my first year in high school essay

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My High School Years

Category Education
Subcategory School
Topic High School

I remember when I was in middle school I would watch “That’s So Raven,” on Disney Channel all day, wishing I was already in High School like Raven, so that I could have the same pleasurable experiences as she did. But little did I know “That’s So Raven,” was a fantasy and that life would not be so easy.

Social media hadn’t really taken its sway over me until my freshman year at high school. The year began with me trying to find an identity for myself, as well as what made me different from those around me. I lacked solid self-confidence and self-reliance. I believed that you couldn’t disagree without jeopardizing the relationship. I no longer wanted to be a background character; but the center of the scene. As I was new, I felt like all eyes were on me and that everyone was waiting to see what I had to bring to the table. My need to impress a bunch of people who I soon realized couldn’t care less about me, only led to increased feelings of anxiety, poor body image and loneliness. I cared about my social image just as a politician running for office. My own Instagram profile probably didn’t even represent the person that I felt like on the inside. It was adverse that social media became all about fitting in and showing off, just at a time when my self-esteem became more fragile as I became more self conscious.

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It took me until my sophomore year to realize that the more identities you have, and the more time you spend pretending to be someone you aren’t, the harder it’s going to be to feel good about yourself. But this realization didn’t just stir up by itself.

Around the middle of my sophomore year, I made friends with this junior named Samm. He didn’t come to school that often because he didn’t really appreciate the confines that our education system had instigated towards learning beyond the classroom’s walls. I couldn’t disagree with him on that. Within a few months of getting to know him, he suddenly became diagnosed with paraplegia; the lower half of his body became completely paralyzed. But still so, he refused to live his life like a vegetable, and he continued pursuing his passion – basketball. At first he avoided going to the basketball court in fear of getting mocked by other peers, but he realized that if he was able to accept himself, then given a little time, others would be able to do so as well. While that friend of mine dreamt of forming the first national wheelchair basketball league in Bangladesh, there I was trying to impress a bunch of people I didn’t even really know. His continuous and ongoing journey of finding himself stimulated me to embrace the fact that I am who I am today and I am who I will be tomorrow, with all my flaws. I learnt that I couldn’t please everyone and that there would always be some people who just wouldn’t like me.

My first two years in high school had thus ended, with me finally grasping the fact that self-esteem comes from consolidating who you are and knowing how to say what you think and feel, even when you’re in disagreement with the person or it feels emotionally risky.

Unlike most people, who think that their freshman year is like starting a whole new chapter, I perceived that feeling when beginning my junior year. I began to explore and take advantage of the vast options and opportunities I had. Since I didn’t want to look back and wish or regret something that I did or didn’t do, I decided to only make moments that I would want to remember. I turned to befriending more like-minded people and those who would hopefully have a positive impact on me.

To extirpate the negativity around me I decided to cut a multitude of people out of my life that dragged me down in one way or another; especially energy zappers and promoters of bad habits. It is till date one of the key steps I’ve encountered on my way to finding happiness. Friends will come and go and that is natural. Severing ties with some people made scope for more positive people to come into my life; and gave me more time to nurture the true relationships I had.

After overcoming various predicaments I began my final and senior year feeling a sense of worthiness and strength. The insidious problems I had to face that year are but a smudge on my memory. In order to make my senior year my best year, I decided to the things I enjoyed doing. I encouraged juniors not to fall victim to the negative sides of peer pressure. I didn’t want other students to go through the same things I experienced and felt inclined to stand up for a change; but I understood that change takes one step at a time and that it’s up to everyone to take the first step on their own. I decided to initiate a certain platform which would mentally and physically prepare students to interact with the environment around them and would also allow them to express their thoughts and emotions. This platform made me believe that being an agent in my community wasn’t just a cliché for me, but a necessary commitment.

I graduated high school learning that school and teachers can only teach us so much, and that the real learning comes from self-motivation. Ultimately, it’s all a matter of staying true to what you believe personally and following your moral compass, even in the foggiest conditions. High school helped me grow academically, emotionally, socially and realistically; and though it wasn’t the best four years of my life, as it is for many, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the experience.

