described in the middle of the essay. It would be great to add a sentence or two stating what Renner’s big takeaways (or “goldbugs”) were from these experiences, which add more cohesion to the essay as a whole.

Give more details about discovering the world of nanomedicine. It makes sense that Renner wants to get into the details of their big research experiences as quickly as possible. After all, these are the details that show Renner’s dedication to nanomedicine! But a smoother transition from the opening pickle car/goldbug story to Renner’s “real goldbug” of nanoparticles would help the reader understand why nanoparticles became Renner’s goldbug. Finding out why Renner is so motivated to study nanomedicine–and perhaps what put them on to this field of study–would help readers fully understand why Renner chose this path in the first place.

4 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Get Help From the Experts

Getting your college applications together takes a lot of work and can be pretty intimidatin g. Essays are even more important than ever now that admissions processes are changing and schools are going test-optional and removing diversity standards thanks to new Supreme Court rulings .  If you want certified expert help that really makes a difference, get started with  PrepScholar’s Essay Editing and Coaching program. Our program can help you put together an incredible essay from idea to completion so that your application stands out from the crowd. We've helped students get into the best colleges in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.  If you're ready to take the next step and boost your odds of getting into your dream school, connect with our experts today .

#2: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

• Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?
• Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?
• Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?
• Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it . Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

#3: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

Check out essays by authors like John Jeremiah Sullivan , Leslie Jamison , Hanif Abdurraqib , and Esmé Weijun Wang to get more examples of how to craft a compelling personal narrative.

#4: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

For more editing tips, check out a style guide like Dreyer's English or Eats, Shoots & Leaves .

What's Next?

Still not sure which colleges you want to apply to? Our experts will show you how to make a college list that will help you choose a college that's right for you.

Interested in learning more about college essays? Check out our detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application , some suggestions on what to avoid when writing your essay , and our guide to writing about your extracurricular activities .

Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

The recommendations in this post are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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12 Tips For Writing Essay On Leadership With Essay Example

Adolf Hitler, Martin Luther King JrAbraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela are the best leaders in the world. They all play a good role in leadership. You can quickly write an essay on leadership by giving all the best leaders’ examples. 

Moreover, leadership is a skill that only some people have. He is a person that works according to their team and leads them to work positively without any trouble. The central leadership qualities are courage, integrity, empathy, respect, self-awareness, and gratitude. 

Many schools and colleges give students essays on leadership in their scholarship exams. Writing an essay on leadership for all students in the correct way and cracking the scholarship exam is a very challenging task. If you are one of them and don’t know how to write a good leadership essay, this blog will help you.     

This blog teaches you how to write a good essay on leadership and its correct meaning. Let’s follow the below-given information to learn about it. 

Who is a Leader?

Table of Contents

A leader accepted by society who has great skills, motivate others, listen, and some suggestion to others. A leader is important in every field. If you have no leader, you can not succeed in your society or any work. You have seen a leader in your society. You have well-known about his work, nature, qualities, and characteristics.

How to choose a topic for a college essay On leadership?

A leader essay is a complicated process. Sometimes you have confused about leadership and have no idea to write a leadership essay. Here are some examples of the leadership topic

leadership style

You can think about leadership style, which means to show a method of work.

Examples for life

You can try to remember your life example.

Social leader

You can think or imagine for your social leader. Everybody lives in a democratic country where a social leader has an important role in society. You can think of his work, nature, quality, characteristics, and more.

Brainstorm technique

You can think about the structure of your leadership essay. The benefits of brainstorming are creating ideas in your mind. In this brainstorming technique, you can understand or identify leadership characteristics.

You can think about the leaders like group leaders, team leaders, sports leaders, social leaders, etc. Once you think about it and you can easily write in the flow. Let’s take the example of MS Dhoni. Brainstorming techniques are.

• Good behavior
• strong strategies
• decision making
• commitment and passion

11+ Tips With Examples On How To Write An Essay On Leadership?

The following are the best tips for students on how to write an essay on leadership with suitable examples. Let’s use these all given tips and write an essay accordingly.

Tip 1:- Brainstorm attractive & interesting topic ideas

First, you will have to brainstorm exciting ideas to choose a topic if your teacher doesn’t give you any specific topic. After collecting the topics list, you must select the best leadership topic to write an essay on. You can write an essay by taking examples of the best leaders. Following are the topics examples of the leadership essay you can write on.

So, begin with enrolling probable topic ideas that would let you spotlight your written essay on leadership capabilities. Don’t hurry via this step – take your time to choose a good topic.

Tip 2:- Narrow down the Topic

Another tip for writing an essay is to think out of the box. You should select a topic that no one takes, and they never write on it. 

You should only pick a leadership topic to confirm that your essay deserves high marks. Because the unique and new essay ideas get the attention they deserve, your readers are likelier to see them as exciting and get connected to your essay right at the start.

Tip 3:- Connect the Reader With Your Essay

The other tip to writing a leadership essay is kindly following a technique through which a reader hooks on your essay. Keeping your content most interesting from start to end will make it possible to get good marks in your scholarship exam. These are examples to make your essay very interesting.

• Does your introduction entice 
• Keep short sentences and start your essay with a bang
• Don’t confuse leadership with management!
• Moreover, start with a funny experience, state an interesting fact or raise a startling question. 

Tip 4:- Keep The Better Structure. 

You can write a good essay on leadership by using a better form and format of your overall content. For example, you can use colors to highlight good headings and make tables and numbers or bullet lists for better structure.

Stick to your educational institution’s criteria for styling and formatting your leadership essay since, in the initial step, your teachers would like to see that you have dived into how to format your essay.

Tip 5:- Use A Correct Grammer & Active Voice

Unlike an educational paper or essay topic, leadership essays must be unique. They are considered to be about you. As you share your experiences or perspective, you should only use an active voice to create a more practical effect and ensure your message gets the reader.

Tip 6:- Do Not Use Cliches

Typically, if you write an essay on leadership, cliches are one of the most common things used to represent the person. If you do not use these cliches, then you can easily make your leadership essay good and significantly better. Also, you might have sought to reply to any queries readers.

Your teachers are wondering for creativity and originality, whereas an essay whole of cliches will seem inert and uncreative.

Tip 7:- Choose Good References 

Also, choosing an excellent reference for a leadership essay will give you good marks on your scholarship test. In today’s scenario, many platforms provide excellent knowledge of any topic, especially leadership. 

Tip 8:- Recheck The Whole Essay & Ask Questions 

When you finish your essay, kindly ensure what is missing in your written essay. If anything is missing, put it in and check your whole essay to correct the mistakes. These are the following important to re-reading the essay on leadership.

• Helpful in creating a more accurate understanding 
• Address your essay’s efficiency.
• Easy to figure out what your readers could ask.
• Explain the importance and relevance of your paper.

Tip 9:- Share Your Leadership Stories

Another tip for writing a leadership essay is to share anecdotes that can intensify your essay and take it from good to outstanding. Don’t be shy to share your personal stories. Make sure that’s pertinent to leadership. Let’s know why it’s vital to share.

1. Best to add credibility to your essay writing.

2. Explains the facts you have made.

3. It can be funny or life-changing.

4. Keep readers supported and adds enormous value to the essay.

Tip 10:-Keep Focus on Essential Qualities

Moreover, you can also write an essay on leadership by focusing on the critical qualities of leadership. All people know that effectual leadership includes specific crucial features and rates. These qualities are given below.

• Collaboration
• Good listening
• Decision-making capabilities
• Communication, and more.

Tip 11:- Use Best Leaders Examples. 

If you want to write an attractive essay on leadership, you can use a good example of our modern history legends or best leaders. These are the names of our world’s best leaders.

