Common App Essays That Work

The Only Two Types of Common App Essays That Move The Admissions Needle In Your Favor

The first is a perspective-based essay. In this type, you argue for a salient, non-trivial perspective on something and use your lived experiences to support it. This type of essay works because it shows the reader explicitly how you will contribute to the intellectual diversity of the incoming class, a key metric they use to evaluate applicants. By arguing for this perspective using your lived experiences, you can present unique anecdotes that further distinguish you from other candidates.

The second type of essay that works is a skill-based essay. In these essays, you showcase a well-developed skill that you possess and present it in a way that shows the reader how it will enable you to contribute to campus life, as well as how it will allow you to benefit from the social and academic opportunities available on campus. This type of essay works because colleges want to admit applicants who will provide value to their campus and elevate the social and academic experience for everyone else. The skill-based essay accomplishes this by showing the reader what skills you possess that will enable you to achieve these aims.

These types of Common App essays work because they show explicitly to the reader how your presence on their campus, and in their incoming class, will bring value to their university.

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