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

htownbrown
Stanford


Accepted to Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, UPenn, Pomona, Williams, Amherst, Claremont (CMC), Northwestern, Vanderbilt, USC, JHU, UC Berkeley, UT Austin, UNC, Tulane, UMich, Georgetown

An aspiring lawyer who wants to make a difference in the world.
Jwhitty32
UChicago


Accepted to UChicago, UVA, Purdue, GA Tech

If you're looking for that ray of hope that someone unspectactular might get lucky, you came to the right place.
nten_nyiam
MIT


Accepted to MIT, CalTech, UChicago, Macaulay Honors

I am a technologically inclined person who likes puzzles, video games, tutoring, late night cramming, and helping others.
lizolat
Yale


Accepted to Yale, Harvard, Princeton, JHU, Duke, Brown, Dartmouth, WashU, USF, Florida, UCF

Hello, my name is Elizabeth! I graduated from a public high school in Florida, and was accepted to all 11 colleges I applied to. I am now a student at Yale University studying bio!

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