cosmetology application essay examples

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100 Cosmetology Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Cosmetology is a diverse and exciting field that offers many different career paths and opportunities for individuals who are passionate about beauty, fashion, and personal care. If you are studying cosmetology or considering a career in the industry, you may be required to write essays on various topics related to this field. To help you get started, here are 100 cosmetology essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

• The history and evolution of cosmetology.
• The role of a cosmetologist in society.
• The importance of professionalism in the cosmetology industry.
• The impact of social media on beauty standards.
• The benefits of pursuing a career in cosmetology.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists and how to overcome them.
• The influence of cultural diversity on beauty trends.
• The ethical considerations in the cosmetology industry.
• The impact of technology on modern cosmetology practices.
• The psychological effects of beauty treatments on individuals.
• The role of cosmetology in enhancing self-esteem and confidence.
• The relationship between fashion and cosmetology.
• The significance of continuing education in the cosmetology field.
• The potential health risks associated with certain beauty treatments.
• The impact of natural and organic products on the cosmetology industry.
• The role of cosmetology in the entertainment industry.
• The challenges faced by male cosmetologists in a female-dominated industry.
• The importance of sanitation and hygiene in cosmetology practices.
• The impact of beauty pageants on societal beauty standards.
• The rise of eco-friendly and sustainable practices in cosmetology.
• The influence of celebrities on beauty trends and consumer behavior.
• The role of cosmetology in promoting inclusivity and diversity.
• The cultural significance of different hairstyles and haircare practices.
• The impact of cosmetology on the environment and ways to reduce it.
• The benefits of natural skincare products in cosmetology.
• The role of cosmetology in therapeutic and wellness treatments.
• The importance of customer service skills in the cosmetology industry.
• The impact of social media influencers on cosmetology trends.
• The role of cosmetology in preparing individuals for special events.
• The challenges faced by independent cosmetologists and salon owners.
• The influence of different cultures on makeup trends.
• The significance of hair color and its impact on personal style.
• The impact of mass production on the cosmetology industry.
• The role of cosmetology in empowering individuals to express themselves.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with diverse hair types.
• The role of cosmetology in promoting mental and emotional well-being.
• The impact of beauty standards on body image and self-esteem.
• The importance of proper skincare routines and products.
• The influence of the fashion industry on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of haircuts and hairstyles in personal identity.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with different skin types.
• The role of cosmetology in preparing individuals for job interviews.
• The impact of beauty advertisements on consumer behavior.
• The importance of teamwork in a salon or spa environment.
• The influence of different eras and time periods on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of nail care and the art of nail design.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with aging clients.
• The role of cosmetology in preparing individuals for weddings and special occasions.
• The impact of social media filters and editing apps on beauty standards.
• The importance of haircare routines and products for maintaining healthy hair.
• The influence of different cultures on skincare rituals and practices.
• The significance of eyebrow shaping and its impact on facial features.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with clients with special needs.
• The role of cosmetology in promoting gender equality and inclusivity.
• The impact of beauty treatments on the environment and ways to minimize it.
• The importance of proper makeup application techniques.
• The influence of different art forms on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of hair extensions and their impact on personal style.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working in high-stress environments.
• The role of cosmetology in preparing individuals for fashion shows and photo shoots.
• The impact of cosmetic surgery on the cosmetology industry.
• The importance of haircare routines and products for different hair textures.
• The influence of different cultures on fragrance preferences and trends.
• The significance of makeup contouring and its impact on facial structure.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with clients with skin conditions.
• The role of cosmetology in promoting body positivity and self-acceptance.
• The impact of beauty salons and spas on local economies.
• The importance of proper nail care and hygiene.
• The influence of different music genres on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of hairstyling tools and their impact on hair health.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with clients with allergies.
• The role of cosmetology in preparing individuals for television and film productions.
• The impact of cosmetic brands and their marketing strategies on consumer choices.
• The importance of facial skincare routines and products.
• The influence of different architectural styles on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of hair accessories and their impact on personal style.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with clients with disabilities.
• The role of cosmetology in promoting environmentally friendly practices.
• The impact of beauty competitions on the cosmetology industry.
• The importance of proper body skincare routines and products.
• The influence of different dance styles on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of makeup palettes and their impact on artistic expression.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with clients with hair loss.
• The role of cosmetology in preparing individuals for red carpet events.
• The impact of beauty bloggers and vloggers on consumer preferences.
• The importance of hand and foot care in overall well-being.
• The influence of different literary genres on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of hair accessories and their impact on bridal looks.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with clients with skin sensitivities.
• The role of cosmetology in promoting eco-friendly packaging and product options.
• The impact of beauty trends and fads on the cosmetology industry.
• The importance of proper sun protection and skincare.
• The influence of different painting techniques on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of makeup brushes and tools in achieving desired looks.
• The challenges faced by cosmetologists working with clients with medical conditions.
• The role of cosmetology in preparing individuals for theater and stage performances.
• The impact of beauty subscription boxes on consumer shopping habits.
• The importance of proper lip care and the art of lipstick application.
• The influence of different photography styles on cosmetology trends.
• The significance of skincare rituals and practices in different cultures.

These 100 cosmetology essay topic ideas and examples should give you a starting point for your writing. Remember to choose a topic that interests you and allows you to showcase your knowledge and enthusiasm for the field of cosmetology. Good luck with your essays!

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115 Cosmetology Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best cosmetology topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on cosmetology, 🥇 most interesting cosmetology topics to write about, 📌 simple & easy cosmetology essay titles, ❓ research questions about skin care.

