Career questions tagged college-essay

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Xander338 views

Do college applications have to be tragic?

Don't get me wrong, I can write about many tragic things that have happened in my life, but that doesn't make up who I am.

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Shadi292 views

Can you comment on my college essay please?

Hello! I'm an international student and I came to the US to study my senior year of high school. As I started applying to colleges, I had to write an essay. I wrote this one but I have no clue how it is. I would appreciate some honest comments on it :) “We can come no further.” my mother said. I hugged her for the last time and she whispered in my ear, ”Good luck my butterfly!” and I walked through the gate without looking back. I knew from that moment I was walking into a whole new world. The struggles with my suitcases were telling me that in this new phase, my father would not be there to hold my suitcases for me; like anytime before. I was all on my own. The new world for me was the United States. That day, my flight was carrying me so that I would start my senior year of high school in America. It is not ordinary for teenagers to leave their homes in my country, Iran. In fact, people usually stick to their parents’ house until their mid-20s. So imagine how surprising it was for my family when I told them that I was planning to go not only to live in a dorm but in another country! The first reactions I encountered was to change my mind. “You don’t even know how to use a washing machine!” My mother told me. To be honest, she was right. For me, who was always in the full support of my family was hard to let go of everything suddenly. But I was eager to do so! I truly loved my life in Iran, but I felt that the world had much more to offer than what I already had. The fact that I was living in Iran which has limited opportunities was a strong reason. For example, I even had to travel to a neighboring country to get a visa because the American embassy does not exist in Iran! Do not get me wrong though; a big part of my heart always belongs to Iran. But I just felt like a butterfly surrendered by its own cocoon, as Mehdi Yarahi, an inspiring Persian singer says in his song. Iran was the muse for me to start risking out of my safe zone and end up in the land of opportunities. As I walked out of the plane onto American soil, I felt a mix of excitement and stress. After all, I was here! Right from that moment, my struggles started. I was starting to realize how difficult it is to deal with everything when you are alone and people around you are from a totally different culture. In the dorm, everybody had at least one person speaking their language, except me! I found it really hard at first; I would have gone to sleep with the thought that I had not spoken my language in days! Since most of the dormitory population was Asians, they had the privilege to at least feel like home when they were in the dorm; but for me, not only in school I was in a culture that had no similarity to mine, but the dorm also was nothing like my home. With the passage of time, I started to realize how being alone in such an environment was a blessing! There was no special place for me in any group, so I could be a part of every group. I had the opportunity to learn about other cultures and introduce mine to them as well. Also, my English skills improved unbelievably fast! I was so surprised at how things can change from pain to growth. Since my first day here, every day has been full of new things to discover. Although I was not enjoying every second of it, in the end, I am so proud of myself for managing to change from that spoiled girl to someone who believes has the power to overcome anything. As Bob Marley says: “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.” Thank y'all!

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R247 views

Do I change my college essay topic or continue on?

I am in the process of writing my college essay on how the seeing the death of my dog (accidently ran over by a family member) affected me, how I wasn't able to grieve because I was too worried about the individual, and how seeing everything has impacted me with the overall lesson being that I realized how little I appreciated those around me and the time I was spending with them. I have since researched and seen that this is considered "something I shouldn't write about" as it is a pet story. My question to you all is should I continue with this topic or change it to something else?

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Emmie891 views

Is a college essay about an admired family member unoriginal?

I am currently writing my application essay, and I plan on writing it about my relationship with my father and the positive impact he has on my upbringing through sports, school, and life skills. Is this a commonly seen essay that college admissions may be tired of reading?

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presley595 views

how do i write a college admissions essay?

How do I decide what to write a college admissions essay about? everyone that i've read has been so philosophical and i just don't know where to start.

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Sarah426 views

When should you start writing your college essays?

I'm going to be a junior after this summer and I'm wondering if I should start drafting my college essays right now.

