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Writing your college essays may seem like a daunting and scary task. However, our three-part blog series is here to help! We’ve compiled snippets of essays from our Class of 2027 that stood out to our counseling staff for their creativity and authenticity.
These essays also help to show there isn’t one “right” way to write your essay. Plus, you get a glimpse into our AWESOME incoming class of Oliners!
Personal Statement Essay Prompt: 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.
EXAMPLE 1: Laurel 27’ used their interest in patterns as a reoccurring theme to creatively show the various important and interlacing parts of who they are:
“I've always noticed patterns; not just the visual ones, like herringbone flooring or a chevron friendship bracelet, but also the world's universal patterns that often go unnoticed... by focusing on these small details, I've let patterns become an essential piece of me” noting with polka dots, “it is still one of my favorite patterns. It may seem simple, but just a few small dots can make an impact. I strive to be a dot through everyday actions, like conscious consumerism, planting wildflowers, or even stopping to talk to my neighbors”
Or, “Plaid: layers of multiple horizontal and vertical lines of varying widths. From the moment I was adopted as a baby by my white parents, they knew I would face a unique set of challenges.... While I navigate the crisscrossing lines of culture as an adoptee and Asian American, I find connections to these identities with others.”
Personal Statement Prompt: 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.
EXAMPLE 2: Maddy 27’ uses the topic of your choice prompt to talk about their perhaps unusual passion, (at least to their other teammates), for robotics game manuals and cleverly uses the motif of the sea throughout:
Maddy lyrically says, “robotics is just as much a fast-paced match in a massive stadium as it is a single sophomore stepping into new responsibility and growth, or one girl unearthing a passion for a future that society desperately tried to keep her from. As I commit to memory the scoring potential, mechanism types, and brightly-colored mascot of every four-digit number on the roster, I weave them together in a sailcloth of strengths and weaknesses in relation to each team and our own, just as much out of affinity for traveling the ocean as the sensation of thread in my hands.”
Personal Statement Prompt: 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.
EXAMPLE 3: Ahan’s 27’ essay about being the “hat guy” shows so much entrepreneurial spirit and self-exploration/compassion:
“As the token Indian kid in a primarily white town, I spent years aimlessly trying to fit into a mold that was never created for me. I learned to dress, talk, and act like everyone else and it was suffocating. But that day, in Lids with my dad, I felt like I knew who I was for the first time. From then on, I was hooked. From baseball caps to fedoras, I truly believe everyone can find a hat that makes them feel like a million bucks.”
Ahan does everything from using hats to explore their ethnic identity during summers in India to a creative hat-designing business endeavor where they made an impact, “I remember once stenciling a gold baseball on a green A's cap for a kid named Connor and seeing his eyes light up when I handed it to him; nothing feels as good as helping people be themselves in ways that feel best to them.”
These essays shine because they are true to the writer’s personal experiences and give deeper insight into what excites, inspires, and influences each student. While there isn't one perfect essay topic to write about, the best essays are always those that have a genuine voice.
Stay tuned for Part Two of "The Voices of Olin's Class of 2027: College Essay Snippets" blog series to read even more great examples of college essays!
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