• Cosmetic Industry Five Forces Analysis For the cosmetic industry, the most important barriers are the exclusive rights and economies of scale. Potential Development of Substitute Products Ease of substitution Buyer inclination to substitute Buyer switching costs Relative price performance of […]
• Luxury Cosmetics Branding and Pricing It is considered that “beauty products appeal to the emotions and customers tend to choose based on the product image,” yet luxury brands, such as Chanel, usually emphasize the quality of cosmetics and the technology […]
• Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics: Brand Image Thesis: Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics maintains the consistency of their brand image of a sustainable, natural, and eco-friendly beauty product by encouraging recycling, using package-less practices, choosing natural and vegan materials to produce their cosmetics, […]
• Bright Cosmetic Firm’s Contingency Planning The company is located in South Korea due to the increased prevalence of the cosmetic industry in South Asia, with a revenue of approximately 50% of the global market.
• Kiara Sky Cosmetics Company Analysis The application of analysis skills coupled with specific ways of researching a company allows an individual to evaluate and determine the success of a particular business.
• Analysis of Cosmetics as a Consumer Product Improvement of communication and information technology has contributed to advanced forms of advertisement that promote the consumption and exploitation of markets down to the most localized places within the global village.
• Gender and Sexuality in Cosmetic Advertising It also assesses the correctness of truths conveyed to and the effect of these advertising images to the audience. The woman’s position to the back could be interpreted as a sign of feminine subordination.
• Chanel Cosmetics Competition Analysis The management of this firm has been keen on adopting new market trends, which has ensured that the firm remains relevant in this industry.
• Competition in the U.S. Cosmetics Industry At the moment, the cosmetics market in the U. The high level of rivalry peculiar to the beauty and personal care market demands an improved understanding of the competitive landscape.
• Multimodal Analysis of Cosmetic Surgery Advertising The analysis has considered the textual and visual elements used to pass the messages to the targeted audience. The essence of this section, therefore, is to provide an in-depth understanding of the issue under investigation […]
• Catholic Church View on Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery Therefore, the authors had a negative stance on cosmetic surgery performed on women, stating that it was a betrayal of the “truth of the feminine self” and a contribution to the exploitation of the female […]
• Natural Cosmetic Skincare Products Market The trends in the UK market are quite similar to the trends in the European market. There is fierce competition for the market share of natural skincare products.
• Osborne Cosmetic Surgery’s Market Viability As a result, of Austin’s maturing population and the lucrative location with the most prevalent cosmetic surgery rates, the city is appropriate for the surgery services business.
• Cheek Dimples: Cosmetic Surgery Cheek dimples are frequently referred to as a hereditary dominant characteristic. The data collected was evaluated, and the findings showed that the phenomenon of cheek dimples is mostly a dominant trait.
• Isopropyl Alcohol in Cosmetics and Medicine Isopropyl is synthesized in two steps: through the reaction of propylene with sulfuric acid and the consequent hydrolysis. In the context of isopropyl alternatives as sanitizers, ethyl alcohol serves as a solid option.
• Racial Discrimination Through the Cosmetics Industry The variety of preconceptions such as the hypersexuality of black women and the perception of their beauty as an unideal version of whites’ one also indicates racism.
• Black Women and the Cosmetics Industry While the industry experienced a significant increase in revenue and scale, the source of this process was the racial discrimination of black women since the marketing campaign emphasized that black women are beautiful.
• Female Consumers on Luxury Brand Clothing Over Cosmetics Consumption The findings of this study suggests that the majority of the respondents preferred to spend more on clothing, although luxury brand clothing preference was notable only to a minority of the respondents.
• AG Hair Cosmetics: Style With Substance We are a company that’s driven by the passion, and determination of our employees and artists spreading the infectious AG philosophy.
• Cosmetic Surgery Implications A good evaluation of the pros and cons of cosmetic surgery should be considered because after all, this is surgery and there are high possibilities of complications that arise later on after surgery.
• Advertisement Impact on Potential Buyers in the Cosmetic Industry Thus, looking at how various products are being advertised, one cannot fail to note the seriousness of the product owners in as far as convincing the consumers to fall for the given product.
• Cosmetics Industry and Female Identity While many are willing to pin the blame for this attitude on the women themselves, there is plenty of evidence suggesting it is a concept perpetuated and emphasized by the cosmetics industries through the medium […]
• “Clearing Up Cosmetic Confusion” and “The Great Pretenders?” The author uses a method of observations and personal experience to describe the current state of the corporate regulations within the cosmetics industry.
• Cosmetics as a Decorative Technique Used by Women At the beginning of the 20th century, makeup was used to protect and project a sense of self. For me, makeup means the possibility to create and underline a unique identity and the self.
• Cosmetic Surgery Marketing for Young Irish Women The authors of the study emphasize that before the surgery, self-esteem and the level of self-sufficiency in women from the first group were significantly lower than in the representatives of the general population, and, later, […]
• Cosmetic Surgery: Dangers and Alternatives These data are consistent with the prevailing view of cosmetic surgery as a tool that primarily applies changes to faces and breasts or reduces the weight of the patient.
• New Product Campaign Pitch: Women Cosmetic The target market for the marketing campaign of the new women’s cosmetics is mainly women aging from 15 to 45 in Australia.
• Media Influence, Cosmetic Surgery and Women’s Health The scope of the research is to provide a comprehensive and well-grounded answer to the following question: Does the image of women promoted by the media cause them to undertake cosmetic surgery?
• Media Persuasion to Undertake Cosmetic Surgery One of the downsides includes the pressure on women that is applied to them by the image that the media has promoted over the years.
• La Roche-Posay Cosmetics in European Market It is within this context that the essay examines the European market of LRP by analyzing the beauty market, competition, positioning strategy, identifying brand consumers, examining market trends, and the type of innovations evident in […]
• Organic Cosmetic Online Store’s Financial Risks Further, a more elaborate way of discussing financial risk as an influential aspect of the success of the online organic cosmetic store is by discussing security and privacy issues.
• Biofilm Prevention After Cosmetic Injection The concept of biofilm remains relatively new to dermatology, with few studies available on the formation of biofilm post-cosmetic injections; however, it is needed to explore the ways of preventing biofilm formation from reducing the […]
• Business in the US Cosmetic Retailing Industry US cosmetics retailing industry tends to expand within the domestic and international markets because of the rising level of discretionary income in the developed and developing countries.
• Social Issues of Genital Cosmetic Surgery for Women The labia minora is the main target, and it aims at reducing the size of these lips to avoid protruding beyond the labia majora.
• Entrepreneurship in the Organic Cosmetics Sphere According to the article, customers want to be green, and they want to contribute to making the world better. In conclusion, it is possible to note that the article in question provides particular points in […]
• The Peculiar Features of Organic Cosmetics’ Business Gewirtz’s “Organics of Scale” and Traber’s “Experts Sound Alarm on ‘Dirty Dozen’” are the two articles that can be used by people, who want to run a company on organic cosmetics, as these sources provide […]
• Addressing Cosmetic Surgery Concerns Hence, cosmetic surgeon patients should understand that the training, experience, and education for becoming competent in cosmetic surgery are not the same as that required to become knowledgeable in plastic surgery.
• Organic Cosmetics: Shaping Consumer Behavior This will lead to an increase in the market share enjoyed by individual organic cosmetic companies and individual brand owners of organic cosmetic products.
• Factors Affecting the Consumption of Men’s Cosmetic Products The main aim of this study was to determine the factors that affect the consumption of cosmetic products in the male population.
• Characteristics of the Skin Care and Cosmetic Industry in China L’Oreal is the market leader in Chinese cosmetic and skin care industry. The success of cosmetic and skin care products companies depends on women consumers.
• Skin Care and Cosmetic Industries in China The skin care and cosmetic industries in China are divided into male and female ones and it is possible to notice the tendency of the men’s skin care industry development increase.
• Ethical Issues and Considerations in Cosmetic Surgery The effects of war in the 20th century saw the widening of the scale of reconstructive surgery due to the increase in the number of people with intense injuries that required intense reconstructive practices.
• Cosmetic Surgery: A Symbolic Damage to All Women In the twenty first century, thinner is preferred by most men in the globe, and this has driven the women to modify their bodies by going for plastic surgery. Most of the modern women have […]
• The Extent of the Cosmetic Industry in Australia The use of advertising in the promotion of the marketability of this product is a strategy that Procter & Gamble has effectively developed across Australia and the rest of the international market.
• Excessive Cosmetic Surgery Modifications come in the form of socially acceptable ones and those that are shunned by the majority of the community mostly due to their profane nature.
• From the Perspective of Female College Students Majoring in Cosmetology Factor Analysis on Femininity
• Language Socialization in a Southern, African American Cosmetology School
• African-American Cosmetology as a Link Between Computing Education and Community Wealth
• The Demand for Medical Cosmetology: Evidence From China
• Hydrogel-Based Active Substance Release Systems for Cosmetology and Dermatology Application
• Cosmetology, Cosmetics, Cosmeceuticals: Definitions and Regulations
• Cosmetics and Cosmetology at Shahr-i Sokhta
• Development of Hardware Cosmetology in Kazakhstan
• Occupational Licensing in a “Competitive” Labor Market: The Case of Cosmetology
• Legislation Improvement Measures for National Technical Qualifications for Cosmetology
• Methods for the Improvement of Acne Scars Used in Dermatology and Cosmetology
• Metal Nanoparticles in Dermatology and Cosmetology: Interactions With Human Skin Cells
• High-Energy Laser Exposure in Dermatology and Cosmetology
• The Properties and Application of Argan Oil in Cosmetology
• Breaking the Frontiers of Cosmetology With Antimicrobial Peptides
• Service Quality, Experiential Value, and Repurchase Intention for Medical Cosmetology Clinic
• Balanced Scorecard-Based Analysis of Customer Expectations for Cosmetology Services
• Mycology-Nanotechnology Interface: Applications in Medicine and Cosmetology
• Development of Shrewd Cosmetology Model Through Fuzzy Logic
• Skin Bioengineering: Techniques and Applications in Dermatology and Cosmetology
• Prospects of Marine Sponge Collagen and Its Applications in Cosmetology
• Cosmetology Teachers’ Perception of Untact Online Cosmetology Courses and Their Barriers and Effectiveness
• Polymeric Injectable Fillers for Cosmetology: Current Status, Future Trends, and Regulatory Perspectives
• Knowledge About Ultraviolet Radiation Hazards and Tanning Behavior of Cosmetology and Medical Students
• Use of Medicinal Plants in Dermato-Cosmetology
• Role of Metal Ions Complexes and Their Ligands in Medicine, Pharmacy, and Cosmetology
• Herbal Cosmeceuticals: New Opportunities in Cosmetology
• Hyaluronic Acid Based Microneedle Array: Recent Applications in Drug Delivery and Cosmetology
• Signaling Molecules of Human Skin Cells as the Targets for Injection Cosmetology
• Younger Cosmetology Workers and Environmental and Occupational Asthma Triggers at Training Sites and in Salons
• The Assessment of Toxic Metals in Plants Used in Cosmetics and Cosmetology
• Risk Factors for Asthma Among Cosmetology Professionals in Colorado
• Role of Nanotechnology in the World of Cosmetology: A Review
• PEG Grafted Polymethacrylates Bearing Antioxidants in Cosmetology
• The Main Reason for Demand and Growth in Cosmetology
• The Importance and Perspective of Plant-Based Squalene in Cosmetology
• Effect of Physical Attractiveness and Customer Perceived Service Quality in the Cosmetology Industry
• The Dedicated Multispectral Imaging System Applied to Dermatology and Cosmetology
• Pediatric Endo-Cosmetology and the Evolution of Growth Diagnosis and Treatment
• Microneedles as Enhancer of Drug Absorption Through the Skin and Applications in Medicine and Cosmetology
• What Is the Future of Cosmetology?
• How Is Electricity Used in Cosmetology?
• Are Natural Skin Care Products the Answer to All Problems?
• Why Is Cosmetology Important to Our Society?
• Is Cosmetology a Good Career?
• What Is the Difference Between Organic and Natural Skin Care?
• Which Country Started Cosmetology First?
• How Does the Growing Population of Millennials Impact Spa and the Skin Care Industry?
• Who Is the Target Customer for Skin Care Products?
• Can Antioxidants Improve Skin Care?
• Why Is Electricity Important in Cosmetology?
• Does Cosmetology Have a Positive Effect on Health?
• Which Country Is Best for Cosmetology?
• What Skills Does Cosmetology Require?
• Is Cosmetology a Type of Art?
• What Are the Principles of Cosmetology?
• Does Organic Skin Care Work?
• Why Is Safety Important in Cosmetology?
• What Is the Most Common Ingredient in Skincare Products?
• Does Cosmetology Include Fashion?
• Who Has the Biggest Influence on Cosmetology?
• What Is the Difference Between Cosmetology and Esthetics?
• Are Skin Care Products the Right Choice for Great Skin?
• Why Is the Cosmetology Industry Growing?
• What Is the Best Skin Care Routine for Winter?
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Cosmetology Program Essay, Application Essay Example