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How to Write Any High School Essay

Last Updated: March 22, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 562,993 times.

Writing an essay is an important basic skill that you will need to succeed in high school and college. While essays will vary depending on your teacher and the assignment, most essays will follow the same basic structure. By supporting your thesis with information in your body paragraphs, you can successfully write an essay for any course!

Writing Help

Planning Your Essay

Step 1 Determine the type of essay you need to write.

Expository essays uses arguments to investigate and explain a topic.
Persuasive essays try to convince the readers to believe or accept your specific point of view
Narrative essays tell about a real-life personal experience.
Descriptive essays are used to communicate deeper meaning through the use of descriptive words and sensory details.

Step 2 Do preliminary research on your essay’s topic.

Look through books or use search engines online to look at the broad topic before narrowing your ideas down into something more concise.

Step 3 Create an arguable thesis statement

For example, the statement “Elephants are used to perform in circuses” does not offer an arguable point. Instead, you may try something like “Elephants should not be kept in the circus since they are mistreated.” This allows you to find supporting arguments or for others to argue against it.
Keep in mind that some essay writing will not require an argument, such as a narrative essay. Instead, you might focus on a pivotal point in the story as your main claim.

Talk to your school’s librarian for direction on specific books or databases you could use to find your information.
Many schools offer access to online databases like EBSCO or JSTOR where you can find reliable information.
Wikipedia is a great starting place for your research, but it can be edited by anyone in the world. Instead, look at the article’s references to find the sites where the information really came from.
Use Google Scholar if you want to find peer-reviewed scholarly articles for your sources.
Make sure to consider the author’s credibility when reviewing sources. If a source does not include the author’s name, then it might not be a good option.

Outlines will vary in size or length depending on how long your essay needs to be. Longer essays will have more body paragraphs to support your arguments.

Starting an Essay

Step 1 Hook the readers with a relevant fact, quote, or question for the first sentence.

Make sure your quotes or information are accurate and not an exaggeration of the truth, or else readers will question your validity throughout the rest of your essay.

Step 2 Introduce your thesis in one sentence.

For example, “Because global warming is causing the polar ice caps to melt, we need to eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels within the next 5 years.” Or, “Since flavored tobacco appeals mainly to children and teens, it should be illegal for tobacco manufacturers to sell these products.”
The thesis is usually the last or second to last sentence in your introduction.

Step 3 Provide a sentence that’s a mini-outline for the topics that your essay covers.

Use the main topics of your body paragraphs as an idea of what to include in your mini-outline.

Step 4 Keep the introduction between 4-5 sentences.

Writing the Body Paragraphs

Step 1 Start each paragraph with a topic sentence.

Think of your topic sentences as mini-theses so your paragraphs only argue a specific point.

Step 2 Include evidence and quotes from your research and cite your sources.

Many high school essays are written in MLA or APA style. Ask your teacher what format they want you to follow if it’s not specified.

Step 3 Provide your own analysis of the evidence you find.

Unless you’re writing a personal essay, avoid the use of “I” statements since this could make your essay look less professional.

Step 4 Use transitional phrases between each of your body paragraphs.

For example, if your body paragraphs discuss similar points in a different way, you can use phrases like “in the same way,” “similarly,” and “just as” to start other body paragraphs.
If you are posing different points, try phrases like “in spite of,” “in contrast,” or “however” to transition.

Concluding Your Essay

Step 1 Restate your thesis and summarize your arguments briefly.

For example, if your thesis was, “The cell phone is the most important invention in the past 30 years,” then you may restate the thesis in your conclusion like, “Due to the ability to communicate anywhere in the world and access information easily, the cell phone is a pivotal invention in human history.”
If you’re only writing a 1-page paper, restating your main ideas isn’t necessary.

Step 2 Discuss why the subject of your paper is relevant moving forward.