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Pragnya301 views

How do I write a college essay specific to one college ("why this college") How do I write one that showcases my unique interests? ?

I am a current senior in High school. I would like to get a neuroscience major. I like nature a lot and music has helped me with my mental health stability. I sometimes feel like I don't know how to put my thoughts into words, how can I improve on that?

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Chloe328 views

How to write a successful college essay?

Hi! I’m a high school junior hoping to get the most information about college tips! Right now I’m drafting my main college essay, and this question would help a lot. Thanks to all!

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favour1071 views

What are things college admission officers look for in an applicant's essay? What type of essays do admission officers generally dislike? #Spring23

I am in the process of writing my college essay and would really like to produce a remarkable essay.

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Shana323 views

How can I make my PIQ responses stand out?

I'm thinking about college essays and I'm unsure of how to respond to the prompts in a creative and unique manner. Are there any repetitive and predictable responses I should avoid?

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Hilary1500 views

What does college usually look at in a college essay?

I am about to write college essays for my college applications and would like to know how to make my application seem better than the rest. This will help me in writing my essay.

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Hritwik485 views

I will be applying for MS from USA, can anyone suggest me on writing SOPs and LORs.

I'm looking to pursue MS in CS from USA in 2023, I'm done with tests and will start with application process. Thanks

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Daniela753 views

How can you make your college essay original?

#high-school #college-essay

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Hannah863 views

How can you come up with interesting stories to tell in your college essay?

#college #college-applications #college-essay

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MaryAnn2099 views

What are scholarship essay judges usually looking for, aside from good grammar and syntax?

When someone is applying for a scholarship that includes an essay, how do the judges usually choose the winner? Obviously it will vary based on the topic, but what makes up a good scholarship essay? #scholarship #scholarships #scholarship-essay #college-essay

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Isabelle679 views

What steps should I take when writing my college essays?

Is there anything specific I should or should’t do when writing my college essay? What are the most common mistakes others make and how can they be fixed? Should I show my teachers for help? #essay #college-essay

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Alysia1053 views

What can better me into getting a better chance with the essay scholarships?

I'm a very lazy person especially when it comes to writing. But when work needs to be put into it I will do it. I don't understand how people can get a scholarship just by using the same phrase over and over then bam get in. It frankly is not the way I want to stand out. Overall I'm asking for suggestions. #scholarships #college-essay

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Abby887 views

How formal should my college essays be?

I'm a bit unsure as to the exact style in which admissions are expecting essays. I was told to make them both personal and professional, but I'm not quite sure how to integrate the two. One person said I should avoid contractions at all costs and another said it is most important that the writing sounds like it's coming from me. Any advice? #college-essay #college-admissions #writing

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Gillian666 views

What are the most common topics on scholarship essays?

I want to stand out and be different from everyone else, so I think it would be very beneficial to know what not to right about. #scholarships #different #financial-aid #college-essay

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Ursula1402 views

Is it okay to listen to music while studying?

I always listen to music or put the tv as background noise while I'm studying and I feel like it helps me concentrate (when I feel like it's bothering me or I get to a harder topic I turn it off), but every time my sister comes to my room and sees me doing this she always gives me a lecture that I'm not studying right. Is it okay to listen to music while studying even if I feel like is not harming my understanding in any way? #music #studying-tips #studying #test #college-essay #finals

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Daniella898 views

When applying to universities, the people at admissions always enjoy reading unconventional essays. How does one know that what they are writing fits this criteria?

I've been watching many interviews and videos about how the people at the admissions department enjoy unique essays as well as students who believe their essays are what really helped them get into the university. How can you make sure that one is writing something on the flamboyant side? #college #university #college-admissions #college-bound #college-recruiting #university-applications #college-essay #university-recruiting

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Paul7420 views

Can someone proofread my college transfer essay?