Tip 12:- Edit or proofread and Get Feedback 

Eventually, you need to edit or proofread the essay. Also, get feedback on your written essay on leadership through your teacher. Knowing the feedback can help you improve your skills and learn something new from your mistakes. 

Leadership Essays Example

Here is the best example of a leadership essay:

Create an Outline of a college leadership essay

Whenever you write a leadership essay in college, Therefore you should create an outline. Outline means the structure of your essays like an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. If you create an outline, you can get good grades in the exam . The steps of an outline are given below.

Introduction

Give an overview of the leadership essay. You can not write more arguments in the introduction. An introduction is the major part of the leadership essay because the examiner checks your introduction first.

Body Paragraphs

You can write 3 to 4 paragraphs in the body with most of your arguments, focus ideas, and examples of leadership. Here is an example of the body paragraph. You can write original examples of leadership qualities.

• Qualities of leader
• Honesty and Confidence
• Transparency
• Creativity and Innovation
• Decision-making capabilities.
• Vision and Purpose.
• Hard worker.

The conclusion is the Endpoint of the essay. A Conclusion is the most important part of your leadership essay. It is the last step to impress the examiner. You can write leadership thoughts, character, compassion, and courage.

key qualities Of Best Leader

These are the major qualities of the best leader.

• Provide practical ideas & Honest: Honesty is the cornerstone of the leader. All people love his honesty.
• Confidence: A leader is full of confidence in his work and gives confidence to his followers or audience.
• Decision making: A leader is well known for his decisions. Leaders always make decisions without any fear to achieve a goal.
• Good communicator & gives the good practical solutions: A leader is always a good communicator because he shares an idea, listens to others, and pays attention to some cases and behavior.
• Problem-solving with creative solutions: A leader is also known as a problem-solver. He solves many problems. Here is an example of a political leader who solves many problems in the country, city, etc. Leaders solve the problem in the following ways. Firstly Analyze the problem, communicate, develop solutions, and learn from mistakes.
• Courage by generating good ideas: A leader can not fear anyone because he has a lot of courage to face the problem.
• Positive attitude: Positive attitude means happiness, trying new things, and a mindset of any work. A leader works with a positive attitude, and he also encourages his members.

The examiner looks at the leadership qualities that you write. You can obtain the best grades in the exam if you write leadership qualities. You can write more leadership qualities in a college essay about leadership.

A leader is a person who inspires, motivates, listens to others, and works together. You can easily write a college essay about leadership. If you have any problem with the leadership essay, don’t worry. We are available for you. Call tutors provide essay help online, We have a dedicated team of experts who are available 24/7 for customer support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is effective leadership styles essay.

The authoritative leader knows the mission. They are confident in working toward it and empower team members to take charge.

What Is Good Leadership Essay?

A good leader must certainly encourage others. A leader must be a role model for his followers. Also, he must inspire them whenever feasible. Furthermore, in difficult situations, a leader must not lose hope.

Why Is Leadership Important In Life?

Leadership is important because it encourages, inspires, and develops an instance for people to execute optimistic modifications in the world.

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12 Great University of California Essay Examples

What’s covered, essay #1: leadership, essay #2: creativity, essay #3: creativity, essay #4: creativity, essay #5: talent, essay #6: talent, essay #7: academic interest, essay #8: academic interest, essay #9: community, essay #10: community, essay #11: community, essay #12: community.

The University of California system is comprised of nine undergraduate universities, and is one of the most prestigious public school systems in the country. The UC schools have their own application system, and students must respond to four of eight personal insight questions in 350 words each. Every UC school you apply to receives the same application and essays, so it’s important that your responses accurately represent your personality and writing abilities. 

In this post, we’ll share some UC essay examples and go over what they did well and where they could improve. We will also point you to free resources you can use to improve your college essays. 

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. 

Read our guide to the UC personal insight questions for more tips on writing strong essays for each of the prompts.

Prompt: Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. (350 words)

1400 lines of code. 6 weeks. 1 Pizza.

I believe pizza makers are the backbone of society. Without pizza, life as we know it would cease to exist. From a toddler’s birthday party to President Obama’s sporadic campaigning cravings, these 8 slices of pure goodness cleverly seep into every one of our lives; yet, we never talk about it. In a very cheesy way, I find representation in a pizza maker. 

The most perplexing section of physiology is deciphering electrocardiograms. According to our teacher, this was when most students hit their annual trough. We had textbooks and worksheets, but viewing printed rhythms and attempting to recognize them in real-time is about as straining as watching someone eat pizza crust-first. Furthermore, online simulators were vastly over-engineered, featuring complex interfaces foreign to high-school students.

Eventually, I realized the only way to pull myself out of the sauce was by creating my own tools. This was also the first year I took a programming course, so I decided to initiate a little hobbyist experiment by extrapolating knowledge from Computer Science and Physiology to code and share my own Electrocardiogram Simulator. To enhance my program, I went beyond the textbook and classroom by learning directly from Java API – the programmer’s Bible.

The algorithms I wrote not only simulated rhythms in real-time but also actively engaged with the user, allowing my classmates and I to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the curriculum. Little did I know that a small project born out of desperation would eventually become a tool adopted by my teacher to serve hundreds of students in the future.

Like pizza, people will reap the benefits of my app over and over again, and hardly anyone will know its maker. Being a leader doesn’t always mean standing at the front of rallies, giving speeches, and leading organizations. Yes, I have done all three, but this app taught me leaders are also found behind-the-scenes, solving problems in unimaginable ways and fulfilling the hidden, yet crucial niches of the world. 

1400 lines of code, and 6 weeks later, it’s time to order a pizza. 

What the Essay Did Well

This is a great essay because it is both engaging and informative. What exactly does it inform us about? The answer: the personality, work ethic, and achievements of this student (exactly what admissions officers want to hear about).

With regards to personality, the pizza through-line—which notably starts the essay, ends the essay, and carries us through the essay—speaks volumes about this student. They are admittedly “cheesy,” but they appear unabashedly themself. They own their goofiness. That being said, the student’s pizza connections are also fitting and smoothly advance their points—watching someone eat pizza crust-first is straining and pizza is an invention that hardly anyone can identify the maker of. 

While we learn about this student’s fun personality in this essay, we also learn about their work ethic. A student who takes the initiative to solve a problem that no one asked them to solve is the kind of student an admissions officer wants to admit. The phrase “I decided to initiate a little hobbyist experiment” alone tells us that this student is a curious go-getter.

Lastly, this student tells us about their achievements in the last two paragraphs. Not only did they take the initiative to create this program, but it was also successful. On top of that, it’s notable how this student’s accomplishments as a leader defy the traditional expectations people have for leaders. The student’s ability to demonstrate their untraditional leadership path is an achievement in itself that sets the student apart form other applicants.

What Could Be Improved

This is a strong essay as is, but the one way this student could take it above and beyond would be to tell less and show more. To really highlight the student’s writing ability, the essay should  show the reader all the details it’s currently telling us. For example, these sentences primarily tell the reader what happened: “The most perplexing section of physiology is deciphering electrocardiograms. According to our teacher, this was when most students hit their annual trough.” 

Rewriting this sentence to show the reader the student’s impetus for creating their app could look like this: “When my teacher flashed the electrocardiogram on the screen, my once attentive physiology class became a sea of blank stares and furrowed brows.” This sentence still conveys the key details—student’s in the physiology class found electrocardiograms to be the hardest unit of the year—but it does so in a far more descriptive way. Implementing this exercise of rewriting sentences to show what happened throughout the piece would elevate the entire essay.