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I opened my beauty salon about four years now and the business has been profitable beyond my expectations. I already had fifteen years financial experience by the time I joined the beauty industry,, thus, I kept tight control over expenditures and financial liquidity and avoided many of the traps new business owners often fall into. The beauty industry is intensely competitive, thus, I had to find a way to differentiate myself from the competition. It was not long before I figured out that the secret to long term success is to take good care of all the stakeholders including the employees, customers, and the community.

Over the last four years, I have enjoyed trustable and productive working relationship with my staff which explains quite lower staff turnover as compared to competing salon establishments. In addition, I also listen to customers and take their suggestions into account which may be why my most effective marketing tools have been word-of-mouth marketing and customer referrals. In fact, it were my customers who persuaded me to carry beauty products in the salon. Similarly, the community has been quite supportive of my business endeavors, thus, I am always trying to figure out ways to make social and economic contributions to the community.

As I learnt more about the beauty industry, I discovered there was no limit to the artistic potential in the salon craft. Thus, I started allocating a greater proportion of the operating budget to staff training. The results really impressed my clients and the positive feedback only strengthened my commitment to the artistic aspect of the business. My life really changed after a fateful visit to your school because I was able to observe firsthand why your school is the top in the beauty industry. Your school takes a systematic approach to teaching artistic and creative skills to the students. In addition, students also learn to better anticipate customer preferences as well as identify beauty trends that may be emerging.

I believe this will be the single-most investment in my career as an entrepreneur and salon owner. The craft and skills learnt at the school will help me further differentiate my business from the competition. I will also have the opportunity to interact with fellow current and prospective salon owners and exchange ideas as to how our businesses can be successful while provide one of a kind service to each client. I also hope to broaden my professional network through interaction with industry leaders and benefit from their insights and experiences.

Another reason I want to attend the program is to establish long term business relationship with the school and market its beauty products. I was acquainted with a cosmetic products distributor who went out of business because he could not compete with the quality and value your products provide to the customers. Thus, I have a firsthand experience of the commercial potential of your revolutionary products. I have always run my business with a long-term perspective and I see this program as not only an opportunity to broaden my perspectives regarding the beauty business and learn new artistic skills but also hope to develop long-term mutually beneficial working relationship with the school.

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Essay Samples on Cosmetology

Cosmetology career goals: pursuing beauty and creativity.

Cosmetology career goals weave a tapestry of aspirations centered around the art of beauty, self-expression, and transformation. In a world where appearance plays a significant role, cosmetologists take on the role of artists, enhancing natural beauty and boosting confidence. This essay delves into the importance...

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Research on Skills and Expertise in Cosmetology

Cosmetology is one way to truly express oneself. It can be used as a form of art to show each person’s unique characteristics. Each stylist has their own distinct way of styling hair to how they believe it should look; however, when it comes to...

An Observation of Health Hazards in Cosmetology

In our society, women and men tend to care a lot about their appearances and to enhance their appearance many go to salons. This means a cosmetologist is always working. The definition of a cosmetologist is a person who provides beauty treatments, which can refer...

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Diversity Among Beauticians in Cosmetology and Hairdressing

Hairdressing is a work of art that communicates one's character attribute through shading, trim, and style. It is a trustworthy and entrenched vocation that is appealing to numerous on account of its popularity and adaptability of tasks. A beautician can fill in as a representative...

Analysis Of Vigor Skin Care Case Study

In this report we will analyse the Harvard Business Review, “Should this team be saved?“ case study where Peter Markles helped Vigor Skin Care making remarkably good results with the help of his teammates Sandy Fryda and Josh Bartola. They rejuvenate the business, and he...

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Evaluation Of L’Oréal Company In Terms Of Its Vision, Mission And Strategic Statement

Executive Summary According to this assignment, we require an organization which possesses an extraordinary vision, mission and strategic statement, out of top 100 managers of Canada. So, I have selected L’Oréal company, a huge market in the current date. In my opinion, Loreal occupy awesomely...

The Negative Effects Of Heavy Metals Presence In Cosmetics Products

Heavy metals are toxic elements which are high in density, including cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb). It is impurities commonly present in pigmented cosmetic products, such as lipstick and eye shadows during the manufacturing process by the...

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Best topics on Cosmetology

1. Cosmetology Career Goals: Pursuing Beauty and Creativity

2. Research on Skills and Expertise in Cosmetology

3. An Observation of Health Hazards in Cosmetology

4. Diversity Among Beauticians in Cosmetology and Hairdressing

5. Analysis Of Vigor Skin Care Case Study

6. Evaluation Of L’Oréal Company In Terms Of Its Vision, Mission And Strategic Statement

7. The Negative Effects Of Heavy Metals Presence In Cosmetics Products

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Writing a Letter of Intent for Cosmetology School

Getting accepted into the cosmetology school of your choice is the first step in embarking on a successful career in the field.

Most schools are competitive and have a mandatory application process for acceptance. Creating a letter of intent for cosmetology school is necessary to securing your spot in the program of your dreams.

Letter of Intent For Cosmetology School

Writing an effective letter of intent requires putting several parts together and creating a narrative that will grab the admissions counselor’s attention. By carefully selecting and writing each individual section, you will better your chances of being accepted into a program.

Most schools will give you guidelines about what they are looking for in a letter of intent. They will list rules about the length and content of the letter, so follow directions to the letter to make sure your letter is accepted.

Introduction

Admissions counselors want to know who you are and what you will bring to their school. The introduction is not a biography.

You should not go into detail about life events that are not related to your career goals. Briefly mention academic achievements, extracurricular activities and milestones, but make the focus of the introduction your professional career path. Keep it lighthearted and optimistic. Your introduction should be the shortest part of your letter of intent.

Your Goals as a Student and Professional

In this part of the letter you will discuss what you will accomplish as a student in your cosmetology program . If you are a new student looking to get started in cosmetology, mention this. If you are an experienced cosmetologist looking to expand your skills, include this in your letter as well. If you have worked in the field, give the names of any salons or clients you have worked for. This will make you appear to be a more serious student and give you a better chance of being accepted into the program.

