109 listings · 324 essays

Common App personal statement essays

The 650-word essay that went to every school on the list, from students who got in.

One essay of up to 650 words, sent to every school on your Common App list. It is the only piece of writing you cannot tailor to a single college, so it has to work everywhere at once, and it is usually the first thing an admissions reader sees of your writing.

Want the method before the examples? Read Common App essay examples: how to learn from essays that worked.

109Listings

324Essays

66Multi-essay packages

$20 to $346Price range

Essay types inside

Common App · Personal Statement109
Why-school · Supplement41
Other supplement31
Community / Identity · Supplement27

Where these writers got in

Northeastern13
NYU13
UIUC12
USC12
Georgia Tech11
Boston University10

Browse the other 5 collections →

Single1 essay

Northeastern

Common App · Personal Statement

Business

Your wall decor means more than you think

Immigrant familyInternational student

Seller attendsUC Berkeley

Accepted at:Northeastern

Common App · Personal Statement

Georgetown Common App personal statement

Worked through school

Seller attendsGeorgetown

Accepted at:Georgetown, UC Berkeley, Barnard, Williams, UCLA

$50full essay

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Single1 essay

St Mary's College of Maryland

Common App · Personal Statement

Political Science

St Mary's College of Maryland Common App personal statement

Worked through school

Seller attendsSt Mary's College of Maryland

Accepted at:Denison University, Reed College, Northeastern, College of Wooster, Kenyon College

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Biomedical Engineering

Boston University application essays

Seller attendsBoston University

Accepted at:Boston University, Clemson, Northeastern, Tufts, UNC Chapel Hill, +3 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement

Biochemistry +2

Tulane application essays

Seller attendsRIT

Accepted at:Tulane, RIT, Minnesota

Common App · Personal Statement

Sport Management

My high school professor inspired me to work harder, which set me up for success.

Seller attendsSyracuse

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

The most powerful communication happens not when you say everything you can, but when you

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement

Neuroscience ( Pre-Med)

... I wondered, what was I left with after success?

Worked through schoolImmigrant family

Seller attendsBarnard College

Accepted at:NYU, Barnard College, Wellesley College, Rutgers, Boston University, +9 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Thank You Note - Write a short thank-you note to…, +2 more

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering +2

In detailing my passions for science and good food.

Immigrant family

Seller attendsUPenn

Accepted at:UPenn, Binghamton, Stony Brook

Common App · Personal Statement, UC · Personal Insight Question, +5 more

Cornell application essays

International student

Seller attendsCornell

Accepted at:Cornell, Emory, Michigan (Ann Arbor), Northeastern, RIT, +5 more

Common App · Personal Statement

Georgia Tech Common App personal statement

Seller attendsGeorgia Tech

Accepted at:Georgia Tech

Common App · Personal Statement, Intellectual vitality · Supplement, +3 more

Economics

NYU application essays

Immigrant family

Seller attendsNYU

Accepted at:NYU, UMass Amherst, George Washington

Common App · Personal Statement

English

UIUC Common App personal statement

Worked through schoolImmigrant family

Seller attendsUIUC

Accepted at:UIUC, UMBC, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, CU Boulder, +6 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement, +1 more

Biomolecular Science

NYU application essays

Seller attendsUC Berkeley

Common App · Personal Statement, Is there any additional information or extenuating…, +2 more

Biology +6

Getting over my fear of judgement

Seller attendsMaryland

Accepted at:Maryland, Binghamton, Rutgers, Stony Brook, Pitt

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement

Economics

I don't have Instagram, but I have a co-founded startup and a friend who flew across the

Common App · Personal Statement

Business-Marketing

I grew up celebrating Thanksgiving with strangers from all over the world....I resented it

Seller attendsUC Santa Barbara

Accepted at:Minnesota, Maryland, Rutgers, Northeastern

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement

Aerospace Engineering

Every kid has obsessions

Seller attendsGeorgia Tech

Accepted at:Georgia Tech, Wisconsin

Common App · Personal Statement

As I move forward in my journey, I remain committed to being the “thumb” for marginalized

Low-incomeInternational student

Seller attendsBryn Mawr College

Accepted at:Bryn Mawr College, Rhodes College, Duke, Connecticut College

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement, +2 more

Economics +2

This is a courage the earlier versions of me would never have possibly dared to dream of.