Prompt: Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. (350 words)

For the past few years, participating in debate has been one of the foremost expressions of my creativity. Nothing is as electrifying as an Asian parliamentary-style debate. Each team is given only thirty minutes to prepare seven-minute speeches to either support or oppose the assigned motion. Given the immense time pressure, this is where my creativity shines most brightly.

To craft the most impactful and convincing argument, I have to consider the context of the motion, different stakeholders, the goals we want to achieve, the mechanisms to reach those goals, and so much more. I have to frame these arguments effectively and paint a compelling and cohesive world to sway my listeners to my side on both an emotional and logical level. For example, In a debate about the implementation of rice importation in the Philippines, I had to frequently switch between the macro perspective by discussing the broad economic implications of the policy and the micro perspective by painting a picture of the struggles that local rice farmers would experience when forcefully thrust into an increasingly competitive global economy. It’s a tough balancing act.

To add to the challenge, there is an opposing team on the other side of the room hell-bent on disproving everything I say. They generate equally plausible sounding arguments, and my mission is to react on the spot to dispel their viewpoints and build up our team’s case.

When two debate teams, both well-prepared and hungry for victory, face off and try to out-think one another, they clash to form a sixty-minute thunderstorm raining down fierce arguments and rebuttals. They fill up a room with unbelievable energy. After several years of debate, I have developed the capacity to still a room of fury and chaos with nothing but my words and wit.

Debate has been instrumental in shaping me into the person I am today. Because of debate, I have become a quicker and stronger thinker. Lightning quick on my feet, I am ready to thoroughly and passionately defend my beliefs at a moment’s notice.

This prompt is about creativity, though its wording emphasizes how students aren’t required to talk about typically-creative subjects. That said, it might take a bit more work and explanation (even creativity, one could say) to position a logical process as creative. This student’s main strength is the way they convince the reader that debate is creative.

First, they identify how “Asian parliamentary-style debate” differs from other forms of debate, emphasizing how time constraints necessitate the use of creativity. Then, they explain how both the argument’s content (the goals and solutions they outline) and the argument’s composition (the way they frame the argument) must be creatively orchestrated to be convincing. 

To drive home the point that debate is a creative process, this student provides an example of how they structured their argument about rice importation in the Philippines. This essay is successful because, after reading it, an admissions officer has no doubt that this student can combine logic and creativity to think intellectually.

One aspect of this essay that could be improved is the language use. Although there are some creative metaphors like the “sixty-minute thunderstorm raining down fierce arguments”, the essay is lacking the extra oomph and wow-factor that carefully chosen diction provides. In the second paragraph, the student repeats the phrase “I have to” three different times when stronger, more active verbs could have been used.

Essays should always reflect the student’s natural voice and shouldn’t sound like every word came straight out of a thesaurus, but that doesn’t mean they can’t incorporate a bit of colorful language. If this student took the time to go through their essay and ask themself if an overused word could be replaced with a more exciting one, it would make the essay much more interesting to read.

As I open the door to the Makerspace, I am greeted by a sea of cubicle-like machines and I watch eagerly, as one of them completes the final layer of my print.

Much like any scientific experiment, my countless failures in the Makerspace – hours spent designing a print, only to have it disintegrate – were my greatest teachers. I learned, the hard way, what types of shapes and patterns a 3D printer would play nice to. Then, drawing inspiration from the engineering method, I developed a system for myself – start with a solid foundation and add complexity with each iteration – a flourish here, a flying buttress there. 

But it wasn’t until the following summer, vacationing on a beach inundated with plastic, that the “aha” moment struck. In an era where capturing people’s attention in a split-second is everything, what better way to draw awareness to the plastic problem than with quirky 3D-printed products? By the time I had returned home, I had a business case on my hands and a desire to make my impact.

Equipped with vital skills from the advanced math-and-science courses I had taken in sophomore year, I began applying these to my growing business. Using my AP Chemistry analytical laboratory skills, I devised a simple water bath experiment to test the biodegradability claims of 3D-printer filaments from different manufacturers, guaranteeing that my products could serve as both a statement and play their part for our planet. The optimization techniques I had learned in AP Calculus were put to good use, as I determined the most space-efficient packaging for my products, reducing my dependence on unsustainable filler material. Even my designs were tweaked and riffed on to reflect my newfound maturity and keen eye for aesthetics.

My business is still going strong today, raising $1000 to date. I attribute this success to a fateful spark of creative inspiration, which has, and will, continue to inspire me to weave together multiple disciplines to address issues as endemic as the plastic problem. 

This essay begins with a simple, yet highly effective hook. It catches readers’ attention by only giving a hint about the essay’s main topic, and being a standalone paragraph makes it all the more intriguing. 

The next paragraph then begins with a seamless transition that ties back to the Makerspace. The essay goes on to show the writer’s creative side and how it has developed over time. Rather than directly stating “I am most creative when I am working on my business,” the writer tells the story of their creativity while working with 3-D printers and vacationing on the beach. 

It is the “aha” moment that perhaps responds to the prompt best. Here we get to see the writer create a new idea on the spot. The next two paragraphs then show the writer executing on their idea in great detail. Small and specific details, such as applying analytical laboratory skills from AP Chemistry, make the writer’s creativity come to life. 

From start to finish, this essay shows that the key to writing a stellar response to this prompt is to fill your writing with details and vivid imagery. 

The second to last paragraph of this essay focuses a bit too much on how the writer built their business. Though many of these details show the writer’s creativity in action, a few of them could be restated to make the connection to creativity clearer. The last sentences could be rewritten like so: 

Working on my business was where my creativity blossomed. In my workshop, optimization techniques that I learned in AP Calculus became something new — the basis for space-efficient packaging for my products that reduced my dependence on unsustainable filler material…

Profusely sweating after trying on what felt like a thousand different outfits, I collapsed on the floor in exasperation. The heaping pile of clothes on my bed stared me down in disdain; with ten minutes left to spare before the first day of seventh grade, I let go of my screaming thoughts and settled on the very first outfit I tried on: my favorite.

Donning a neon pink dress, that moment marked the first time I chose expression over fear. Being one of the few Asians in my grade, clothing was my source of disguise. I looked to the bold Stacy London of What Not to Wear for daily inspiration, but, in actuality, I dressed to conceal my uniqueness so I wouldn’t be noticed for my race. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt, I envied the popular girls who hiked their shorts up just a few inches higher than dress code allowed and flaunted Uggs decorated with plastic jewels, a statement that Stacy London would have viewed as heinous and my mother impractical. 

However, entering school that day and the days after, each compliment I received walking down the hallways slowly but surely broke down the armored shield. Morphing into an outlet to amplify my voice and creativity, dressing up soon became what I looked forward to each morning. I was awarded best dressed the year after that during my middle school graduation, a recognition most would scoff at. But, to me, that flimsy paper certificate was a warm embrace telling me that I was valued for my originality and expression. I was valued for my differences. 

Confidence was what I found and is now an essential accessory to every outfit I wear. Taking inspiration from vintage, simplistic silhouettes and Asian styles, I adorn my body’s canvas with a variety of fabrics and vibrant colors, no longer depriving it of the freedom to self expression and cultural exploration. I hope that my future will open new doors for me, closet doors included, at the University of California with opportunities to intertwine creativity with my identity even further.

Colorful language and emotion are conveyed powerfully in this essay, which is one of its key strengths. We can see this in the first paragraph, where the writer communicates that they were feeling searing judgment by using a metaphor: “the heaping pile of clothes on my bed stared me down.” The writer weaves other rich phrases into the essay — for example, “my screaming thoughts” — to show readers their emotions. All of these writing choices are much more moving than plainly stating “I was nervous.”