For example, if you write an essay discussing the themes of a book, think about how the themes are affecting people’s lives today.

Step 3 End the paragraph with a lasting thought that ties into your introduction.

Try to pick the same type of closing sentence as you used as your attention getter.

Including a Works Cited page shows that the information you provided isn’t all your own and allows the reader to visit the sources to see the raw information for themselves.
Avoid using online citation machines since they may be outdated.

Revising the Paper

Step 1 Determine if your point comes across clearly through your arguments.

Have a peer or parent read through your essay to see if they understand what point you’re trying to make.

Step 2 Check the flow of your essay between paragraphs.

For example, if your essay discusses the history of an event, make sure your sentences flow in a chronological way in the order the events happened.

Step 3 Rewrite or remove any sections that go off-topic.

If you cut parts out of your essay, make sure to reread it to see if it affects the flow of how it reads.

Step 4 Read through your essay for punctuation or spelling errors.

Community Q&A

Allow ample time to layout your essay before you get started writing. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
If you have writer's block , take a break for a few minutes. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2
Check the rubric provided by your teacher and compare your essay to it. This helps you gauge what you need to include or change. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

Avoid using plagiarism since this could result in academic consequences. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1

↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/types-of-essays/
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
↑ https://guides.libs.uga.edu/reliability
↑ https://facultyweb.ivcc.edu/rrambo/eng1001/outline.htm
↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/20-compelling-hook-examples-for-essays.html
↑ https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement.html
↑ https://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/five_par.htm
↑ https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/jason.laviolette/persuasive-essay-outline
↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/paragraphs/topicsentences
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions
↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay/conclusion
↑ https://pitt.libguides.com/citationhelp
↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/

About This Article

Writing good essays is an important skill to have in high school, and you can write a good one by planning it out and organizing it well. Before you start, do some research on your topic so you can come up with a strong, specific thesis statement, which is essentially the main argument of your essay. For instance, your thesis might be something like, “Elephants should not be kept in the circus because they are mistreated.” Once you have your thesis, outline the paragraphs for your essay. You should have an introduction that includes your thesis, at least 3 body paragraphs that explain your main points, and a conclusion paragraph. Start each body paragraph with a topic sentence that states the main point of the paragraph. As you write your main points, make sure to include evidence and quotes from your research to back it up. To learn how to revise your paper, read more from our Writing co-author! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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What My School Means to Me: Essays from 3 High Schoolers

How students at an unusual school think—and write—about their experience.

In January, I visited the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, a public residential high school in Greenville. Artistically talented students from around the state spend two or three of their high school years in dedicated pursuit of their art—dance, drama, music, visual arts, or creative writing—along with their academic curriculum. I wrote about it here .

I asked Scott Gould, a creative writing teacher at the school, if he would ask his students to write me a short essay about their school. This was a wide-open request; I wanted to hear whatever perspective the students wanted to offer about their experience at the school. Among the essays the students submitted, here are three of my favorites, unedited and untouched. I’d like to share them with you.

The first is by Cameron Messinides, a junior from Camden, SC:

Long-Distance My mother called on Sunday to tell me our herd of goats, previously twenty-one strong, had been reduced to three. Two feral dogs squeezed through a hole in the pasture fence and killed anything they could catch. My parents and brother arrived during the massacre. My father jumped the fence to chase the dogs and shot the slower one with a pistol. On his way back, he heard a few scattered bleats and followed the sounds. In a gully, he found two billies and the last nanny. They had survived by shoving themselves into an abandoned chicken coop. Afterwards, my family walked among the carcasses--once white, now bloodstained and caked with rain-softened clay. We wanted to find life, my mother said. They gave up at four in the afternoon, and my father and brother made a pile of the bodies in the woods, to be buried later. Phone calls like this are common now. I've been in a boarding school since August, and every weekend my mother seems to find something new to break to me. It's not always bad. The weekend before, she called to tell me my brother enrolled in a birding retreat on the South Carolina coastline. And before that, she told me about the new color she picked for the living room walls. I'm still not used to this kind of communication. I miss immediacy. A year ago, when I still lived with them, I would know all this. She wouldn't have to tell me two or three days later. I'd like to say I've adjusted, but I haven't. The Wednesday after the goats died, she called again. She told me she couldn't shake what she had seen. She worried. Would the dogs' owner show up? How about the surviving dog? What if he came back? She hadn't been sleeping, and when she did, she dreamt of the bloody bodies, the torn sides of a billy, the kids crushed into the mud. I told her I knew how she felt, but I don't. I don't think it's possible. She sent me only one picture of the scene, a close-up of the surviving nanny's nose, ripped open by the dog's teeth. The rest I have to imagine. I imagine the dogs—Brown? Black?—chasing the herd across a winter field, hooves and paws tearing up dead grass. I imagine stumbling kids. I imagine the deputy who arrived a few hours later, gray-haired and perhaps a slow talker. None of it is certain. I still sleep easily. That's the cost of our separation: her anxieties don't travel the phone lines, and I can't make myself care. But I want to care. Some days I only want to be home, in the ranch-style with green siding and the stump in the front yard, which is the only remnant of the rotting oak my family cut down without me. I'd walk to the pasture with my father, take the shovel he offers me, and dig with him, shoulder-to-shoulder, a hole big enough to put all eighteen dead goats under three or four feet of orange clay. Then, we return home, and I sit in the living room next to my mother, tell her she can sleep now. Even hours into the night, after she has gone to bed, I sit, surrounded by lamplight and the color of the freshly-painted walls, three coats of Townhouse Tan, and listen to my brothers. They lie side-by-side on the hearth, birder's guidebook open before them, and take turns whispering names to each other: bobwhite, cardinal, tufted titmouse.

Next, by Shelley Hucks, a senior from Florence, SC:

Florentine In the heart of South Carolina, the railroad tracks converge over swampland, and fields are laced with cotton in the Dog Days of early August. The summer heat rolls in, unstoppable and rests between cypress knees and Spanish moss. The place can’t decide what to be: it’s one-third urban, one-third rural, and one-third swamp. The people seem to fall victim to a cycle of poverty, of being at sixteen what their parents were at eighteen, what their own children will be at fourteen. It’s not easy to get out. The place is called Florence, and I lived there for sixteen years before moving three hours away to study creative writing at a boarding school. In upstate South Carolina is the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities. It’s situated just off Greenville’s downtown area, with Reedy River Falls Park in the school’s backyard. Downtown Greenville is an arts community, with performing centers and theaters, galleries, art festivals and craft fairs, and restaurants willing to provide venues for writing club readings or jazz band performances. Not only is the atmosphere different, but the entire landscape: from my dorm room, I can see the hazy silhouette of mountains. At the Governor’s School, I’ve studied under excellent teachers. I’ve been exposed to new authors and genres, learned to be curious, analytical, to believe in the deliberation of every line of poetry and each line of dialogue in a short story. I’ve learned to put my personal life into artistic context with the help of professionals. I’ve learned to become aware. To make something strange, beautiful, something important. And, something particularly valuable to me because of my immense pride in my hometown, I’ve learned to appreciate a strong sense of setting, the way characters can function in so many complex ways. I’ve learned how to convey Florence in words. Governor’s School has provided me with the training to write about the content that I grew up with, the material I naturally have to offer. Every story I write takes place in some type of Florence, with its tangible sensation of heat trapped in the swamp, the perpetual presence of desperation. All of my characters are based on Florentines: single mothers I’ve met at work, the mysterious neighbor who passed out already-opened Halloween candy, or the woman who showed up to church drinking hairspray. Going home on breaks, or for the summer, has altered my perspective of Florence. Instead of seeing tragic figures living in a never-changing place, I see characters full of complexities living in a place as undecided as they are. Once, the chain-link fence covered in hubcaps was ugly. But now I see it as armor, protecting the women on the porch, who sip sweet tea and watch another fistfight unfold in the street, those men who wordlessly understand the ritual required to live here.