Why You Chose the School

In many cases, the admissions counselors want to know why you chose their schools over others available. This is your chance to impress the admissions counselors. Let your research skills shine through. List specific courses in which you are interested, talk about special programs that the college offers and what makes the college stand out. If there are notable graduates of the school , discuss how you can relate to these graduates and how you hope to follow in their footsteps. Speak as positively about the school as possible without disparaging other schools.

Call to Action

Your letter of intent is a sales tool. You are selling the school on taking you on as a student. Highlight the best parts of yourself, while focusing on accomplishments that show you are disciplined, determined and motivated. Your letter of intent should give the admissions counselors a compelling reason why the school should choose you over all of the other applicants. Don’t forget to add a call to action at the end of your letter.  A call to action tells your reader exactly what you want them to do. A common example of a call to action would be, “Selecting me for the cosmetology program would be an excellent way to add a new perspective and enhance your school’s image.

Things to Remember When Crafting Your Letter Of Intent For Cosmetology School

The admissions counselors will be reading hundreds of letters. They will look for reasons to eliminate candidates to make the selection process easier. Don’t let your letter find its way to the rejection pile.

Proofread Your Letter

Don’t submit your letter with spelling errors, grammatical errors or other mistakes. This will signal to your admissions counselors that you are not a serious, detail-oriented student.

Address it to The Right Person

If you have the name of the person who will receive your letter, address it directly to them. Don’t simply write, “Dear Admissions Counselor” if you know the person’s name. If you don’t know who to address the letter to, call and ask.

Don’t Miss The Deadline

Schools often list deadlines for submitting your application and letter of intent for cosmetology school . Don’t submit your letter late. All of your work will be a waste if the college won’t accept your late submission.

Frank Trieu

Vice president of business development & industry relations.

Frank Trieu is a cosmetology industry leader, and despite his accomplishments and accolades, he still prioritizes students on the Evergreen campus. Through building relationships within the community and local salons, retail stores, and spas, he helps facilitate job placements for aspiring beauty professionals using his expansive network.

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Cosmetology Essay on Beauty for School and College Students

A cosmetology essay is not a separate type of essay with specific requirements. It's a paper on a particular topic. You may either have cosmetology as a separate subject or just another topic covered in one of your classes. For instance, you may write a paper on this topic for your English composition or art class.

The issue of style and fashion is very relevant nowadays. A lot of young people (women, in particular) want to work in a beauty sphere or have experienced many cosmetology innovations themselves. So, this topic frequently becomes the subject matter of various academic projects.

If we consider cosmetology as a separate school subject, we can define it a certain way. " The study of beauty and beauty treatment that is divided into different categories according to the part of the body it refers to ." While some professionals deal with hair, others take care of your face. Some experts working in this field specialize in polishing nails, and others recommend the proper methods to get rid of the excessive weight. Cosmetology is highly demanding in terms of responsibility. Only people who possess enough theoretical and practical knowledge can handle such a delicate mission as making the client healthy and beautiful. It's impossible to look good without feeling good inside. But, it makes no sense to be healthy but ugly outside.

You may be assigned to prepare a cosmetology essay for your nursing or healthcare program as these fields are interrelated. Or, if you want to apply for cosmetology school, it can be one of the admissions counselors' requirements. And, the intent for cosmetology essay writing doesn't matter. You have to know some rules and standards that are very essential to top-notch academic projects.

When you get to this specific assignment, consider its type to meet the writing purpose accurately:

• Definition. Interpret the term from the cosmetology field using a dictionary and your own words.
• Descriptive. Describe what you consider beautiful.
• Narrative. Tell a story about the power of beauty or beauticians' innovation.
• Cause and effect. Dwell the line of your text on the reasons people go through plastic surgery and list the consequences of such decisions.
• Compare and contrast. Find differences and similarities between images of beauty in different societies.
• Argumentative. You have to deal with stating your idea related to beautification and proving its relevance.
• Persuasive. Obtain a stance and make the audience agree with it. This cosmetology essay deals with strong arguments and reliable facts.

Now, we'll continue to discuss this assignment by analyzing the basics of its structure.

How to Write a Cosmetology Essay

Once you decide on the type of paper, you should formulate a good topic for your discussion. To choose one, you may follow the trendy news and have a brainstorm with your friends. Remember that before you start writing, your professor should accept the topic. You can find the list of the possible topics below, but first, we would like to recall the standards of general cosmetology essay structure.

• Introduction. Hook + background info + thesis statement.
• Body. 3 paragraphs: one claim per paragraph (the central argument) + some evidence.
• Conclusion. Restated thesis + summary of the main points + forecast or another hook.

Now, let's take a closer look at each of these parts.

Writing a Winning Introduction

The most important thing is developing an introduction. This section has to be attention-grabbing to make the reader WANT to keep on exploring your essay. Sometimes, the best idea is to involve a shocking fact about beauty or a relevant quote/anecdote. For instance, " A famous company Botulinum Toxin Type A alone has encouraged more than 7 million plastic surgeries in 2018. In the future, I want my salon to surpass them. "

Then, specify the reason why you wish to discuss a beauty-related issue and also explain that some people are obsessed with the idea of being beautiful.

As for the cosmetology essay body, start each new paragraph with the central argument (claim) that aims to defend the thesis. Next, you must always include some quotations from credible sources as well as vivid examples to justify your point of view. Add a transition word at the end of each body paragraph to show the logical flow of your thoughts. Transitions help to connect the paragraphs with each other as well as the rest of the text.

Cosmetology Essay Conclusion

A conclusion for any essay is the essential part if you wish to make an impression. In the last sentence or few, you may explain how to implement some beauty techniques in real life or provide some forecasts for the future of this sphere. Never state a new question, although you can finish the writing with a rhetorical one. For instance, " So, does it mean that natural beauty is valued less than artificial one? "

10 Stunning Cosmetology Essay Topics

We promised to share some good ideas for your writing. Pick one of the offered topics or come up with your own statements after research:

• What makes a woman attractive?
• People skills are necessary for the cosmetology field. What are those?
• The way people learnt how to sing beauty since the medieval ages.
• The difference between a cosmetologist and an esthetician.
• What is the importance of time management skills for cosmetology?
• The help of beauticians for people working in the area of public relation is unavoidable.
• Pros and cons of plastic surgery and its dramatic consequences.
• Do weight-loss pills really help? Why are people so obsessed with the idea of weight loss?
• Why is cosmetologist a challenging career to pursue?
• Role models and their impact on young people today.

There are many topics related to cosmetology to cover in your academic papers. Pick the one you feel comfortable with and start writing using our tips or our academic help!

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61 Cosmetology Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on cosmetology, 🎓 most interesting cosmetology research paper topics, 📌 easy cosmetology essay topics.