Immigrant family

Seller attendsHarvard

Accepted at:Harvard, Columbia, Northwestern

Common App · Personal Statement, In which College or School at Notre Dame do you…, +2 more

Psychology; Neuroscience & Behavior

Locking myself in a laundry room 101

Rural hometownLow-income+1

Seller attendsNotre Dame

Accepted at:Notre Dame

List a selection of texts, resources and outlets…, What attracts you to your preferred areas of study…, +5 more

Economics and Public Policy

At Columbia, I’ll be able to work across the university and join the business school’s ongoing research into…

International studentImmigrant family+1

Seller attendsColumbia

In under 250 words, please share how you have…, Tell us about an experience you've had working with…, +1 more

Economics

In Port Stanley, my small town in rural Canada, community takes the shape of faces and names.

International studentImmigrant family+1

Seller attendsColumbia

Common App · Personal Statement, Activity / Extracurricular · Supplement, +2 more

Biology

“Tiffany,” a gentle, yet steady voice called out. I raised my head.

Seller attendsFlorida

Accepted at:Florida, UCF

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +6 more

Business +2

The project I’m most proud of is one my friend and I started from scratch: Gadget Givers.

Immigrant family

Seller attendsUSC

Accepted at:USC, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, SMU, Binghamton, +1 more

Common App · Personal Statement, UC · Personal Insight Question, +2 more

Business

“You girls can sit out; this is a boy’s activity.” The lingering words of my PE teacher overpowered all my senses as my…

Common App · Personal Statement

Computer Science

Dressed in a bright blue tracksuit, I eagerly waited for the camera to flash.

Seller attendsNortheastern

Accepted at:Northeastern

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement

Computer Science

My debugger has seen my tears more than most of my friends. But each time my code breaks, I start over, not out of…

Seller attendsUniversity of Washington

Accepted at:Georgia Tech

Common App · Personal Statement

General Engineering

I thought it was cool. Even after Tokimune had declared a surprise war on me, I still admired one thing about him, and…

Immigrant family

Seller attendsVirginia Tech

Accepted at:Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Penn State, RIT, Maryland, +8 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Short answer

Biomedical Engineering +2

If it were up to my coaches, I would live my life wrapped in layers on layers of bubble wrap.

Seller attendsTexas A&M

Accepted at:UT Austin, Penn State, UT Dallas, Auburn, Texas A&M, +5 more

Common App · Personal Statement

Biomedical Engineering +2

Twenty seconds, A moment so short, it is nearly negligible, yet long enough to change everything.

Seller attendsTexas A&M

Accepted at:UT Austin, Penn State, UT Dallas, Auburn, Texas A&M, +5 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement

Aerospace Engineering

Sweltering heat drenched my body as I photographed each cardinal direction and labeled vegetation types, 222 times.

Seller attendsGeorgia Tech

Accepted at:Georgia Tech, UGA, Clemson

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Computer Science

Most people are fascinated by what AI can do. I’m more fascinated by what it shouldn’t.

Rural hometownWorked through school

Seller attendsUC San Diego

Accepted at:Northeastern, Boston University, Wentworth, Illinois Tech

Common App · Personal Statement, Honors Essay: In 100 words or less, discuss your…, +3 more

Business

Management gives me the strong people-centered foundation I need to become a successful corporate lawyer.

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Common App · Personal Statement, Activity / Extracurricular · Supplement, +1 more

Business

After graduating from UIUC, my goal is to attend law school and become a corporate lawyer.

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement

Business

I wish I focused on how to play before focusing on how to win a volleyball game.

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Seller attendsUIUC

Accepted at:Boston University

Common App · Personal Statement, For Morrill Scholars: In what ways have your life…

Business

I used to think business was just sales pitches, profit margins, and the stock market.

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Seller attendsUIUC

Accepted at:Ohio State

Common App · Personal Statement

Financial Economics +4

When life presents you with a moment too beautiful to last, what would you do?