Finally, by Jackson Trice, a senior from Simpsonville, SC:

Outside the Lines I forget how strange my school sounds to the rest of the world until I leave it. On a card at the front desk inside a college admissions building, I am told to write the name of my high school. The full name, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, does not fit on the dotted line, and I have to draw an arrow to the back of the card, and write the rest there. When I say my school’s name out loud to family members, it sounds prestigious, almost regal. But on the first day of school here it is made clear that I was chosen based on potential, and not necessarily talent. It’s this ego smashing that happens throughout junior year that creates the atmosphere of Governor’s School. You don’t get “good,” you just make progress. You are not special, you’ve just been given an excellent opportunity. I don’t know how much Governor’s School has changed me until I meet up with friends from my old school at a football game during fall break. I live in Simpsonville, South Carolina only a fifteen minute drive from downtown Greenville. Still, all these kids know about my school are rumors. “I’ve heard the dancers are super catty,” one says. “I’ve heard there’s, like, crazy amounts of sex.” I answer, “Sometimes,” and “That’s a good joke,” respectively. I try to explain to them that yes, I have real school work on top of art work. No, I can’t have a boy in my dorm room—I can’t even have Advil. Hey, hey, there are a few republicans. Like, two, maybe? I quickly realize that the magic of this school is lost as soon as I try and pin words to it. I stop coming home for Friday night football games. I choose, instead, to stay on campus. There are two creative writing classrooms that make up our department. Each is packed with books and long desks and computers. Only creative writers are allowed in these rooms, and there’s a giddiness in the seclusion of it. Monday through Thursday, we stay in the rooms after hours to get work done, but on Fridays, we kick our shoes off and run around to celebrate the weekend. We lay on the desks and talk to each other and laugh until our sides ache. We share secrets and stories and we belong to these rooms, to the spines of our favorite books on the bookshelves. We belong to each other. There are, of course, the nights when AP Chemistry keeps me up until four in the morning. There are the days where workshop is brutal, and I never want to write another word again. There are those scary moments where I feel that the pressure is too much and I fantasize about going to regular school. Maybe then, I could learn to drive, go to real high school parties, eat my mother’s delicious food anytime I wanted. But then there’s a drama student playing guitar in the academic stairwell. The sound of his voice spins up the flights of stairs, bouncing off walls in wistful echoes. It calms me. There’s hot chocolate at the Starbucks across the street, and there’s the beauty of that street, which is lined with small trees dressed up in white Christmas lights, illuminating the sidewalk. There’s my friend who sits with me inside Starbucks and talks about Rilke and Miley Cyrus with equal insight and tenacity. When I return, there’s a group of students outside the residential life building, blocking the doors. They’re all dancing, and singing to the beat of their clapping hands, stomping feet: “You have to dance to pass. Dance, dance, to pass.” And because I can sense that there is something wonderfully magical about this place, I feel that I must obey them. It is only necessary. I am a terrible dancer, but in this moment, I dance shamelessly. When the crowd is satisfied with my moves, they cheer, and finally part, letting me into the building, welcoming me home.

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How to Write Any High School Essay

Last modified 2024-04-01
Published on 2021-08-13

The first step before you write any high school essay is to determine which type of essay you are required to write. There are 5 common types of high school essays : Descriptive, Narrative, Expository, Argumentative, and Analytical. With descriptive and narrative essays, you must use creativity to paint a story about a personal experience or communicate a deeper meaning through descriptive words and sensory details. Expository, argumentative, and analytical essays require you to investigate and explain a topic with different levels of detail and varied purposes.

Next, we provide details about strategies and tips for each type of essay to help you have a better step-by-step guide when approaching any writing assignment.

1. Descriptive Essay – The First High School Essay Type

A descriptive essay focuses on your ability to provide details and sensory descriptions for readers. So, what’s the step-by-step guide to a descriptive essay?

