COMMENTS

  1. "A Time When You Questioned or Challenged a Belief or Idea"

    Most students don't write their Common App essays on challenging a belief or idea. But you're not aiming to be like most students, right? Consider what the Common App team points out in their 2020-2021 update on the essay topics: "While students aren't inclined to discuss a time when they challenged a belief or idea, members appreciate what those essays reveal about the students who ...

  2. 27 Outstanding College Essay Examples From Top Universities 2024

    This college essay tip is by Abigail McFee, Admissions Counselor for Tufts University and Tufts '17 graduate. 2. Write like a journalist. "Don't bury the lede!" The first few sentences must capture the reader's attention, provide a gist of the story, and give a sense of where the essay is heading.

  3. 223 Belief Essay Ideas, Topics, & Examples

    In your belief essay, you might want to focus of various philosophical approaches to the concept. Another idea is to compare religious and secular belief systems. One more option is to talk about your strongest personal beliefs and practices. Whether you have to write a high-school or a college assignment, our article will be helpful.

  4. Common Application Essay Option 3: Challenge a Belief

    The belief can be your own. In fact, your own belief can be an excellent choice for this essay option. If you are able to reevaluate and challenge your own beliefs, you are demonstrating that you are a student who has the self-awareness, open-mindedness, and maturity that are essential ingredients for college success.

  5. 108 Belief Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    Writing an essay on beliefs allows us to delve into the complexities of human faith, understanding how it impacts individuals and societies. To inspire your exploration, here are 108 belief essay topic ideas and examples. Religious Beliefs: The role of religion in shaping individual identity. The impact of religious beliefs on personal ...

  6. Common App Essays

    Prompt 2: Overcoming challenges. Prompt 3: Questioning a belief or idea. Prompt 4: Appreciating an influential person. Prompt 5: Transformative event. Prompt 6: Interest or hobby that inspires learning. Prompt 7: Free topic. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about college application essays.

  7. Personal Belief Essay Examples and Topics to Write about

    1 page / 539 words. We've all been complacent, but no more. Complacency is the cancer of our society. Complacency is the killer of dreams, success, and even failure. Complacency is the emergency brake of life. When we are complacent we limit ourselves to the bare minimum. "Benjamin E. Mays... Personal Beliefs.

  8. College Essay Examples: Challenging a Belief or Idea

    In this essay, a student we're referring to as The Graduation Speaker, answers Common Application prompt #3. ("Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?") His essay is a fantastic example of how to approach this prompt with humility, wit, and likability. […]

  9. Is writing about religion in college essays okay?

    10 months ago. Writing about your religion in your college essays can certainly be illuminating, as long as it is done with nuance and focuses on your personal growth rather than doctrine. Colleges appreciate essays that are a reflection of personal beliefs and values, provided they can get a clear sense of who you are and how this aspect of ...

  10. 177 College Essay Examples for 11 Schools + Expert Analysis

    Smith College. Each year, Smith asks its applicants to answer a different prompt with a 200-word essay. Here are six of these short essays answering the 2014 prompt: "Tell us about the best gift you've ever given or received." 6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018. You really can find everything at the library.

  11. 16 Strong College Essay Examples from Top Schools

    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! Finding Community in the Rainforest Prompt: Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community ...

  12. 21 Stellar Common App Essay Examples to Inspire Your College Essay

    Common App Essay Examples. Here are the current Common App prompts. Click the links to jump to the examples for a specific prompt, or keep reading to review the examples for all the prompts. Prompt #1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without ...

  13. 21 College Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)

    College Essay Example #1: Clair de Lune. In this first example essay, Clair de Lune, we'll watch Alex review the essay in real-time. Let's take a look. College Essay Example + Analysis. Watch on. The writer here uses what we call a "sacred practice" format in the Essay Academy, and they do it well.

  14. Religion Essay Examples for College Students

    When you strive to compare different religions, do not write in a biased tone and work on your compare-and-contrast essay. The body parts of your religion essay must start with a good topic sentence as you address a particular concept or the roots of some religious notions. It's always good if you can find reliable sources to support the facts.

  15. Is it okay to discuss religion in my college essay?

    10 months ago. Discussing religion in your college essay can be a powerful way to showcase your personal growth, values, and identity. Admissions officers appreciate essays that reflect honest and profound experiences that have shaped a student's character. The key, however, is to focus on the reflective and personal aspect of your experiences ...

  16. 101 This I Believe Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    If you're looking for some inspiration for your own "This I Believe" essay, here are 101 topic ideas and examples to get you started: I believe in the power of kindness. I believe in the importance of self-love. I believe in the value of hard work. I believe in the beauty of diversity. I believe in the strength of resilience.

  17. How to Write a College Essay about Religion

    What matters is that narrative. Every essay must have a beginning, middle, and end. There must be a conflict, big or small, and there must a triumph, tiny or massive. While you write, you need to keep yourself at the center of the story. Don't let religion take over your role as the point of this essay.

  18. 35+ Best College Essay Tips from College Application Experts

    Use your essays to empower your chances of acceptance, merit money, and scholarships.". This college essay tip is by Dr. Rebecca Joseph, professor at California State University and founder of All College Application Essays, develops tools for making the college essay process faster and easier. 15. Get personal.

  19. How to Write a Personal Statement

    Insert a quote from a well-known person. Challenge the reader with a common misconception. Use an anecdote, which is a short story that can be true or imaginary. Credibility is crucial when writing a personal statement as part of your college application process. If you choose a statistic, quote, or misconception for your hook, make sure it ...

  20. Can I explore my religious beliefs in my college essay by mentioning

    Absolutely, you can explore your religious beliefs in your college essay, including mentioning God. It's important to remember that admissions committees are interested in getting to know you as a whole person, and for many, faith is a significant part of their identity. Your essay should reflect who you are, and if that means discussing your religion, then that's what you should write about.

  21. Should I Mention My Religion in My College Essay?

    And anyone, no matter the religion or belief system, can get on board with those. Step 2: Make sure the values you're discussing are non-obvious and specific. Obvious connections lead to boring essays. Examples: "Playing in the band at church helped me learn the value of working with others" (seen it!) (or) "Volunteering at our mosque ...

  22. 21 College Essay Topics & Ideas That Worked

    Here's a list of essay topics and ideas that worked for my one-on-one students: Essay Topic: My Allergies Inspired Me. After nearly dying from anaphylactic shock at five years old, I began a journey healing my anxiety and understanding the PTSD around my allergies. This created a passion for medicine and immunology, and now I want to become ...

  23. Write a Winning College Essay: How to Pick a Topic

    Some essay topics are so overused that they've become clichéd, such as teenage heartbreak, mission trip experiences or winning a sports game, Phan said: "Considering how admissions committees may be reading tens of thousands of applications each application cycle, admissions readers want to read unique college essays with fresh ...

  24. How to Write the Best College Application, Former Cornell Director

    If you have good grades, you can get into a good college. But there's a subtle difference between an application that will get a child into an Ivy-level school versus an NYU-level school.

  25. THE PERSONAL STATEMENT

    A seven-part online course designed to gives students and counselors everything they need to figure out (or help someone else figure out) how to write a personal statement for the Common App. Watch the Q&A sessions after each session where I answer important questions about the personal statement-writing process and give feedback on essays to ...