college essay on internship

4 Ways to Turn Your Summer Internship into an Amazing College Essay

In order to make the most of your internship, it’s important to observe everything going on around you. If you’re like most humans, you won’t remember all of that valuable information unless you make a conscious effort to record it. So, keep a notebook (or notebook app) with you at all times. Just in case you don’t know what to focus on, we put together this guide to show you how to take your notes to the next level.

1. Keep Track of Your Responsibilities

You will likely know the basic expectations for your internship before you even begin, but what you’ll realize when you arrive is that your responsibilities grow and change over time as you become more confident and your superiors come to trust your ability to do good work. So make sure to note how your work changes from week to week (or even day to day) and any new skills you acquire as you go. What can you do during week three of your internship that you couldn’t do during week one? What do you know now? Do you take on any additional special projects or tasks? Tracking your growth over the course of your internship is the perfect first step to formulating a compelling and personal narrative for your college essay.

2. Pay Attention to Professional Conversations

Take note of how professionals who have already established a place for themselves in the workplace act when talking to other professionals. Pay attention to their mannerisms, the language they use, the amount of eye contact they make, and how they address the other person. What interpersonal skills do people in this field seem to cultivate? How do they relate to your own gifts? Will you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to succeed or are you a perfect fit? Allowing your internship to be a springboard for this kind of self reflection will give you a personal angle for your application essay, not to mention a clearer sense of what you might want to be when you grow up.

3. Write Down (and ask) Questions

As you start to delve into assigned tasks and get into the groove of your internship, you’ll probably have a lot of questions. Write them down. No question is a stupid question! Decide who will best answer your question, then ask it . Once you have the answer, write that down too! Not only will you gain information this way, but you may also form meaningful connections with colleagues who will begin to support and trust you as you gain more competence and comfort with their profession. Keeping track of questions and their answers will also serve as a good record of your learning over the course of your internship.

4. Get Contact Information

You mean to say your coworker is a Brown University Alum and that just so happens to be your top choice school? Get their contact information! Write it down! Ask this person questions about Brown. Write that down too! Even if this person isn’t an alum of your top school, you still can gain valuable insight from anyone in the professional world. You’ll know what kinds of programs can help you on your journey to your ideal career, and also what kinds of people and values those programs cultivate. With all of this personal information in hand, you will be able to tailor any personal statement you want to showcase your most relevant qualities and experiences.

Though it may not seem like the most glamorous summer, having an internship is a privilege and it’s your opportunity to get your feet wet in the sea of professionalism. So, make observations, ask questions, and take notes. Good luck and we really hope you don’t end up being one of those interns that just make coffee!

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Written by Thea Hogarth

Category: Essay Tips , Resume Help

Tags: college admissions , college applications , college essay , senior year , summer internship

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Essay Samples on Internship

An internship serves as a bridge between academic learning and real-world application. It allows you to put theory into practice, giving you a taste of what it’s like to work in a specific field or industry. Through internships, you can explore different career paths, discover your strengths and interests, and make informed decisions about your future.

How to Write an Internship Essay

When writing an internship essay sample, it’s crucial to showcase the skills and experiences you gained during your internship. Here are some useful tips you can consider to write a compelling internship essay example:

Start by describing the organization or company where you interned, emphasizing its reputation and influence within the industry.
Discuss the specific projects or tasks you were involved in, highlighting the value they brought to the organization and your personal growth.
Provide examples of challenges you encountered during your internship and how you overcame them.
Reflect on the skills you developed, such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork, and explain how these skills are transferable to future professional endeavors.
In addition to personal experiences, consider incorporating research and industry trends into your essay.
Demonstrate your understanding of the field and discuss how your internship experience aligns with broader industry developments. This will showcase your ability to contextualize your internship within a larger professional framework.

For those seeking inspiration, we offer a range of internship essay examples to guide you in structuring your own essay effectively. These examples can provide insights into different writing styles, organization techniques, and the overall flow of an internship essay.

Internship Experience in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

I had the opportunity of interning with the central bank of our country – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for my summers. Let me first take you through the selection process. So the whole process began in the first week of September 2018 wherein...

Internship Report: What I Learned From This Experience

Experience in my eyes is a very valuable things in life which give us value because it is not something that we can simply create, but needed us to be brave in taking risks and undergo through it to obtain. By doing my internship in...

Personal Experience

Accounting Education: Reflection on Personal Internship Experience

Nowadays Accounting has become a degree and diploma level education. There are various global institutions which gives a nutritional education on Accounting and offer students degrees and other types of qualifications. This has been commercialized in the modern world. As I have attended the course...

Importance Of Internship Practice In Students' Life

Gaining experience is crucial for students to explore their desired careers so they can gain valuable knowledge related to the job and industry as well as identify different career paths and opportunities suitable for their specific interests and skillset. An internship can provide that experience...

My Internship Experience In The National Security Agency

The internship that I will be applying for is hosted within the National Security Agency (NSA), the intelligence center for the United States Department of Defense. Responsible for the cybersecurity, data collection, monitoring, and protection of networks or information systems. The company has a wide...

National Security

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Contribution of Internship to Student Development

Dr. Michael Aamodt, an Industrial-Organizational psychologist, has defined internship as “a situation in which a student works for an organization, either for a pay or as a volunteer, to receive practical work experience.” An internship experience can help students make the connection between their academic...

Internship as a Way to Develop Your Career

Steve Jobs once said, “Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people”. I couldn't agree more, especially after observing the hard work I saw during my internship. During the writer’s research they have discovered that over...

Personal Development Planning

The Account of One's Internship Experience

In the field of engineering courses, it is very essential that students not only learn and hone their skills within the four pillars of their classrooms through the theory-based lectures of professors but also acquire experiential learning as well. Engineering requires or demands a lot...

Engineering

The Path of Internship: Exploring the Challenges and Outcomes

Students can put what they have learned in class into practice and see what it is like in the real world through the internship because it is one thing to sit in the classroom learning but it is another to be actually doing that. It...

Best topics on Internship

1. Internship Experience in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

2. Internship Report: What I Learned From This Experience

3. Accounting Education: Reflection on Personal Internship Experience

4. Importance Of Internship Practice In Students’ Life

5. My Internship Experience In The National Security Agency

6. Contribution of Internship to Student Development

7. Internship as a Way to Develop Your Career

8. The Account of One’s Internship Experience

9. The Path of Internship: Exploring the Challenges and Outcomes

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Internship Essay: Example & Complete Writing Guide [2024]

Writing an internship essay is a challenging task that plenty of people have to endure. It is essential for gaining useful experience and learning the ins and outs of a given industry. You have probably heard about the “Why do you want this internship?” essay. However, it’s not the only question that you might have to answer.

There are two situations in which you might need internship paper examples and tips:

if you are applying for an internship program;
if you have already completed one.

In the first case, you will be asked what you expect from this internship. For this, you should write an application essay. In the second, an internship report or a reflection paper.

Our experts will present helpful tips for both cases. Find them and illustrative internship essay examples in the article.

✔️ If You Have Already Completed an Internship Program

Congratulations! This was an essential step towards your career. Now you have a chance to get the job of your dreams. However, right now, you have to write an essay on your internship and talk about yours.

Internship Report Points

Such an end-of-internship essay will include the following points:

Place of your internship.
Responsibilities you had.
Difficulties you faced during your internship.
An overall impression of this experience.
Self-evaluation of your performance.
Appendix with deliverables you created during your internship.

Internship Report Sample

Check out this short internship essay example:

As a business administration student at the University of Collegetown, I participated in a three-month summer internship at Internet & More, an IT company based in Collegetown.
I was interning at the company’s marketing department, and I primarily interacted with the Internet & More’s content creation and social media marketing specialists.
The main task of my internship was to create a LinkedIn marketing strategy for the company, basing my recommendations on extensive market research and using LinkedIn as a promotional tool for both customers and potential employees.

This brief introduction achieves three goals:

establishes that this report is an internship experience essay;
it introduces the company and department where the internship took place;
it describes the intern’s primary task.

Internship Report: Your Impression

The essay continues like this:

Overall, the experience proved to be both enjoyable and rewarding. I found the marketing concepts and frameworks that I learned in class to be relevant and useful when working on my practical, real-world assignments.
I did, however, encounter some difficulties working on the task. Namely, as an undergraduate student , I was used to receiving very detailed, step-by-step instructions, whereas I was given more flexibility and autonomy during my internship.
Secondly, I needed to take some time to familiarize myself with the world of LinkedIn marketing because we never dealt with it in my university classes.

Internship Report Conclusion

This is great:

This part of the internship essay example accomplishes two things. It gives the writer’s overall impression of the internship and discusses its advantages and challenges.

During my internship, I was able to generate a 5,000-follower base for the company’s LinkedIn page, which allowed the Internet & More to expand their list of prospects significantly.
Moreover, the company was able to fill two vacant positions within a matter of two days, having received over 400 resumes from highly qualified applicants.
Thus, I was able to successfully achieve the goals set for me at the beginning of my internship. Attached, you can find the strategy development and implementation report I have created for the Internet & More.

This is the perfect internship essay conclusion!

The student provides a self-evaluation most appropriately: not merely saying that he did a great job, but by demonstrating and even quantifying how he contributed to its goals and development.

Equally crucial, the student offers an opportunity for the reader to examine his work.

Not sure whether you can write such an impressive internship reflection essay? Our writers have mastered the art of internship report writing and will be happy to assist you.

🗺️ If You Are Trying to Get an Internship

If you are applying to an internship program, we also have to congratulate you!

You are on the right path to the career of your dreams. An internship will help you gain additional knowledge and skills , and you will also get to know a lot about your future job’s specifics.

But many students feel lost because they don’t know how to write an essay for an internship.

Internship Application: Main Purpose

Writing internship essays is very similar to writing any other application essay. Your primary purpose is to demonstrate your outstanding talents and prove that you deserve this opportunity. Besides, you should state, “Why do you want this internship”? in an essay.

Before you get down to work, find and look through some samples . You can also read our internship essay example below to learn some specific strategies.

Tips for a Succesful Internship Application

Here are more tips on how to write a successful internship essay:

You may start with a bit of information about yourself , but make sure it relates to the internship.
Talk about your previous education and experiences. What college did you attend? What was your major? What particular courses did you like the most?
Describe your future goals and explain how this internship will benefit you in your essay.
Finally, give reasons why you are the perfect candidate for this program. In this part of the internship essay, you can tell about your talents and positive characteristics.

Essentially, the two most critical questions you need to answer in your internship essay are “Why do you want this internship?” and “What do you hope to gain from this internship experience?”

Internship Application Sample

Let’s check out the internship essay example that helped our example student land his internship at Internet & More:

I am writing to you regarding the marketing internship opportunity at your company Internet & More. I learned of this opening from your company representatives who attended the job fair at the University of Collegetown.
I am a third-year student at the University of Collegetown, majoring in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing and Digital Communications.
My professional interests include content creation and social media marketing and optimization, so this opportunity naturally attracted my attention. I believe that the knowledge I gained from my Marketing Strategy and Social Media Marketing classes will be particularly beneficial for this internship.

This is fantastic:

In a very concise and modest manner , this student explains his interest in the training. He confidently establishes why he makes a great candidate for this position.

What’s next?

Internship Application: Your Career Goals

My professional goal is to become a social media marketing specialist so I can help businesses grow their online presence. I believe that this internship is the perfect opportunity for me to apply my skills and knowledge to help a company achieve its strategic goals.
I am also particularly excited to immerse myself in the business world and work alongside leading industry experts.
My past qualifications and experiences make me a suitable candidate for this position, and I am looking forward to helping the Internet & More grow their LinkedIn presence and visibility.

Don’t you just want to hire this student right away?

He managed to combine professionalism and just the right amount of flattery in his internship application letter. He also did not forget to mention his career goals and objectives. You should say how this internship will benefit you in your essay.

Don’t you feel more confident about your application now that you know how to write an internship essay?

That’s it! Follow these tips, and who knows? Maybe your next internship will be with Google !

Good luck with your internship essay writing! Be sure to check out our blog for more writing wisdom and share the page with your peers.

112 Internship Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Internships are a valuable opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in their chosen field and build connections with professionals in the industry. However, one of the biggest challenges of applying for an internship is writing a compelling essay that sets you apart from other candidates. To help you get started, here are 112 internship essay topic ideas and examples that you can use as inspiration for your own application:

Why I am passionate about [industry/field].
How my academic background has prepared me for this internship.
My career goals and how this internship will help me achieve them.
A project I completed that demonstrates my skills and abilities.
How I plan to contribute to the company during my internship.
My experience working in a team and how it has shaped my approach to collaboration.
A challenge I faced in a previous internship and how I overcame it.
The most important lesson I have learned from past work experiences.
How I stay motivated and focused on my goals.
Why I am interested in working for [company name].
My strengths and weaknesses as a potential intern.
How I plan to make the most of this internship opportunity.
The value of networking in my career development.
A mentor who has inspired and guided me in my professional journey.
The impact of technology on the future of [industry/field].
The importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
How I handle stress and pressure in a fast-paced environment.
My approach to problem-solving and decision-making.
The role of ethics and integrity in my work.
How I prioritize my time and manage my workload efficiently.
The benefits of continuous learning and professional development.
How I adapt to change and embrace new challenges.
My experience with conflict resolution and communication skills.
The significance of emotional intelligence in the workplace.
How I handle feedback and constructive criticism.
The impact of globalization on business practices.
The influence of social media on marketing strategies.
The role of sustainability and corporate social responsibility in modern businesses.
The future of remote work and digital nomadism.
The challenges and opportunities of a post-pandemic economy.
The power of storytelling in branding and marketing.
The evolution of customer experience in the digital age.
The rise of artificial intelligence and automation in the workplace.
The role of data analytics in decision-making and business strategy.
The importance of creativity and innovation in problem-solving.
The benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce.
The impact of climate change on industries and businesses.
The future of renewable energy and sustainability initiatives.
The challenges and opportunities of a circular economy.
The role of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth.
The influence of social media influencers on consumer behavior.
The power of storytelling in content marketing.
The impact of influencer marketing on brand partnerships.
The rise of e-commerce and online shopping trends.
The challenges and opportunities of a global supply chain.
The future of artificial intelligence and machine learning in business operations.
The importance of cybersecurity in protecting sensitive data.
The impact of virtual reality and augmented reality on customer experiences.
The role of blockchain technology in revolutionizing industries.
The benefits of remote work and flexible work arrangements.
The challenges and opportunities of a gig economy.
The future of work-life balance in a digital age.
The importance of mental health and well-being in the workplace.
The impact of automation on job displacement and reskilling.
The role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership.
The benefits of diversity and inclusion in team dynamics.
The challenges and opportunities of cross-cultural communication.
The future of hybrid work models in post-pandemic workplaces.
The importance of continuous learning and upskilling in a fast-changing world.
The impact of remote collaboration tools on team productivity.
The role of emotional intelligence in remote leadership.
The benefits of mindfulness and self-care practices in a digital age.
The challenges and opportunities of virtual team building.
The future of virtual events and conferences.
The importance of resilience and adaptability in uncertain times.
The impact of digital transformation on business models.
The role of agile project management in adapting to change.
The benefits of flexible work schedules and remote work options.
The challenges and opportunities of a distributed workforce.
The future of AI-powered chatbots and customer service.
The importance of data privacy and security in a digital world.
The impact of social media algorithms on content distribution.
The role of influencer marketing in brand partnerships.
The benefits of user-generated content in marketing strategies.
The challenges and opportunities of a mobile-first approach.
The future of voice search and conversational AI.
The importance of video content in engaging audiences.
The impact of personalized marketing on consumer behavior.
The role of social listening in brand reputation management.
The benefits of interactive content in digital marketing campaigns.
The challenges and opportunities of live streaming events.
The future of augmented reality and virtual reality experiences.
The importance of gamification in customer engagement.
The impact of data analytics on personalization strategies.
The role of machine learning in predictive analytics.
The benefits of sentiment analysis in social media monitoring.
The challenges and opportunities of cross-channel marketing.
The future of omnichannel customer experiences.
The importance of customer journey mapping in marketing strategies.
The impact of voice search optimization on SEO.
The role of chatbots in customer service automation.
The benefits of email marketing automation in lead nurturing.
The challenges and opportunities of programmatic advertising.
The future of influencer partnerships in brand collaborations.
The importance of social media ROI tracking in marketing campaigns.
The impact of content personalization on conversion rates.
The role of data visualization in storytelling and reporting.
The benefits of A/B testing in optimizing marketing strategies.
The challenges and opportunities of social media engagement.
The future of customer feedback and review management.
The importance of social media analytics in measuring campaign performance.
The impact of influencer authenticity on brand credibility.
The role of micro-influencers in niche marketing strategies.
The benefits of affiliate marketing in driving sales.
The challenges and opportunities of social media advertising.
The future of influencer marketing regulations and transparency.
The importance of influencer partnerships in brand storytelling.
The impact of influencer fraud and fake followers on brand reputation.
The role of influencer marketing platforms in connecting brands and creators.
The benefits of influencer collaborations in reaching new audiences.
The challenges and opportunities of influencer marketing campaigns.
The future of influencer marketing in a post-pandemic world.

By choosing a topic that resonates with your interests and experiences, you can craft a compelling internship essay that showcases your unique perspective and qualifications. Remember to tailor your essay to the specific requirements of the internship program and demonstrate how you can add value to the company. Good luck with your internship application!

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The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey

How to Write an Essay for an Internship

Internship: Apply for an Internship to Prepare for College

An internship can provide career-building experience and be a stepping stone to your dream job. In order to get an internship, you may be asked to write an essay with your application. This essay gives you a chance to express your personality beyond what can be gleaned from other aspects of the application. Think of it as a written interview and use it as an opportunity to convey your passion for the field and personal motivations. This type of well-crafted "interview" can separate you from the other candidates by demonstrating your strength in written communication.

Hook Your Reader in the Introduction

Start with an attention-grabbing opening sentence. Whoever is reading your essay will likely be reading many of them, so you need to establish yourself as a special individual by revealing a detail that is relevant but interesting and unique. Your introductory paragraph should be specific and directly related to the internship. For example, if you're applying for a veterinary internship, mention your experience as a pet foster parent or your volunteering experience at a shelter.

