Sample: how to write an essay for college application
Sometimes the best way to learn a skill is to see it done a few times. Below is an example of the sort of essay you may be going for when writing your college application.
There are several points you should know or notice about this essay:
- The prompt is “Say something about yourself.”
- Very few awards and achievements were mentioned
- The focus is something the speaker has learned and how they can benefit this academic institution.
- The assigned length for this essay is 300-350 words
Sample Essay
I usually like to introduce myself as an amateur entomologist and watch for the person’s reaction. Lately however, I have found that this simple title does little to capture who I am or what I can offer to my fellow humans. Not to belittle the field, it is still very much my passion, but my interest has led to much more than critter knowledge; it has taught me how to think, how to turn facts into problem solving. In my freshmen year of high school, I participated in the Young Scholar’s Program at the Museum of Invertebrates. While I came away with a lot more book and field knowledge, most importantly I learned what I could not do. At one point I spent the better part of two days trying vainly to identify an ant, ignoring the advice of my instructor to leave it for a while and try again. I entered the program thinking rather well of myself; I left realizing that when approached with the wrong attitude even something so small as ants could present an impossible problem. Because I came to the problem unwilling to learn and unable to admit my own limitations, I was unable to grow or take care of the task at hand.
I like to think that I have matured at least a little since then. I made my way through the rest of high school still fascinated by invertebrates. I was again honored to participate in the Young Scholar’s Program where I was able to use my knowledge to assist other students because I did not let the facts become more important than my colleagues. We solved many problems together and collectively earned the Velvet Ant Award. I now plan to get a degree in biology with a minor in entomology and use that degree to forge ahead into this interesting field. I hope to have a chance to not only become a professional entomologist at your institution but to become a professional problem solver.