• Cosmetic Surgery: Modern Trends
• Cosmetic Surgery Advertising: Multimodal Analysis
• Negative Customer Experience in Cosmetics Store
• Use of Botulinum Toxin for Cosmetic Purposes
• Beauty, Skincare, and Cosmetics Challenges
• Cosmetic Surgery History and Effects
• The Regulation of Chemicals in Cosmetics
• Chemical Peel and Microneedling in Cosmetology
• Correcting the Form of Eyebrows: Cosmetic Eyebrow Tattooing
• Cosmetic Surgery Popularity in the Middle East
• The Evolution of Cosmetology: From Ancient Practices to Modern Techniques
• Cosmetology Education: Training the Next Generation of Beauty Professionals
• The Importance of Ergonomics in Cosmetology
• Cosmetology as an Art Form: Creativity and Expression in Beauty
• The Impact of Technology on the Future of Cosmetology
• Cosmetology and a Career as a Cosmetologist: Pros and Cons
• Major Problems of the Cosmetology Industry
• Cosmetology Careers: Exploring Diverse Paths in the Beauty Industry
• The Importance of Cosmetology in Modern Society
• Cosmetology and Cultural Influences on Beauty Standards
• The Science Behind Beauty: Understanding Cosmetology Chemistry
• Cosmetology Ethics: Professional Standards in the Beauty Industry
• An Observation of Health Hazards in Cosmetology
• The Future of Cosmetology: Emerging Technologies and Innovations
• Cosmetology Licensing and Regulations: Ensuring Quality and Safety
• Bridging the Gap: Integrating Technology into Cosmetology Education
• Cosmetology and Mental Health: The Therapeutic Role of Beauty Services
• Trends in Sustainable and Cruelty-Free Cosmetology Products
• How Cosmetology Has Changed Over Time
• Cosmetology Trends: Navigating the Dynamic World of Beauty Fashion
• The Business of Beauty: Entrepreneurship in the Cosmetology Industry
• Cosmetology and Social Media: Influencer Culture and Beauty Trends
• Barber License vs. Cosmetology License: New Opportunities and Legal Limitations
• Cosmetology and Wellness: Integrating Health and Beauty Practices
• Diversity in Cosmetology: Celebrating a Range of Beauty Representations
• Cosmetology Tools and Technology Advancements: Revolutionizing Beauty Services
• How to Start a Successful Cosmetology Business
• Cosmetology and Sustainable Practices: Eco-Friendly Approaches to Beauty
• The Intersection of Cosmetology and Fashion: Influences and Collaborations
• Cosmetology Specializations: Niche Careers in the Beauty Industry
• The Role of Cosmetology in the 21st Century
• Cosmetology and Client Communication: Building Trust and Relationships
• Black Women Who Changed the Cosmetology World Forever
• Cosmetology and the Psychology of Beauty: Understanding Client Needs
• Innovations in Cosmetology Products: Enhancing Beauty Care Solutions
• Beyond the Salon: The Business Side of Cosmetology Entrepreneurship
• Cosmetology vs. Cosmetic Science: What’s the Difference?
• Top Cosmetology Skills to Master and How to Highlight Them
• Cosmetology and Aging: Beauty Practices for Different Life Stages
• Exploring the Pros and Cons: Is a Career in Cosmetology Worth It?
• Cosmetology and Global Beauty Traditions: Cultural Exchange in Aesthetics
• Beauty, Confidence, and the Significance of Cosmetology
• Cosmetology and Body Positivity: Redefining Beauty Standards
• The History of Cosmetology Schools: Shaping Beauty Education
• Cosmetology and Dermatology: Intersections in Skin and Hair Care
• The Influence of Cosmetology on Beauty Pageant Culture
• Cosmetology and Marketing: Promoting Beauty Services in the Digital Age
• What Skills Are Needed for Cosmetology?
• Cosmetology Career Goals: Pursuing Beauty and Creativity
• The Art of Cosmetology: Exploring Techniques and Inspirations

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StudyCorgi . "61 Cosmetology Essay Topics." February 17, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cosmetology-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2024. "61 Cosmetology Essay Topics." February 17, 2024. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/cosmetology-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Cosmetology were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on February 24, 2024 .

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Cosmetology - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Cosmetology is the study and practice of enhancing beauty through hair styling, makeup application, nail care, and other personal care services. Cosmetologists are skilled professionals who provide these services to clients to help them look and feel their best. They may work in salons, spas, or freelance, and use a variety of tools and techniques to create desired looks. Cosmetology is a dynamic and constantly evolving field, with new trends and technologies constantly emerging.

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Cosmetology Cover Letter Examples

Below, I generated a few cover letter examples for cosmetologist with our AI Cover Letter Maker . I tailored these examples to real job vacancies found on job search websites. 

Cover Letter For Cosmetology Student

If you’re a cosmetology student searching for an internship, your cover letter should highlight your enthusiasm to gain practical experience in the beauty industry. Here’s an example for cosmetology student cover letter:

Karen Marie Salon

Salon Assistant

Dear [Hiring Manager Name],

I am writing to apply for the Salon Assistant position. As a passionate and dedicated Cosmetology student with a strong educational background, I believe I am the perfect candidate.

With comprehensive knowledge of hair, skin, and nail care techniques gained through my current enrollment in the Cosmetology Program at Style & Beauty Academy, I possess skills in hair styling and coloring, nail care and artistry, basic skincare treatments, creative makeup application, and strong communication.

In addition to my education, I have experience as a Beauty Blog Contributor for GlamStyle Blog since June 2023. This role involves writing monthly articles on beauty trends and providing product reviews and tutorials.

Furthermore, I am currently volunteering as a Hair and Makeup Volunteer for a local theater group. This allows me to provide hairstyling and makeup services for theater productions while collaborating with costume designers.

Based on your job description requirements including assisting stylists with shampooing & finishing clients, maintaining salon cleanliness, and managing color inventory, and back bar inventory, my strong educational foundation combined with hands-on experience make me an ideal fit for this role.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing how my skills align with the Salon Assistant position during an interview at your convenience. Sincerely,

[Employee Name]

This text is generated by Coverler

Cover Letter For Cosmetologist Graduate

At the start of your cosmetology journey, your cover letter should shine a spotlight on your educational background and any relevant internships or practical experiences you’ve gained. Emphasize your eagerness to learn and grow in the field. Here’s a cosmetology cover letter sample:

Fox & Jane Salon

Hair Salon Assistant

I am writing to express my strong interest in the Hair Salon Assistant position at Fox & Jane Salon. As a newly graduated Esthetician with a passion for enhancing clients’ beauty and well-being, I believe that my skills and dedication make me an ideal candidate for this role.

With a strong educational background in skincare from Serene Beauty Academy, including courses in skin anatomy, facial treatments, makeup application, waxing techniques, sanitation and hygiene, and client consultation, I have the knowledge and expertise necessary to provide exceptional service. I obtained my Esthetician Certification in August 2023.

I am excited to bring my skills in skin analysis and evaluation, facial treatments (cleansing, exfoliation, extraction), makeup application, and waxing/hair removal techniques to support the hairstylists at Fox & Jane Salon. During my internship at Serene Beauty Spa, I gained hands-on experience interacting with clients and performing various beauty treatments.

In addition to my education and experience, I regularly attend workshops and seminars to stay updated on skincare trends and product knowledge. My positive attitude, customer service skills, and commitment to continued professional development align perfectly with Fox & Jane Salon’s commitment towards building careers while maintaining an atmosphere of growth.

Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity for an interview or further discussion about how I can contribute as a Hair Salon Assistant at Fox & Jane Salon. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience. Sincerely,

Cosmetology Instructor Cover Letter Examples

As a senior cosmetologist, you have accumulated valuable leadership experience and expertise. Highlight these aspects to stand out. Here’s a cosmetology instructor cover letter example:

International Academy

Cosmetology Educator

I am writing to apply for the Cosmetology Educator position at International Academy. With 10+ years of beauty industry experience and expertise in educational leadership, I am confident that my skills make me an ideal candidate.

As a Cosmetology Instructor at Style & Beauty Institute, I design and teach advanced cosmetology courses while mentoring students in hair, skin, and nail care techniques. Additionally, I supervise junior instructors, showcasing my leadership abilities.

In my previous role as Senior Stylist & Team Leader at Chic Salon, I led a team of 10 stylists while overseeing daily salon operations. I also conducted training sessions for new stylists to continuously learn within the industry.

I hold a Master of Education in Vocational Education from the University of Education City and a Bachelor of Science in Cosmetology from Star Beauty Academy. These qualifications provide a solid foundation in curriculum development and instructional design.

Certified as a Cosmetology Instructor (State of ED) and Licensed Cosmetologist (State of MC), I possess expertise in advanced hair, skin, and nail techniques while maintaining professional standards.

Recognized as “Innovative Educator of the Year” by the National Beauty Education Association, my involvement with professional affiliations like the American Association of Cosmetology Schools showcases my dedication to staying informed about industry trends.

I am highly adaptable and capable of multitasking in fast-paced environments – essential qualities for success at International Academy. My passion and knowledge about hair will enable me to effectively engage students both inside the classroom and clinic settings.

Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to contact me if you require any additional information or would like to discuss my qualifications further. Sincerely,

Table of Contents:

What Employers Really Want?

Adapt Your Cosmetologist Cover Letter

Structuring Cover Letter Cosmetology

AI for Cover Letter Writing

Tips For Writing Cover Letter For Cosmetology

In the field of cosmetology, each role and each employer might have unique requirements and expectations. Understanding these nuances is crucial for writing a cover letter that resonates with the hiring manager and demonstrates that you are not only a skilled cosmetologist but also a great fit for their specific needs.

Research the Employer 

Gain insights into the employer’s services and ethos. For example, if applying to a high-end salon known for avant-garde styles, emphasize your creative flair and experience with trendy techniques.