Create a Thesis Statement

Conclude your first paragraph with a clear thesis statement. Your thesis will guide the rest of your essay, and should be narrowly focused to the internship you want. For example, your thesis might read, "My volunteer experience working with animals has helped me develop compassion and attention to detail, and an internship will help me hone these skills even further."

Share Your Strengths

Focus on why you would be an asset to the company, business, organization or clinic that you want to intern at. Every applicant will be writing what the internship opportunity will do for them, but you can set yourself apart by highlighting what you will be bringing to the internship. Think about the most important qualities you will bring to the table, and make sure to thread these details throughout the entire essay, which should be about a page long unless otherwise noted on the application.

Discuss Your Experience

Relate relevant experience. Remember that experience can be anything from a leadership position on a sports team to a babysitting job. If you are including your resume and/or transcript, don't restate their contents. Instead, use the essay to elaborate on the skills and qualifications you have that make you a good candidate.

Demonstrate Your Work Ethic

Prove you will treat the internship like a job. Whether or not you will be getting paid or working full time, show that you understand an internship is a meaningful professional opportunity and not a “job lite.” You can do this by adopting a mature and professional tone in the essay.

Avoid Stating the Obvious

Avoid cliches or stating the obvious by being as specific as possible. There is no need to say, for example, that you are applying for the internship to gain experience since that’s typically one of the main goals of any internship. Instead, talk about the specific skills you hope to learn and how you will use them in your career.

Follow the Guidelines

Stick to the guidelines. If there are published word limits, writing far more or far less will show that you do not know how to follow directions. If the application does not specify how long the paper should be, use your judgment and try to stick to 400-500 words.

Personalize the essay. You do not want the reader to think you wrote a form essay, but that you have done the research on their company and can point to reasons you will be a good fit for the internship.
Have someone read over the essay to catch any grammatical or spelling errors you may have missed.

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Based in the Washington, D.C. metro area, Sarah Nyako has been writing professionally since 2008. Her area of expertise is health, fitness and the pharmaceutical industry. She is currently working towards a master's degree in medical writing.

102 Internship Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best internship topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on internship, ⭐ interesting topics to write about internship, ✅ simple & easy internship essay titles.

Application for Internship as a Registered Nurse I have a passion for the nursing profession and I believe my background has given me the discipline and dedication that I require to become a competent nurse.
Internship at Landmark Landmark has many strengths. For example, the ‘ Key Man’ policy has supported the growth and success of the group over the past 40 years.
Lobby Sport Bar and Restaurant: Internship Experience Through this, I learned about the history of the restaurant, the structure of the restaurant administration, the location of various departments in the restaurant, and the restaurant’s goals and missions. In his absence, I have […]
Customer Service Field: Internship Experience I learned how to handle customer requests and complaints and forward them to the responsible staff at the bank. Each day of the internship period in the customer service section was often coupled with a […]
Landmark Group’s Internship Program The internship report consists of the activities that I performed during my eight weeks program in LANDMARK to achieve the stated objectives.
Unpaid Internships: Pros and Cons Unpaid internships have the potential to offer significant benefits to both employers and students, but they must be structured in a way that is fair and accessible to all.
Internship in the Computer Service Department In fact, I know that I am on track because I have been assessed by the leaders in the facility with the aim of establishing whether I have gained the required skills and knowledge.
NADA Dairy Company: Internship Experience NADA mainly deals with the production and processing of milk and its related products. Apart from the processing of milk and juice products, NADA also directly involves itself in marketing the products.
Technological Innovation College: IT Internship Report The College of Technological Innovation at the University offers highly sophisticated Computer Service Desk and the network system that serve the entire institution. It has state-of-the-art equipment meant to promote research in the IT sector […]
Human Resource Management Internship in Sales This was the intern’s task to work with the rest of the human resource team in selecting, hiring, and training the new team in the system within one month.
Criminal Justice Internship Report The primary goals of the course are to expose students to new contexts and environments, broaden and deepen knowledge of key concepts and theories relevant to the field, and improve an overall learning experience.
Sales and Marketing Assistant Internship In the course of the internship an extensive amount of information concerning the tools for marketing the target product to the key customers has been provided.
Cereal Killer Café Internship Program Prior to the internship, the student was familiar with the particular style of the cafe and its unified working environment; therefore, the organization was the first preference for obtaining real-world experience.
Internship at Logistics Company They work in a firm on temporary basis in order to get aware of the practical things that goes by, internship, basically prepares a person for the real world, interns are said to be “on […]
Evaluation of Internship The main aim is to ensure that the student is capable of transiting and fitting into the workplace. Since the student was engaged in an internship, it is also questionable whether the information provided especially […]
Internship at Saudi Aramco The SWOT analysis for Saudi Aramco is constructed based on personal perceptions and judgments it represents the current state of the organization and its future evolvements. The competitiveness of Saudi Aramco is founded on its […]
Internship at Schlumberger Limited The report gives details about the company and the actual project undertaken during the internship, including accomplishments and challenges experienced throughout the training period.
The Internship Experience at an Airport Fire Station The safety of the airport is therefore of great importance. I was familiarized with the operations of the fire station and the equipment used to deal with a fire.
Al Habtoor Motors: Internship Experience In reference to this goal, I would give myself an A since I have managed to get acquainted with a lot of materials and reports devoted to the organization’s strategy and the way that its […]
Internship Experience in The Lobby Bar, New Jersey The theoretical knowledge helps us describe the business models and the competitive strategies organizations use to adapt to the changing business environment.
Business Analytics Internship at a Car-Selling Company My objective for the project is to evaluate the efficacy of big data analytics and visualization in boosting sales and marketing in the automotive industry.
Internship Experience at the MJH Company MJH is a vast global growing company due to its transparency, reliability, and effectiveness; its brand has gained undoubted trust from its clients.
Importance of Internship Performance Overall, it contributes to the accumulation of experience and applying of theoretical understanding to practical tasks, which is extremely important in such a sphere as medicine.
The Internships for Medical Assistants The benefit of the fifth internship for me will be that I will be able to learn how to work closely with a doctor.
The Internship at Studio O+A Company It should be noted that I was not only an intern in a well-known and respected company in the interior design industry but I was the part of a project involving another big company.
Al Mansouri 3B Group: A One-Week Internship The experience was wonderful not only because of the nice moments I shared with my colleagues who eventually became my friends after the first day of introduction with the manager of the company, but also […]
Internship in Merrill Lynch Company The report is concluded with a summary of findings on the probability of potential changes in the corporate, growth and marketing strategies of Merrill Lynch and recommendations in these areas for improvement in the performance […]
College Internship and Management Training Program at Marriott Most of these opportunities are offered in their hotel and lodging facilities in different parts of the world but some are offered at their corporate offices.
Real Estate Business in Berlin. Personal Internship After the fall of the Berlin Wall in the real estate market of Germany it is possible to observe a surprising situation: prices in the east, formerly socialist territories, did not grow for a long […]
Overview of the General and Individual Internship: Ateneo Institute of Sustainability Because of the increasingly large number of education-related issues and the absence of a uniform management technique in most Philippine organizations, there is a necessity to introduce a set of tools and strategies that will […]
Al Ghad TV Company’s Internship Experiences The key objective of the internship was to expand the existing knowledge on the topic of operation of TV stations and what it takes to have a career in the sphere.
Electra Dubai Company’s Internship Experience This report consists of a description of the work performed and experience gathered during the internship, a self-assessment and a subjective impression of the company and ends with some conclusive remarks.
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Social Work Values Development During Internship I am also expecting to acquire and use numerous theoretical models to support the needs of patients with diverse health and psychological needs.
Aal Mir Group of Companies’ Internship Experience Four specific learning objectives were determined for the internship: to study general accounting principles applied in the company; to learn accounting methods of analyzing financial data; to practice in preparing financial statements, and to learn […]
First Home Care: Internship Clinical Practice The term was used for the first time at the beginning of the twentieth century. In addition, some of the people with autism exhibit seriously impaired speech or are unable to speak at all.
Museum Improvement Project as an Internship Goal The following goal will be important in the improvement project: To set up audiovisual and lighting requirements for the first three months of screening within the budgeted cost of AED 48,000 In the budget estimates, […]
Museum Internship Goals: Budgeting and Policies The standard, therefore, will help shape the current pricing policy so that a compromise between the needs of the project and the financial capacities of the target population could be reached.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s Internship The company appeared as a result of a merger of the Dubai Electricity Company and the Dubai Water Department that had been founded much earlier, in 1959.
Blue Steel Security Company’s Internship Experience The main incentive for working in the Blue Steel Security Company as an intern is the fact that there is a high chance of attaining an employment opportunity in the Company.
Yolsu Engineering Ltd.’s Internship Experience At the end of the week, I passed the weekly progress review since I was able to accurately and competently work with chronological documentation and track the receipts in the company’s account system.
Abu Dhabi Companies’ Internship Opportunities The core mission of the company is to become the most appreciated food and beverage company in UAE. The mission is achieved through a constant provision of nutritious and responsibly produced food and beverage of […]
Etihad Museum in Dubai: Internship Analysis One of the most useful and valuable activities within the course was the one dedicated to the facilitation of meetings for the purpose of the establishment of a basis for collaboration between the museum and […]
Capital Investment Realty Group’s Internship Experience Founded in 2013, the CIRG operates in the real estate sector and has focused on selling or leasing commercial and residential houses targeting the entertainment and sports sectors.
Internship at Banque Saudi Fransi The internship was a valuable experience as it allowed applying my theoretical knowledge to practice and understand the principle of banking operations from inside. The list of the main shareholders is represented in the table […]
Aviation Logistics Internship in the UAE As a trainee in the department of aviation logistics, I was supposed to supervise the procurement and shipment of varied military resources.
National Commercial Bank Capital’s Internship NCB is one of the pioneers in the Islamic finance and banking industries, as evidenced by its effectiveness in introducing new financial products into the market.
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Personal Motivation for the National Internship Program
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Marketing Higher Education: Models of Marketing Internship Programs as Tools for the Recruitment and Retention of Undergraduate Marketing Majors
Criminology: Crime and Internship Experience
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Background and Business Model of the Internship Site
Experiencing Different Leadership Styles During Internship
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21 Stellar Common App Essay Examples to Inspire Your College Essay

What’s covered:, what makes a good common app essay, is your common app essay strong enough.

When you begin writing your Common App essay, having an example to look at can help you understand how to effectively write your college essay so that it stands apart from others.

These Common App essay examples demonstrate a strong writing ability and answer the prompt in a way that shows admissions officers something unique about the student. Once you’ve read some examples and are ready to get started, read our step-by-step guide for how to write a strong Common App essay.

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 Common App essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

It’s Personal

The point of the Common App essay is to humanize yourself to a college admissions committee. The ultimate goal is to get them to choose you over someone else! You will have a better chance of achieving this goal if the admissions committee feels personally connected to you or invested in your story. When writing your Common App essay, you should explore your feelings, worldview, values, desires, and anything else that makes you uniquely you.

It’s Not Cliché

It is pretty easy to resort to clichés in college essays. This should be actively avoided! CollegeVine has identified the immigrant’s journey, sports injuries, and overcoming a challenging course as cliché topics . If you write about one of these topics, you have to work harder to stand out, so working with a more nuanced topic is often safer and easier.

It’s Well-Done

Colleges want good writers. They want students who can articulate their thoughts clearly and concisely (and creatively!). You should be writing and rewriting your essays, perfecting them as you go. Of course, make sure that your grammar and spelling are impeccable, but also put in time crafting your tone and finding your voice. This will also make your essay more personal and will make your reader feel more connected to you!

It’s Cohesive

Compelling Common App essays tell a cohesive story. Cohesion is primarily achieved through effective introductions and conclusions , which often contribute to the establishment of a clear theme or topic. Make sure that it is clear what you are getting at, but also don’t explicitly state what you are getting at—a successful essay speaks for itself.

Common App Essay Examples

Here are the current Common App prompts. Click the links to jump to the examples for a specific prompt, or keep reading to review the examples for all the prompts.

Prompt #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.

Prompt #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?

Prompt #3 : Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Prompt #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? (NOTE: We only have an example for the old prompt #4 about solving a problem, not this current one)

Prompt #5 : Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Prompt #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?

Prompt #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.

Note: Names have been changed to protect the identity of the author and subjects.

Prompt #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.

Prompt #1, example #1.

The room was silent except for the thoughts racing through my head. I led a spade from my hand and my opponent paused for a second, then played a heart. The numbers ran through my mind as I tried to consider every combination, calculating my next move. Finally, I played the ace of spades from the dummy and the rest of my clubs, securing the contract and 620 points when my partner ruffed at trick five. Next board.

It was the final of the 2015 United States Bridge Federation Under-26 Women’s Championship. The winning team would be selected to represent the United States in the world championship and my team was still in the running.

Contract bridge is a strategic and stochastic card game. Players from around the world gather at local clubs, regional events, and, in this case, national tournaments.

Going into the tournament, my team was excited; all the hours we had put into the game, from the lengthy midnight Skype sessions spent discussing boards to the coffee shop meetings spent memorizing conventions together, were about to pay off.

Halfway through, our spirits were still high, as we were only down by fourteen international match points which, out of the final total of about four hundred points, was virtually nothing and it was very feasible to catch up. Our excitement was short-lived, however, as sixty boards later, we found that we had lost the match and would not be chosen as the national team.

Initially, we were devastated. We had come so close and it seemed as if all the hours we had devoted to training had been utterly wasted. Yet as our team spent some time together reflecting upon the results, we gradually realized that the true value that we had gained wasn’t only the prospect of winning the national title, but also the time we had spent together exploring our shared passion. I chatted with the winning team and even befriended a few of them who offered us encouragement and advice.

Throughout my bridge career, although I’ve gained a respectable amount of masterpoints and awards, I’ve realized that the real reward comes from the extraordinary people I have met. I don’t need to travel cross-country to learn; every time I sit down at a table whether it be during a simple club game, a regional tournament or a national event, I find I’m always learning.

I nod at the pair that’s always yelling at each other. They teach me the importance of sportsmanship and forgiveness.

I greet the legally blind man who can defeat most of the seeing players. He reminds me not to make excuses.

I chat with the friendly, elderly couple who, at ages ninety and ninety-two, have just gotten married two weeks ago. They teach me that it’s never too late to start anything.

I talk to the boy who’s attending Harvard and the girl who forewent college to start her own company. They show me that there is more than one path to success.

I congratulate the little kid running to his dad, excited to have won his very first masterpoints. He reminds me of the thrill of every first time and to never stop trying new things.

Just as much as I have benefitted from these life lessons, I aspire to give back to my bridge community as much as it has given me. I aspire to teach people how to play this complicated yet equally as exciting game. I aspire to never stop improving myself, both at and away from the bridge table.

Bridge has given me my roots and dared me to dream. What started as merely a hobby has become a community, a passion, a part of my identity. I aspire to live selflessly and help others reach their goals. I seek to take risks, embrace all results, even failure, and live unfettered from my own doubt.

This student draws readers in with a strong introduction. The essay starts ambiguous—“I led with a spade”—then intrigues readers by gradually revealing more information and details. This makes the reader want to keep reading (which is super important!) As the writer continues, there is a rather abrupt tone shift from suspenseful to explanatory with statements like “It was the final of the 2015 United States Bridge Federation Under-26 Women’s Championship” and “Contract bridge is a strategic and stochastic card game.” If you plan to start with an imagery-heavy, emotional, suspenseful, or dramatic introduction, you will need to transition to the content of your essay in a way that does not feel abrupt.

You will often hear that essays need to “show, not tell.” This essay actually does both. First, the student tells readers the importance of bridge, saying “we gradually realized that the true value that we had gained wasn’t only the prospect of winning the national title, but also the time we had spent together exploring our shared passion” and “I’ve realized that the real reward comes from the extraordinary people I have met.” Then, the student shows the lessons they have learned from bridge through a series of parallel sentences: “I nod… sportsmanship and forgiveness” “I greet… not to make excuses” “I chat… it’s never too late to start anything” and so on. This latter strategy is much more effective than the former and is watered down because the student has already told us what we are supposed to get out of these sentences. Remember that your readers are intelligent and can draw their own conclusions. Avoid summarizing the moral of your story for them!

Overall, this essay is interesting and answers the prompt. We learn the importance of bridge to this student. The student has a solid grasp of language, a high-level vocabulary, and a valuable message, though they would be better off if they avoided summarizing their point and created more seamless transitions.

Prompt #1, Example #2

Growing up, I always wanted to eat, play, visit, watch, and be it all: sloppy joes and spaetzle, Beanie Babies and Steiff, Cape Cod and the Baltic Sea, football and fussball, American and German.

My American parents relocated our young family to Berlin when I was three years old. My exposure to America was limited to holidays spent stateside and awfully dubbed Disney Channel broadcasts. As the few memories I had of living in the US faded, my affinity for Germany grew. I began to identify as “Germerican,” an ideal marriage of the two cultures. As a child, I viewed my biculturalism as a blessing. I possessed a native fluency in “Denglisch” and my family’s Halloween parties were legendary at a time when the holiday was just starting to gain popularity outside of the American Sector.

Insidiously, the magic I once felt in loving two homes was replaced by a deep-rooted sense of rootlessness. I stopped feeling American when, while discussing World War II with my grandmother, I said “the US won.” She corrected me, insisting I use “we” when referring to the US’s actions. Before then, I hadn’t realized how directly people associated themselves with their countries. I stopped feeling German during the World Cup when my friends labeled me a “bandwagon fan” for rooting for Germany. Until that moment, my cheers had felt sincere. I wasn’t part of the “we” who won World Wars or World Cups. Caught in a twilight of foreign and familiar, I felt emotionally and psychologically disconnected from the two cultures most familiar to me.

After moving from Berlin to New York at age fifteen, my feelings of cultural homelessness thrived in my new environment. Looking and sounding American furthered my feelings of dislocation. Border patrol agents, teachers, classmates, neighbors, and relatives all “welcomed me home” to a land they could not understand was foreign to me. Americans confused me as I relied on Urban Dictionary to understand my peers, the Pledge of Allegiance seemed nationalistic, and the only thing familiar about Fahrenheit was the German after whom it was named. Too German for America and too American for Germany, I felt alienated from both. I wanted desperately to be a member of one, if not both, cultures.