Choose a specific essay topic and start brainstorming from there: With this kind of essay, you should focus on only one idea and expand on it, rather than spreading your essay thin to touch on different ideas. Once you settle on a topic, for example thunderstorms, you should write down a few related words: colors, sky, sea, cloud, rain, etc. Writing down those related words will help you have an overview and develop the essay from these descriptive words.
Follow the structure: Start with a bold introduction, ease into the body paragraph with specific and sensory details, then end with a summary in the conclusion paragraph. A good introduction normally starts with a hook that invokes curiosity and urges the readers to learn more. After the hook, you should provide more context about what the readers can expect and what your essay will cover.
Choose figurative and vivid language: Since the main point of a descriptive essay is in the sensory description, focus on providing vivid sensory details to enhance the description. Besides mentioning what something looks like, add what it feels, smells, sounds, or tastes like. Besides description, you can bring your emotions into the essay to connect with readers on a deeper level.
Use transition words to lead the reader: It’s easy to fall deep into rambling about senses and descriptions. A solution to that is to use transition words to lead readers into the right stage of emotion. Having transition words will also help you understand the logical flow of the essay and have a good organization for the structure of the essay.

2. Narrative essays

Narrative high school essays ask you to tell readers about events, experiences, and incidents that happened to you or about a fictional event you imagined. The most common example of a narrative essay is the writing prompts for a personal statement when you apply to colleges. Below are the general tips for narrative essays:

Make sure your essay has 5 elements: plot, characters, setting, conflict, and theme (can have a climax element if needed). Generally, a compelling story must have a strong plot and theme, which is the sequence of events that happened in the story and the purpose of each event. Many students make up a sequence of events to be ‘too good to be true,’ meaning that everything just lines up perfectly without any challenges or hardships for characters. A story is the reflection of real life; therefore, there must be ups and downs, as well as challenges people need to face. Conflicts are necessary to create tension, lead to resolution, and develop significant character development. In addition to plot, theme, and tension, a good story needs a setting to help readers understand the context where the event occurred. Of course, the characters involved in the event need to be mentioned and described.
Feel free to use the first-person pronoun “I”: Since it’s your story being told from your point of view, you should use this whenever necessary to indicate and emphasize your emotions and feelings. But remember, don’t abuse this first-person pronoun, because it may distract readers from the story flow.
Describe events in chronological order: You should write in chronological order to avoid confusing readers and help readers follow your thought process. If you’re an experienced writer, you can describe events that best fit your writing intention.

3. Expository

Expository high school essays are short pieces of academic writing that require evidence to explain or further investigate topics. Since expository essays focus on providing actual facts and evidence, having a neutral point of view is very critical. In order to write a great expository essay, you should:

Provide a clear thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. You should put your thesis statement here because this will set the guidelines for the topics discussed within the thesis statement, and strengthen the effect and persuasion through the body paragraphs.
Evidence support: when it comes to this type of essay, evidence support is not required to build a strong argument. Teachers give this assignment to students to test their understanding of the topic and their ability to present conveying information. Regardless of the evidence, you should still develop strong reasoning and a logical flow.
Clarity is key: Expository writing is the opposite of narrative or descriptive writing, because writing an expository essay requires clear and concise language that readers can understand. Refrain from using figurative or sensory language that may distract readers from the essay’s main point, especially when the topic you discuss is complicated.
Organize your essay: There is a method called the POET method. This method can organize your ideas and essay into a strong structure.

4. Argumentative

For an argumentative essay, you need to present a thesis statement, gather and evaluate evidence, and establish a position on the subject matter. There are two common models to help you form your argument: Toulmin and Rogerian models. In the Toulmin model , every argument begins with three fundamental parts: the claim, the grounds, and the warrant. In the Rogerian model , every argument aims to establish a middle ground between parties with opposing viewpoints.