Essay prompt: Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. You can type directly into the box, or you can paste text from another source. (250-650 words) I have always challenged myself academically, I have taken advanced placement and honors classes throughout high school. I grew accustomed to the rigorous standard of learning that was the norm in those environments. To my surprise this was not the case when I had entered my first class at community college, English. The class was mundane, the instruction was slow, and the material was woefully basic. I dreaded going to that class because it did not stimulate me mentally. I grew bored with my studies. Although I was getting A’s in these classes, I felt stifled, as though my potential as a student was not being nurtured. I kept looking for extracurricular activities to challenge myself, anything to break up the ever-growing monotony that engulfed me. I seek challenges in my life, I seek adversity. I never want to wonder what could have been. I must continue to push myself to the absolute limit. To challenge myself, to transfer to a university that pushes its students to reach academic greatness. An institution of higher learning that instills the values of rigorous learning. One that hosts highly competitive students, each as motivated as the last. And to push those students further than they have ever been, a faculty of professors, each expert in their fields with many years of experience. I wish to leave my mark on the field of computer science, and this institution can do that for me. I accepted community college, for a while at least. I received a generous scholarship for my performance in high school that helped ease the financial burden to my family and me. It was at the time, the logical choice. I never considered applying to a prestigious institution. A year of drudgery and boredom had passed before that changed. I received an email, I had been accepted to the Johns Hopkins University Hackathon “MedHacks 2.0.” I accepted quickly. I arrived at the Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy and my first feeling was that of belonging. The conversations around me were mesmerizing, students were discussing ways of treating millions of people through the means of Artificial Intelligence for a fraction of what it costs now. The memories of that first English class melted away, and into that void entered visions of the future, my future. As I walked through the halls, taking in the atmosphere I was reminded of a quote, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” To discuss ideas that have the potential to enrich lives, I must be surrounded by great minds. I was finally about to make my mark on the world of computer science. I had made the leap, and within two hours I was placed within a team of highly skilled students. I sacrificed sleep to learn JavaScript and AngularJS to contribute to the front-end development of the project. Within thirty-six hours I had learned more about leadership, team building and project management than I had at a year of community college. I evolved from being a complete novice to being a leader of my own team at my next hackathon. I long to be a part of a community of “great minds” where students and professors share a common passion with me—computer science. Instead of taking a step back from high school, I look to walk into a college lecture where the professor and students are actively challenging each other through a series of intellectual questions. I believe strenuous moments are what really pushes someone to maximize his or her potential, perhaps even raising it. Being at one of the top schools in the nation, I can effectively strengthen my computer science background to help improve society through software applications and research in machine learning and robotics. With the talent and resources at my disposal, there is no doubt a contributing alumnus who helps facilitate future research and development. #college-admissions #writing #college-recruiting #university-applications #college-essay

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Nada1125 views

What is a good way to ensure that your scholarship essay/form/answer gets considered?

I want to be prepared for when I begin applying for scholarships and such as I am in high school now. #scholarships #college-essay

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Ralia1463 views

What do people look for in a scholarship application?

I am going to be searching for scholarships this upcoming year, and I would like to know what to highlight or include in order to benefit my chances. #scholarships #colleges #scholarship #college-essay

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Amy980 views

What are important factors in accepted college applications to the Ivy League?

A dream would be to be accepted to an Ivy League university and I was wondering what would be important in an acceptance. #college #college-bound #ivy-league #application #college-essay

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Amy1488 views

What makes a successful college essay?

I am thinking of starting my college essays and don't know what to include in it. #college #college-essay

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Lauren1020 views

How to stand out in teacher's minds and think outside the box?

Hello again. This question seems absurd in itself as the answers are very gray not black and white. However, I am going to be a college freshman next year and am trying to get outside my comfort zone. I am just realizing that there truly is no normal and I should stop asking people what they think and ask myself first. So this is why the question seems pointless. But still, how should I go in writing papers or projects that approach a different way? To end with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education." #professor #college-bound #college-essay #life-transitions

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