During my first weeks in Scarsdale, I spent my free time googling “Berlin Family Seeks Teen” and “New Americans in Scarsdale.” The latter search proved most fruitful: I discovered Horizons, a nonprofit that empowers resettled refugees, or “New Americans,” to thrive. I started volunteering with Horizon’s children’s programs, playing with and tutoring young refugees.

It was there that I met Emily, a twelve-year-old Iraqi girl who lived next to Horizons. In between games and snacks, Emily would ask me questions about American life, touching on everything from Halloween to President Obama. Gradually, my confidence in my American identity grew as I recognized my ability to answer most of her questions. American culture was no longer completely foreign to me. I found myself especially qualified to work with young refugees; my experience growing up in a country other than that of my parents’ was similar enough to that of the refugee children Horizons served that I could empathize with them and offer advice. Together, we worked through conflicting allegiances, homesickness, and stretched belonging.

Forging a special, personal bond with young refugees proved a cathartic outlet for my insecurities as it taught me to value my past. My transculturalism allowed me to help young refugees integrate into American life, and, in doing so, I was able to adjust myself. Now, I have an appreciation of myself that I never felt before. “Home” isn’t the digits in a passport or ZIP code but a sense of contentedness. By helping a young refugee find comfort, happiness, and home in America, I was finally able to find those same things for myself.

Due to their endearing (and creative) use of language—with early phrases like “sloppy joes and spaetzle” as well as “Germerican” and “Denglisch”—readers are inclined to like this writer from the get-go. Though the essay shifts from this lighthearted introduction to more serious subject matter around the third paragraph, the shift is not abrupt or jarring. This is because the student invites readers to feel the transition with them through their inclusion of various anecdotes that inspired their “feelings of cultural homelessness.” And our journey does not end there—we go back to America with the student and see how their former struggles become strengths.

Ultimately, this essay is successful due to its satisfying ending. Because readers experience the student’s struggles with them, we also feel the resolution. The conclusion of this essay is a prime example of the “Same, but Different” technique described in our article on How to End Your College Essay . As the student describes how, in the end, their complicated cultural identity still exists but transitions to a source of strength, readers are left feeling happy for the student. This means that they have formed a connection with the student, which is the ultimate goal!

Prompt #1, Example #3

“1…2…3…4 pirouettes ! New record!” My friends cheered as I landed my turns. Pleased with my progress, I gazed down at my worn-out pointe shoes. The sweltering blisters, numbing ice-baths, and draining late-night practices did not seem so bad after all. Next goal: five turns.

For as long as I can remember, ballet, in all its finesse and glamor, had kept me driven day to day. As a child, the lithe ballerinas, donning ethereal costumes as they floated across the stage, were my motivation. While others admired Messi and Adele, I idolized Carlos Acosta, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet.

As I devoted more time and energy towards my craft, I became obsessed with improving my technique. I would stretch for hours after class, forcing my leg one inch higher in an effort to mirror the Dance Magazine cover girls . I injured my feet and ruined pair after pair of pointe shoes, turning on wood, cement, and even grass to improve my balance as I spun. At competitions, the dancers with the 180-degree leg extensions, endless turns, and soaring leaps—the ones who received “Bravos!” from the roaring audience—further pushed me to refine my skills and perfect my form. I believed that, with enough determination, I would one day attain their level of perfection. Reaching the quadruple- pirouette milestone only intensified my desire to accomplish even more.

My efforts seemed to have come to fruition two summers ago when I was accepted to dance with Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet at their renowned New York City summer intensive. I walked into my first session eager to learn from distinguished ballet masters and worldly dancers, already anticipating my improvement. Yet, as I danced alongside the accomplished ballerinas, I felt out of place. Despite their clean technique and professional training, they did not aim for glorious leg extensions or prodigious leaps. When they performed their turn combinations, most of them only executed two turns as I attempted four.

“Dancers, double- pirouettes only.”

Taken aback and confused, I wondered why our teacher expected so little from us. The other ballerinas seemed content, gracing the studio with their simple movements.

As I grew closer with my Moscow roommates, I gradually learned that their training emphasized the history of the art form instead of stylistic tricks. Rather than show off their physical ability, their performances aimed to convey a story, one that embodied the rich culture of ballet and captured both the legacy of the dancers before them and their own artistry. As I observed my friends more intently in repertoire class, I felt the pain of the grief-stricken white swan from Swan Lake , the sass of the flirtatious Kitri from Don Quijote, and I gradually saw what I had overlooked before. My definition of talent had been molded by crowd-pleasing elements—whirring pirouettes , gravity-defying leaps, and mind-blowing leg extensions. This mindset slowly stripped me from the roots of my passion and my personal connection with ballet.

With the Bolshoi, I learned to step back and explore the meaning behind each step and the people behind the scenes. Ballet carries history in its movements, from the societal values of the era to each choreographer’s unique flair. As I uncovered the messages behind each pirouette, kick, and jump, my appreciation for ballet grew beyond my obsession with raw athleticism and developed into a love for the art form’s emotive abilities in bridging the dancers with the audience. My journey as an artist has allowed me to see how technical execution is only the means to a greater understanding between dancer and spectator, between storyteller and listener. The elegance and complexity of ballet does not revolve around astonishing stunts but rather the evocative strength and artistry manifested in the dancer, in me. It is the combination of sentiments, history, tradition, and passion that has allowed ballet and its lessons of human connection to become my lifestyle both on and off stage.

The primary strength of this essay is the honesty and authenticity of the student’s writing. It is purposefully reflective. Intentional language creates a clear character arc that begins with an eager young ballerina and ends with the student reflecting on their past.

Readers are easily able to picture the passion and intensity of the young dancer through the writer’s engagement with words like “obsessed,” “forcing,” and “ruined” in the second paragraph. Then, we see how intensity becomes pride as they “wondered why our teacher expected so little from us.” And ultimately, we see the writer humbled as they are exposed to the deeper meaning behind what they have worked so hard for. This arc is outstanding, and the student’s musings about ballet in the concl usion position them as vulnerable and reflective (and thus, appealing to admissions officers!)

The main weakness of this essay (though this is a stellar essay) is its formulaic beginning. While dialogue can be an effective tool for starting your essay, this student’s introduction feels a bit stilted as the dialogue does not match the overall reflective tone of the essay. Perhaps, in place of “Next goal: five turns,” the student could have posed a question or foreshadowed the growth they ultimately describe.

Prompt #1, Example #4

My paintbrush dragged a flurry of acrylic, the rich colors attaching to each groove in my canvas’s texture. The feeling was euphoric.

From a young age, painting has been my solace. Between the stress of my packed high school days filled with classes and extracurriculars, the glide of my paintbrush was my emotional outlet.

I opened a fresh canvas and began. The amalgamation of assorted colors in my palette melded harmoniously: dark and light, cool and warm, brilliant and dull. They conjoined, forming shades and surfaces sharp, smooth, and ridged. The textures of my paint strokes — powdery, glossy, jagged — gave my painting a tone, as if it had a voice of its own, sometimes shrieking, sometimes whispering.

Rough indigo blue. The repetitive upward pulls of my brush formed layers on my canvas. Staring into the deep blue, I felt transported to the bottom of the pool I swim in daily. I looked upward to see a layer of dense water between myself and the person I aspire to be, an ideal blurred by filmy ripples. Rough blue encapsulates my amorphous, conflicting identity, catalyzed by words spewed by my peers about my “oily hair” and “smelly food”. They caused my ever present disdain toward cultural assemblies; the lehenga I wore felt burdensome. My identity quivers like the indigo storm I painted — a duel between my self-deprecating, validation-seeking self, and the proud self I desire to be. My haphazard paint strokes released my internal turbulence.

Smooth orange-hued green. I laid the color in melodious strokes, forming my figure. The warmer green transitions from the rough blue — while they share elements, they also diverge. My firm brushstrokes felt like the way I felt on my first day as a media intern at KBOO, my local volunteer-driven radio station, committed to the voices of the marginalized. As a naturally introverted speaker, I was forced out of my comfort zone when tasked with documenting a KBOO art exhibition for social media, speaking with hosts to share their diverse, underrepresented backgrounds and inspirations. A rhythmic green strength soon shoved me past internal blue turbulence. My communication skills which were built by two years of Speech and Debate unleashed — I recognized that making a social change through media required amplifying unique voices and perspectives, both my own and others. The powerful green strokes that fill my canvas entrench my growth.

Bright, voluminous coral, hinted with magenta and yellow. I dabbed the color over my figure, giving my painting dimension. The paint, speckled, added depth on every inch it coated. As I moved the color in random but purposeful movements, the vitality ushered into my painting brought a smile across my face. It reminded me of the encounters I had with my cubicle-mate in my sophomore year academic autism research internship, seemingly insignificant moments in my lifelong journey that, in retrospect, wove unique threads into my tapestry. The kindness she brought into work inspired my compassion, while her stories of struggling with ADHD in the workplace bolstered my empathy towards different experiences. Our conversations added blobs of a nonuniform bright color in my painting, binding a new perspective in me.

I added in my final strokes, each contributing an element to my piece. As I scanned my canvas, I observed these elements. Detail added nuance into smaller pictures; they embodied complexities within color, texture, and hue, each individually delivering a narrative. But together, they formed a piece of art— art that could be interpreted as a whole or broken apart but still delivering as a means of communication.

I find beauty in media because of this. I can adapt a complex narrative to be deliverable, each component telling a story. Appreciating these nuances — the light, dark, smooth, and rough — has cultivated my growth mindset. My life-long painting never finishes. It is ever-expanding, absorbing the novel textures and colors I encounter daily.

This essay is distinct from others due to its melodic, lyrical form. This is primarily achieved because the student’s form follows the movements of the paintbrush that they use to scaffold their essay. As readers, we simply flow through the essay, occasionally picking up bits of information about its creator. Without even realizing it, by the end of the essay, admissions officers will know that this student is a swimmer, was in Speech and Debate, is Indian, and has had multiple internships.

A major strength of this essay is the command of language that the student demonstrates. This essay was not simply written, it was crafted. Universities are, of course, interested in the talents, goals, and interests of applicants, but an essay being well-written can be equally important. Writing skills are important because your reader will not learn about your talents, goals, and interests if they aren’t engaged in your essay, but they are also important because admissions officers know that being able to articulate your thoughts is important for success in all future careers.

While this essay is well-written, there are a few moments where it falls out of the flow and feels more like a student advertising their successes. For example, the phrases “media intern at KBOO” and “autism research internship” work better on a resume than they do in this essay. Admissions officers have a copy of your resume and can check your internship experiences after reading your essay! If you are going to use a unique writing style or narrative form, lean into it; don’t try to hybridize it with the standard college essay form. Your boldness will be attractive to admissions officers.

Readers are easily able to picture the passion and intensity of the young dancer through the writer’s engagement with words like “obsessed,” “forcing,” and “ruined” in the second paragraph. Then, we see how intensity becomes pride as they “wondered why our teacher expected so little from us.” And ultimately, we see the writer humbled as they are exposed to the deeper meaning behind what they have worked so hard for. This arc is outstanding, and the student’s musings about ballet in the conclusion position them as vulnerable and reflective (and thus, appealing to admissions officers!)

Prompt #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?

Prompt #2, example #1.

“You ruined my life!” After months of quiet anger, my brother finally confronted me. To my shame, I had been appallingly ignorant of his pain.

Despite being twins, Max and I are profoundly different. Having intellectual interests from a young age that, well, interested very few of my peers, I often felt out of step in comparison with my highly-social brother. Everything appeared to come effortlessly for Max and, while we share an extremely tight bond, his frequent time away with friends left me feeling more and more alone as we grew older.

When my parents learned about The Green Academy, we hoped it would be an opportunity for me to find not only an academically challenging environment, but also – perhaps more importantly – a community. This meant transferring the family from Drumfield to Kingston. And while there was concern about Max, we all believed that given his sociable nature, moving would be far less impactful on him than staying put might be on me.

As it turned out, Green Academy was everything I’d hoped for. I was ecstatic to discover a group of students with whom I shared interests and could truly engage. Preoccupied with new friends and a rigorous course load, I failed to notice that the tables had turned. Max, lost in the fray and grappling with how to make connections in his enormous new high school, had become withdrawn and lonely. It took me until Christmas time – and a massive argument – to recognize how difficult the transition had been for my brother, let alone that he blamed me for it.

Through my own journey of searching for academic peers, in addition to coming out as gay when I was 12, I had developed deep empathy for those who had trouble fitting in. It was a pain I knew well and could easily relate to. Yet after Max’s outburst, my first response was to protest that our parents – not I – had chosen to move us here. In my heart, though, I knew that regardless of who had made the decision, we ended up in Kingston for my benefit. I was ashamed that, while I saw myself as genuinely compassionate, I had been oblivious to the heartache of the person closest to me. I could no longer ignore it – and I didn’t want to.

We stayed up half the night talking, and the conversation took an unexpected turn. Max opened up and shared that it wasn’t just about the move. He told me how challenging school had always been for him, due to his dyslexia, and that the ever-present comparison to me had only deepened his pain.

We had been in parallel battles the whole time and, yet, I only saw that Max was in distress once he experienced problems with which I directly identified. I’d long thought Max had it so easy – all because he had friends. The truth was, he didn’t need to experience my personal brand of sorrow in order for me to relate – he had felt plenty of his own.

My failure to recognize Max’s suffering brought home for me the profound universality and diversity of personal struggle; everyone has insecurities, everyone has woes, and everyone – most certainly – has pain. I am acutely grateful for the conversations he and I shared around all of this, because I believe our relationship has been fundamentally strengthened by a deeper understanding of one another. Further, this experience has reinforced the value of constantly striving for deeper sensitivity to the hidden struggles of those around me. I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story.

Here is a prime example that you don’t have to have fabulous imagery or flowery prose to write a successful Common App essay. You just have to be clear and say something that matters. This essay is simple and beautiful. It almost feels like having a conversation with a friend and learning that they are an even better person than you already thought they were.

Through this narrative, readers learn a lot about the writer—where they’re from, what their family life is like, what their challenges were as a kid, and even their sexuality. We also learn a lot about their values—notably, the value they place on awareness, improvement, and consideration of others. Though they never explicitly state it (which is great because it is still crystal clear!), this student’s ending of “I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story” shows that they are constantly striving for improvement and finding lessons anywhere they can get them in life.

The only part of this essay that could use a bit of work is the introduction. A short introduction can be effective, but this short first paragraph feels thrown in at the last minute and like it is missing its second half. If you are keeping your introduction short, make it matter.

Prompt #2, Example #2

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire.

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family.

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt.

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him.

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses.

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This Common App essay is well-written. The student is showing the admissions officers their ability to articulate their points beautifully and creatively. It starts with vivid images like that of the “rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free.” And because the prose is flowery, the writer can get away with metaphors like “I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms” that might sound cheesy without the clear command of the English language that the writer quickly establishes.

In addition to being well-written, this essay is thematically cohesive. It begins with the simple introduction “Fire!” and ends with the following image: “When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.” This full-circle approach leaves readers satisfied and impressed.

While dialogue often comes off as cliche or trite, this student effectively incorporates their family members saying “Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” This is achieved through the apt use of the verb “taunted” to characterize the questioning and through the question’s thematic connection to the earlier image of the student as a rustic princess. Similarly, rhetorical questions can feel randomly placed in essays, but this student’s inclusion of the questions “Was I so dainty?” and “Was I that incapable?” feels perfectly justified after they establish that they were pondering their failure.

Quite simply, this essay shows how quality writing can make a simple story outstandingly compelling.

Prompt #2, Example #3

The muffled voices behind thin walls heralded trouble.

They were fighting about money.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened and it wasn’t going to be the last. It was one of those countless nights I had to spend curled up under the blanket while pretending to be asleep. My father had been unemployed for five years now, and my mother, a local kindergarten teacher, was struggling to support the family alone. Our situation was bleak: Savings had run out and my parents could no longer hide our lack of money from me. To make matters worse, I was a few weeks away from starting high school, which would inevitably lead to college, yet another financial stressor for my family.

The argument didn’t sound like it would end soon.

“Why did you spend money on that?” my mother said, with an elongated sigh.

“I had to,” my father said, decidedly.

Every fight over the years had left me in despair and the idea of going through another fight daunted me. I had looked forward to my teen years all my life, an age that allows, for the first time, more responsibility. Indeed, after this fateful night, after my fourteenth birthday, I felt a mounting responsibility to help my family, and started brainstorming.

Always being fascinated by computers, I spent my childhood burying myself under computer cabinets, experimenting with computer parts. Naturally, I wondered if my skills in this area might be marketable.

The next morning, my friend, Naba, mentioned that her computer wasn’t working. A tuk-tuk ride later, and I was at her doorstep, and her mother was leading me to her room. I was off to work: I began examining her computer, like a surgeon carefully manages his scalpels and tools. A proper diagnosis was not far from reach, as I realized a broken pin in her computer’s SATA slot. After an hour of work, and a short trip to the hardware store, I successfully fixed the computer. To my pleasant surprise, Naba’s mother drew out two fresh 500 Rupee notes. One covered the cost of the parts I bought and the other was a token of appreciation. Bidding her goodbye, I went straight back home and put one of the 500 Rupee notes inside my family’s “savings-jar.”

Later that day, I devised a plan. I told my friends to spread the word that I was available to fix computers. At first, I got only one or two calls per week. I would pick up the computer from my client’s home, fix it quickly, and return it, thus earning myself a commission. While I couldn’t market my services at a competitive price, because I wasn’t able to buy the parts wholesale, I compensated by providing convenience. All my clients had to do was call me once and the rest was taken care of. Thus, my business had the best customer service in town.

At the beginning of my junior year, after two years of expanding my business through various avenues, I started buying computer parts from hardware suppliers in bulk at a cheaper rate. My business grew exponentially after that.

Before long, I was my town’s go-to tech person. In this journey throughout high school, I started realizing that I had to create my own opportunities and not just curl up under a blanket, seeking only comfort, as I used to. Interacting with people from all walks of life became my forte and a sense of work ethic developed in me. My business required me to be an all-rounder– have the technical skills, be an easily approachable person, and manage cash flow. Slowly becoming better at this, I even managed to sway admins of a local institution to outsource their computer hardware purchases and repairs through me. As my business upsized throughout the years, I went from being helpless to autonomous – the teenager I always aspired to be.