Evidential support: Different from the expository essay, an argumentative essay requires significant, well-researched, and detailed information to support the argument. However, you should be clear about what evidence you collect to prevent biased information. A well-rounded argumentative essay discusses opinions from both sides of the thesis, not only the side you prefer. You can support your thesis and stand for a side when writing a persuasive essay. However, in an argumentative essay, you should compare two positions and explain how others may not be well-informed about the topic.
A clear and concise thesis statement in the first paragraph. As mentioned in the expository essay, argumentative essays also require you to have a strong thesis statement to inform readers about what to expect in later paragraphs. If you don’t write a comprehensive and strong thesis statement here, it’s hard to expand and develop into a strong argumentative essay.
The conclusion should synthesize the whole essay and provide insight into further research. Many students have told us that writing the opening and closing paragraphs is the hardest part of writing. And yes, we agree with them. These two portions of the essay are what readers will remember the most. A tip that we tell students in writing a conclusion is to summarize what’s been discussed above instead of introducing new information. Furthermore, you can emphasize why the topic is important to you and briefly discuss future research in continuing your work.

5. Analytical essay

The University of Toronto has written detailed instructions about writing an analytical essay for both high school and university levels. To help you understand how to write an effective analytical essay, we would like to provide you with some valuable tips to keep in mind:

Do research before writing the essay: Doing research utilizing primary and secondary sources will help you brainstorm the strongest arguments for your essay. A good note to remember is to discuss one point per paragraph. Don’t forget to give credit to the sources you’ve found in case the readers want to dive deeper into a point you mentioned
Have space for opposing opinions and evidence: Due to the nature of the analytical essay, the main body should include the main points of your analysis, backed up with evidence and substance. Remember to provide contrasting opinions for a well-rounded analysis and strengthen your argument by refuting the contrasting argument with additional evidence and reasoning.

We have covered the tips and tricks to write any of the 5 types of high school essays. Besides discussing the tips, we want to mention that regardless of the essay you write, you should

Always proofread and revise your drafts: After you have the structure and content for your essay, the next step is to read the draft over and make sure the essay is free of grammatical and punctuation errors. Review for misspellings of words, incorrect word usage, and inconsistencies in text and numbers. Additionally, you should correct sentence construction and language clarity with each revision.
Citation: Providing credit to the authors from whom you used the source material shows your credibility in writing the paper and your respect for the previous researcher. Depending on the class instructor, there will be different citation styles that you have to follow.

These are all the tips to help you overcome any challenges in writing any essays. Writing is a skill that can’t be improved overnight, but can be improved with constant practice through the years. Even expert students are still learning to improve their writing every day. We hope that with this guide, you will approach the next writing assignment confidently. Happy writing!

Next steps:

20 tips to improve your writing
6 Differences between High School and College Writing
8 Steps in the Research Process
Expert Guide: Writing Portfolio for College

Students will learn the nuances of language, including figurative language, effective structuring, and specific forms to apply to their own piece(s). Students will work directly with both literary and media texts to plan and write their piece(s). This class will also help the students write with an aim for an audience as their submission for nation-wide and international writing competitions that are timely with the course schedule.

This course helps students develop and improve their writing skills to prepare students for higher education courses. The methodology emphasizes the ability to read critically, think critically, and write critically. Students will learn informative, narrative, descriptive, creative, and persuasive essay writing skills. Students will learn how to brainstorm, structure and outline, form an argument, defend it, incorporate academic sources, and develop a clear, articulate writing style. The focus will be on the writing process, intended audience, consistent tenses, point of view, correct grammar uses, building vocabulary, appropriate style, and proper research and citation protocols.

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50 Engaging Narrative Essay Topics for High Schoolers

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What’s Covered:

Narrative essays vs. analytical essays, how to pick the right narrative essay topic, elements of a strong narrative essay, engaging narrative essay topics for high schoolers, where to get your narrative essay edited for free.

Narrative essays are an extensive form of writing that gives readers the opportunity to follow along as a person goes through a journey or sets of experiences. Rather than providing analytic insight, narrative essays simply share a story and offer a first-person account. These essays may seem easy to write at first, but it takes a certain finesse to write a narrative essay that is interesting, cohesive, and well-researched. Whether you’re looking for a unique topic to write about, or just want some new inspiration, CollegeVine is here to help! These 50 narrative essay topics are engaging, unique and will have you writing in no time.