First genImmigrant family

Seller attendsUMBC

Accepted at:Texas A&M, UMBC, Santa Clara, San Francisco Bay University

Common App · Personal Statement

Chemistry and Economics

Passing through high-tech hallways and glass doors with yellow Latin letters, I walked into the whitest laboratory I…

First genLow-income+3

Seller attendsBates

Accepted at:Bates, Georgetown, Wesleyan University

Common App · Personal Statement

My favorite word is "deb." Most people have never used this word in a sentence, but I have always noticed the…

Immigrant familyWorked through school

Seller attendsVillanova

Accepted at:USC, Villanova, Boston College, UC Davis, UC San Diego

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement

Every day after school, my mom picks me up. However, one day, she wasn’t answering the phone.

Immigrant familyWorked through school

Seller attendsVillanova

Accepted at:Villanova

Common App · Personal Statement

Business Marketing +4

Rubbing off the cracked leather of the backseat, I watched the curved outline of Dulles Airport melt into the sticky…

International student

Seller attendsMaryland

Accepted at:Northwestern, Boston University, Brown, Northeastern, Syracuse, +5 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Intellectual vitality · Supplement, +2 more

Computer Science

The New York Subway regularly experiences 20-second delays. Multiplied over two billion rides a year, these delays add…

Seller attendsMichigan (Ann Arbor)

Accepted at:Michigan (Ann Arbor), Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, University of Washington, Georgia Tech, +1 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +2 more

Architecture

I always had too many rules. My socks had to match perfectly and my shoes had to be velcroed extra tight, never tied.

Seller attendsUVA

Accepted at:UVA, University of Tennesse, Virginia Tech, UNC Chapel Hill, UMass Amherst, +1 more

Common App · Personal Statement

The ring of the bell surrounded me. The music went silent, and the gasps of five judges and hundreds of audience…

Seller attendsSacred Heart

Accepted at:Sacred Heart, Pitt, Rhode Island, Delaware, Duquesne, +3 more

$30full essay

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Single1 essay

University of Washington

Common App · Personal Statement

Business

Standing in front of the back-to-school aisles at Target, a sense of calm washes over me.

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Seller attendsUIUC

Accepted at:University of Washington

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +2 more

Biology/Neuroscience

Throughout my highschool years I had begun to develop a passion for serving my church.

Immigrant familyRural hometown+1

Seller attendsNC State

Accepted at:NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro

Common App · Personal Statement, Please explain why you wish to study in the…, +2 more

Neuroscience +1

For a long time, I was convinced about my major: psychology, but my mind shifted towards neuroscience in summer.

International student

Seller attendsUC Berkeley

Accepted at:Rice, Tulane, Boston College, Fordham University, Northeastern, +1 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Political Science

The blustery wind of the Chicago winter blows upon my face. Cheers from a thrilled crowd of underclassmen echo all…

Immigrant familyWorked through school+1

Common App · Personal Statement

Global Public Health

I come from a Bengali community that produced revolutionary thinkers like Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra…

Immigrant family

Seller attendsNYU

Accepted at:Boston University, NYU, UIUC, University of Washington, Wisconsin

Common App · Personal Statement

Chemistry

From my perch in the pine tree, a secluded spot touched only by me and perhaps the occasional bird, I kept watch of the…

Low-incomeImmigrant family+1

Seller attendsMichigan (Ann Arbor)

Accepted at:Michigan (Ann Arbor), Maryland, Florida, UIUC, University of Washington, +1 more

Common App · Personal Statement

Mechanical Engineering

The day came when I looked into my closet, saw the pile of junk in the corner, and decided it was time to clean it.

First genLow-income+1

Seller attendsUC Irvine

Accepted at:University of San Diego, Santa Clara

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement, +1 more

Environmental Science

"Your brain hears, not your ears." I used to hate that poster.

Student athleteRural hometown

Seller attendsUNC Chapel Hill

Accepted at:UNC Chapel Hill

$563-essay set

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Package3 essays

University of San Diego

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Biology +2

“Smile!” click As a kid, I remembered always seeing my dad with a camera at any event.

First genImmigrant family+1

Seller attendsUniversity of San Diego

Accepted at:University of San Diego, LMU, Chapman, University of the Pacific

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement, +1 more

Molecular and Cell Biology

I was terrified on my first day.