The essay moves on to tell a story that responds to the prompt in a unique way. While typical responses will be about a very direct example of expressing creativity, e.g. oil painting, this essay has a fittingly creative take on the prompt. The story also allows the writer to avoid a common pitfall — talking more about the means of being creative rather than how those means allow you to express yourself. In other words, make sure to avoid talking about the act of oil painting so much that your essay loses focus on what painting means to you.

The last sentence of the essay is one more part to emulate. “I hope that my future will open new doors for me, closet doors included…” is a well-crafted, flawlessly succinct metaphor that looks to the future while connecting the end of the essay to its beginning. The metaphors are then juxtaposed with a summary of the essay’s main topic: “intertwine creativity with my identity.” 

This essay’s main areas for improvement are grammatical. What Not to Wear should be italicized, “self-expression” should be hyphenated, and the last sentence could use the following tweaks to make it less of a run-on: “I hope that my future will open new doors for me, closet doors included, at the University of California. There, I will have opportunities to intertwine creativity with my identity even further.”

Since identity is the main topic of this essay, it would also be fitting for the writer to go into more depth about it. The immediate takeaways from the essay are that the writer is Asian and interested in fashion — however, more descriptions could be added to these parts. For example, the writer could replace Asian with Laotian-American and change a sentence in the second to last paragraph to “dressing up in everything from bell bottom jeans to oversized flannel shirts soon became what I looked forward to each morning.”

Prompt: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? (350 words)

Let’s fast-forward time. Strides were made toward racial equality. Healthcare is accessible to all; however, one issue remains. Our aquatic ecosystems are parched with dead coral from ocean acidification. Climate change has prevailed.

Rewind to the present day.

My activism skills are how I express my concerns for the environment. Whether I play on sandy beaches or rest under forest treetops, nature offers me an escape from the haste of the world. When my body is met by trash in the ocean or my nose is met by harmful pollutants, Earth’s pain becomes my own. 

Substituting coffee grinds as fertilizer, using bamboo straws, starting my sustainable garden, my individual actions needed to reach a larger scale. I often found performative activism to be ineffective when communicating climate concerns. My days of reposting awareness graphics on social media never filled the ambition I had left to put my activism skills to greater use. I decided to share my ecocentric worldview with a coalition of environmentalists and host a climate change rally outside my high school.

Meetings were scheduled where I informed students about the unseen impact they have on the oceans and local habitual communities. My fingers were cramped from all the constant typing and investigating of micro causes of the Pacific Waste Patch, creating reusable flyers, displaying steps people could take from home in reducing their carbon footprint. I aided my fellow environmentalists in translating these flyers into other languages, repeating this process hourly, for five days, up until rally day. 

It was 7:00 AM. The faces of 100 students were shouting, “The climate is changing, why can’t we?” I proudly walked on the dewy grass, grabbing the microphone, repeating those same words. The rally not only taught me efficient methods of communication but it echoed my environmental activism to the masses. The City of Corona would be the first of many cities to see my activism, as more rallies were planned for various parts of SoCal. My once unfulfilled ambition was fueled by my tangible activism, understanding that it takes more than one person to make an environmental impact.

One of the largest strengths of this response is its speed. From the very beginning, we are invited to “fast-forward” and “rewind” with the writer. Then, after we focus ourselves in the present, this writer keeps their quick pace with sentences like “Substituting coffee grounds as fertilizer, using bamboo straws, starting my sustainable garden, my individual actions needed to reach a larger scale.” A common essay-writing blunder is using a predictable structure that loses the attention of the reader, but this unique pacing keeps things interesting.

Another positive of this essay is how their passion for environmental activism shines through. The essay begins by describing the student’s connection to nature (“nature offers me an escape from the haste of the world”), moves into discussing the personal actions they have taken (“substituting coffee grounds as fertilizer”), and then explains the rally the student hosted. While the talent the student is writing about is their ability to inspire others to fight against climate change, establishing the personal affinity towards nature and individual steps they took demonstrate the development of their passion. This makes their talent appear much more significant and unique. 

This essay could be improved by being more specific about what this student’s talent is. There is no sentence that directly states what this student considers to be their talent. Although the essay is still successful at displaying the student’s personality, interests, and ambition, by not explicitly mentioning their talent, they leave it up to the reader’s interpretation.

Depending on how quickly they read the essay or how focused they are, there’s a possibility the reader will miss the key talent the student wanted to convey. Making sure to avoid spoon-feeding the answer to their audience, the student should include a short sentence that lays out what they view as their main talent.

At six, Mama reads me a story for the first time. I listen right up until Peter Pan talks about the stars in the night sky. “What’s the point of stars if they can’t be part of something?” Mama looks at me strangely before closing the book. “Sometimes, looking on is more helpful than actively taking part. Besides, stars listen- like you. You’re a good listener, aren’t you?” I nod. At eleven, my sister confides in me for the first time. She’s always been different, in a way even those ‘mind doctors’ could never understand. I don’t understand either, but I do know that I like my sister. She’s mean to me, but not like people are to her. She tells me how she sees the world, and chokes over her words in a struggle to speak. She trusts me, and that makes me happy. So, I listen. I don’t speak; this isn’t a story where I speak. At sixteen, I find myself involved with an organization that provides education to rural children. Dakshata is the first person I’ve tutored in Hindi. She’s also my favorite. So, when she interrupts me mid-lesson one evening, lips trembling and eyes filling with tears, I decide to put my pen down and listen. I don’t speak; I don’t take part in this story. Later, as I hug the girl, I tell her about the stars and how her mother is among their kind- unable to speak yet forever willing to listen. Dakshata now loves the stars as much as I do. At seventeen, I realize that the first thing that comes to my mind when someone asks me about a skill I possess is my ability to listen. Many don’t see it as a skill, and I wouldn’t ask them to either, but it’s important. When you listen, you see, you need not necessarily understand, but you do comprehend. You empathize on a near-cosmic level with the people around you and learn so much more than you ever thought possible. Everything is a part of something- even the stars with their ears.

The essay as a whole is an excellent example of narrative-based writing. The narrative begins with a captivating hook. The first sentence catches the reader by surprise, since it does not directly respond to the prompt by naming the writer’s greatest talent or skill. Instead, it tells a childhood story which does not seem to be related to a skill at first. This creates intrigue, and the second sentence adds to it by introducing a conflict. It causes readers to wonder why Peter Pan’s stargazing would make a six year old stop listening — hooked into the story, they continue reading.

The writer continues to create a moving narrative by using dialogue. Dialogue allows the writer to show rather than tell , which is a highly effective way to make an essay convey emotion and keep readers’ attention. The writer also shows their story by using language such as “mind doctors” instead of “psychologists” — this immerses readers in the author’s perspective as an 11 year old at the time. 

Two motifs, or recurring themes, tie the essay together: listening and looking at the stars. The last paragraph powerfully concludes the essay by explaining these themes and circling back to the introduction.

Crafting transitions is one area where this essay could be improved. The paragraph after “I nod” begins abruptly, and without any sentence to connect the writer’s dialogue at age six with her experiences at age 11. One way to make the transition smoother would be to begin the paragraph after “I nod” with “I try to be a good listener again at eleven, when my sister confides in me for the first time.”

This essay would also be more impactful if the writer explained what they aspire to do with their ability to listen in the future. While it is most important for your essay to explain how your past experiences have made you who you are in the present, looking towards the future allows admissions readers to imagine the impact you might make after graduation. The writer could do this in the last paragraph of their essay by writing the following: “Many don’t see it as a skill, and I wouldn’t ask them to either, but I find it important — especially as an aspiring social worker.”