This essay truly feels like a story—almost making you forget you are reading a college essay. The student’s voice is strong throughout the entire essay and they are able to give us insight into their thoughts, feelings, and motivations at every step of the story. Letting the reader into personal challenges like financial struggles can be daunting in a college essay, but the way this student used that setback to establish an emotional ethos to their narrative was well done.

Because the essay is essentially just telling a story, there’s a very natural flow that makes it enjoyable and easy to read. The student establishes the conflict at the beginning, then describes their solution and how they implemented it, and finally concludes with the lessons they took away from this experience. Transitions at the beginning of paragraphs effortlessly show the passage of time and how the student has progressed through the story.

Another reason this essay is so successful is because of the abundance of details. The reader truly feels like they are hiding in the room with the student as their parents yell because of the inclusion of quotes from the argument. We understand the precision and care they have for fixing computers because of the allusion to a surgeon with their scalpel. Not only does this imagery make the story more enticing, it also helps the reader gain a deeper appreciation for the type of person this student is and the adversity they have overcome.

If there were one thing this essay could do to improve, it would be to include a resolution to the conflict from the beginning. The student tells us how this business helped them grow as a person, but we don’t ever get to find out if they were able to lessen the financial burden on their parents or if they continued to struggle despite the student working hard. It doesn’t have to be a happy ending, but it would be nice to return to the conflict and acknowledge the effect they had on it, especially since this prompt is all about facing challenges.

Prompt #3: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Prompt #3, example #1.

When I was younger, I was adamant that no two foods on my plate touch. As a result, I often used a second plate to prevent such an atrocity. In many ways, I learned to separate different things this way from my older brothers, Nate and Rob. Growing up, I idolized both of them. Nate was a performer, and I insisted on arriving early to his shows to secure front row seats, refusing to budge during intermission for fear of missing anything. Rob was a three-sport athlete, and I attended his games religiously, waving worn-out foam cougar paws and cheering until my voice was hoarse. My brothers were my role models. However, while each was talented, neither was interested in the other’s passion. To me, they represented two contrasting ideals of what I could become: artist or athlete. I believed I had to choose.

And for a long time, I chose athlete. I played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse and viewed myself exclusively as an athlete, believing the arts were not for me. I conveniently overlooked that since the age of five, I had been composing stories for my family for Christmas, gifts that were as much for me as them, as I loved writing. So when in tenth grade, I had the option of taking a creative writing class, I was faced with a question: could I be an athlete and a writer? After much debate, I enrolled in the class, feeling both apprehensive and excited. When I arrived on the first day of school, my teacher, Ms. Jenkins, asked us to write down our expectations for the class. After a few minutes, eraser shavings stubbornly sunbathing on my now-smudged paper, I finally wrote, “I do not expect to become a published writer from this class. I just want this to be a place where I can write freely.”

Although the purpose of the class never changed for me, on the third “submission day,” – our time to submit writing to upcoming contests and literary magazines – I faced a predicament. For the first two submission days, I had passed the time editing earlier pieces, eventually (pretty quickly) resorting to screen snake when hopelessness made the words look like hieroglyphics. I must not have been as subtle as I thought, as on the third of these days, Ms. Jenkins approached me. After shifting from excuse to excuse as to why I did not submit my writing, I finally recognized the real reason I had withheld my work: I was scared. I did not want to be different, and I did not want to challenge not only others’ perceptions of me, but also my own. I yielded to Ms. Jenkin’s pleas and sent one of my pieces to an upcoming contest.

By the time the letter came, I had already forgotten about the contest. When the flimsy white envelope arrived in the mail, I was shocked and ecstatic to learn that I had received 2nd place in a nationwide writing competition. The next morning, however, I discovered Ms. Jenkins would make an announcement to the whole school exposing me as a poet. I decided to own this identity and embrace my friends’ jokes and playful digs, and over time, they have learned to accept and respect this part of me. I have since seen more boys at my school identifying themselves as writers or artists.

I no longer see myself as an athlete and a poet independently, but rather I see these two aspects forming a single inseparable identity – me. Despite their apparent differences, these two disciplines are quite similar, as each requires creativity and devotion. I am still a poet when I am lacing up my cleats for soccer practice and still an athlete when I am building metaphors in the back of my mind – and I have realized ice cream and gummy bears taste pretty good together.

This essay is cohesive as it centers around the theme of identity and the ability for two identities to coexist simultaneously (an interesting theme!). It uses the Full Circle ending strategy as it starts with a metaphor about food touching and ends with “I have realized ice cream and gummy bears taste pretty good together.”

The main issue with this essay is that it could come off as cliché, which could be irritating for admissions officers. The story described is notably similar to High School Musical (“I decided to own this identity and embrace my friends’ jokes and playful digs, and over time, they have learned to accept and respect this part of me”) and feels slightly overstated.

At times, this essay is also confusing. In the first paragraph, it feels like the narrative is actually going to be about separating your food (and is somehow going to relate to the older brothers?). It is not entirely clear that this is a metaphor. Also, when the writer references the third submission day and then works backward to explain what a submission day is and that there are multiple throughout the semester, the timeline gets unnecessarily confusing. Reworking the way this paragraph unfolded would have been more compelling and less distracting.

Overall, this essay was interesting but could have been more polished to be more effective.

Prompt #3, Example #2

I walked into my middle school English class, and noticed a stranger behind my teacher’s desk. “Hello,” she said. “Today I will be your substitute teacher.” I groaned internally. “Let me start off by calling roll. Ally?” “Here!” exclaimed Ally. “Jack?” “Here.” “Rachel?” “Here.” “Freddie?” “Present.” And then– “…?” The awkward pause was my cue. “It’s Jasina,” I started. “You can just call me Jas. Here.” “Oh, Jasina. That’s unique.” The word “unique” made me cringe. I slumped back in my seat. The substitute continued calling roll, and class continued as if nothing had happened. Nothing had happened. Just a typical moment in a middle school, but I hated every second of it.

My name is not impossible to pronounce. It appears challenging initially, but once you hear it, “Jas-een-a”, then you can manage it. My nickname, Jas (pronounced “Jazz”), is what most people call me anyway, so I don’t have to deal with mispronunciation often. I am thankful that my parents named me Jasina (a Hebrew name), but whenever someone hears my name for the first time, they comment, and I assume they’re making assumptions about me. “Wow, Jas is a cool name.” She must be pretty cool.“I’ve never heard the name Jasina before.” She must be from somewhere exotic. “Jas, like Jazz?” She must be musical and artsy. None of these assumptions are bad, but they all add up to the same thing: She must be unique.

When I was little, these sentiments felt more like commands than assumptions. I thought I had to be the most unique child of all time, which was a daunting task, but I tried. I was the only kid in the second grade to color the sun red. I knew it was really yellow, but you could always tell which drawings were mine. During snack time, we could choose between apple juice and grape juice. I liked apple juice more, but if everyone else was choosing apple, then I had to choose grape. This was how I lived my life, and it was exhausting. I tried to continue this habit into middle school, but it backfired. When everyone became obsessed with things like skinny jeans and Justin Bieber and blue mascara (that was a weird trend), my resistance of the norm made me socially awkward. I couldn’t talk to people about anything because we had nothing in common. I was too different.

After 8th grade, I moved to Georgia, and I was dreading being the odd one out among kids who had grown up together. Then I discovered that my freshman year would be Cambridge High School’s inaugural year. Since there were students coming in from 5 different schools, there was no real sense of “normal”. I panicked. If there was no normal, then how could I be unique? That’s when I realized that I had spent so much energy going against the grain that I had no idea what my true interests were or what I really cared about.

It was time to find out. I stopped concentrating on what everyone else was doing and started to focus on myself. I joined the basketball team, I performed in the school musical, and I enrolled in Chorus, all of which were firsts for me. I took art classes, joined clubs, and did whatever I thought would make me happy. And it paid off. I was no longer socially awkward. In fact, because I was involved in so many unrelated activities, I was socially flexible. My friends and I had things in common, but there was no one who could say that I was exactly like anyone else. I had finally become my own person.

My father named me Jasina because he wanted my nickname to be “Jazz.” According to Webster, “jazz” is “music characterized by syncopated rhythms, improvisation, and deliberate distortions of pitch.” Basically, jazz is music that is off-beat and unpredictable. It cannot be strictly defined.

That sounds about right.

Right off the bat, this essay starts extremely strong. The description of attendance in a class with ample quotes, awkward pauses, and the student’s internal dialogue immediately puts us in the middle of the action and establishes a lot of sympathy for this student before we’ve learned anything else.

The strength of this essay continues into the second paragraph where the use of quotes, italics, and interjections from the student continues. All of these literary tools help the student express her voice and allow the reader to understand what this student goes through on a daily basis. Rather than just telling the reader people make assumptions about her name, she shows us what these assumptions look and sound like, and exactly how they make her feel.

The essay further shows us how the student approached her name by providing concrete examples of times she’s been intentionally unique throughout her life. Describing her drawing red suns and choosing grape juice bring her personality to life and allow her to express her deviance from the “norm” in a much more engaging and visual way than simply telling the reader she would go against the grain to be different on purpose.

One part of the essay that was a bit weaker than the others was the paragraph about her in high school. Although it was still well written and did a nice job of demonstrating how she got involved in multiple groups to find her new identity, it lacked the same level of showing employed in previous paragraphs. It would have been nice to see what “socially flexible” means either through a conversation she had with her friends or an example of a time she combined her interests from different groups in a way that was uniquely her.

The essay finishes off how it started: extremely strong. Taking a step back to fully explain the origin of her name neatly brings together everything mentioned in this essay. This ending is especially successful because she never explicitly states that her personality aligns with the definition of jazz. Instead, she relies on the points she has made throughout the essay to stick in the reader’s memory so they are able to draw the connection themselves, making for a much more satisfying ending for the reader.

Prompt #4 (OLD PROMPT; NOT THE CURRENT PROMPT): Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

Prompt #4, example #1.

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.”

Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one.

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we competed with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

This essay is great because it has a strong introduction and a strong conclusion. The introduction is notably suspenseful and draws readers into the story. Because we know it is a college essay, we can assume that the student is one of the competitors, but at the same time, this introduction feels intentionally ambiguous as if the writer could be a competitor, a coach, a sibling of a competitor, or anyone else in the situation.

As we continue reading the essay, we learn that the writer is, in fact, the competitor. Readers also learn a lot about the student’s values as we hear their thoughts: “I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was.” Ultimately, the conflict and inner and outer turmoil is resolved through the “Same, but Different” ending technique as the student places themself in the same environment that we saw in the intro, but experiencing it differently due to their actions throughout the narrative. This is a very compelling strategy!

The main weakness of this essay is that it is slightly confusing at times—how the other students found coaches feels unintentionally under-explained (a simple phrase like “through pleading and attracting sympathy” in the fourth paragraph could have served the writer well) and a dojang is never defined. Additionally, the turn of the essay or “volta” could’ve packed a bigger punch. It is put quite simply with “I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.” A more suspenseful reveal could’ve served the author well because more drama did come later.

Prompt #5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Prompt #5, example #1.

Tears streamed down my face and my mind was paralyzed with fear. Sirens blared, but the silent panic in my own head was deafening. I was muted by shock. A few hours earlier, I had anticipated a vacation in Washington, D.C., but unexpectedly, I was rushing to the hospital behind an ambulance carrying my mother. As a fourteen-year-old from a single mother household, without a driver’s license, and seven hours from home, I was distraught over the prospect of losing the only parent I had. My fear turned into action as I made some of the bravest decisions of my life.

Three blood transfusions later, my mother’s condition was stable, but we were still states away from home, so I coordinated with my mother’s doctors in North Carolina to schedule the emergency operation that would save her life. Throughout her surgery, I anxiously awaited any word from her surgeon, but each time I asked, I was told that there had been another complication or delay. Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities.

My mother had been a source of strength for me, and now I would be strong for her through her long recovery ahead. As I started high school, everyone thought the crisis was over, but it had really just started to impact my life. My mother was often fatigued, so I assumed more responsibility, juggling family duties, school, athletics, and work. I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover. I didn’t know I was capable of such maturity and resourcefulness until it was called upon. Each day was a stage in my gradual transformation from dependence to relative independence.

Throughout my mother’s health crisis, I matured by learning to put others’ needs before my own. As I worried about my mother’s health, I took nothing for granted, cherished what I had, and used my daily activities as motivation to move forward. I now take ownership over small decisions such as scheduling daily appointments and managing my time but also over major decisions involving my future, including the college admissions process. Although I have become more independent, my mother and I are inseparably close, and the realization that I almost lost her affects me daily. Each morning, I wake up ten minutes early simply to eat breakfast with my mother and spend time with her before our busy days begin. I am aware of how quickly life can change. My mother remains a guiding force in my life, but the feeling of empowerment I discovered within myself is the ultimate form of my independence. Though I thought the summer before my freshman year would be a transition from middle school to high school, it was a transformation from childhood to adulthood.

This essay feels real and tells readers a lot about the writer. To start at the beginning, the intro is 10/10. It has drama, it has emotions, and it has the reader wanting more.

And, when you keep going, you get to learn a lot about a very resilient and mature student. Through sentences like “I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover” and “Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities,” the reader shows us that they are aware of their resilience and maturity, but are not arrogant about it. It is simply a fact that they have proven!

Sometimes writing about adversity can feel exploitative or oddly braggy. This student backs up everything they say with anecdotes that prove and show their strength and resilience, rather than just claiming their strengths. When I read this essay, I want to cheer for its writer! And I want to be able to continue cheering for them (perhaps, if I were an admissions officer, that would make me want them at my school!).

Prompt #5, Example #2

Armed with a red pen, I slowly walked across the room to a small, isolated table with pink stools. Swinging her legs, my young student beamed and giggled at me, slamming her pencil bag on the table and bending over to pick up one of her toys. Natalie always brought some new toy with her to lessons—toys which I would sternly take away from her and place under the table until she finished her work. At the tutoring center where I work, a strict emphasis on discipline leaves no room for paper crowns or rubber chickens.

Today, she had with her a large stuffed eagle from a museum. As she pulled out her papers, I slid the eagle to the other side of the table. She looked eagerly around, attempting to chat with other students as I impatiently called her attention to her papers. “I should name my eagle,” she chimed, waving her pencil in the air. I cringed—there was no wondering why Natalie always had to sit by herself. She was the antithesis of my academic values, and undoubtedly the greatest adversary of my teaching style.

As the lesson progressed, Natalie became more fitful; she refused to release her feathered friend, and kept addressing the bird for help with difficult problems. We both grew increasingly more frustrated. Determined to tame this wryly, wiggling student, I stood my ground, set on converting this disobedient child to my calm, measured ways of study.

As time slowly crept by, I noticed that despite Natalie’s cheerful tone and bright smile, the stuffed eagle was troublesomely quiet and stern-faced. Much like myself. Both the eagle and I were getting nowhere in this lesson—so we hatched a quick plan. Lifting the eagle up in the air, I started reading in my best impersonation of an eagle, squawking my way through a spelling packet. The result provided a sense of instant gratification I never knew I needed. She sang out every letter, clapped her hands at every page, and followed along with the eagle, stopping at every few letters to declare that “E is for eagle” and pet her teacher fondly on the beak.

Despite my ostensibly dissatisfied attitude toward my students, I did not join the tutoring center simply to earn money. I had always aspired to help others achieve their fullest potential. As a young adult, I felt that it was time for me to step out of the role of a pupil and into the influential role of a teacher, naively believing that I had the maturity and skill to adapt to any situation and help these students reach their highest achievements academically. For the most part, the role of a stern-faced, strict instructor helped me get by in the workplace, and while my students never truly looked happy, I felt that it was part of the process of conditioning a child to learn.

Ironically, my transition to adulthood was the result of a stuffed animal. It was indisputable that I always had the skill to instruct others; the only thing needed to instruct someone is knowledge of the subject. However, it was only upon being introduced to a stuffed bird in which I realized that students receive the most help not from instructors, but teachers. While almost anyone can learn material and spit it back out for someone, it takes the maturity and passion of a teacher not only to help students improve in their students, but also to motivate them and develop them into better citizens. From my young pupil and her little bird, I have undergone a change in attitude which reflects a growth in maturity and ability to improve the lives of others that I hope to implement in my future role as a student, activist, and physician. My newfound maturity taught me that the letter “e” stands for many things: empathy, experience, enthusiasm, and eagle.

In this essay, the student effectively explores their values (and how they learned them!) then identifies these values through a reflective conclusion. While the writer humbly recognizes the initial faults in their teaching style, they do not position their initial discipline or rigidity as mean or poorly intentioned—simply ineffective. This is important because, when you are discussing a transition like this, you don’t want admissions officers to think of you as having been a bad person.

My favorite part about this essay is its subtlety. The major shift in the essay comes through the simple sentence “The result provided a sense of instant gratification I never knew I needed.” The facts of this narrative are not too complicated. Simply put, the writer was strict then learned that it’s sometimes more effective not to be strict. The complexity of this narrative comes through reflection. Notably, through the ending, the student identifies their values (which they hadn’t given a name to before): “it takes the maturity and passion of a teacher not only to help students improve in their students, but also to motivate them and develop them into better citizens.”

The final sentence of this essay ties things up very nicely. Readers are left satisfied with the essay and convinced that its writer is a kind human with a large capacity for reflection and consideration. That is a great image to paint of yourself!

Prompt #5, Example #3

When it’s quiet, I can still hear the Friday night gossip and giggles of my friends. It’s a stark contrast from the environment I’ve known all my life, my home. My family has always been one to keep to themselves; introverts with a hard-working mentality—my father especially. He spent most of his time at work and growing up without him around, I came to be at peace with the fact that I’d probably never really get to know him. The thought didn’t bother me at the time because I felt that we were very different. He was stoic and traditional; I was trying to figure out who I was and explore my interests. His disapproval of the American music I listened to and my penchant for wearing hand-me-downs made me see him as someone who wanted to restrain my individuality. That explains why I relied heavily on my friends throughout middle and high school; they liked me for who I was. I figured I would get lonely without my friends during quarantine, but these last few months stuck at home gave me the time to make a new friend: my father.