First gen

Seller attendsUC San Diego

Accepted at:Tufts, Emory, Northeastern, Case Western

Common App · Personal Statement

Public Policy +1

“I think so,” I reply, gripping the stick tightly. Then it happens.

Seller attendsUC Berkeley

Accepted at:Boston University, USC

Common App · Personal Statement

Entrepreneurship

My father had just passed away, my mother's mental illness worsened, and there was no food at home.

First genLow-income+1

Seller attendsIowa State

Accepted at:Iowa State, Houston, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor

Common App · Personal Statement

My grandmother and I experienced a different kind of period poverty.

Seller attendsUSC

Accepted at:USC, University of Washington, Chapman, Santa Clara, USF

Common App · Personal Statement

Red berries terrify me. While a coyote’s howl spooks me, seeing a bush filled with berries and broken tree stumps in…

Seller attendsGeorgia Tech

Accepted at:Georgia Tech, UIUC, Florida, Maryland, Virginia Tech, +1 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement

My aspiration to study biology at Georgia Tech is a pivotal step in my journey toward a career in the medical field.

Seller attendsGeorgia Tech

Accepted at:Georgia State, UGA, Kennesaw State, Auburn, West Georgia

Common App · Personal Statement

Our car rolled to a stop.

Seller attendsFlorida

Accepted at:Florida, UCF, Florida State, Tulane, Alabama

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement

Biochemistry

I once turned into a “red zombie” when I was young.

Seller attendsBoston College

Accepted at:Boston College

Common App · Personal Statement

My aunt pointed toward the thin mattress in her guest room. Cramps gripped my stomach; my mind was jumbled, unable to…

Immigrant familyWorked through school

Seller attendsUNC Chapel Hill

Accepted at:UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, WashU, UGA, Emory

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Computer Science

I’ve learned that innovation means little if it never reaches the people who need it most.

Seller attendsUniversity of Washington

Common App · Personal Statement, Activity / Extracurricular · Supplement, +1 more

Computer Science + Bioengineering

My grandma’s gum disease went completely unnoticed until she lost every tooth, later causing heart complications.

Seller attendsUniversity of Washington

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +2 more

Artificial Intelligence

The first time I tried running my Oralytics oral-health model on shaky, hand-captured images, everything broke.

Seller attendsUniversity of Washington

We are looking for students who want to be bridge…, Common App · Personal Statement

Anand Khubani Business +1

The first version of my travel companion app, PathPal, failed for a reason I didn’t see coming.

Seller attendsUniversity of Washington

Common App · Personal Statement, Short answer, +3 more

Symbolic Systems

I watched people through security cameras, studying their behavior like Goodall studied chimpanzees.

Seller attendsUniversity of Washington

University of Washington

Common App · Personal Statement

Computer Science +1

My mom’s voice slapped me as she stared at the pan of sizzling cumin seeds.

Seller attendsUniversity of Washington

Accepted at:Purdue, UIUC, University of Washington, CalPoly, Georgia Tech, +2 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Tell us about your academic and career interests…

Aerospace Engineering

Minnesota application essays

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Seller attendsUIUC

Accepted at:Minnesota

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement

Aerospace Engineering

CU Boulder application essays

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Seller attendsUIUC

Accepted at:CU Boulder

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Aerospace Engineering

Purdue application essays

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Common App · Personal Statement, Activity / Extracurricular · Supplement, +1 more

Aerospace Engineering

Not all puzzles come in boxes. Some are spoken, lived, and quietly built from the ground up.

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +2 more

Computer Science

Suddenly, the string snaps. I'd been practicing guitar for a few hours when the high E broke mid-solo.

Immigrant familyLow-income

Seller attendsUT Austin

Accepted at:UT Austin, Texas A&M

Common App · Personal Statement

Psychology

Before the end of my eighth grade year, I was a typical talkative pre-teen, I talked so much that I would get in…

Immigrant familyWorked through school

Seller attendsBinghamton

Accepted at:Maryland, NYU, Virginia Tech, University of Connecticut, University of Vermont, +5 more

Common App · Personal Statement

“Om asya sriman-mahApunyakarmnaH prarmbhe…,” the pandit chanted.

