Accepted! 50 successful college admission essays - Gen Tanabe, Tanabe Kelly 2008

Memorable essay: My new brother
57 successful admission essays

Director of admissions, Gettysburg College

“Each year there are essays that are shared in the offi ce,” says Gail Sweezey, director of admissions at Gettysburg College. The essays that seem to impress the Gettysburg College admission offi ce most are those written from the heart. They present honest images of the writers and their feelings.

One essay that Sweezey recalls was about when the writer was 14 years old and her mother had another child. “That event completely changed her life. She did a wonderful job of capturing what her life was like at home and how this event had changed it. It was clear from her essay how thoughtful and responsible she was. It was a personal essay that really worked for her,” says Sweezey.

Your passion and feelings when writing on a subject that you truly care about will naturally show through in your essay. Use this fact when picking a topic to make sure that your choice helps you write a better essay.