Prompt: Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. (350 words)

I distinctly remember the smile on Perela’s face when she found out her mother would be nursed back to health. I first met Perela and her mother at the Lestonnac Free Clinic in San Bernardino where I volunteered as a Spanish translator. I was in awe of the deep understanding of biology that the medical team employed to discover solutions. Despite having no medical qualifications of my own, I realized that by exercising my abilities to communicate and empathize, I could serve as a source of comfort and encouragement for Perela and her mother. The opportunity to combine my scientific curiosity and passion for caring for people cultivated my interest in a career as a physician.

To further explore this interest, I attended a summer medical program at Georgetown University. I participated in lectures on circulation through the heart, practiced stitches on a chicken leg, and assisted in giving CPR to a dummy in the patient simulation laboratory. Every fact about the human body I learned brought with it ten new questions for me to research. I consistently stayed after each lecture to gain insight about how cells, tissues, and organs all work together to carry out immensely complicated functions. The next year, in my AP Biology class, I was further amazed with the interconnected biological systems as I learned about the relationships between the human body and ecosystems. I discussed with my teacher how environmental changes will impact human health and how we must broaden our perspectives to use medicine to tackle these issues.

By integrating environmental and medical science, we can develop effective solutions to reduce the adverse effects of environmental degradation that Perela’s mother may have faced unintentionally. I want to go into the medical field so I can employ a long-term approach to combat biology’s hidden anomalies with a holistic viewpoint. I look forward to utilizing my undergraduate classes and extracurriculars to prepare for medical school so I can fight for both health care and environmental protection.

This student primarily answers the prompt in their middle paragraph as they describe their experience at a summer medical program as well as their science coursework in high school. This content shows their academic curiosity and rigor, yet the best part of the essay isn’t the student’s response to the prompt. The best part of this essay is the way the student positions their interest in medicine as authentic and unique.

The student appears authentic when they admit that they haven’t always been interested in medical school. Many applicants have wanted to be doctors their whole life, but this student is different. They were just in a medical office to translate and help, then got hooked on the profession and took that interest to the next level by signing up for a summer program.

Additionally, this student positions themself as unique as they describe the specifics of their interest in medicine, emphasizing their concern with the ways medicine and the environment interact. This is also refreshing!

Of course, you should always answer the prompt, but it’s important to remember that you can make room within most prompts to say what you want and show off unique aspects of yourself—just as this student did.

One thing this student should be careful of is namedropping Georgetown for the sake of it. There is no problem in discussing a summer program they attended that furthered their interest in medicine, but there is a problem when the experience is used to build prestige. Admissions officers already know that this student attended a summer program at Georgetown because it’s on their application. The purpose of the essay is to show  why attending the program was a formative moment in their interest.

The essay gets at the  why a bit when it discusses staying after class to learn more about specific topics, but the student could have gone further in depth. Rather than explaining the things the student did during the program, like stitching chicken legs and practicing CPR, they should have continued the emotional reflection from the first paragraph by describing what they thought and felt when they got hands-on medical experience during the program. 

Save describing prestigious accomplishments for your extracurriculars and resume; your essay is meant to demonstrate what made you you.

I love spreadsheets.

It’s weird, I know. But there’s something endlessly fascinating about taking a bunch of raw numbers, whipping and whacking them into different shapes and forms with formulas and equations to reveal hidden truths about the universe. The way I like to think about it is that the universe has an innate burning desire to tell us its stories. The only issue is its inability to talk with us directly. Most human stories are written in simple words and letters, but the tales of the universe are encrypted in numbers and relationships, which require greater effort to decode to even achieve basic comprehension. After all, it took Newton countless experimentation to discover the love story between mass and gravitation.

In middle school, whenever I opened a spreadsheet, I felt like I was part of this big journey towards understanding the universe. It took me a couple of years, but I eventually found out that my interest had a name: Data Science. With this knowledge, I began to read extensively about the field and took online courses in my spare time. I found out that the spreadsheets I had been using was just the tip of the iceberg. As I gained more experience, I started using more powerful tools like R (a statistical programming language) which allowed me to use sophisticated methods like linear regressions and decision trees. It opened my eyes to new ways to understand reality and changed the way I approached the world.

The thing I love most about data science is its versatility. It doesn’t matter if the data at hand is about the airflow on an owl’s wing or the living conditions of communities most crippled by poverty. I am able to utilize data science to dissect and analyze issues in any field. Each new method of analysis yields different stories, with distinct actors, settings, and plots. I’m an avid reader of the stories of the universe, and one day I will help the world by letting the universe write its own narrative.

This is an essay that draws the reader in. The student’s candid nature and openness truly allows us to understand why they are fascinated with spreadsheets themself, which in turn makes the reader appreciate the meaning of this interest in the student’s life. 

First, the student engages readers with their conversational tone, beginning “I love spreadsheets. It’s weird, I know,” followed shortly after by the phrase “whipping and whacking.” Then, they introduce their idea to us, explaining how the universe is trying to tell us something through numbers and saying that Newton discovered “the love story between mass and gravitation,” and we find ourselves clearly following along. They put us right there with them, on their team, also trying to discover the secrets of the universe. It is this bond between the student and the reader that makes the essay so engaging and worth reading.

Because the essay is focused on the big picture, the reader gets a sense of the wide-eyed wonderment this student experiences when they handle and analyze data. The student takes us on the “big journey towards understanding the universe” through the lens of Data Science. Explaining both the tools the student has used, like R and statistical regression, and the ideas the student has explored, like owl’s wings and poverty, demonstrates how this student fits into the micro and macro levels of Data Science. The reader gets a complete picture of how this student could change the world through this essay—something admissions officers always want to see.

The biggest thing that would improve this essay is an anecdote. As it’s written, the essay looks at Data Science from a more theoretical or aspirational perspective. The student explains all that Data Science can enable, but besides for explaining that they started coding with spreadsheets and R, they provide very little personal experience working with Data Science. This is where an anecdote would elevate the essay.

Adding a story about the first data set they examined or an independent project they undertook as a hobby would have elicited more emotion and allowed for the student to showcase their accomplishments and way of thinking. For example, they could delve into the feeling of enlightenment that came from first discovering a pattern in the universe. Or maybe they could describe how analyzing data was the catalyst that led them to reach out to local businesses to help them improve their revenue. 

If you have an impactful and enduring interest, such as this student does, you will have at least one anecdote you could include in your essay. You’ll find that essays with anecdotes are able to work in more emotional reflection that make the essay more memorable and the student more likable.

Prompt: What have you done to make your community a better place? (350 words)

Blinking sweat from my eyes, I raised my chin up to the pullup bar one last time before dropping down, my muscles trembling. But despite my physical exhaustion at the end of the workout, mentally, I felt reinvigorated and stronger than ever.

Minutes later, I sat at my computer, chatting with my friends about our first week in quarantine. After listening to numerous stories concerning boredom and loneliness, it struck me that I could use my passion for fitness to help my friends—I jumped at the chance to do so. 

After scouring the internet for the most effective exercises and fitness techniques, I began hosting Zoom workouts, leading friends, family, and anyone else who wanted to join in several fun exercises each week. I hoped these meetings would uplift anyone struggling during quarantine, whether from loneliness, uncertainty, or loss of routine. I created weekly workout plans, integrating cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises into each. Using what I learned from skating, I incorporated off-ice training exercises into the plans and added stretching routines to each session. 

Although many members were worried that they wouldn’t be able to complete exercises as well as others and hesitated to turn their cameras on, I encouraged them to show themselves on screen, knowing we’d only support one another. After all, the “face-to-face” interactions we had while exercising were what distinguished our workouts from others online; and I hoped that they would lead us to grow closer as a community. 

As we progressed, I saw a new-found eagerness in members to show themselves on camera, enjoying the support of others. Seeing how far we had all come was immensely inspiring: I watched people who couldn’t make it through one circuit finish a whole workout and ask for more; instead of staying silent during meetings, they continually asked for tips and corrections.

