100 Successful College Application Essays

by The Harvard Independent

The largest collection of successful college application essays available in one volume. These are the essays that helped their authors gain admission to Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Wellesley, Colby, and other outstanding schools—followed by invaluable comments by experts in admissions, placement, and college counseling at some of the best learning institutions around the country. This helpful guide includes:

100 complete essays with professional commentary

Examples of essays on common topics (family background, athletics, work experience), as well as the more offbeat

Essays on the immigrant experience by foreign-born students

A section of drawing and cartoon essays

Insider advice from a Princeton dean of admissions A “What Not to Do” chapter from a top college counselor

And more

Compiled by members from The Harvard Independent, the weekly newsmagazine of Harvard University, this is an invaluable resource for students who want to write the best possible essay—and improve their chances of admission to the best possible school.

Genres: College, Writing, Education, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars!

well this took me awfully long to finish... i am going to use this review kind of as a self-reflection about the college process i was attempting so hard to learn about that i am now undergoing.

college essays are difficult to me; it's difficult to capture myself perfectly for admission officers and it's even more difficult to write something that satisfies all my high expectations of it. while in the spring of junior, i decided to start reading this book in an attempt to brainstorm and get ideas although that wasn't the most successful. it was mainly a burst of productivity and the thought about doing as much as i could for college to ensure a easy college application season (it is so far not that) that made me appreciate this book.

i've got to be honest. some of these essays simply sucked! sorry! it was odd as well for me whenever i read a admission officer's comment on an essay only to say it was quite trash because i was like... what is this essay doing in a book about successful essays? anywho, i really enjoyed some essays and quotes here and there, which i marked up really intently, but majority of these essays were mediocre. i appreciate the person behind each one and their journeys, but i definitely feel some essays were quite lacking.

i am glad i read this book (even if i forgot most of it because im sure the things i noticed in each essay will be with me) and i finished it today largely because of my desire to fulfill my goodreads yearly goal as well as the fact that i only had so little pages left to read.

one quote i liked that i read today is "`there are no isolated disciples. all knowledge is inextricably interwoven." i have been struggling for some time to explain and dissect my curiosity for my essays and supplements so this lovely quote does that well for me.

see, it's the small little things in this book that makes it a worthwhile resource. anyways, i will now put this book back on its place on the shelf to continue my own college applications.

[Jessica]

DNF @ 50% college who? Bye!

[Agongt408 · Rating 5 out of 5]

100 Successful College Application Essays is a great book for anyone, not only those applying for college! The book is an amazing collection of beautifully written essays, as well as advice from experts on how to write better essays. Compiled by the Harvard Independent and in its third edition, this book is one that you can trust for its information. Throughout the book, there is interesting and valuable information that can be applied to anyone willing to improve on his/her writing skills.
Furthermore, after each essay are specific comments written by admission officers and editors from the Harvard Independent. By comparing your own writing with essays compiled in this book, you are able to learn how your writing can improve. Additionally, the essays in this book are ordered according to its subject, making the collection organized and easy to navigate around.
In the beginning, I was hesitant about picking up this book. However later, I have not only learned greatly about how one can get better at writing. For example, one does not have to write something as an application "essay". One can also draw a cartoon to represent one's ideas.
But most importantly, I very much enjoyed reading the book!

[Charle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, I picked up this book to get an idea of what college essays were like. However, after finishing the collection of essays, I learned more about the admission officer's perspective rather than the applicant's point of view. So many essays to read through can be tedious and mundane, but there is always a gem once in a while. I strive to create one of those gems when the time comes.

[Fatema · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I liked the way it was divided by topics.
I liked some of the criticism, it told me why the essay was good for that specific university and vice versa.
I loved the creative essays.