It was June. I had the habit of sleeping with my windows open so I wouldn’t need to set an alarm; the warmth of the sun and the sounds of the neighborhood children playing outside would wake me. One morning, however, it was not the chirping of birds or the laughter of children I awoke to, but the shrill of a saw. Through the window screen, on the grass below, my father stood cutting planks of wood. I was confused but didn’t question him—what he did with his time was none of my business. It was not until the next day, when I was attempting to work on a sculpture for an art class, that the sounds of hammering and drills became too much to ignore. Seeking answers, I trudged across my backyard towards the corner he was in. On that day, all there was to see was the foundation of what he was building; a shed. My intrigue was replaced with awe; I was impressed by the precision of his craft. Sharp corners, leveled and sturdy, I could imagine what it would look like when the walls were up and the inside filled with the tools he had spread around the yard.

Throughout the week, when I was trying to finish my sculpture for art class—thinking about its shape and composition—I could not help but think of my father. Art has always been a creative outlet for me, an opportunity to express myself at home. For my dad, his craftsmanship was his art. I realized we were not as different as I had thought; he was an artist like me. My glue and paper were his wood and nails.

That summer, I tried to spend more time with my dad than I have in all my 18 years of life. Waking up earlier than usual so we could have our morning coffees together and pretending to like his favorite band so he’d talk to me about it, I took advantage of every opportunity I had to speak with him. In getting to know him, I’ve recognized that I get my artistry from him.

Reflecting on past relationships, I feel I am now more open to reconnecting with people I’ve perhaps misjudged. In reconciling, I’ve realized I held some bitterness towards him all these years, and in letting that go, my heart is lighter. Our reunion has changed my perspective; instead of vilifying him for spending so much time at work, I can appreciate how hard he works to provide for our family. When I hear him tinkering away at another home project, I can smile and look forward to asking him about it later.

This is an outstanding example of the great things that can be articulated through a reflective essay. As we read the essay, we are simply thinking alongside its author—thinking about their past relationship with their father, about their time in quarantine, about aspects of themselves they think could use attention and growth.

While we reflect, we are also centered by the student’s anecdote about the sculpture and the shed during quarantine. By centering us in real-time, the student keeps us engaged in the reflection.

The main strength here is the maturity we see on the part of its writer. The student doesn’t say “and I realized my father was the best dad in the world;” they say “and I realized my father didn’t have to be the best dad in the world for me to give him a chance.” Lots of students show themselves as motivated, curious, or compassionate in their college essays, but a reflective essay that ends with a discussion of resentment and forgiveness shows true maturity.

Prompt #5, Example #4

As a wide-eyed, naive seven-year-old, I watched my grandmother’s rough, wrinkled hands pull and knead mercilessly at white dough until the countertop was dusted in flour. She steamed small buns in bamboo baskets, and a light sweetness lingered in the air. Although the mantou looked delicious, their papery, flat taste was always an unpleasant surprise. My grandmother scolded me for failing to finish even one, and when I complained about the lack of flavor she would simply say that I would find it as I grew older. How did my adult relatives seem to enjoy this Taiwanese culinary delight while I found it so plain?

During my journey to discover the essence of mantou, I began to see myself the same way I saw the steamed bun. I believed that my writing would never evolve beyond a hobby and that my quiet nature crippled my ambitions. Ultimately, I thought I had little to offer the world. In middle school, it was easy for me to hide behind the large personalities of my friends, blending into the background and keeping my thoughts company. Although writing had become my emotional outlet, no matter how well I wrote essays, poetry, or fiction, I could not stand out in a sea of talented students. When I finally gained the confidence to submit my poetry to literary journals but was promptly rejected, I stepped back from my work to begin reading from Whitman to Dickinson, Li-Young Lee to Ocean Vuong. It was then that I realized I had been holding back a crucial ingredient–my distinct voice.

Over time, my taste buds began to mature, as did I. Mantou can be flavored with pork and eggplant, sweetened in condensed milk, and moistened or dried by the steam’s temperature. After I ate the mantou with each of these factors in mind, I noticed its environment enhanced a delicately woven strand of sweetness beneath the taste of side dishes: the sugar I had often watched my grandmother sift into the flour. The taste was nearly untraceable, but once I grasped it I could truly begin to cherish mantou. In the same way the taste had been lost to me for years, my writer’s voice had struggled to shine through because of my self-doubt and fear of vulnerability.

As I acquired a taste for mantou, I also began to strengthen my voice through my surrounding environment. With the support of my parents, peer poets, and the guidance of Amy Tan and the Brontё sisters, I worked tirelessly to uncover my voice: a subtle strand of sweetness. Once I stopped trying to fit into a publishing material mold and infused my uninhibited passion for my Taiwanese heritage into my writing, my poem was published in a literary journal. I wrote about the blatant racism Asians endured during coronavirus, and the editor of Skipping Stones Magazine was touched by both my poem and my heartfelt letter. I opened up about being ridiculed for bringing Asian food to school at Youth Leadership Forum, providing support to younger Asian-American students who reached out with the relief of finding someone they could relate to. I embraced writing as a way to convey my struggle with cultural identity. I joined the school’s creative writing club and read my pieces in front of an audience, honing my voice into one that flourishes out loud as well.

Now, I write and speak unapologetically, falling in love with a voice that I never knew I had. It inspires passion within my communities and imparts tenacity to Asian-American youth, rooting itself deeply into everything I write. Today, my grandmother would say that I have finally unearthed the taste of mantou as I savor every bite with a newfound appreciation. I can imagine her hands shaping the dough that has become my voice, and I am eager to share it with the world.

This essay is structurally-sound, with the student’s journey learning to savor mantou and their journey trying to find their voice serving as outstanding parallels. Additionally, as they describe the journey to find a voice in their writing, they definitely show off their voice! The clear introduction provides a great image and draws us in with an intriguing question. Additionally, their little inserts like “a strand of sweetness” and “falling in love with a voice that I never knew I had” work very well.

When the student describes their first published poem, however, their writing gets a little more stilted. This is a common error students make when writing about their achievements. If this student is writing about the craft that goes into writing, we should hear the details of the craft that went into the poem, instead of simply learning that they “opened up about being ridiculed for bringing Asian food to school at Youth Leadership Forum.” This is interesting information but would be stronger if it were supplemented by descriptions of the voice they created, comparisons to the styles of other poets, and analysis of their stylistic choices. This would make the essay feel more cohesive, centering entirely around concepts of voice and style.

Prompt #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?

Note: We don’t have a stellar example for this prompt, so instead, we’re sharing a couple examples that need improvement, and what can be done to make the essays more engaging.

Prompt #6, Example #1

What factors shape the depth and allure of a literary character? This is the exact question I asked myself as my eyes riveted on the white pages covered with little black letters.

I was reading my old novels. I’ve written three novels and many short stories. Each of them repetitively portrayed the hero as intelligent and funny, and the antagonists as cold and manipulative. I came to the appalling realization that my characters were flat, neither exciting nor original. They just didn’t stand out!

As Oscar Wilde said, ‘Vice and virtue are to the artist material to an art.’ Their mixing makes a novel addictive because its plot is rich with turnarounds and its characters more engaging. In his famous work The Picture of Dorian Gray , Wilde deconstructs the psyche of his characters. He brilliantly plays with the protagonist’s youthful appearance and the decaying portrait to build a truly unique idiosyncratic identity. The persona of Dorian Gray is so complicated a psychologist could analyze it for hours on end!

Inspired by this character, It was my turn to explore good and evil into characters to make my stories more enthralling. I skillfully played with vice and virtue, separating, merging them… My latest novel is the fruit of this exercise. I chose to set it in 20th century London. Its opium dens and exclusive salons; middle-class workers, peasants and politicians breathed the same newly industrialized air; modernity in Blackfriars bridge and tradition in St Paul’s Cathedral; all of these contrasts set the perfect environment for my characters to grow. Following Laclos’ Valmont, Maupassant’s Georges Duroy and Duffy’s Myra Hindley, I played with those contrasts to present an intricate character, truly creative – unlike my previous ones. Insanity, religion, depravity and love are merged into each character, reflecting Edwardian London. As I reflected on my work, I realized vice and virtue altogether made them more human and credible. These characters stood out, they were interesting, I even wanted to know more about them!

After rewriting, erasing, typing, and thinking countless times, I realized writing is a unique exercise. Nothing is definite when you are holding a fountain pen, hearing its screeching sound on the white paper and watching the ebony ink forming letters. When I wasn’t too happy about a change I made in my story, I simply erased and rewrote it. Everything I imagined could happen: white pages are the only place the mouse eats the cat or the world is taken by a zombie attack!

This exact exercise of diversifying my characters satisfied my relentless curiosity. Asking myself ‘how could this character be if she had lost her parents in a maritime tragedy?’ allowed me to view the world from different perspectives (some very dissimilar to my own) and considering how each character would react to different situations brought them to life. As I was writing, I was aiming to change the usual narratives I had previously traversed. I loved experimenting with countless personality traits in my characters – minutes flowing, my hand dancing on the paper as my mind was singing words coming alive….

There were times where my hand just stopped writing and my mind stopped raging. I tried thinking differently, changing a character’s background, the story, the setting. I was inspired by Zola, A.Carter, Fitzgerald, the Brontë sisters… I could observe the different reactions of their characters, and reflect on mine theoretically. But it was only part one of the work: I then had to write, sometimes aimlessly, sometimes frantically, always leading to fresh ideas – I was exploring the practical, trying, erasing and rewriting. Both theory and practice are required to gain intellectual independence and experience, in writing and more globally: before I can change a character, I have to understand it. Before we can change the world, we have to understand it.

The main strength of this essay is the authenticity of the topic the student chose. They aren’t making anything up or stretching the truth. Writing is something that captivates them, and that captivation shines through—particularly through their fourth paragraph (where they geek out over specific plots and characters) and their fifth paragraph (where they joyfully describe how writing has no limitations). Admissions officers want to see this passion and intensity in applicants! The fact that this student has already written three novels also shows dedication and is impressive.

The main weakness of this essay is its structure. Ironically, it is not super captivating. The essay would have been more compelling if the student utilized a “anecdote – answer – reflection” structure. This student’s current introduction involves a reflective question, citations about their past writing experience, then their thoughts on Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray. Instead, this student could’ve provided one cohesive (and powerful!) image of them being frustrated with their own writing then being inspired by Dorian Gray. This would look something like:

“I stayed up three nights in a row studying my own writing—bored by my own writing. The only thing more painful than seeing failure in the fruits of your labor is not seeing a path for improvement. I had written three novels and numerous short stories, and all I could come up with was funny and intelligent heroes going up against cold and manipulative villains. What kind of writer was so consistently cliche? On the third night, I wandered over to my bookshelf. Mrs. Dalloway caught my eye (it has such a beautiful cover). I flipped through. Then, I grabbed Giovanni’s Room . I was so obsessed with my shortcomings that I couldn’t even focus long enough to see what these authors were doing right. I picked up The Picture of Dorian Gray and decided to just start reading. By the end of the night, I was captivated.”

An introduction like this would flow nicely into the student describing their experience with Dorian Gray then, because of that experience, describing how they have altered their approach to writing. The conclusion of this essay would then be this student’s time for reflection. Instead of repeating content about their passion—“I then had to write, sometimes aimlessly, sometimes frantically” and “I was exploring the practical, trying, erasing and rewriting”—, the student could dedicate their conclusion to reflecting on the reasons that writing is so captivating or the ways that (until the day they die) writers will always be perfecting their craft.

This essay is a great example of how important it is to pick a topic that truly excites you. It also illustrates how important it is to effectively structure that excitement.

Prompt #6, Example #2

Astonished by the crashing sound of waves in my ear, I was convinced this magical shell actually held the sound of the big blue sea — my six-year-old self was heartbroken when I couldn’t take the thirty-dollar artificial shell from SeaWorld’s gift shop . It distinctly reminded me of the awestruck feeling I had when I witnessed the churning waves of a windy night by the ocean the previous weekend; I lost track of time gazing at the distant moonlit border dividing our world from the ever-growing black void. Turning to my mom, I inquired curiously, “Can we go to the place where the water ends one day?”

She explained to me I could never reach the end of the ocean because the harsh line I had seen was actually an illusion called the horizon — there was no material end to the ocean. For a mind as young as mine was, the idea of infinity was incomprehensible. As my infatuation with the ocean continued to grow, I finally understood that regardless of how far I travel, the horizon is unattainable because it’s not a physical limit. This idea is why the ocean captivates me — no matter how much you discover, there is always more to explore.

Learning about and exploring the ocean provided an escape from one reality into another; though we are on the same planet, it’s an entirely separate world. Through elementary and middle school, I devoted vast amounts of my free time to learning about simpler concepts like a dolphin’s ability to echolocate and coral reef ecosystems. I rented countless documentaries and constantly checked out books from my local library — my all-time favorite was an episode of the television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey titled “The Lost Worlds of Planet Earth.” This episode remained memorable because it was centered around the impacts of fossil fuels on marine animals; it was the first time I’d learned about the impending crisis we are faced with due to the human mistreatment of our planet.

Prior to viewing that episode, I relied on the ocean as an outlet — I fueled all of my emotions into studying marine organisms. Once I learned of its grave future, I delved into the world of environmental activism. This path was much more disheartening than studying echolocation — inevitable death due to climate change took a toll on my mental health. I attended two climate strikes in November of my sophomore year. Following the strikes, I joined Sunrise Movement Sacramento, a youth-led climate justice organization advocating for the Green New Deal. While analyzing legislation and organizing protests were significant takeaways from my experience with climate activism, they were not the most important. I became an organizer because of my love for the ocean and I remain an organizer because of my passion for dissolving the disproportionalities marginalized groups face due to the sacrificing of people’s livelihood for the sake of profit. The more I learned about our modern society, the more hopeless I grew that I could see any significant change within my lifetime.

However, this hopelessness comes in waves; every day, I remind myself of the moment I discovered the horizon. Or the moment I first dove into the beautiful waters of the Hawaiian coast and immediately was surrounded by breathtaking seas of magnificent creatures and coral gardens — life felt ethereal and beautiful. I remind myself that like the ocean, the vast majority of the universe has yet to be discovered; that distant border holds infinite opportunity to learn. In a universe as vast as ours, and life as rare as ours, individuals still choose to prioritize avarice over our planet. Despite this grave individualism, the ocean reminds me every day there is hope in the fight for a better world. Though I will never discover every inch of the ocean’s floor, I will forever envision and reach for new horizons.

Sometimes the path to a great essay is taking something normal and using it to show admissions officers who you are and what you value—that is precisely this student’s approach! Finding the ocean fascinating is not unique to this student. Tons of kids (and adults, too!) are obsessed with the ocean. What this student does is take things a step further as they explain their curiosity about the ocean in relation to their pain about the destruction of the environment. This capacity for reflection is great!

This student shows a good control of language through their thematic centering on ocean and horizons that carries through their essay—with ”this hopelessness comes in waves” and “I will forever envision and reach for new horizons.” The details provided throughout are also effective at keeping readers engaged—things like “ my six-year-old self was heartbroken when I couldn’t take the thirty-dollar artificial shell from SeaWorld’s gift shop” and “ my all-time favorite was an episode of the television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey titled “The Lost Worlds of Planet Earth.”

The main weakness of this essay is the lack of reflection when the student discusses environmental activism. There’s reflection on the student’s connection to the ocean and horizons at the beginning and at the end, but when the student discusses activism, the tone shifts from focusing on their internal thoughts to their external actions. Remember, a lot of students write about environmental activism, but not a lot of students write about an emotional connection to the ocean as an impetus for environmental activism. This student would stand out more to admissions officers if they had dug into questions of what the ocean means to them (and says about them) in the paragraphs beginning “Learning about and exploring the ocean…” and “Prior to viewing that episode.”

Prompt #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.

Prompt #7, example #1.

Scalding hot water cascades over me, crashing to the ground in a familiar, soothing rhythm. Steam rises to the ceiling as dried sweat and soap suds swirl down the drain. The water hisses as it hits my skin, far above the safe temperature for a shower. The pressure is perfect on my tired muscles, easing the aches and bruises from a rough bout of sparring and the tension from a long, stressful day. The noise from my overactive mind dies away, fading into music, lyrics floating through my head. Black streaks stripe the inside of my left arm, remnants of the penned reminders of homework, money owed and forms due.

It lacks the same dynamism and controlled intensity of sparring on the mat at taekwondo or the warm tenderness of a tight hug from my father, but it’s still a cocoon of safety as the water washes away the day’s burdens. As long as the hot water is running, the rest of the world ceases to exist, shrinking to me, myself and I. The shower curtain closes me off from the hectic world spinning around me.

Much like the baths of Blanche DuBois, my hot showers are a means of cleansing and purifying (though I’m mostly just ridding myself of the germs from children at work sneezing on me). In the midst of a hot shower, there is no impending exam to study for, no newspaper deadline to meet, no paycheck to deposit. It is simply complete and utter peace, a safe haven. The steam clears my mind even as it clouds my mirror.

Creativity thrives in the tub, breathing life into tales of dragons and warrior princesses that evolve only in my head, never making their way to paper but appeasing the childlike dreamer and wannabe author in me all the same. That one calculus problem that has seemed unsolvable since second period clicks into place as I realize the obvious solution. The perfect concluding sentence to my literary analysis essay writes itself (causing me to abruptly end my shower in a mad dash to the computer before I forget it entirely).

Ever since I was old enough to start taking showers unaided, I began hogging all the hot water in the house, a source of great frustration to my parents. Many of my early showers were rudely cut short by an unholy banging on the bathroom door and an order to “stop wasting water and come eat dinner before it gets cold.” After a decade of trudging up the stairs every evening to put an end to my water-wasting, my parents finally gave in, leaving me to my (expensive) showers. I imagine someday, when paying the water bill is in my hands, my showers will be shorter, but today is not that day (nor, hopefully, will the next four years be that day).

Showers are better than any ibuprofen, the perfect panacea for life’s daily ailments. Headaches magically disappear as long as the water runs, though they typically return in full force afterward. The runny nose and itchy eyes courtesy of summertime allergies recede. Showers alleviate even the stomachache from a guacamole-induced lack of self-control.