Despite the limitations placed on our interactions by computer screens, we found comfort in our collective efforts, the camaraderie between us growing with every workout. For me, it confirmed the strength we find in community and the importance of helping one another through tough times.

This essay accomplishes three main goals: it tells a story of how this student took initiative, it explores the student’s values, and it demonstrates their emotional maturity. We really get a sense of how this student improved their community while also gaining a large amount of insight into what type of person this student is.

With regards to initiative, this student writes about a need they saw in their community and the steps they took to satisfy that need. They describe the extensive thought that went into their decisions as they outline the planning of their classes and their unique decision to incorporate skating techniques in at-home workouts.

Additionally, they explore their values, including human connection. The importance of connection to this student is obvious throughout the essay as they write about their desire “to grow closer as a community.” It is particularly apparent with their final summarizing sentence: “For me, it confirmed the strength we find in community and the importance of helping one another through tough times.”

Lastly, this student positions themself as thoughtful when they recognize the way that embarrassment can get in the way of forming community. They do this through the specific example of feeling embarrassment when turning on one’s camera during a video call—a commonly-felt feeling. This ability to recognize fear of embarrassment as an obstacle to camaraderie shows maturity on the part of this applicant. 

This essay already has really descriptive content, a strong story, and a complete answer to the prompt, however there is room for every essay to improve. In this case, the student could have worked more descriptive word choice and figurative language into their essay to make it more engaging and impressive. You want your college essay to showcase your writing abilities as best as possible, while still sounding like you.

One literary device that would have been useful in this essay is a conceit or an extended metaphor . Essays that utilize conceits tend to begin with a metaphor, allude to the metaphor during the body of the paragraph, and end by circling back to the original metaphor. All together, it makes for a cohesive essay that is easy to follow and gives the reader a satisfying opening and conclusion to the essay.

The idea at the heart of this essay—working out to strengthen a community—would make for a great conceit. By changing the anecdote at the beginning to maybe reflect the lack of strength the student felt when working out alone and sprinkling in words and phrases that allude to strength and exercise during the essay, the last sentence (“For me, it confirmed the strength we find in community and the importance of helping one another through tough times”) would feel like a fulfilling end to the conceit rather than just a clever metaphor thrown in. 

Prompt: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? (350 words)

The scent of eucalyptus caressed my nose in a gentle breeze. Spring had arrived. Senior class activities were here. As a sophomore, I noticed a difference between athletic and academic seniors at my high school; one received recognition while the other received silence. I wanted to create an event celebrating students academically-committed to four-years, community colleges, trades schools, and military programs. This event was Academic Signing Day.

The leadership label, “Events Coordinator,” felt heavy on my introverted mind. I usually was setting up for rallies and spirit weeks, being overlooked around the exuberant nature of my peers. 

I knew a change of mind was needed; I designed flyers, painted posters, presented powerpoints, created student-led committees, and practiced countless hours for my introductory speech. Each committee would play a vital role on event day: one dedicated to refreshments, another to technology, and one for decorations. The fourth-month planning was a laborious joy, but I was still fearful of being in the spotlight. Being acknowledged by hundreds of people was new to me. 

The day was here. Parents filled the stands of the multi-purpose room. The atmosphere was tense; I could feel the angst building in my throat, worried about the impression I would leave. Applause followed each of the 400 students as they walked to their college table, indicating my time to speak. 

I walked up to the stand, hands clammy, expression tranquil, my words echoing to the audience. I thought my speech would be met by the sounds of crickets; instead, smiles lit up the stands, realizing my voice shone through my actions. I was finally coming out of my shell. The floor was met by confetti as I was met by the sincerity of staff, students, and parents, solidifying the event for years to come. 

Academic students were no longer overshadowed. Their accomplishments were equally recognized to their athletic counterparts. The school culture of athletics over academics was no longer imbalanced. Now, everytime I smell eucalyptus, it is a friendly reminder that on Academic Signing Day, not only were academic students in the spotlight but so was my voice.

This is a good essay because it describes the contribution the student made to their community and the impact that experience had on shaping their personality. Admissions officers get to see what this student is capable of and how they have grown, which is important to demonstrate in your essays. Throughout the essay there is a nice balance between focusing on planning the event and the emotions it elicited from this student, which is summed up in the last sentence: “not only were academic students in the spotlight but so was my voice.”

With prompts like this one (which is essentially a Community Service Essay ) students sometimes take very small contributions to their community and stretch them—oftentimes in a very obvious way. Here, the reader can see the importance of Academic Signing Day to the community and the student, making it feel like a genuine and enjoyable experience for all involved. Including details like the four months of planning the student oversaw, the specific committees they delegated tasks to, and the hundreds of students and parents that attended highlights the skills this student possesses to plan and execute such a large event.

Another positive aspect of this essay is how the student’s emotions are intertwined throughout the essay. We see this student go from being a shy figure in the background to the confident architect of a celebrated community event, all due to their motivation to create Academic Signing Day. The student consistently shows throughout the essay, instead of telling us what happened. One example is when they convey their trepidation to public speaking in this sentence: “I walked up to the stand, hands clammy, expression tranquil, my words echoing to the audience. I thought my speech would be met by the sounds of crickets.”

Employing detailed descriptions of feelings, emotions, fears, and body language all contribute to an essay that reveals so much in subtle ways. Without having to be explicitly told, the reader learns the student is ambitious, organized, a leader, and someone who deeply values academic recognition when they read this essay.

While this essay has many positives, there are a couple of things the student could work on. The first is to pay more attention to grammar. There was one obvious typo where the student wrote “the fourth-month planning was a laborious joy”, but there were also many sentences that felt clunky and disjointed. Each and every essay you submit should put your best foot forward and impress admissions officers with your writing ability, but typos immediately diminish your credibility as a writer and sincerity as an applicant.

It’s important to read through your essay multiple times and consider your specific word choice—does each word serve a purpose, could a sentence be rewritten to be less wordy, etc? However, it’s also important you have at least one other person edit your essay. Had this student given their essay to a fresh set of eyes they might have caught the typo and other areas in need of improvement.

Additionally, this student began and ended the essay with the smell of eucalyptus. Although this makes for an intriguing hook, it has absolutely nothing to do with the actual point of the essay. It’s great to start your essay with an evocative anecdote or figurative language, but it needs to relate to your topic. Rather than wasting words on eucalyptus, a much stronger hook could have been the student nervously walking up to the stage with clammy hands and a lump in their throat. Beginning the essay with a descriptive sentence that puts us directly into the story with the student would draw the reader in and get them excited about the topic at hand.

Prompt: What have you done to make your school or community a better place? (350 words) 

“I wish my parents understood.” Sitting at the lunch table, I listened as my friends aired out every detail of their life that they were too afraid to share with their parents. Sexuality, relationships, dreams; the options were limitless. While I enjoyed playing therapist every 7th period, a nagging sensation that perhaps their parents should understand manifested in me. Yet, my proposal was always met with rolling eyes; “I wish they understood” began every conversation, but nothing was being done beyond wishing on both sides. 

I wanted to help not just my friends but the countless other stories I was told of severed relationships and hidden secrets. Ultimately, my quest for change led me to BFB, a local nonprofit. Participating in their Youth Leadership program, I devised and implemented a plan for opening up the conversation between students and parents with the team I led. We successfully hosted relationship seminars with guest speakers specializing on a range of topics, from inclusive education to parental pressure, and were invited to speak for BFB at various external events with local government by the end of my junior year. Collaborating with mental health organizations and receiving over $1,000 in funding from international companies facilitated our message to spread throughout the community and eventually awarded us with an opportunity to tackle a research project studying mental health among teens during the pandemic with professors from the University at Buffalo and UC Los Angeles. 

