Does anyone have an example of a college essay rough draft?

It’s very normal to feel unsure about your early drafts—most college essays start out rough and only take shape after a lot of revision. Rough drafts are rarely pretty, and it’s absolutely okay if yours don’t sound like the polished samples you see online. In fact, many students write first versions that are full of clichés, missing transitions, and rambling thoughts, and those essays evolve over time.

Here’s a quick example of what an early stage rough draft might look like for the Common App identity prompt:

"Growing up as the youngest sibling, people always expected me to follow what my brothers did. But I never really fit the mold. They played basketball and football, but I preferred to hang out in the garage building model airplanes or sketching. I think this is because my grandfather would tell me stories about planes he worked on when he was younger, and that made me curious about machines and how things work. There was that one time in middle school when everyone laughed at my drawing of a plane with ten wings, but I thought it was funny too. Sometimes I feel like I’m supposed to care more about fitting in, but I actually like being different. Not sure what else to say here but maybe talk about how I joined robotics? Or maybe mention my art contest? I want to show that I can pursue what I like even if it’s not what’s popular."

You’ll notice this draft is rambling and includes notes to self, half-finished thoughts, and areas marked for later development. Many people start with lots of personal narrative, sometimes too many anecdotes, or not enough focus. The "voice" might not be strong and the structure can be all over the place. The most important thing is to get your ideas on the page, even if it feels jumbled or repetitive. Revision is where you’ll add, cut, or rearrange for clarity and impact.

One tip: As you write your draft, focus on scenes or moments rather than trying to address the entire scope of your identity at once. Don’t worry about perfect grammar, style, or word count in your first round. After you have something down, you can shape it into a stronger essay through multiple revisions.

So yes, messy and incomplete drafts are absolutely the norm. Keep going—what you have now is just a starting point, not the final product.