Analyze the Job Posting

Identify key skills and qualifications. If the posting emphasizes customer experience, you might write, “At my previous salon, I spearheaded a client feedback initiative that boosted customer satisfaction rates by 30%.”

Relevant Skills and Experiences

Link your abilities directly to the job needs. For instance, “My expertise in balayage and ombre techniques aligns perfectly with your salon’s reputation for cutting-edge color treatments.”

Industry-Specific Language

Use terms and action verbs that resonate with cosmetology. You could say, “Transformed client looks with innovative styling techniques, resulting in a 25% increase in repeat customer visits.”

Unique Selling Points

What sets you apart? Maybe you’re an expert in a niche area, like “As a certified trichologist, I bring a unique understanding of scalp care to enhance client hair health and styling.”

How to Adapt Your Cosmetologist Cover Letter for Different Career Levels?

Creating the perfect cosmetologist cover letter isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Your unique journey in the field plays a pivotal role in shaping the content and tone of your letter. Let’s together personalize your cosmetologist cover letter template to match your level of expertise

Entry-Level Cosmetology Cover Letter

• Experience : As an entry-level cosmetologist, your experience primarily revolves around your education and any relevant internships or practical exposure you’ve gained.
• Highlights : Emphasize your enthusiasm to learn and grow in the field. Highlight your educational background, internships, and any relevant coursework.
• Templates : Craft a compelling cover letter by starting with an engaging introduction, showcasing your education, and expressing your eagerness to contribute to the team.

Mid-Career Cosmetologist Cover Letter

• Experience : At this stage, your experience encompasses your years in the cosmetology field. Highlight your achievements, client relationships, and advanced skills.
• Highlights : Focus on your ability to understand and meet each client’s unique needs. Mention consistent positive feedback and loyalty from your clientele.
• Template : Begin with a professional greeting, delve into your experience and accomplishments, and express your eagerness to contribute to the prospective employer’s team.

Senior-Level Cosmetologist Cover Letter

• Experience : With a senior-level position, your experience includes leadership roles, mentoring, and a wealth of expertise in cosmetology.
• Highlights : Emphasize your leadership skills and your history of mentoring emerging professionals. Highlight your contributions to the industry.
• Template: Start with a respectful greeting, highlight your leadership and mentoring experiences, and express your readiness to bring your expertise to the prospective employer’s team.

By tailoring your cover letter based on your career level, you can effectively communicate your qualifications and alignment with the employer’s needs.

In this section, I’ll guide you through the essential elements of structuring your cosmetologist cover letter for maximum impact. We’ll explore how to effectively organize your letter to make a strong impression on potential employers.

Major Elements

Introduction.

Start with a friendly salutation, addressing the hiring manager or employer by name if possible.

Begin with a captivating opening line to grab their attention. Share your enthusiasm and mention the specific role you’re applying for.

Brief Self-Introduction

Provide a concise introduction of yourself, mentioning your cosmetology background and career stage.

Highlight Skills and Experience

Discuss your relevant skills and experiences that make you an ideal candidate. Tailor this section based on your career level (entry-level, mid-career, or senior-level).

Showcase Achievements

Mention specific accomplishments or achievements in cosmetology that demonstrate your value.

Align with Employer Needs: 

Explain how your skills align with the employer’s needs, referencing the job posting or company’s values.

Express Enthusiasm

Reiterate your enthusiasm for the role and your desire to contribute to the salon or organization.

Call to Action

Politely request the next steps, such as an interview. Encourage the employer to get in touch.

Use a professional closing, such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards,” followed by your name and contact information.

Structuring your cosmetology cover letter with these elements ensures a clear and engaging flow, making a positive impression on potential employers.

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Practical Tips For Writing Cover Letter For Cosmetology

Ensuring an effective cover letter for a cosmetology position requires professionalism, clarity, and personalization. Here are some practical tips to help you write a compelling cover letter:

 1. Conciseness and Clarity:

• Be Concise: Keep your cover letter to one page. Employers often have limited time, so a succinct cover letter is more likely to be read thoroughly.
• Clear Structure: Use a clear structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. This makes your letter easier to read and understand.
• Use Bullet Points: For key achievements or skills, bullet points can make the information stand out and easy to digest.

2. Professionalism:

• Formal Tone: Maintain a professional tone throughout the letter. While it’s important to show personality, remember this is a professional document.
•    Tailor Your Language: Use industry-specific language to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in cosmetology.

3. Proofreading and Editing:

• Spelling and Grammar: Ensure your cover letter is free from spelling and grammatical errors. These mistakes can detract from the professionalism of your application.
• Get Feedback: If possible, have someone else review your cover letter. Fresh eyes can catch errors you might have missed and provide valuable feedback.

4. Customization for Each Application:

• Research the Employer: Tailor your cover letter to each job application. Mention specific details about the salon or employer to show you’ve done your research.
• Align with Job Description: Highlight skills and experiences that align with the specific job description. This shows the employer that you are a good fit for the role.

By following these tips, you can create a cover letter that effectively communicates your qualifications and enthusiasm for the cosmetology position while maintaining the professionalism required in a job application.

Highlighting Unique Selling Points and Personal Traits

When writing a cover letter for a cosmetologist position, it’s crucial to showcase your professional skills and personal traits, and unique selling points that set you apart from other candidates. This guide section will help you understand how to effectively highlight these aspects in your cover letter.

Understanding Unique Selling Points (USPs):

Define and identify your USPs, which are qualities or experiences unique to your cosmetology career. Reflect on specializations or unique approaches that set you apart.

Incorporating Personal Traits:

Highlight personal traits like creativity and communication skills. Use real-life examples to demonstrate how these traits have positively impacted your cosmetology career.

Crafting a Compelling Narrative:

Combine your professional skills and personal traits in a narrative form. Tailor this story to align with the potential employer’s values and client base.

Practical Examples:

Provide scenarios showing how to frame experiences and traits in the cover letter. Use descriptive language to vividly convey your unique qualifications and experiences.

This approach ensures your cover letter showcases your professional qualifications and gives insight into your personality and unique candidacy for the cosmetology role.

Harnessing the Power of AI for Cover Letter Writing

In the realm of job applications, AI technology is revolutionizing the way cover letters are crafted. This section explores how AI can be effectively leveraged in writing a cosmetologist cover letter.

• Enhanced Personalization: AI cover letter builder can analyze job descriptions and customize your cover letter to include relevant keywords and phrases, making it more targeted and effective.
• Efficiency in the Application Process: Streamlines the cover letter creation, saving significant time and effort, which is especially beneficial when applying to multiple cosmetology positions.
• Content Generation: AI offers suggestions based on your professional background and desired role, assisting in articulating experiences and skills.
• Consistent Quality: AI cover letter generator ensures error-free writing and consistent formatting, providing a professional look to your cover letter.
• Strategic Insights: AI can offer insights into effective cover letter strategies, helping to enhance the overall impact.
• Limited Nuance Understanding: AI may not fully capture the subtleties of personal experiences or the specific culture of each salon or employer, potentially leading to less personalized content.
• Customization Requirement: Personal review and customization are necessary to align the cover letter with your individual story and job requirements.
• Authenticity Concerns: Ensuring the final cover letter remains authentic to your experiences and voice is crucial, as AI-generated content might lack personal flair.

By leveraging AI and tools like Coverler, cosmetology professionals can create highly tailored, efficient, and compelling cover letters.

In conclusion, a successful cosmetologist cover letter hinges on showcasing unique traits and writing with clarity and professionalism. Emphasize your distinct skills and experiences, keeping your narrative engaging and personalized. Remember, a well-crafted cover letter can significantly elevate your job application, making a compelling case for your candidacy in the competitive field of cosmetology. Use these tips to create a cover letter that stands out and truly represents your professional and personal qualities. Good Luck!

Related Beauty Industry Cover Letter Examples:

• Esthetician Cover Letter
• Aesthetic Nurse

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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!

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Home — Essay Samples — Economics — Cosmetology — The Benefits Of Becoming A Cosmetology

The Benefits of Becoming a Cosmetology

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Published: Mar 14, 2024

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Best Workplace Essay Examples

Cosmetology essay.

597 words | 2 page(s)

SELECTED CAREER PATH AND THE MOTIVES BEHIND SELECTING IT

The career path that I have selected is the career of a cosmetologist. This career path attracts me because it offers a harmonious balance between esthetics, communication, and creativity. After completing a research on this career path, I likewise found out that the field of cosmetology offers diverse careers from a hair stylist to a manicurist.