Honestly though, the best part about a hot shower is neither its medicinal abilities nor its blissful temporary isolation or even the heavenly warmth seeped deep into my bones. The best part is that these little moments of pure, uninhibited contentedness are a daily occurrence. No matter how stressful the day, showers ensure I always have something to look forward to. They are small moments, true, but important nonetheless, because it is the little things in life that matter; the big moments are too rare, too fleeting to make anyone truly happy. Wherever I am in the world, whatever fate chooses to throw at me, I know I can always find my peace at the end of the day behind the shower curtain.

This essay is relatable yet personal! The writer makes themself supremely human through discussing the universal subject of showering. That being said, an essay about showering could easily turn boring while still being relatable. This writer keeps its relatable moments interesting and fun through vivid descriptions of common feelings including “causing me to abruptly end my shower in a mad dash to the computer before I forget it entirely” and “the stomachache from a guacamole-induced lack of self-control.”

While describing a universal feeling, this student also cleverly and intentionally mentions small facts about their life through simple phrases like “I’m mostly just ridding myself of the germs from children at work sneezing on me” and “the childlike dreamer and wannabe author in me.” To put it simply, though we are talking about a shower, we learn about so much more!

And, at the end, the student lets us know that that is exactly why they love showers. Showers are more than meets the eye! With this insightful and reflective ending (“the big moments are too rare, too fleeting to make anyone truly happy”), readers learn about this student’s capacity for reflection, which is an important capacity as you enter college.

The one major error that this writer commits is that of using a trite transition. The inclusion of “Honestly though” at the beginning of this student’s ending detracts from what they are trying to say and sticks out in their writing.

Prompt #7, Example #2

Steam whooshed from the pot as I unveiled my newest creation: duck-peppercorn-chestnut dumplings. The spicy, hearty aroma swirled into the kitchen, mingling with the smell of fresh dough. Grinning, I grabbed a plump dumpling with chopsticks, blew carefully, and fed it into the waiting mouth of my little sister. Her eyes widening, she vigorously nodded and held up five stubby fingers. I did a little happy dance in celebration and pulled my notebook out of my apron pocket. Duck-peppercorn-chestnut: five stars.

In my household, dumplings are a far cry from the classic pork and cabbage. Our menu boasts everything from the savory lamb-bamboo shoot-watercress to the sweet and crispy apple-cinnamon-date. A few years ago, my sister claimed she was sick of eating the same flavors over and over. Refusing to let her disavow our family staple, I took her complaint as a challenge to make the tastiest and most unconventional dumplings to satisfy her. With her as my taste tester and Mum in charge of dough, I spent months experimenting with dozens of odd ingredient combinations.

During those days spent covered in flour, my dumplings often reminded me of myself—a hybrid of ingredients that don’t usually go together. I am the product of three distinct worlds: the suburbs of Boston, the rural Chinese village of [location removed], and the coastal city of [location removed]. At school, I am both the STEM nerd with lightning-fast mental math and the artistic plant mom obsessed with funky earrings. I love all that is elegant, from Chinese calligraphy to the rolling notes of the Gourd flute, yet I can be very not elegant, like when my sister and I make homemade slime. When I’m on the streets, marching for women’s rights and climate action, I’m loud, bellowing from the bottom of my gut. In the painting studio, though, I don’t speak unless spoken to, and hours can slip by like minutes. I’m loud and quiet. Elegant and messy. Nerdy and artistic. Suburban, rustic, and metropolitan.

While I’m full of odd combinations, they are only seemingly contradictory. Just as barbeque pork and pineapple can combine beautifully in a dumpling wrapper, different facets of my identity also converge. After my tenth-grade summer, when I spent six weeks studying design at art school and another three researching the brain at Harvard Med, I began asking myself: What if I mixed art and neuroscience together? That fall, I collaborated with my school’s art museum for an independent research project, exploring two questions: How are aesthetic experiences processed in the brain? And how can neuroscience help museums design exhibits that maximize visitor engagement? I combed through studies with results from tightly controlled experiments, and I spent days gathering my own qualitative data by observing museum visitors and asking them questions. With the help of my artistic skills, I could identify the visual and spatial elements of the exhibits that best held visitors’ attention.

By synergizing two of the ingredients that make me who I am—art and neuroscience—I realized I shouldn’t see the different sides of myself as separate. I learned to instead seek the intersections between aspects of my identity. Since then, I have mixed art with activism to voice my opinions nonverbally, created Spotify playlists with both Chinese and western pop, and written flute compositions using music theory and math. In the future, by continuing to combine my interests, I want to find my niche in the world. I can make a positive impact on society without having to choose just one passion. As of now, my dream is to be a neuroscientist who designs art therapy treatments for mental health patients. Who knows though? Maybe my calling is to be a dim sum chef who teaches pottery on the side. I don’t know where I’ll go, but one thing’s for sure—being a standard pork and cabbage dumpling is definitely not my style.

This essay is outstanding because the student seems likable and authentic. With the first image of the student’s little sister vigorously nodding and holding up “five stubby fingers,” we find ourselves intrigued by the student’s daily life. They additionally show the importance of family, culture, and creativity in their life—these are great things to highlight in your essay!

After the introduction, the student uses their weird dumpling anecdote to transition to a discussion of their unique intersections. This is achieved smoothly because weirdness/uniqueness is the focus of both of these topics. Additionally, the comparison is not awkward because dumplings are used as more than just a transition, but rather are the through-line of the essay—the student weaves in little phrases like “Just as barbeque pork and pineapple can combine beautifully in a dumpling wrapper,” “By synergizing two of the ingredients that make me who I am,” and “being a standard pork and cabbage dumpling is definitely not my style.” This gives the essay its cohesive feel.

Authenticity comes through in this essay as the student recognizes that they don’t know what the future holds. They just know what kind of a person they are—a passionate one!

One change that would improve this student’s essay would be focusing on fewer intersections in their third and last paragraph. The student mentions STEM, music, family activities, activism, and painting, which makes it feel like a distraction in middle of the essay. Focus on the most important things you want to show admissions officers—you can sit at intersections, but you can’t be interested in everything.

Prompt #7, Example #3

“Everyone follow me!” I smiled at five wide-eyed skaters before pushing off into a spiral. I glanced behind me hopefully, only to see my students standing frozen like statues, the fear in their eyes as clear as the ice they swayed on. “Come on!” I said encouragingly, but the only response I elicited was the slow shake of their heads. My first day as a Learn-to-Skate coach was not going as planned.

But amid my frustration, I was struck by how much my students reminded me of myself as a young skater. At seven, I had been fascinated by Olympic performers who executed thrilling high jumps and dizzying spins with apparent ease, and I dreamed to one day do the same. My first few months on skates, however, sent these hopes crashing down: my attempts at slaloms and toe-loops were shadowed by a stubborn fear of falling, which even the helmet, elbow pads, and two pairs of mittens I had armed myself with couldn’t mitigate. Nonetheless, my coach remained unfailingly optimistic, motivating me through my worst spills and teaching me to find opportunities in failures. With his encouragement, I learned to push aside my fears and attack each jump with calm and confidence; it’s the hope that I can help others do the same that now inspires me to coach.

I remember the day a frustrated staff member directed Oliver, a particularly hesitant young skater, toward me, hoping that my patience and steady encouragement might help him improve. Having stood in Oliver’s skates not much earlier myself, I completely empathized with his worries but also saw within him the potential to overcome his fears and succeed.

To alleviate his anxiety, I held Oliver’s hand as we inched around the rink, cheering him on at every turn. I soon found though, that this only increased his fear of gliding on his own, so I changed my approach, making lessons as exciting as possible in hopes that he would catch the skating bug and take off. In the weeks that followed, we held relay races, played “freeze-skate” and “ice-potato”, and raced through obstacle courses; gradually, with each slip and subsequent success, his fear began to abate. I watched Oliver’s eyes widen in excitement with every skill he learned, and not long after, he earned his first skating badge. Together we celebrated this milestone, his ecstasy fueling my excitement and his pride mirroring my own. At that moment, I was both teacher and student, his progress instilling in me the importance of patience and a positive attitude.

It’s been more than ten years since I bundled up and stepped onto the ice for the first time. Since then, my tolerance for the cold has remained stubbornly low, but the rest of me has certainly changed. In sharing my passion for skating, I have found a wonderful community of eager athletes, loving parents, and dedicated coaches from whom I have learned invaluable lessons and wisdom. My fellow staffers have been with me, both as friends and colleagues, and the relationships I’ve formed have given me far more poise, confidence, and appreciation for others. Likewise, my relationships with parents have given me an even greater gratitude for the role they play: no one goes to the rink without a parent behind the wheel!

Since that first lesson, I have mentored dozens of children, and over the years, witnessed tentative steps transform into powerful glides and tears give way to delighted grins. What I have shared with my students has been among the greatest joys of my life, something I will cherish forever. It’s funny: when I began skating, what pushed me through the early morning practices was the prospect of winning an Olympic medal. Now, what excites me is the chance to work with my students, to help them grow, and to give back to the sport that has brought me so much happiness.

A major strength of this essay comes in its narrative organization. When reading this first paragraph, we feel for the young skaters and understand their fear—skating sounds scary! Then, because the writer sets us up to feel this empathy, the transition to the second paragraph where the student describes their empathy for the young skaters is particularly powerful. It’s like we are all in it together! The student’s empathy for the young skaters also serves as an outstanding, seamless transition to the applicant discussing their personal journey with skating: “I was struck by how much my students reminded me of myself as a young skater.”

This essay positions the applicant as a grounded and caring individual. They are caring towards the young skaters—changing their teaching style to try to help the young skaters and feeling the young skaters’ emotions with them—but they are also appreciative to those who helped them as they reference their fellow staffers and parents. This shows great maturity—a favorable quality in the eyes of an admissions officer.

At the end of the essay, we know a lot about this student and are convinced that they would be a good addition to a college campus!

Prompt #7, Example #4

Flipping past dozens of colorful entries in my journal, I arrive at the final blank sheet. I press my pen lightly to the page, barely scratching its surface to create a series of loops stringing together into sentences. Emotions spill out, and with their release, I feel lightness in my chest. The stream of thoughts slows as I reach the bottom of the page, and I gently close the cover of the worn book: another journal finished.

I add the journal to the stack of eleven books on my nightstand. Struck by the bittersweet sensation of closing a chapter of my life, I grab the notebook at the bottom of the pile to reminisce.

“I want to make a flying mushen to fly in space and your in it” – October 2008

Pulling back the cover of my first Tinkerbell-themed diary, the prompt “My Hopes and Dreams” captures my attention. Though “machine” is misspelled in my scribbled response, I see the beginnings of my past obsession with outer space. At the age of five, I tore through novels about the solar system, experimented with rockets built from plastic straws, and rented Space Shuttle films from Blockbuster to satisfy my curiosities. While I chased down answers to questions as limitless as the universe, I fell in love with learning. Eight journals later, the same relentless curiosity brought me to an airplane descending on San Francisco Bay.

“I wish I had infinite sunsets” – July 2019

I reach for the charcoal notepad near the top of the pile and open to the first page: my flight to the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. While I was excited to explore bioengineering, anxiety twisted in my stomach as I imagined my destination, unsure of whether I could overcome my shyness and connect with others.

With each new conversation, the sweat on my palms became less noticeable, and I met students from 23 different countries. Many of the moments where I challenged myself socially revolved around the third story deck of the Jerry house. A strange medley of English, Arabic, and Mandarin filled the summer air as my friends and I gathered there every evening, and dialogues at sunset soon became moments of bliss. In our conversations about cultural differences, the possibility of an afterlife, and the plausibility of far-fetched conspiracy theories, I learned to voice my opinion. As I was introduced to different viewpoints, these moments challenged my understanding of the world around me. In my final entries from California, I find excitement to learn from others and increased confidence, a tool that would later allow me to impact my community.

“The beauty in a tower of cans” – June 2020

Returning my gaze to the stack of journals, I stretch to take the floral-patterned book sitting on top. I flip through, eventually finding the beginnings of the organization I created during the outbreak of COVID-19. Since then, Door-to-Door Deliveries has woven its way through my entries and into reality, allowing me to aid high-risk populations through free grocery delivery.

With the confidence I gained the summer before, I took action when seeing others in need rather than letting my shyness hold me back. I reached out to local churches and senior centers to spread word of our services and interacted with customers through our website and social media pages. To further expand our impact, we held two food drives, and I mustered the courage to ask for donations door-to-door. In a tower of canned donations, I saw the value of reaching out to help others and realized my own potential to impact the world around me.

I delicately close the journal in my hands, smiling softly as the memories reappear, one after another. Reaching under my bed, I pull out a fresh notebook and open to its first sheet. I lightly press my pen to the page, “And so begins the next chapter…”

The structuring of this essay makes it easy and enjoyable to read. The student effectively organizes their various life experiences around their tower of journals, which centers the reader and makes the different stories easy to follow. Additionally, the student engages quotes from their journals—and unique formatting of the quotes—to signal that they are moving in time and show us which memory we should follow them to.

Thematically, the student uses the idea of shyness to connect the different memories they draw out of their journals. As the student describes their experiences overcoming shyness at the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes and Door-to-Door Deliveries, this essay can be read as an Overcoming Obstacles essay.

At the end of this essay, readers are fully convinced that this student is dedicated (they have committed to journaling every day), thoughtful (journaling is a thoughtful process and, in the essay, the student reflects thoughtfully on the past), and motivated (they flew across the country for a summer program and started a business). These are definitely qualities admissions officers are looking for in applicants!

Prompt #7, Example #5

“We’re ready for take-off!”

The tires hit the tarmac and began to accelerate, and I just realized what I had signed up for. For 24 hours straight, I strapped myself into a broken-down SUV whereas others chose the luxury of soaring through the skies for a mere two hours. Especially with my motion sickness and driving anxiety, I would call myself crazy too.

To say I have always remained in my comfort zone is an understatement. Did I always order chicken fingers and fries at a restaurant? Yup! Sounds like me. Did I always create a color-coded itinerary just for a day trip? Guilty as charged. Did I always carry a first-aid kit at all times? Of course! I would make even an ambulance look unprepared. And yet here I was, choosing 1,000 miles of misery from Las Vegas to Seattle despite every bone in my body telling me not to.

The sunlight blinded my eyes and a wave of nausea swept over me. Was it too late to say I forgot my calculator? It was only ten minutes in, and I was certain that the trip was going to be a disaster. I simply hoped that our pre-drive prayer was not stuck in God’s voicemail box.

All of a sudden, I noticed brightly colored rocks in the distance, ones I had been dying to see for years. Their fluorescence popped amongst the magnificent winding hills as the sunset became romantic in hue. The desert glistened with mirages of deep blue water unlike anything I had ever seen. Nevada was home, but home always seemed to be just desert and casinos. For once, I looked forward to endless desert outside my window rather than a sea of clouds.

I never realized how little I discovered of the world beyond home. For years I complained about how there was nothing to do or discover outside. Not once did I set out to prove myself wrong. Instead, I chose a daily routine of homework at the kitchen table and late-night TV. However, as summer vacation ended, I decided to set my stubbornness aside and finally give this drive back home a chance. Little did I know that it would turn out to be my favorite trip of all time.

As we drove along, the world chose to prove me wrong when I discovered Heaven on Earth along Shasta Lake. I stood out of the sunroof, surrounded by lush green mountains and fog. I extended my arms out and felt a sense of flight that no plane could ever take me on. As the water vapor kissed my face, I floated into a dreamland I never wanted to leave. I didn’t have to go to great lengths to discover the beauty of the world; it was right in front of me. From this moment on, comfort and convenience would no longer be my best friends. Rather than only looking for famous travel destinations or following carefully mapped-out routes, I would let curiosity lead the way.

Since then, my daily life has been anything but routine. I’m proud to boast of my family’s homemade kombucha attempts, of flights purchased and taken in one day, and of a home flooded with knick-knacks from thrifting trips. Every day I set out to try something new, see a different perspective, and go beyond normal. Whether it is by trying a new recipe using taro, making a risky fashion choice with wide-legged pants, or listening to a new music genre in Spanish, I always act with curiosity first.

Over the years, I have devoted my time towards learning Swedish, building computers, and swimming. Although my accent is horrid, some computers almost broke, and even a starfish would outswim me, I continue to enjoy activities I once criticized. For me, there is no enjoyment without some risk. Nobody I know is a kazoo-playing, boogie-board loving, boba connoisseur like me.

This essay is an Overcoming Challenges story that centers around a single anecdote. The structure works nicely as the student describes what they were like before their road trip, what happened on the road trip, and what they were like after.

The most major improvement that this essay needs is better-communicated authenticity. At the beginning, it feels a bit gimmicky. The student describes their preparedness, particularly the fact that they always carry a first aid kit, and it’s not super believable. Then, when they write “Was it too late to say I forgot my calculator?” it feels like we are in a sitcom and the student is that funny obsessive kid. Sitcom characters don’t feel real and you want to make yourself appear profoundly real.

On a similar note, the narrative arc of this essay isn’t entirely believable. The student describes a large personality and value shift but doesn’t describe any struggles that accompany the shift. A quick shift like that is far from easy. On the other hand, if the immediacy of the shift was easy, they could write about moments after their shift in mindset when they have felt troubled by residual desires to stay in their comfort zone, instead of writing “I always act with curiosity first.”

The greatest strength of this essay is the paragraphs beginning “I never realized how little…” and “As we drove along…” The fixation on comfort seems much more believable when it involves “homework at the kitchen table and late-night TV.” The descriptions of the drive provide beautiful, evocative imagery. And it’s topped off with some nice reflection! Digging into this great portion of the essay would make this an even stronger essay!

Want to see more examples? Check out this post with 16 strong essay examples from top schools , including common supplemental essay questions.

At selective schools, your essays account for around 25% of your admissions decision. That’s more than grades (20%) and test scores (15%), and almost as much as extracurriculars (30%). Why is this? Most students applying to top schools will have stellar academics and extracurriculars. Your essays are your chance to stand out and humanize your application.

That’s why it’s vital that your essays are engaging, and present you as someone who would enrich the campus community.

Before submitting your application, you should have someone else review your essays. It’s even better if that person doesn’t know you personally, as they can best tell whether your personality shines through your essay.