While these endeavors collectively facilitated my team to win the competition, the most rewarding part of it all was receiving positive feedback from my community and close friends. “I wish my parents understood” morphed into “I’m glad they tried to understand”. I now lead a separate program under BFB inspired by my previous endeavors, advancing its message even further and leaving a legacy of change and initiative for future high schoolers in the program. As I leave for college, I hope to continue this work at the University of California and foster a diverse community that embraces understanding and growth across cultures and generations.

The essay begins with a strong, human-centered story that paints a picture of what the writer’s community looks like. The first sentence acts as a hook by leaving readers with questions — whose parents are being discussed, and what don’t they understand? With their curiosity now piqued, readers become intrigued enough to move on to the next sentences. The last sentence of the first paragraph and beginning of the second relate to the same topic of stories from friends, making for a highly effective transition.

The writer then does a great job of describing their community impact in specific detail, which is crucial for this prompt. Rather than using vague and overly generalized language, the writer highlights their role in BFB with strong action verbs like “devised” and “implemented.” They also communicate the full scope of their impact with quantifiable metrics like “$1,000 in funding,” all while maintaining a flowing narrative style.

The essay ends by circling back to the reason why the writer got involved in improving their community through BFB, which makes the essay more cohesive and moving. The last sentences connect their current experiences improving community with their future aspirations to do so, both in the wider world and at a UC school. This forward-looking part allows admissions officers to get a sense of what the writer might accomplish as a UC alum/alumna, and is certainly something to emulate.

This essay’s biggest weakness is its organization. Since the second paragraph contains lots of dense information about the writer’s role in BFB, it would benefit from a few sentences that tie it back to the narrative in the first paragraph. For instance, the third sentence of the paragraph could be changed like so: “Participating in their Youth Leadership program, I led my team through devising and implementing a plan to foster student-parent conversations — the ones that my 7th period friends were in need of.”

The last paragraph also has the potential to be reorganized. The sentence with the “I wish my parents understood” quote would be more powerful at the end of the paragraph rather than in the middle. With a short transition added to the beginning, the new conclusion would look like so: “ Through it all, I hope to help ‘I wish my parents understood’ morph into ‘I’m glad they tried to understand’ for my 7th period friends and many more.” 

I drop my toothbrush in the sink as I hear a scream. Rushing outside, I find my mom’s hand painfully wedged in the gap between our outward-opening veranda doors. I quickly open it, freeing her hand as she gasps in relief. 

As she ices her hand, I regard the door like I would a trivia question or math problem – getting to know the facts before I start working on a solution. I find that, surprisingly, there is not a single protrusion to open the door from the outside! 

Perhaps it was the fact that my mom couldn’t drive or that my dad worked long hours, but the crafts store was off-limits; I’ve always ended up having to get resourceful and creative with whatever materials happened to be on hand in order to complete my impromptu STEM projects or garage builds. Used plastic bottles of various shapes and sizes became buildings for a model of a futuristic city. Cylindrical capacitors from an old computer, a few inches in height, became scale-size storage tanks. 

Inspired by these inventive work-arounds and spurred on by my mom’s plight, I procure a Command Strip, a roll of tennis racket grip, and, of course, duct tape. I fashion a rudimentary but effective solution: a pull handle, ensuring she would never find herself stuck again.

A desire to instill others in my community with this same sense of resourcefulness led me to co-found “Repair Workshops” at my school – sessions where we teach students to fix broken objects rather than disposing of them. My hope is that participants will walk away with a renewed sense of purpose to identify problems faced by members of their community (whether that’s their neighbor next door or the planet as a whole) and apply their newfound engineering skills towards solutions.

As I look towards a degree and career in engineering and business, these connections will serve as my grounding point: my reminder that in disciplines growing increasingly quantitative, sometimes the best startup ideas or engineering solutions originate from a desire to to better the lives of people around me.

This essay is a good example of telling a story with an authentic voice. With its down-to-earth tone and short, punchy paragraphs, it stands out as a piece of writing that only the author could have written. That is an effective way for you to write any of your college essays as well.

After readers are hooked by the mention of screaming in the first sentence, the writer immerses the readers in their thinking. This makes the essay flow very naturally — rather than a first paragraph of narrative followed by an unrelated description of STEM projects, the whole essay is a cohesive story that shows how the writer came to improve their community. 

Their take on community also makes the essay stand out. While many responses to this prompt will focus on an amorphous, big-picture concept of community, such as school or humanity, this essay is about a community that the writer has a close connection to — their family. Family is also not the large group of people that most applicants would first attach to the word “community,” but writing about it here is a creative take on the prompt. Though explaining community impact is most important, choosing the most unique community you are a part of is a great way to make your essay stand out.

This essay’s main weakness is that the paragraph about Repair Workshops does not go into enough detail about community impact. The writer should highlight more specific examples of leadership here, since it would allow them to demonstrate how they hope to impact many more communities besides their family. 

After the sentence ending with “fix broken objects rather than disposing of them,” a new part could be added that shows how the writer taught students. For example, the writer could tell the story of how “tin cans became compost bins” as they explained the importance of making the world a better place. 

Then, at the end of the paragraph, the writer could more concretely explain the visions they have to expand the impact of Repair Workshops. A good concluding sentence could start with “I too hope to use engineering skills and resourcefulness to…” Adding this extra context would also make the paragraph transition better to the final paragraph of the essay, which somewhat abruptly begins by mentioning the writer’s previously unmentioned career interests in engineering and business.

Where to Get Feedback on Your UC Essays

Want feedback like this on your University of California essays before you submit? We offer expert essay review by advisors who have helped students get into their dream schools. You can book a review with an expert to receive notes on your topic, grammar, and essay structure to make your essay stand out to admissions officers. In fact, Alexander Oddo , an essay expert on CollegeVine, provided commentary on several of the essays in this post.

Haven’t started writing your essay yet? Advisors on CollegeVine also offer expert college counseling packages . You can purchase a package to get one-on-one guidance on any aspect of the college application process, including brainstorming and writing essays.

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Guest Essay

Elite College Admissions Have Turned Students Into Brands

By Sarah Bernstein

Ms. Bernstein is a playwright, a writing coach and an essayist in Brooklyn.

“I just can’t think of anything,” my student said.

After 10 years of teaching college essay writing, I was familiar with this reply. For some reason, when you’re asked to recount an important experience from your life, it is common to forget everything that has ever happened to you. It’s a long-form version of the anxiety that takes hold at a corporate retreat when you’re invited to say “one interesting thing about yourself,” and you suddenly believe that you are the most boring person in the entire world. Once during a version of this icebreaker, a man volunteered that he had only one kidney, and I remember feeling incredibly jealous of him.

I tried to jog this student’s memory. What about his love of music? Or his experience learning English? Or that time on a summer camping trip when he and his friends had nearly drowned? “I don’t know,” he said with a sigh. “That all seems kind of cliché.”

Applying to college has always been about standing out. When I teach college essay workshops and coach applicants one on one, I see my role as helping students to capture their voice and their way of processing the world, things that are, by definition, unique to each individual. Still, many of my students (and their parents) worry that as getting into college becomes increasingly competitive, this won’t be enough to set them apart.

Their anxiety is understandable. On Thursday, in a tradition known as “Ivy Day,” all eight Ivy League schools released their regular admission decisions. Top colleges often issue statements about how impressive (and competitive) their applicant pools were this cycle. The intention is to flatter accepted students and assuage rejected ones, but for those who have not yet applied to college, these statements reinforce the fear that there is an ever-expanding cohort of applicants with straight A’s and perfect SATs and harrowing camping trip stories all competing with one another for a vanishingly small number of spots.