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THE SOURCES To prepare for this interview, I used Google and the following keywords: cosmetologists, career path, cosmetology, training in cosmetology, cosmetologist salary. In the course of this research, I located four valuable sources at such platforms as The Balance Careers, BEAUTY School Directory, Career Building, and Career Trend.

THE ORIGINAL QUESTIONS ASKED DURING THE INTERVIEW Apart from the questions initially included in this assignment, I formulated the following questions: Cosmetologists are normally associated with beauty salons, but I am sure there are many more places where they can find employment. Could you, please, give some examples? What opportunities for self-employment does this field offer? According to your estimations, what is the average salary that a beginning cosmetologist can earn? What about more experienced professionals? What are the three words that first come to your mind in relation to the phrase “the profession of a cosmetologist”?

INTERVIEWEE For an interviewee, I selected my hair stylist because she was the easiest to reach, she expressed a the willingness to participate in my interview, and she has a rich experience of working in this industry. Name: Helena Martins Phone: 1-541-754-3010

SUMMARY OF THE INTERVIEW In the course of the interview, Helena told me that to work in the field of cosmetology, one needs to complete a cosmetology school. This correlates with the information I found in the course of my research (BEAUTY School Directory n.d.). She likewise mentioned the requirement for a license of which I also knew from my review (McQuillian 2017). Helena said that there are few ways that can really help to prepare for this profession; one option, according to her, is to spend a day with someone working in a salon. Helena explained that job satisfaction depends on numerous factors including salary, workplace environment, and conditions; in her case, she feels completely satisfied with her job. Helena argued that this career does not offer exciting career growth opportunities: as a rule, a more experienced cosmetologist should receive a higher salary although the status should not change as it happens with managers, for example. Helena said that the key disadvantage of this job is that it implies working with different people and they normally have their own vision of what is beautiful so that one should have good communication and conflict management skills to be able to work in this field. Among available options where a cosmetologist can work, she mentioned spas and barber shops and clarified that many cosmetologists work in a self-employed manner what correlated with what I found in the course of my research (McKay 2017). She said a beginner would earn about 7$ per hour and an experienced cosmetologist would get more than $15 what is slightly lower than Career Builder (n.d.) suggests. Finally, she said that the three associations that she has with cosmetology are beauty, art, and glamour.

IMPLICATIONS This interview offered some valuable insights into understanding the career of a cosmetologist. I was surprised about the diversity of specialties that this career path offers (e.g. makeup artists). I also discovered some challenges such as managing conflict situations but they only make this career path more interesting so I still want to pursue it.

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3 Cosmetology Cover Letter Examples Designed for 2024 

• Cosmetology Cover Letter
• Cosmetology Student Cover Letter
• Cosmetology Instructor Letter
• Write Your Cosmetology Cover Letter

As a cosmetologist, it’s all about ensuring your clients will leave feeling more beautiful and optimistic than ever: You might perform facial treatments, manicures and pedicures, hair treatments, or care routine planning sessions!

But how do you pack so much detail and value when creating a cover letter that ably complements your cosmetology resume ? How do you show recruiters that you’re perfect for that job and not just another qualified cosmetology professional?

We’ve got you! After years of helping cosmetologists advance their careers, we’ve put together three cosmetology cover letter examples to make writing cover letters a breeze and help you build momentum!

Cosmetology Cover Letter Example

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Copy this text for your cosmetology cover letter!

123 Fictional Avenue Nashville, TN 37011 (123) 456-7890

October 10, 2023

Emily Johnson Franklin Skin & Laser 123 Fictional Lane Nashville, TN 37011

Dear Ms. Johnson,

Thrilling moments like assisting a client to rediscover her self esteem through my personalized skincare treatments sparked my excitement as I read about the cosmetology aesthetician position at Franklin Skin & Laser. Seeing myself as a dedicated aesthetician, I can utilize my expertise in skincare analysis and assessment, and microdermabrasion to help more individuals experience their transformations. My thorough understanding of diverse skincare needs and devout commitment to creating bespoke solutions are well-suited to your reputation for personalized care and exceptional services.

At Luxe + Luna, I was more than an aesthetician, proving to be a valued partner to my clients on their journey to luminous skin. Employing the innovative DiamondTome Microdermabrasion system enriched my clients’ experience, skyrocketing overall satisfaction by 37%. Following meticulous skincare analysis, I made recommendations for bespoke treatments tailored to a multitude of skin types and conditions.

Building on my success, I joined the trailblazing team at Nashville LASH, where I diversified my abilities by focusing on eyelash extensions. I delivered extensions that captivated my clients and solidified their loyalty, yielding a remarkable 26% surge in customer retention. Furthermore, my proficiency in using AppointmentPlus helped streamline bookings and client record management.

At Elan Skin, I combined all these skills, providing skincare analysis, microdermabrasion treatments, and eyelash extensions to various individuals. I improved service delivery, validated by a 29% increase in repeat bookings, and led to an increase in 18% of total revenue.

Brimming with a rich reservoir of knowledge in advanced skincare techniques and a notable record of amplifying customer satisfaction, I am eager to weave my magic at Franklin Skin & Laser. Looking forward to discussing how my expertise aligns with your needs. Thank you.

Enclosures: Resume Application 2 letters of recommendation Certifications

Why this cover letter works

• From there, proceed to narrate the unique experiences you bring to the table, focusing on industry-relevant proficiencies like skincare analysis, eyelash extension, and microdermabrasion treatments. Typical quantified impacts to highlight here include customer satisfaction and retention, appointments, and revenue generated.

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Cosmetology Student Cover Letter Example

Copy this text for your cosmetology student cover letter!

123 Fictional Avenue Boston, MA 02108 (123) 456-7890

Benjamin Martinez MiniLuxe 123 Fictional Lane Boston, MA 02108

Dear Mr. Martinez,

MiniLuxe has captured my admiration with its unequivocal dedication to stellar service and innovation. I believe my zealous passion for the beauty industry as a nail technician assistant and the skills I’ve learned through academics, personal experiences, and internship align with MiniLuxe’s high standards and mission.

Part of my training at Empire Beauty School focused on manicures and pedicures. I delved into the optimal utilization of various implements, buffers, and brushes, thus confirming my ability to offer professional and appealing services. Also, my academic pursuits spirited me into an intriguing project focusing on hands-on experimentation with nail repair techniques.

My internship at Venus Nails & Spa fine-tuned my skills under the watchful eyes of experienced nail technicians. Serving an average of 16 clients daily, my commitment and dedication helped trim down customer waiting times by 19%.

From my hands-on time assistant at my aunt’s salon, I understand the rhythm and pulse of a bustling salon, managing the appointments of around 29 clients daily while maintaining cleanliness.

These multifaceted experiences and my commitment to providing high-quality services and care make me an ideal candidate for the nail technician assistant role at MiniLuxe. I’d love to discuss my abilities and explore the possibilities we can bring to your clients’ nails. Thank you.

Yuki Tanaka

• Transferable skills aren’t exclusive to your academic and internship experiences. See how Yuki recounts in this cosmetology student cover letter how helping at her aunt’s salon refined her client handling and salon hygiene prowess.

Cosmetology Instructor Cover Letter Example

Copy this text for your cosmetology instructor cover letter!

123 Fictional Avenue Miami, FL 33101 (123) 456-7890

Savannah Williams Empire Beauty School 123 Fictional Lane Miami, FL 33101

Dear Ms. Williams:

Empire Beauty School’s search for a cosmetology instructor skilled in molding the future maestros of style immediately piqued my interest. Despite a staggering statistic of only 19% of cosmetology graduates opening their salons, my tenure as a salon manager at Glamour Hair Salon told a different tale. I proudly guided 38% of the protege stylists to inaugurate successful businesses, with 21% ascending to coveted roles as professional stylists and colorists.

My exciting journey at Salon Vaso, piloting a dynamic troupe of eight stylists, kindled my deep-seated fascination for education. Joining forces with senior management, we deftly pinpointed critical performance benchmarks leading to tangible triumphs. We capitalized on cutting-edge tools like Salon Iris, capturing individual stylist metrics, transforming service delivery by an impressive 23%.