That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Turning a High School Internship Into a College Essay

If high school seniors haven’t started thinking about their college essays, it’s time.

“The worst thing to do is to put this off. So much of it is about reflecting and experimenting,” says Joie Jager-Hyman, founder of College Prep 360 and author of the new book B+ Grades, A+ College Application . “Look at this as a process. Don’t be too connected to one idea. Write down a couple of things before school starts and be willing to talk with a counselor or friend.”

One of those ideas might be to write about a summer internship or job. But if that’s what they choose, experts encourage students not to make it too generic.

“Essays that focus on a specific aspect of the internship—a memorable moment, a lesson learned, an ethical dilemma—are often more interesting than those that take a wider view,” says Sally Rubenstone, senior advisor for CollegeConfidential.com and co-author of Panicked Parents’ Guide to College Admissions .

Broad narratives about a summer experience tend to sound superficial and cliche, she says. Instead, describe an incident, even something as quirky as a long battle with a copy machine. “It can actually say a lot about how a student perseveres and thinks and may also add that dose of human that most college-admissions officials long to find,” says Rubenstone.

It’s good for students to think about a turning point or specific nugget from the internship experience, says Jager-Hyman. For instance, if a student wants to highlight his or her problem-solving skills, describe a problem encountered on the internship. Then, connect the solution to what’s learned in school and explain a goal realized as a result.

“It could even be a mistake you made. Few take that approach,” says Jager-Hyman, who has worked as a college-admissions officer. “You want to present yourself in a positive light, but it makes you human and shows you being self aware.”

Since the internship will be listed elsewhere on the application, only include it in an essay if you will be adding new information that tells the college something more about you, says Jager-Hyman. If the internship wasn’t a particularly meaningful experience, don’t feel compelled to write about it in an essay, she adds.

And remember, the essay is just a portion of your overall application.

“No one ever got into college with a good essay,” says Jager-Hyman. “It’s not an essay contest.” But it is often read before the transcript, and a good essay might make an admissions officer feel more generous when looking at a few not-so-perfect grades. “Essays definitely help, if you are a qualified student,” but not if you don’t have the grades and test scores needed, she adds.

This month, the new Common Application rolled out offering students different essay prompts (with no “topic of your choice” option) and limiting submissions to 500 words.

Megan Dorsey, a college consultant and founder of College Prep Results in Houston, says some of the new Common App topics, such as describing a challenge or learning experience, could work for students who want to write about a summer internship or job.

After describing the lesson learned on an internship, Dorsey says it’s important for students to then explain the changed perspective and next step taken. She tells student to think about: “What have I done as a result of the experience?”

The essay is a chance for students to tell their individual stories and try to stand out from the rest of the crowd. “An essay gives the student an opportunity to explain something that may not come across in the paperwork the college already has,” says Dorsey. So, if the internship provides a window into something unique, using it as a topic can work. She says not to emphasize the name of the firm, but rather the experience and the hands-on work.

“It’s experience over the name,” she says.

A version of this news article first appeared in the College Bound blog.

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My Intern Experience: A Reflection

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Setting the Stage: The Beginning of My Internship

The Learning Curve: Acquiring Knowledge and Skills

Personal growth and career insights, conclusion: the impact of my internship.

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The Importance of Internships in College

Reviewed and edited by Tyson Schritter : 28 March, 2024

During college, immersive internships in your field of study are essential to successful outcomes after graduation. Classroom environments may involve you with discussion, debate, peer interaction, and shared learning experiences. but it’s important to seek opportunities for you to apply and develop the academic concepts you’re learning in a professional setting as well.

Learning, growing, and most importantly, preparing for life and a career , is what college is all about. Here are a few reasons why college internships are so vital to aid in your career readiness, such as an internship at The Box Tiger Music !

Career Development

Generally, an internship is a task-specific exchange of service for experience between a student and a business. Within internships, classroom concepts suddenly become real tools of the trade as you interact and learn in a professional setting. Internship experiences are formal, formative, and foundational to your career.

Developing your knowledge of workplace collaboration, business etiquette, and strong communication tactics are among the vital “soft skills” that can only be learned on the job. In this way, internships in your area of study will build your résumé and teach you instrumental, career-developing qualities.

Character Growth

Not only do internships help develop your professionalism, but they also encourage character growth. Many employers even value personal qualities over professional knowledge when it comes to employment.

Characteristics like integrity, commitment, and self-motivation are several traits that are learned through an internship. In an article by Chris Myers, a contributing writer for Forbes , he recounts his own experience as an intern as well as the ways it shaped his character.

Over the course of his experience, he found a mentor who helped him learn to be humble and indispensable to his employers. These lessons remained with him even as he grew and became a business owner with his own interns. When you leave school, employers will want college graduates with more than just knowledge; they’ll want those who possess the individual qualities needed to get the job done well.

Sharpening one’s competence is a major benefit of an internship, but building character in the workplace is an equally great advantage. Internships are the perfect place to learn, test your skills, and grow personally, so you can step out and apply what you know to the real world.

A Door to Opportunity

Internships are foundational in preparing students for the workforce and providing opportunities after graduation. Most employers seek career-ready college graduates who have been equipped with prior experiences and skills in a given field.

According to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers , the starting annual salary for college graduates who completed a paid internship and were employed in a private, for-profit company was $53,521, while those who did not complete an internship started with an average of $38,572.

The analysis also found that 72.2% percent of college graduates with internship experience received a job offer in contrast to only 36.5% for those who did not complete one.

Real-Life Application

At Grace College in Winona Lake, IN, students complete 12 “field” credits as part of their “ Applied Learning ” requirement. These credits are earned through internships, job-shadowing, research fellowships, student teaching programs, and many more career-developing positions—all of which benefit students as they expand their professional portfolios.

Here are what several Grace students have said about the internship experiences they’ve been a part of and how those work opportunities validated what they’ve learned in the classroom.

“ I’ve always heard that internships are incredible learning opportunities, but didn’t realize how true that is until mine. The number-one thing I learned is that soft skills and integrity are the most important factors in business. ” — Joel Wesco (B.S. Accounting 2017), Audit and Tax Intern at Crowe Horwath LLP , in Indiana

“ I benefited greatly completing my bachelor’s and master’s while interning and learned so much about the medical device industry as well as hip and knee replacements. I’m excited to continue in my new role (with the company I interned for) and am thankful for my internship. It helped me get my foot in the door and land my full-time position after graduation, I believe. ”

— Cody Sprague (B.S. Biology 2017, M.S. Orthopaedic Regulatory and Clinical Affairs 2017),

Paid Intern in Clinical Affairs at Zimmer Biomet in Warsaw, IN

“ I grew not only in my business skills, but also as a young professional, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn from such a talented team in the marketing and networking field. ” — Gabrielle Lawrence (B.S. Marketing 2017), Marketing Intern at Hello Events in Nashville, TN

Deliberative preparation for a rewarding career is a must. Internships are beneficial because they help develop your professional aptitude, strengthen personal character, and provide a greater door to opportunity. By investing in internships, you’ll give yourself the broadest spectrum of opportunity when seeking and applying for a job after college.

Grace College is an evangelical Christian institution in Winona Lake, Indiana. Grace prepares students by providing them a strong foundation in the liberal arts as well as the biblical values that promote service, compassion, and integrity.

Today, Grace offers more than 70 undergraduate degrees in both traditional four-year and accelerated three-year degree formats. Grace also offers on-campus and online graduate degrees, associate degrees, and a bachelor’s degree completion program.

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Do you feel the need to check out some previously written College Essays on Internship before you get down to writing an own piece? In this free catalog of Internship College Essay examples, you are provided with a thrilling opportunity to examine meaningful topics, content structuring techniques, text flow, formatting styles, and other academically acclaimed writing practices. Exploiting them while composing your own Internship College Essay will surely allow you to finalize the piece faster.

Presenting high-quality samples isn't the only way our free essays service can aid students in their writing ventures – our authors can also create from scratch a fully customized College Essay on Internship that would make a solid basis for your own academic work.

Good Internship Essay Example

Financial advisors essay samples.

In my internship working with a financial advisor, I have had the chance to apply some of the theoretical knowledge gained in class. Like in most other professions, many challenges abound in this career. In this write-up, I analyze how my internship profession is represented in a news article entitled “Millionaires Lose Sheen for Financial Advisers”, which was published by “The Economic Times” on 22 November 2013. The article does not offer encouraging news for those going into the profession of financial planning.

General Information Regarding My Internship Essays Examples

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Sample Essay On General Information Regarding My Internship Activities

Internship Journal

Academic Integrity And Professionalism Essays Example

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This paper gives a collection of emails that ware used to communicate specific dispute position between the sender and the recipient. The emails detail the specific situation and request a change in those positions.

Second, Read The Entire Ccl Welcome Packet Which Includes Selections From The Successful Essay Samples

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Internship report.

This report covers my internship period at Fastenal Distribution Center. In this organization, I was given the role of being an assistant manager. The time proved to be very informative both academically and professionally. I was able to learn a myriad of skills that could not be learned in the classroom settings. The period was a platform upon which I was able to know about my strengths as a future management professional while also shedding light on the aspects I should work on to be a better manager in the future.

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References .14

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How to Write an Internship Application Essay Step by Step

Securing an internship in the competitive field of nursing can be a pivotal step towards your dream career. However, to stand out in a sea of applicants, you need to present a compelling internship application essay. This essay serves as your opportunity to showcase your passion, skills, and dedication to the field. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss how to write an internship application essay for nursing students. From structuring your essay to nailing the content, we’ve got you covered.

What You'll Learn

I. Understand the Purpose of the Internship Essay

Before you dive into writing, it’s crucial to understand the purpose of the internship application essay. This essay is your chance to convey to the selection committee why you are a suitable candidate for the internship position . It should highlight your qualifications, aspirations, and the specific contributions you can make to the institution. Keep in mind that your essay is your voice, so make it compelling and unique.

II. Research the Institution

To write a standout internship application essay, it’s essential to thoroughly research the institution where you’re applying. Start by visiting the institution’s website, reading about their mission and values, and exploring any specific programs or initiatives they are known for. This knowledge will enable you to tailor your essay to align with their goals, making it clear that you are genuinely interested in joining their team.

III. The Structure of the Internship Application Essay

Introduction: Begin your essay with a captivating opening that grabs the reader’s attention. State your purpose for applying and briefly introduce yourself. Highlight your enthusiasm for nursing and the internship opportunity.
Personal Background: Share relevant details about your academic background , any prior healthcare experience, and your motivation to become a nurse. Be concise and focus on aspects that directly relate to your qualifications for the internship.
Why This Institution: Explain why you are drawn to the specific institution and how it aligns with your nursing career goals. Mention any unique qualities or programs that resonate with your aspirations.
Skills and Abilities: This section is your chance to showcase your nursing-related skills and attributes. Discuss your clinical skills, technical knowledge, and interpersonal skills that make you an excellent candidate for the internship.
Experiences and Achievements: Describe your past experiences, internships, or academic achievements that highlight your dedication to the field of nursing. Provide examples of challenges you’ve overcome and how these experiences have prepared you for this internship.
Professional Goals : Share your long-term career goals and how this internship will help you achieve them. Discuss how your objectives align with the institution’s mission and values.
Conclusion: Summarize the key points of your essay, emphasizing your passion for nursing and your readiness to contribute to the institution. End with a strong closing statement that leaves a lasting impression.

A well-structured essay is easier to follow and more appealing to the reader. Here’s a breakdown of the essential elements to include:

IV. Dos and Don’ts for Writing the Content

When it comes to the content of your internship application essay, there are some essential dos and don’ts to keep in mind:

Be Authentic: Be yourself and let your genuine passion for nursing shine through. Avoid using clichés or overly formal language.
Be Specific: Provide concrete examples and specific details to support your claims. Show, don’t tell.
Proofread: Carefully proofread your essay to eliminate grammatical errors and typos. Consider seeking feedback from professors or peers.
Highlight Relevant Experiences: Focus on experiences and skills that directly relate to nursing and the internship position.
Address Any Weaknesses: If you have any gaps or weaknesses in your application, such as lower grades in certain courses, address them honestly and explain how you’ve worked to overcome them.

Don’ts:

Plagiarize: Never copy content from other sources. Originality is key, and plagiarism can lead to rejection.
Exaggerate: Be truthful in your essay. Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments or experiences.
Ramble: Keep your essay concise and on-topic. Avoid unnecessary details or unrelated anecdotes.
Disregard Guidelines: Follow any word limits and formatting guidelines provided by the institution. Failure to do so may result in your essay being disregarded.

Your internship application essay plays a vital role in determining whether you secure the opportunity you desire. By understanding the purpose of the essay, researching the institution, structuring your content effectively, and following the dos and don’ts, you can craft a compelling essay that stands out.

If you find the task of writing an internship application essay daunting, or if you’re seeking to improve your chances of success, consider our professional writing services. Our team of experienced writers can assist you in creating a powerful and persuasive internship application essay that reflects your unique qualities and aspirations. Contact us today to take the next step toward your dream nursing internship. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to shine in a competitive field—let us help you make your application truly outstanding.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do you start an internship essay? To begin an internship essay, start with a captivating introduction that clearly states your purpose for applying, and briefly introduce yourself. Engage the reader by expressing your enthusiasm for the internship opportunity.
How do I write an internship application form? To complete an internship application form, carefully read and follow the instructions provided. Be thorough and accurate when filling in personal and academic details, and provide comprehensive responses to any essay questions or prompts.
How do you write a good personal statement for an internship? To craft an effective personal statement for an internship, focus on your unique qualities, skills, and experiences that make you a suitable candidate. Be concise, specific, and show how your background aligns with the internship’s goals.
How do you start an internship statement of purpose? To initiate an internship statement of purpose, open with a strong and engaging introduction. Clearly state your objectives, discuss your aspirations, and express your dedication to the field or institution you’re applying to.

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Essays That Worked

The essays are a place to show us who you are and who you’ll be in our community.

It’s a chance to add depth to something that is important to you and tell the admissions committee more about your background or goals. Below you’ll find selected examples of essays that “worked,” as nominated by our admissions committee. In each of these essays, students were able to share stories from their everyday lives to reveal something about their character, values, and life that aligned with the culture and values at Hopkins.

Read essays that worked from Transfer applicants .

Hear from the class of 2028.

These selections represent just a few examples of essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. We hope these essays inspire you as you prepare to compose your own personal statements. The most important thing to remember is to be original as you share your own story, thoughts, and ideas with us.

The Art of Imperfection

In this essay, Stella dives into her journey in the art world and the challenges that came with it.

Finding Purpose in Trivial Projects

Anjali uses her essay to share her experiences with making miniatures. We see how this passion influences everything she does.

Korean Sticky Notes

Nancy’s essay details the responsibilities she had at a young age and her resulting spirit of exploration.

Being the Handyman

Sarah chronicles her experience as her household “handyman” and the versatility of skills she acquired over the years.

To Stand Out or Fit In

Caroline’s essay focuses on their experiences developing and accepting their identity. We see how Caroline navigates the challenge of being themself while also trying to fit in with their peers.

A Growing World

Calla highlights her early wonder by dreaming of future expeditions and playing them out in her backyard. As Calla grows, so does her curiosity and ambition.

More essays that worked

We share essays from previously admitted students—along with feedback from our admissions committee—so you can understand what made them effective and how to start crafting your own.

Application Workshops

Our interactive workshops—on topics like the college search process and essay preparation—will help you build your strongest application when you’re ready to apply.

Application tips in your inbox

Join our mailing list to receive insights from our admissions committee, event invites, and other resources for your college journey.

Hopkins is coming to you

We're hitting the road! Join our admissions counselors at an information session hosted in a city near you.

Quick Links:

Majors, Minors & Programs
Application Deadlines & Requirements
College Planning Guide

The Importance of an Internship on Your College Application

Internships

How an Internship Can Improve Your Gap Year – Even During a Pandemic

As you begin the college application process, keep in mind the benefits of adding a high school internship to the Activities section on the Common App. With 150 characters of space to fill, describing a meaningful internship experience will enhance your application. A high school internship not only provides you with real-world experience, but it also gives you the knowledge you need to decide the college (and major) that best suits you. Including a quality internship on your college application demonstrates that you are a dedicated student who takes education seriously – an asset to any college or university!

It’s no secret that college admissions have become more competitive than ever. So how do you set yourself apart from the competition? Having a 4.0 GPA and a course schedule filled with AP classes is not enough. Community involvement, philanthropy, extracurricular activities and – you guessed it – a high school internship can bring your application to the next level and help secure admission to the college of your choice.

InternWorks offers high school juniors, seniors, and college students the opportunity to intern both virtually and on site with vetted mentors. Our programs give you a customized internship that is aligned with your academic interests, skills, and aspirations. Is writing your thing? A journalism internship might be the perfect fit. Are you interested in using your social media skills? A marketing internship can teach you how that works in a professional setting. Is science your passion? You could study specimens in a lab or analyze geographical features in a national park system. The flexibility of our programs allows you to intern during the summer in one of our Summer60 programs or during the school year a few hours per week for 10-12 weeks. Unsure how you’ll fit in to a professional setting? We have it covered by teaching and coaching you in career-readiness skills. By the time you’re finished with the internship, you’ll be interviewing like a pro. So why not get a glimpse of a possible career? Not only will an internship help you decide what you might do someday in your career, but it will also give you a competitive advantage on your college application.

How to Excel in a Remote Internship — 4 Tips to Keep in Mind

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LaVie Saad: My College Application Process

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Last year, LaVie Saad graduated high school and survived a tough college application season. But that doesn’t mean she got through unscathed. YR Media brings her Perspective.

Since eighth grade, most of my concerns were college-related. From internships to tutoring to Advanced Placement classes, I worked myself to the bone to achieve my goal: acceptance into a top college. For all those years, it was the only thing on my mind — and the only thing that mattered to me.

The college application process is finally over for me. While I don’t regret much, there are a few things I wish I did differently.

My parents, especially my mom, thought that I was pushing myself way too hard. She was especially concerned by how sick I was throughout high school. It felt like I was constantly dealing with a sore throat or stuffy nose.

