100 Successful College Application Essays (Second Edition)

The bulk of this book, as its title promises, comprises 100 examples of successful college-application essays. There are those who believe that reading essays will make you a better essay writer and those who don't. But reading these essays--and the experts' comments on them--will help you figure out what you want to write and how best to write it. From the essays included here, one surmises that the narrower your focus, the more effective the essay, as long as your narrowness doesn't cross over into insignificance. What matters most is not what you write about (these essays take on late-night TV game shows, self-induced baldness, the picture on a bag of Goldfish crackers, a family drive on the New Jersey Turnpike, and even a seven-inch plastic Godzilla), but what you do with your subject matter. --Jane Steinberg

Product Description
These are the essays that helped their authors gain admission to Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Wellesley, Colby, and other outstanding schools-followed by invaluable comments by experts in admissions, placement, and college counseling at some of the best learning institutions around the country. This helpful guide includes:

€ 100 complete essays with professional commentary
€ Examples of essays on common topics (family background, athletics, work experience), as well as the more offbeat
€ Essays on the immigrant experience by foreign-born students
€ A "What Not to Do" chapter from a top college counselor
€ and more

We've read almost every book remotely related the college and graduate school admissions process, and most of them will prove to be a waste of your money. This book, however, is well worth its cost.

We strongly encourage all students applying to college to read this book. We know because we're the admissions essay authority.


BUY THIS BOOK!   April 26, 2004
Sarah Carnes (Selinsgrove, PA)
7 out of 14 found this review helpful

Before I bought this book I thought my essay was pretty good until I bought this book. Then I knew that I could make my essay even better just by just following the essays in the book. I didn't even think I needed to get a guide book for my essay because I thought it was pretty good already without help from an essay book. But apparently this book worked really good because I did not get deferred from college! I got into my first choice just by using this book and I recommend it to anyone even to those who do not think they need a guide book for their essays because they think their essays are already pretty good like I thought mine was.

BUY THIS BOOK!


Very good   November 26, 2004
K. Tint
3 out of 8 found this review helpful

The essays are seperated into topics (eg. Applying to College, work experience, coming to america), and each include good essays.

The book includes essays of the admittants to top tier colleges (Ivies), and some second tier ones. Interestingly, there are no essays from MIT! (No surprise though, considering the rivalry betwene MIT and Harvard -- the book was organized by Harvard newspaper)

Overall, great book.


a sure help   October 9, 1998
3 out of 10 found this review helpful

the woderful essays inspire you to write your own!!! comments from admission officers help a lot and show that one essay can be viewd very differently


Excellent compilation of essays   December 15, 1997
2 out of 9 found this review helpful

I read this book at my career counsellor's office. It was indeed a wonderful book, I tried to order it but I could'nt get it as the online ordering facility was not working. I also tried various book stores but could'nt find a copy of it.