The caliber of an instructor Empire Beauty School seeks—that of translating intricate industry subtleties into enlightening lesson — is precisely the talent I have honed. Leading the pack in Bellelite, our team tackled safety and sanitation challenges head-on, harmonizing inconsistent protocols, yielding an exceptional 37% decline in safety-related issues each quarter.

Empire Beauty School’s devotion to a collaborative educational environment resonates with me profoundly. My sparkling repertoire in salon management, twined with sustaining robust relationships within my team, set an enticing stage for the cosmetology instructor role. I am excited about discussing how my practical experience and skills will enhance your student’s learning journey, grooming them for a thriving career in the beauty industry. Thank you.

Elena Petrovna

• Experience mentoring fresh talents is critical for this role, but don’t overlook valuable competencies acquired from salon managerial roles. Familiarity with relevant software (cue Salon Iris) is a welcome bonus. Then, conclude with an energetic note, reiterating your interest in the role and eagerness to discuss your potential.

Related cover letter examples

• Cosmetology resume
• Esthetician
• Interior design
• Entry level

How to Write Your Ideal Cosmetology Cover Letter

Every recruiter wants to see clear evidence that you aren’t just interested in any cosmetology job: You’re interested in theirs! That’s why it’s so important to comb the job ad for keywords and mission statement tidbits that you can reflect in your resume.

Analyze the job description’s tone, wording, and emphasis to align yourself with their values and demonstrate that you and your hair-cutting or manicuring skills are the perfect fit.

Writing the greeting and introduce yourself

Just like in person, when you meet a new client, you’ll want to learn the name of the person who’ll read your cover letter! Since your opening paragraph is your professional introduction, you’ll want to build up to it by formally addressing the recruiter or hiring manager by name.

Your opening paragraph should then hook the reader with a few interesting lines about why you want the job and why you’re qualified for it as a cosmetologist. Connect with the organization by referencing its values or mission statement.

Make it clear that your personal traits align with the company’s by glancing back at the job description for any highlights to reference, like “creative thinker” or “visionary” that might have popped out at you before.

Don’t wind up with a sloppy, vague, and unimpressive opener like this one . . . not much artistic vision to be found here, sadly!

Hi, I’m Andrea and I’m super-duper xcited about the cosmetologist opening you have. Can I rent there? I’ve got plenty of makeup arwork pics to share with you!

The following is way better. We’ve already got a connection with the company, personal ambition that fits their values, and even metrics! What recruiter wouldn’t want to know more?

There’s a winner!

Empire Beauty School’s search for a cosmetology instructor skilled in molding the future maestros of style immediately piqued my interest. Despite a staggering statistic of only 19% of cosmetology graduates opening their salons, my tenure as a salon manager at Glamour Hair Salon told a different tale. I proudly guided 38% of the protege stylists to inaugurate successful businesses, with 21% ascending to coveted roles as professional stylists and colorists.

Writing body paragraphs that glow

The body paragraphs of your cover letter should tell a story about your success as an artist—and boost your credibility at the same time! Use these work experiences to demonstrate how you’re an ideal candidate for your dream studio or salon.

Talk about how your enthralling hair treatments skyrocketed new customers who noticed your clients’ glowing new looks. Retell the way your waiting room arrangement suggestions boosted visitor feedback ratings!

Provide quantifiable data for those ratings and customer increases, too—and don’t list any experience points that don’t have any metrics for your impact as a cosmetologist. Give percentages, feedback ratings, budget savings, and other quantifiable info based on what the job description emphasizes.

What an elegant body paragraph!

Part of my training at Empire Beauty School focused on manicures and pedicures. I delved into the optimal utilization of various implements, buffers, and brushes, thus confirming my ability to offer professional and appealing services. My academic pursuits also spirited me into an intriguing project focusing on hands-on experimentation with nail repair techniques.

Closing and signing off your cover letter with finesse

Make sure you polish that cover letter to a shine as bright as your last clients’ nails with a seamless closing paragraph and signoff. Reinforce your interest in the job role and how your qualifications make that interest a mutually beneficial thing.

Connect with the company again as you align yourself with their values and invited them to contact you further as your final call to action. After all, you want to hear from them again to get more details about that lovely clinic!

Make sure you thank the reader for their time (either in the closing paragraph or as your signoff), and use a formal signoff and your real, full name either way.

Just don’t use weak language and deviate from convention in terms of punctuation or formality, leaving your reader with a closer like this:

Well there you have it. Your clients are gonna love what I can do. Let me know when I can start,

~Skylar McIntosh

Look what a difference it makes to highlight your job skills as a candidate and keep up a friendly yet professional appearance:

That’s way better!

Cosmetology cover letter mistakes to avoid.

• While building rapport with your clients is awesome, remember to maintain a professional tone when writing your cover letter. Your potential employer is a totally different target audience than a client you’ve been touching up for the past year! Keep your cover letter centered around your professional achievements.
• As a cosmetologist, attention to detail can make or break whether someone refers a friend to your chair—or comes back at all. Check your cover letter a couple of times (making sure you step away and come back with fresh eyes at least once or twice) for typos or common spelling/grammar errors. Printing your letter can help you notice key minutiae you’d otherwise have missed, too!
• You don’t want to sound arrogant when you write your cover letter! The last thing you need is to seem undesirable to work with from the moment you reach your reader. Check out the salon or clinic’s website and social media channels to get a feel for how sleek or casual their culture is: This will help you navigate how to present your accomplishments tastefully by matching their tone.
• Your success stories are undoubtedly awesome! But you’ll need to back them up with numerical evidence that you made a positive impact in your last role. Think about customer return rates, satisfaction percentages, or revenue boosts that you achieved at your previous job. Bonus points if they align with obstacles your potential employer is facing right now!
• Make sure you strengthen your closing paragraph with a brief overview of your credibility and alignment with the company, and then don’t forget to include a complete signature! Many a candidate has turned in a great cover letter that loses its luster when they sign informally or only use their first name.

You should go into enough detail to provide interesting context for your metrics and example points . . . But , your cover letter can only be one page long! Recruiters only have a few moments to skim your materials, so show off those beautiful cosmetology creds fast!

Visit the company website and pull up the job description again while you’re at it. What mission statements do they have? Any catchy front-page slogans? What about cosmetology-related keywords in the job ad? Any of this stuff can give you a starting point!

If you didn’t run across the recruiter or hiring manager’s name while you were researching other things on the company website and job posting, pull up other online accounts like public Facebook pages or LinkedIn accounts. They might have some professional tidbits you can use to your advantage!

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College essays matter. Here's how to write one that stands out | College Connection

Students facing the college application process typically dread one component: the Common App essay. 

Students are presented with six essay prompts, as well as a seventh option, which is “topic of your choice.” Students therefore have limitless possibilities for this essay which will be carefully reviewed by each college to which the student applies.

The goal of college admissions officers is to learn about the student who is applying: personal qualities, struggles, ambitions, priorities. On other parts of the application a student’s “data” is detailed. So, this is not the place to write about one’s SAT scores, GPA, or intended major, or to enumerate one’s activities. It is the place to write about an event, situation, or life circumstance that has influenced the student’s attitudes, goals, and perceptions of life.

The options are limitless. Students can write about life occurrences that impacted them: an illness, a learning disability, a relocation. They can use a sport, club, organization, or volunteer group as the overarching framework within which they learned important life lessons. 

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One student’s essay, which went viral after its author was accepted to a multitude of Ivy League schools, focused on lessons she learned from visits to Costco over the years. In short, students can write about anything that has impacted them – hopefully in a positive way.

Then, students face supplemental essays. Many colleges, including almost all the most competitive ones, require an essay that is specific to the school. Typically, the question is along the lines of, “Why do you want to attend this institution?” or “Why did you choose your particular major and how will our school prepare you to meet your future goals?”

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Colleges are aware that students typically apply to 8 to 12 different schools, and they are trying to discern “demonstrated interest,” or, in other words, the likelihood of a student enrolling if accepted. So, students should utilize each supplemental essay as an opportunity to demonstrate their interest in the particular college, and should specifically state the courses, programs, study abroad options, internships, and any other characteristics that make the institution a perfect match for their college ambitions.

By showing enthusiasm for each school and sharing their attributes through the Common App and supplemental essays, students will greatly enhance their prospects of experiencing a successful college application process.   

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT ® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362 .