Where can I find good college essay examples in PDF format?
I'm currently a high school senior starting to brainstorm ideas for my college application essays. I've been trying to find some reliable and recent examples of successful college essays, especially as downloadable PDFs, but most of the links I come across are either paywalled or have outdated content.
If anyone knows of reputable sources for free college essay examples, preferably in PDF format so I can annotate them, I'd really appreciate it. Looking for essays that helped students get into competitive schools since I want to get a sense of what works.
Any recommendations or links would really help me as I prep for applications over the summer!
If anyone knows of reputable sources for free college essay examples, preferably in PDF format so I can annotate them, I'd really appreciate it. Looking for essays that helped students get into competitive schools since I want to get a sense of what works.
Any recommendations or links would really help me as I prep for applications over the summer!
4 months ago
•
12 views
Camille Luong
• 4 months ago
Advisor
If you’re searching for recent and compelling college essay examples in PDF, there are a few approaches that usually yield good results without running into paywalls.
First, several top universities publish model essays each year that helped admitted students. For instance, Johns Hopkins University has a 'Essays That Worked' section on their admissions website, and you can usually select and save individual essays as PDFs. While you might have to copy-paste them into a document and save as PDF yourself, these essays are recent, well-annotated, and often come with commentary about why they were successful.
Another valuable source is the College Essay Guy website, which includes a number of real student essays that you can download as PDFs. Many students have found the essays about 'identity,' 'challenge,' and 'intellectual curiosity' especially useful, since they align closely with competitive college prompts.
Some colleges like Tufts, Hamilton, and Connecticut College also share successful essays on their admissions pages. Again, you may need to manually save them as PDFs, but the content is verified and up-to-date. Simply print the webpage as a PDF from your browser for easy annotating.
Additionally, Reddit’s r/ApplyingToCollege forum keeps ongoing threads of essay examples and resource guides, often with user-created Google Drive folders of sample PDFs. There’s usually a pinned post or Wiki where you can find these collections. One student last year shared a folder that included essays annotated to show what makes them stand out—for example, an essay about learning empathy from a summer gardening job or one highlighting a passion developed during a casual conversation with a neighbor.
Don’t forget local options, too. Sometimes your high school counseling office or your public library’s college prep section will have books or PDF packets of recent essays. Asking a counselor might yield a hidden gem from an upperclassman’s successful application.
While you review these examples, remember to use them for inspiration, not imitation. The best essays always speak authentically to your own story and personality. Good luck brainstorming and annotating as you prep this summer!
First, several top universities publish model essays each year that helped admitted students. For instance, Johns Hopkins University has a 'Essays That Worked' section on their admissions website, and you can usually select and save individual essays as PDFs. While you might have to copy-paste them into a document and save as PDF yourself, these essays are recent, well-annotated, and often come with commentary about why they were successful.
Another valuable source is the College Essay Guy website, which includes a number of real student essays that you can download as PDFs. Many students have found the essays about 'identity,' 'challenge,' and 'intellectual curiosity' especially useful, since they align closely with competitive college prompts.
Some colleges like Tufts, Hamilton, and Connecticut College also share successful essays on their admissions pages. Again, you may need to manually save them as PDFs, but the content is verified and up-to-date. Simply print the webpage as a PDF from your browser for easy annotating.
Additionally, Reddit’s r/ApplyingToCollege forum keeps ongoing threads of essay examples and resource guides, often with user-created Google Drive folders of sample PDFs. There’s usually a pinned post or Wiki where you can find these collections. One student last year shared a folder that included essays annotated to show what makes them stand out—for example, an essay about learning empathy from a summer gardening job or one highlighting a passion developed during a casual conversation with a neighbor.
Don’t forget local options, too. Sometimes your high school counseling office or your public library’s college prep section will have books or PDF packets of recent essays. Asking a counselor might yield a hidden gem from an upperclassman’s successful application.
While you review these examples, remember to use them for inspiration, not imitation. The best essays always speak authentically to your own story and personality. Good luck brainstorming and annotating as you prep this summer!
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Camille Luong
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Stanford University, BAH in Urban Studies
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