Looking back, I think my parents were right. Even though I’m glad I put in the work, I should’ve taken better care of my health. Maybe if I prioritized myself a little more, I wouldn’t have developed a poor snacking habit that ruined my skin sophomore year. I might’ve also avoided years worth of terrible sleep deprivation, which also contributed to my poor immune system.

And most of all, I wish I didn’t stress so much after college apps were submitted. Those extra worries didn’t impact my admission results in the slightest; all the overthinking, the frantic phone calls made to friends, and the agony from not knowing were definitely not necessary.

Part of me wonders why I only realized all of this now that high school is over. But everything I was doing — overworking myself and adopting unhealthy habits along the way — was expected of me. My friends were encouraged to do the same. But pushing ourselves to our limits shouldn’t be the standard just to get into college.

Now I know I’ll need to find a better balance. I’m already working really hard in college. But I’m trying to be more mindful of what I put on my plate and really listen to my body. After all, it’s impossible to be truly successful without taking care of yourself.

With a Perspective, I’m LaVie Saad.

LaVie Saad is 17 years old and a student at Stanford. Her Perspective was produced by YR Media.

College Study Abroad
Study Abroad Programs

Summer Global Internship

New for Summer 2025!

Jun 16 - Aug 9, 2025

6 semester hours

9 quarter hours

Eligibility

2.5 Overall GPA

Application Deadline

Request Information

Spend your summer gaining valuable real-world work experience and broadening your global perspective with an internship in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city and cultural hub. In Auckland, you’ll immerse yourself in New Zealand's innovative, creative, and balanced work culture while exploring internship opportunities tailored to your professional goals through CIEE. Internship placements span various sectors, including the environment, media, technology, tourism, business, and more. Outside your work hours, spend your free time learning about New Zealand’s rich Māori culture and exploring Auckland’s stunning natural landscapes.

Auckland's multicultural community is the perfect setting to develop cross-cultural skills, hone your hard and soft skills, and discover how the city’s natural wonders inspire environmental appreciation. International interns in Auckland will make lasting global connections with peers and industry partners and experience the kind of personal growth that lasts a lifetime.

While internships are competitive, CIEE will help you navigate the interview process to set you up for success. Our staff will offer constructive resume revisions, provide you with the tools to succeed in your interview, and ensure you are placed with the right opportunity. We have your back every step of the way!

Unique Experiences

Take a ferry to waiheke island.

and explore its beautiful beaches, vineyards, and art galleries

Participate in a guided tour of Ōrākei Marae

where you can learn about Māori traditional customs, arts, and performances

Walk on a volcano

like Rangitoto or Mount Eden, where you can see panoramic views of Auckland's cityscape

ISLANDS SURROUND AUCKLAND HARBOR

PARKS IN AUCKLAND

TECH STARTUPS IN AUCKLAND

auckland sky tower view from city streets

Your Destination

Auckland is celebrated for its captivating fusion of metropolitan charm and stunning natural landscapes. This vibrant city is a true urban oasis, offering a variety of attractions that cater to diverse interests and tastes.

From the iconic Sky Tower and the picturesque Auckland Waterfront to the vibrant neighborhoods of Ponsonby and Parnell and the scenic views from Mount Eden, visitors and residents alike are constantly surrounded by nature's splendor.

Auckland's multicultural vibe is another of its defining features, contributing to the city's rich and diverse atmosphere. As a melting pot of cultures, Auckland is home to a vibrant community of people from all over the world. This diversity is reflected in the city's food, festivals, and cultural events, where residents and visitors can experience a wide array of traditions and cuisines. Integral to Auckland's identity is the strong influence of Māori culture. Visitors can experience traditional Māori performances, visit marae (meeting grounds), and learn about the rich heritage of the tangata whenua (people of the land). This multicultural environment fosters an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere, making Auckland a truly cosmopolitan city.

When you intern abroad in Auckland during America’s summer season, it will be winter in New Zealand, but mild temperatures provide excellent opportunities for cultural immersion and outdoor adventures, shaping students to become well-rounded and globally-minded individuals.

The Culture

Excursions & Activities

Learn about New Zealand's cultural and natural history from Auckland Museum, where you will observe Māori artifacts, Pacific Island exhibits, and interactive displays
Explore Auckland's waterfront, where you can find restaurants, cafés, shops, entertainment options, and the iconic Auckland Harbour Bridge
Visit Piha Beach on Auckland's west coast, known for its black sand, rugged beauty, and excellent surfing conditions
Hike in the Waitakere Ranges, just to the west of Auckland, where you can walk through lush rainforests, discover picturesque waterfalls, and enjoy panoramic views of the coastline
Visit the Auckland Zoo, the first zoo in the world to be accredited as “carboNZeroCertTM” certified in 2013
Shop and eat out in Ponsonby neighborhood, known for its boutique shops, cafés, bars, and restaurants
Take a ferry to Devonport, a charming seaside village with Victorian architecture, boutique shops, cafés, and galleries; see views of Auckland from the top of Mount Victoria
Visit Middle earth, the Lord of the Ring’s Hobbiton, where fantasy became reality on screen

auckland two young men on laptops at long table

Professional Development

Maximize your potential with personalized resume tips and master the art of interviewing with guidance from our local staff for succeeding in your first contacts with your potential internship hosts
Learn outside of the classroom and work through site visits to corporations and small companies, participating in industry networking events, and expanding your knowledge through lectures by expert guest speakers
Embark on a transformative journey by joining our Academic Course, designed to equip you with the essential tools and skills needed for your exciting international work experience

Program Blogs

Australia vs. New Zealand Study Abroad: Which is Better for You?

You’ve decided to study abroad in the Oceania region. Congrats! You’ve taken the first big step in your study abroad journey. Next up? Choosing between Australia vs. New Zealand study... keep reading

Activities & Excursions
Planning/Packing
New Zealand

Study Abroad New Zealand: The Ultimate Guide

Known for its rich Māori culture, majestic mountains, pristine beaches, and top-ranked universities, New Zealand study abroad is a life-changing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. From its unparalleled natural beauty to its reputation... keep reading

Why Study Abroad in Auckland: Top 5 Reasons

Are you ready for a study abroad adventure that will change your life? Picture yourself strolling along pristine beaches, hiking through lush rainforests, and immersing yourself in a vibrant cultural... keep reading

Housing & Meals

CIEE Auckland offers diverse housing options to ensure you're comfortable in your home away from home. All our housing options are in neighborhoods with convenient access to public transportation, shops, cafés, and eateries.

Standard Housing: Includes a room at a shared apartment/residence hall or homestay.

A note: The default criterion to assign housing is first-come, first-served; however, other factors may also be considered. If we cannot accommodate your first housing choice, we'll let you know before you arrive.

Shared Apartment/Residence Hall: While meals are not included, students can prepare their own meals in the fully furnished kitchen, which includes utensils and cleaning supplies. Students can also explore the myriad restaurants in the areas surrounding the residence hall.

Homestay: Students who live with homestay families receive two meals daily (usually breakfast and dinner). The other meal and/or any snacks are on the student. Students can make use of the kitchen space at the homestay and families will provide a cabinet or storage area to store their food, ingredients, etc.

Housing options in Auckland include apartments, residence halls, and homestays.

Students in apartments and residence halls are not provided meals, but have access to a shared kitchen and a myriad of restaurants in the surrounding area. Students in homestays are provided two meals a day.

As a CIEE intern in Auckland, you’ll have access to work placements from a wide variety of industries where you will be assigned an unpaid position. Extracurricular cultural activities in and around Auckland complement your coursework and immerse you in the history and culture of the city and surrounding mountainous landscape.

This eight-week program includes a full-time internship and an integrated academic course.

Additional Requirements

Additional visa restrictions may apply and CIEE will advise students as part of the early application process. 

Please refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria .

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Requirements

Students participate in an academic course taught in a hybrid learning environment alongside the eight-week, full-time internship. Participation in the integrated academic course and internship are mandatory for all participants.

Program Credit

Total credit: 6 U.S. semester/9 quarter credits

Course Credit

Internship: 6 U.S. semester/9 quarter credits; 15 integrated academic course hours, 225-300 internship placement hours

Academic Culture

Students are expected to dress and behave professionally throughout their internship project and are subject to the agreed-upon internship protocols arranged by CIEE and the host organizations. The academic course is designed to prepare students for leadership in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse workforce.

Class Format

Students participate in an eight-week CIEE full-time internship and academic course taught in a hybrid learning environment. Class and/or work hours may be scheduled Monday-Friday, and attendance is strictly enforced for all. To avoid falling behind, students should not plan personal travel away from the city when classes are in session. 

Students will be assessed via assignments and activities related to the academic course, including but not limited to online discussion forums, reflective papers, individual or group presentations, analysis of readings, an internship work plan, and feedback from the internship supervisor. Internship supervisors and students each provide written evaluations of progress toward goals. 

Language of Instruction

English

Course Information

Summer session ii 2025.

Course INSH 3826 HYBR: Academic Internship in the Global Workplace Language English Semester Credit 6

Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment. "(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.

Discover Internship Opportunities

We're excited you're considering this program! Next, explore the types of internships you can choose from for an epic internship abroad with CIEE Study Abroad.

Explore Industry Options

These industries are representative of the sectors you'll choose from during your CIEE Study Abroad internship program.

Business Management and Administration

Study international business practices, multicultural leadership, and global market dynamics in Scotland, China, and more.

Browse Internship Opportunities

Explore internship placements available through this program to find the right fit for your academic and professional goals.

Disclaimer: Internship placements are subject to availability and host employer hiring discretion. Application and payment of CIEE fees does not guarantee specific placement. This internship listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party.

Scholarships & Grants

CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.

Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:

Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
CIEE STEM Scholarship
Trailblazer Grant

To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.

Learn more about scholarships

Dates & Fees

You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.


Summer 2025

To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300

Educational Costs = $4,450 *

Housing = $3,000 **

Insurance = $200

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Meals not included in program fee = $182 †

International Airfare = $1,500

Local Transportation = $290

Books & Supplies = $20

Visa Fees = $90

Personal expenses = $200 ††

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

* direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

** Housing fees listed are for financial aid purposes only and should not be considered a basis for calculation of refunds.

† For students in homestays, families provide 2 meals a day. For students in residence halls, you should budget approx. $375 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.

†† $100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries

What's Included

Pre-departure advising.

Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions

Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet

Orientation.

Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city

On-site Staff

Full-time program leadership and support in your city

Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities

Excursions and/or study tours, travel protection.

CIEE iNext travel protection

24/7 emergency on-site support

Regional Director of Operations South Pacific Rim

Thais is currently serving as the Center Director in Sydney and the Interim Center Director of Auckland and Melbourne

Dr. Lesley Turnbull

Academic director.

Dr. Turnbull holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Cornell University and has overseen a diverse array of academic programs in CIEE’s Pacific Rim region.

Maria Paz Montes Monsalve

Program coordinator.

María Paz Montes-Monsalve is an experienced professional in the international education field, with a background on translation and research.

Get Started

Utilize the internship search tool.

Search our catalog of internship opportunities to view the placements that align best with your academic and professional goals.

Start a Program Application

You're one step closer to an amazing internship abroad experience!

Connect With Your Campus Study Abroad Office

Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.

Contact CIEE

We're here to help! Email us if you have questions or need help applying to this program. Upon your acceptance, you'll speak with on-site CIEE staff about your internship goals. CIEE will reach out to companies that align with your goals, interests, and qualifications.

Auckland, New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Summer in Auckland

Study Program

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Internship Application Essay Example
Internship: Overview
170 Amazing Internship Essay Topics and Ideas
College Essay Format: Simple Steps to Be Followed
How to get an internship: [Essay Example], 751 words
Self-Introduction Essay

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College Courses to Boost your Research Skills!

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How to Write About Your Summer Internship in a College Essay
Tracking your growth over the course of your internship is the perfect first step to formulating a compelling and personal narrative for your college essay. 2. Pay Attention to Professional Conversations. Take note of how professionals who have already established a place for themselves in the workplace act when talking to other professionals.
Internship Essays: Samples & Topics
Essay Topics. An internship serves as a bridge between academic learning and real-world application. It allows you to put theory into practice, giving you a taste of what it's like to work in a specific field or industry. Through internships, you can explore different career paths, discover your strengths and interests, and make informed ...
Internship Essay: Example & Complete Writing Guide [2024]
Internship Essay: Example & Complete Writing Guide [2024] (27 votes) Writing an internship essay is a challenging task that plenty of people have to endure. It is essential for gaining useful experience and learning the ins and outs of a given industry. You have probably heard about the "Why do you want this internship?" essay.
How To Write an Essay About Internship Experience in 5 Steps
2. Discuss how you met your goals. Depending on your internship experience, the body of your essay should be one to three paragraphs. Start with a description of your goals and the projects or tasks you performed to achieve these goals. Your reflection should also cover how achieving your goals can support your academic or career development.
112 Internship Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
To help you get started, here are 112 internship essay topic ideas and examples that you can use as inspiration for your own application: Why I am passionate about [industry/field]. How my academic background has prepared me for this internship. My career goals and how this internship will help me achieve them.
27 Outstanding College Essay Examples From Top Universities 2024
This college essay tip is by Abigail McFee, Admissions Counselor for Tufts University and Tufts '17 graduate. 2. Write like a journalist. "Don't bury the lede!" The first few sentences must capture the reader's attention, provide a gist of the story, and give a sense of where the essay is heading.
How to Write an Essay for an Internship
Create a Thesis Statement. Conclude your first paragraph with a clear thesis statement. Your thesis will guide the rest of your essay, and should be narrowly focused to the internship you want. For example, your thesis might read, "My volunteer experience working with animals has helped me develop compassion and attention to detail, and an ...
102 Internship Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
Museum Improvement Project as an Internship Goal. The following goal will be important in the improvement project: To set up audiovisual and lighting requirements for the first three months of screening within the budgeted cost of AED 48,000 In the budget estimates, […] Museum Internship Goals: Budgeting and Policies.
21 Stellar Common App Essay Examples to Inspire Your College Essay
Common App Essay Examples. Here are the current Common App prompts. Click the links to jump to the examples for a specific prompt, or keep reading to review the examples for all the prompts. Prompt #1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without ...
Turning a High School Internship Into a College Essay
Since the internship will be listed elsewhere on the application, only include it in an essay if you will be adding new information that tells the college something more about you, says Jager-Hyman.
My Intern Experience: A Reflection Free Essay Example
My internship experience has been a transformative and eye-opening chapter of my life, offering valuable insights, personal growth, and a deeper understanding of my chosen field. In this reflective essay, I will share my journey, the lessons learned, and the impact this internship has had on my academic and career aspirations.
The Importance of Internships in College
The analysis also found that 72.2% percent of college graduates with internship experience received a job offer in contrast to only 36.5% for those who did not complete one. Real-Life Application. At Grace College in Winona Lake, IN, students complete 12 "field" credits as part of their "Applied Learning" requirement. These credits are ...
Internship College Essay Examples That Really Inspire
In this free catalog of Internship College Essay examples, you are provided with a thrilling opportunity to examine meaningful topics, content structuring techniques, text flow, formatting styles, and other academically acclaimed writing practices. Exploiting them while composing your own Internship College Essay will surely allow you to ...
How to Write an Internship Application Essay Step by Step
II. Research the Institution. To write a standout internship application essay, it's essential to thoroughly research the institution where you're applying. Start by visiting the institution's website, reading about their mission and values, and exploring any specific programs or initiatives they are known for.
A guide to internships for high school students
9. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program. The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an eight-week summer internship and mentoring program for high school students interested in fisheries and aquatic science. It specifically aims to increase opportunities among underrepresented groups in the fishery profession.
The importance of internships: How students & employers both reap the
4 ways employers benefit from offering internships for college students. It's also true that students aren't the only ones who benefit from the presence of internships. Employers will also encounter a number of unique advantages when they open their doors to soon-to-be graduates. "I have been an intern and I've employed interns ...
PDF Internship Application Essay Format
Give examples. III. Conclusion. Finish up with a brief conclusion, about three sentences, summing up why you want to be an intern and your hopes for being selected. Let the reader know that you appreciate the opportunity to apply to be an intern. IV Polishing your essay. 1. Reread your essay.
Essays That Worked
The essays are a place to show us who you are and who you'll be in our community. It's a chance to add depth to something that is important to you and tell the admissions committee more about your background or goals. Below you'll find selected examples of essays that "worked," as nominated by our admissions committee.
A Guide to Externships vs Internships
According to the results of the National Survey of College Internships (NSCI), 69% of internships were paid opportunities in 2023. Future employment opportunities. Since internships involve hands-on experience and active participation in tasks, they allow you to showcase your skills and work ethic directly to potential employers.
Applying to Internships: What style of writing do you use in your essays?
Get straight to the point. Again, it is not a college essay. Research about the organization and the internship and say why do you want to apply for the internship. If you do so, you will be able to fix your cover letter in a way that would show your fit with the company/organization. Look for what they want and try to summarize your ...
The Importance of an Internship on Your College Application
As you begin the college application process, keep in mind the benefits of adding a high school internship to the Activities section on the Common App. With 150 characters of space to fill, describing a meaningful internship experience will enhance your application. A high school internship not only provides you with real-world experience, but it also gives you the knowledge you need to decide ...
Summer Internships for High School Students: A How-To Guide
Attend city council meetings and write about them. Redecorate your sister's bedroom and put it in your design portfolio. Create a mood board, do before-and-after photos, the whole she-bang. Do a photography project on a topic that's important to you. See if a local coffee shop will let you hang your photos there.
LaVie Saad: My College Application Process
Last year, LaVie Saad graduated high school and survived a tough college application season. But that doesn’t mean she got through unscathed. YR Media brings her Perspective. Since eighth grade, most of my concerns were college-related. From internships to tutoring to Advanced Placement classes, I worked myself to the bone to achieve my goal: acceptance into a top college. For all those ...
Summer Global Internship
Internship: 6 U.S. semester/9 quarter credits; 15 integrated academic course hours, 225-300 internship placement hours ... visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.
Extracurricular Activity Examples
Extracurricular Activity Examples. Member (9th/10th) Treasurer (11th/12th) National Honors Society, Ridgefield High School Chapter. We are amongst the highest academically achieving students at our school, who collectively and consistently participate in community service projects. Student, Class TA.