Seller attendsAuburn

Accepted at:Auburn, Northwestern, RIT, Georgia State

Common App · Personal Statement, Tell us about the person who has most impacted your…, +1 more

Mechanical Engineering

Terrified from what I had heard about the course, I entered my physics class on the first day of junior year expecting…

Seller attendsTexas A&M

Accepted at:Texas A&M

Common App · Personal Statement, HMC’s collaborative community is guided by our…, +1 more

Chemistry

Recently, I've realized that perfection is nothing more than an illusion.

Student athlete

Seller attendsUC Berkeley

Accepted at:Harvey Mudd

Common App · Personal Statement, Short answer

Engineering (first-year) +1

Purdue is renowned for the resources it offers to students, especially research programs, which I believe would allow…

First genLow-income+2

Common App · Personal Statement, Short answer

Biomedical Engineering

"¿Qué significan estos números?", asked a Hispanic woman who seemed to be around the same age as my mom.

First genLow-income+2

Seller attendsPurdue

Accepted at:Boston University

Common App · Personal Statement

Chemical Engineering

The cards we are dealt are final, but their use is endless. Believing in my cards would be what helped me win.

First genLow-income+1

Seller attendsCarnegie Mellon

Accepted at:Carnegie Mellon, CU Boulder, LMU, Louisiana Stare University

Common App · Personal Statement, Most students choose their intended major or area…, +2 more

Chemical Engineering

A successful college experience, to me, is one where learning is constantly collaborative and used beyond the classroom.

First genLow-income+1

Seller attendsCarnegie Mellon

Accepted at:Carnegie Mellon

Common App · Personal Statement

Econ +1

“I wish Sarah could just die!” My tennis teammate, Kayla, cried in frustration.

Seller attendsUC Berkeley

Accepted at:NYU, Emory, Duke, Indiana, Florida, +2 more

Common App · Personal Statement

Engineering

There is only one place that has felt like home, and neither of my parents have ever stepped inside.

Low-incomeRural hometown+2

Seller attendsMichigan (Ann Arbor)

Accepted at:Michigan (Ann Arbor), Boston College, Michigan State

Common App · Personal Statement

Industrial and Systems Engineering/Systems Engineering

“Fue tu decisión no la mía (It was your decision, not mine).”

Immigrant familyStudent athlete

Seller attendsUSC

Accepted at:Miami, USC, Johns Hopkins

$40full essay

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Package3 essays

University of Washington

Activity / Extracurricular · Supplement, Community / Identity · Supplement, +1 more

With a pink sweater, blue jeans, black Converse, and sweaty hands, I arrived at the doors of Van Nuys Med Sci Building.

First genLow-income+2

Seller attendsMichigan (Ann Arbor)

Accepted at:University of Washington

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Microbiology

It’s the third time I’ve run up three flights of stairs, but we need this second card reader.

First genLow-income+2

Seller attendsMichigan (Ann Arbor)

Accepted at:Michigan (Ann Arbor)

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Film +1

I have lived my whole life in the intersection between my race and gender.

Seller attendsUSC

Accepted at:USC, Chapman, SCAD

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement, +1 more

“Because I said so”—the soundtrack of my childhood. As someone who has always relentlessly pursued conversation, that…

Seller attendsNorthwestern

Accepted at:Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt

Common App · Personal Statement

Nursing +4

The hardest part of growing up was never knowing which version of home I would wake up to every day.

First genLow-income+1

Seller attendsUC Berkeley

Accepted at:Mount Saint Mary's Los Angeles, USF

Common App · Personal Statement

Computer Engineering +1

I used to believe ghosts only lived in stories. But mine wears a cotton sari, lies in a narrow bed, and whispers my…

Immigrant familyWorked through school

Seller attendsPurdue

Accepted at:Purdue, UIUC, Michigan (Ann Arbor), Texas A&M, NYU, +1 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Many FSU Honors students pursue double majors…, +1 more

Business +2

In eighth grade, I found myself in the unlikeliest of places: trapped in the whirlwind of a global pandemic, dealing…

Seller attendsFlorida State

Accepted at:Florida State, UCF, University of South Florida, Palm Beach Atlantic, Alabama, +2 more

Common App · Personal Statement

Mechanical Engineering +1

Flowers can symbolize any part of life: celebration, decoration, love, grief, sadness, or even a first impression.