This scarcity has led to a boom in the college consulting industry, now estimated to be a $2.9 billion business. In recent years, many of these advisers and companies have begun to promote the idea of personal branding — a way for teenagers to distinguish themselves by becoming as clear and memorable as a good tagline.

While this approach often leads to a strong application, students who brand themselves too early or too definitively risk missing out on the kind of exploration that will prepare them for adult life.

Like a corporate brand, the personal brand is meant to distill everything you stand for (honesty, integrity, high quality, low prices) into a cohesive identity that can be grasped at a glance. On its website, a college prep and advising company called Dallas Admissions explains the benefits of branding this way: “Each person is complex, yet admissions officers only have a small amount of time to spend learning about each prospective student. The smart student boils down key aspects of himself or herself into their personal ‘brand’ and sells that to the college admissions officer.”

Identifying the key aspects of yourself may seem like a lifelong project, but unfortunately, college applicants don’t have that kind of time. Online, there are dozens of lesson plans and seminars promising to walk students through the process of branding themselves in five to 10 easy steps. The majority begin with questions I would have found panic-inducing as a teenager, such as, “What is the story you want people to tell about you when you’re not in the room?”

Where I hoped others would describe me as “normal” or, in my wildest dreams, “cool,” today’s teenagers are expected to leave this exercise with labels like, Committed Athlete and Compassionate Leader or Environmentally Conscious Musician. Once students have a draft of their ideal self, they’re offered instructions for manifesting it (or at least, the appearance of it) in person and online. These range from common-sense tips (not posting illegal activity on social media) to more drastic recommendations (getting different friends).

It’s not just that these courses cut corners on self-discovery; it’s that they get the process backward. A personal brand is effective only if you can support it with action, so instead of finding their passion and values through experience, students are encouraged to select a passion as early as possible and then rack up the experience to substantiate it. Many college consultants suggest beginning to align your activities with your college ambitions by ninth grade, while the National Institute of Certified College Planners recommends students “talk with parents, guardians, and/or an academic adviser to create a clear plan for your education and career-related goals” in junior high.

The idea of a group of middle schoolers soberly mapping out their careers is both comical and depressing, but when I read student essays today, I can see that this advice is getting through. Over the past few years, I have been struck by how many high school seniors already have defined career goals as well as a C.V. of relevant extracurriculars to go with them. This widens the gap between wealthy students and those who lack the resources to secure a fancy research gig or start their own small business. (A shocking number of college applicants claim to have started a small business.) It also puts pressure on all students to define themselves at a moment when they are anxious to fit in and yet changing all the time.

In the world of branding, a word that appears again and again is “consistency.” If you are Charmin, that makes sense. People opening a roll of toilet paper do not want to be surprised. If you are a teenage human being, however, that is an unreasonable expectation. Changing one’s interests, opinions and presentation is a natural part of adolescence and an instructive one. I find that my students with scattershot résumés are often the most confident. They’re not afraid to push back against suggestions that ring false and will insist on revising their essay until it actually “feels like me.” On the other hand, many of my most accomplished students are so quick to accept feedback that I am wary of offering it, lest I become one more adult trying to shape them into an admission-worthy ideal.

I understand that for parents, prioritizing exploration can feel like a risky bet. Self-insight is hard to quantify and to communicate in a college application. When it comes to building a life, however, this kind of knowledge has more value than any accolade, and it cannot be generated through a brainstorming exercise in a six-step personal branding course online. To equip kids for the world, we need to provide them not just with opportunities for achievement, but with opportunities to fail, to learn, to wander and to change their minds.

In some ways, the college essay is a microcosm of modern adolescence. Depending on how you look at it, it’s either a forum for self-discovery or a high-stakes test you need to ace. I try to assure my students that it is the former. I tell them that it’s a chance to take stock of everything you’ve experienced and learned over the past 18 years and everything you have to offer as a result.

That can be a profound process. But to embark on it, students have to believe that colleges really want to see the person behind the brand. And they have to have the chance to know who that person is.

Sarah Bernstein is a playwright, a writing coach and an essayist.

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More From Forbes

6 proven strategies to get off the college waitlist.

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ARLINGTON, VA APRIL 13: Apollo Yong, a 17-year-old student at Washington-Lee High, pictured at his ... [+] home on Wednessday, April 13, 2016, in Arlington, VA. Yong is among thousands of students who have places on acceptance wait lists for universities around the country. He as been accepted into U-Va., Georgia Tech and UT Dallas, and he was waitlisted by University of Chicago and Dartmouth. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The college admissions process can resemble navigating a labyrinth, particularly when you encounter the unexpected twist of a waitlist notification. This situation, while initially disheartening, is not an impasse. The waitlist offers a unique opportunity to assert your commitment and potential to your top college choices. Here are strategies that leverage the waitlist as an avenue rather than a barrier to your college dreams.

Actively Demonstrate Interest

Your first move should be to affirm your unwavering enthusiasm for the college. A well-crafted letter of continued interest is crucial. This letter is more than a simple declaration of desire to attend; it's an opportunity to showcase new accomplishments or significant updates since your application was first reviewed. Detailing these developments can provide the admissions committee with evidence of your ongoing growth and reaffirm your fit and dedication to their institution. A great place to start with crafting a letter of continued interest is taking an inventory of your academic, extracurricular and intellectual vitality updates. These are the three primary criteria that influence selective college admissions and can serve as your guidepost for continuing to develop your candidacy and narrative.

Connect With The College Community

Genuine engagement with the college’s community can distinguish you from other waitlisted candidates. This could involve interacting with faculty during open webinars, reaching out to alumni for insights, or participating in virtual campus events. One impactful story from my experience involves a student who, upon being waitlisted, visited the campus and met with several community members. This proactive approach helped him demonstrate a genuine connection and interest in the college, facilitating his acceptance shortly after.

Obtain An Additional Letter of Recommendation

A new letter of recommendation can add depth to your application. Ideally, this letter would come from someone who can offer a fresh perspective on your personal and academic qualities, especially if they have a direct link or understanding of the college’s priorities and culture. This recommendation will serves as a testament to your ongoing achievements and readiness to contribute meaningfully to the campus community.

Focus Your Efforts

Being on multiple waitlists necessitates a strategic approach. Prioritizing the college where your interest is most profound is essential. Spreading your efforts across several waitlists can dilute the authenticity of your claim that each college is your top choice. To underscore your commitment, consider asking your school-based counselor to advocate to the college on your behalf, either through a phone call or an additional letter, emphasizing that the college you have chosen is indeed your first choice.

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The fluidity of the college admissions landscape, especially post-pandemic, means opportunities can emerge unexpectedly. Being prepared to accept a last-minute offer is critical. This readiness involves keeping your application materials up-to-date and ensuring you have a plan in place should a spot become available at your preferred institution.

Maintain Contact Throughout The Summer

Persistence is your ally in the waitlist process. It’s not uncommon for colleges to extend offers right up until classes begin, including during the first week of September. Regular, thoughtful communication with the admissions office can keep you top of mind and affirm your readiness to join their community at a moment’s notice.

The lingering effects of the pandemic, including the shift in testing policies, have precipitated unprecedented challenges in college admissions, driving down acceptance rates and increasing colleges’ uncertainty about which students will enroll if accepted. This environment demands that applicants adopt a more dynamic, proactive stance.

By embracing these strategies, you can effectively communicate your continued interest and suitability for your chosen college, enhancing your chances of moving off the waitlist. The journey through the waitlist is not a detour but a vital step towards your college admission success.

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