7 Do’s and 7 Don’ts When Crafting Your Essay (Includes examples!)

October 03, 2013

Since Lydia shared with the Twittersphere the 7 worst types of college admission essays, here’s a great article that helps you figure out what to do RIGHT.

In case you’re too lazy to click through, I’ve provided Kathleen Kingsbury’s 7 main suggestions, but check out the article because she explains her points AND provides sample essays that illustrate each point!

  • Rule #1: When Tackling a Global Issue, Make it Personal
  • Rule #2: Show That You Have Some Perspective
  • Rule #3: Essays Succeed or Fail in the Details
  • Rule #4: Make Sure You’re the Hero of the Story
  • Rule #5: Make Your Intellectual Curiosity Clear
  • Rule #6: Know Your Audience
  • Rule #7: Don’t Be Afraid to Show You’re Not Perfect

For 12 additional essays that worked, check out this compilation.

Want more sample essays and drafting advice? Don’t worry, we’re bringing that and more to an AdmitSee profile near you!!



Browse Successful Application Files

elle2020
Brown


Accepted to Brown, UPenn, Wellesley, Kenyon, Macalester, Holyoke, Harvard, Bowdoin

Just another girl finally through the college apps rat race. I'm happy to share with you what I did to get through it! Currently I'm pre-law and possibly majoring in Public Policy.
mark_pino
UPenn


Accepted to UPenn

Hello! I'm a senior at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, and I am concentrating in finance and statistics.
ashleyzo
USC


Accepted to USC, Dartmouth, Emory, UMich, Rochester, Lehigh, Miami, Alabama, Ole Miss

Hi! I'm a college freshman who was accepted to some of the best universities in the country (most likely due to my essays). Feel free to ask any questions!
Ves_Nanov
Dartmouth


Accepted to Dartmouth, Vassar, Kenyon, UVA

I am an incoming freshman from Bulgaria. I have spent one year as an exchange student in Chicago and look forward to returning to the States this fall.

New Posts

Winners of the AdmitSee 2020 College Scholarship
Winners of the AdmitSee 2020 College Scholarship
September 30, 2020

We are so excited to announce that for this year’s scholarship, we selected five scholarship winners to maximize the impact of our $5,000 college scholarship prize money....

Load More Posts