First genImmigrant family

Seller attendsVirginia Tech

Accepted at:Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Case Western, Ohio State, Clemson, +9 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +4 more

“And they can just steal her cells?” My younger brother asked, horrified.

Immigrant familyWorked through school

Seller attendsUNC Chapel Hill

Accepted at:Georgia Tech, Emory, WashU, UNC Chapel Hill, UGA

Common App · Personal Statement

Psychology

Balancing open mindedness and knowing who I am as an individual was a revelation that changed my perspective on life.

Low-incomeWorked through school

Seller attendsUMass Boston

Accepted at:UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, Salem State University, Bridgewater State University

Common App · Personal Statement

General Engineering +2

The lights dimmed. Excitedly, Senora Herrera urged us, "Stand up, everyone!

Seller attendsTexas A&M

Accepted at:Texas A&M, University of California, Virginia Tech, UIUC, Maryland, +3 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +3 more

Undeclared Engineering

As a multifaceted person with a passion for math and tech but also a deep love for the arts, each side is essential to…

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Neuroscience +2

When I was six, I stitched together stuffed animals after watching my idol, Doc McStuffins, “heal” her patients.

Seller attendsEmory

Accepted at:Emory, Georgia Tech, UGA

Common App · Personal Statement, Short answer, +4 more

Biology +2

And perhaps, while they painstakingly catalog mussels, I'll mention this new thing called DNA sequencing.

Seller attendsStanford

Common App · Personal Statement, Why-school · Supplement, +1 more

Computer Science

Engineering, to me, is reimagining systems:human, mechanical, everything in between.

First genLow-income+1

Common App · Personal Statement, UC · Personal Insight Question, +3 more

Engineering & Science

Cedranone: an exquisite molecule of 15 Carbon and 24 Hydrogen atoms that is characterized by its ability to amplify the…

Seller attendsStanford

Accepted at:Stanford, UPenn, UC Berkeley, Brown, Cornell, +7 more

Common App · Personal Statement, Community / Identity · Supplement

Finance +1

From doing Math Olympiad in elementary school to maxing out the AP math classes my high school offers, I have always…

Seller attendsNorthwestern

Accepted at:Northwestern, Santa Clara, University of Oregon

Common App · Personal Statement

Mechanical Engineering

A midday nap, nonexistent in 105-degree heat. There was no air conditioner in Nawabganj, Bangladesh, but there was a…

First genLow-income+2

Seller attendsHarvard

Accepted at:Harvard, Brown, Tufts, Boston University, Northeastern, +3 more

Common App · Personal Statement

Nursing +1

During my time in Indonesia, I learned that life was hard. My father worked in a kitchen at a small store for low…

Seller attendsUPenn

Accepted at:UPenn, Villanova, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego

Common App · Personal Statement, UPenn: Thank-You Note Essay, +2 more

Finance +3

Ever since my family moved into our first home, I assumed I'd also experience that moment one day.

Immigrant family

Seller attendsUPenn

Accepted at:UPenn, Indiana

Common App · Personal Statement, Vanderbilt University’s motto, Crescere aude, is…

At my first high school orchestra rehearsal, I was the only female trumpet player.

Seller attendsNorthwestern

Accepted at:Vanderbilt

Common App · Personal Statement

Economics

Lavender steam curls around me, fogging the mirror and filling the air with warmth.

Seller attendsCornell

Accepted at:Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Boston College, Middlebury, +2 more

Common App · Personal Statement

Computer Science

It was 6:27 P.M. on a sunny June evening in 2019—three more minutes.

Immigrant family

Seller attendsPenn State

Accepted at:Temple, Drexel, Maryland, Penn State

Common App · Personal Statement

Fixing radios with my grandfather taught me how things really work.

First genLow-income+1

Seller attendsStanford

Accepted at:Stanford, MIT, UCLA

$45full essay

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How to read these

These are personal statements from students who were admitted, sold by the students who wrote them. Many listings also include the school supplements that went out in the same application, which is the part that is hard to find anywhere else: one voice, in one year, doing two different jobs.

Read them side by side and study the structure rather than the subject. Then close the tab and write the version only you could write.