A narrative essay is a great way to express your personal experiences and opinions, but it is important to remember that this type of essay is different from an analytical paper. In a narrative essay, you do not need to provide background information or explain your thoughts and feelings; instead, you simply tell a story. It’s important to avoid too much telling in your writing; instead, use creative details and vivid imagery to make readers feel as if they are actually right there with you.

Where You Will Encounter Narrative Essays

This type of essay is typically encountered in high school, where students may be required to write personal statements to prepare for their Common App essay . Narrative essays are also commonly seen in AP Language and Composition. Therefore, it’s important you are aware of the style because you are bound to have a narrative essay assignment.

Of course, before you start writing, it is important to pick the right essay topic. There are many factors involved in the process of picking the perfect narrative essay topic for your story.

You should always choose a topic that you are passionate about, since writing on something you care about will make the process much easier. Not only will it be more interesting to create your paper around something that truly interests you, but it will also allow you to fully express yourself in your essay. You also want to be sure that the topic has enough material to work with. If your chosen topic is too short, you will not have enough content to write a complete paper. For example, if you are writing about your experience getting lost at the mall, make sure that you have enough information to work with to craft an engaging narrative.

The best topic for an engaging narrative essay is one that focuses on showing versus telling, has a clear structure, and provides a dialogue. These elements come together to form an engaging narrative essay. Regardless of what subject you pick, any topic may be turned into a fascinating, A+ worthy narrative using the tips below.

Show, Don’t Tell

To write a good narrative essay, it’s important to show, not tell. Instead of simply informing your audience, show them what you mean. For example, instead of saying “I was nervous,” you could say “My heart began to race and my stomach filled with butterflies.” Also make sure to use sensory details, such as sights, sounds and tastes, and include a personal reflection at the end of your narrative.

Begin with a Strong Opening Line

A good narrative essay will begin with an attention-grabbing opening line. But make sure to avoid common clichés, such as “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Instead, come up with something original and specific to you and your situation. For example: “My pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles. I mean, he even used circular note cards.” Or, “It all started the day my mom brought home a guinea pig.”

Follows a Three-Act Structure

A strong narrative essay follows the same three-act structure as other essays. But in order to make it interesting, you’ll need to come up with a creative way to break things down into sections. For example, using the guinea pig example from above, you could write the following:

Act 1 – Introduction: The day my mom brought home a guinea pig.
Act 2 – Conflict: The day I had to say goodbye to my beloved pet.
Act 3 – Conclusion: Looking back at how much I miss him now that he’s gone.

Conclude with Personal Reflection

To conclude your narrative essay, you’ll want to explain what this specific experience taught you or how you’ve changed. For example, upon realizing that her pre-calc teacher was obsessed with circles, the writer of the previous example begins to notice circular shapes everywhere. Another way to conclude your narrative essay is by touching on how this experience impacted you emotionally. For example, after losing his guinea pig, the writer explains how much he missed it.

Use Dialogue

Include a conversation in your essay to make it come alive. For example, instead of simply saying that you met a new friend, talk about how you introduced yourselves or what they were wearing when you met them.

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The following list of 50 narrative essay topics is divided into categories. This will make it easier to find a topic that fits your writing style.

1. What is a childhood song that still sticks with you today?

2. Your first day of Kindergarten

3. Talk about a time when you’re siblings looked up to you

4. Describe the best birthday party you’ve ever had

5. Talk about the best day you ever spent with a childhood friend

6. Explain your first childhood hobby

7. Describe your first halloween costume

8. A family vacation gone wrong

9. Your first family reunion

10. Describe a tradition that is unique to your family

11. Describe your family to a person who’s never met them before

12. What frustrates you most about your family

13. If you could only keep one memory of your family, what would it be and why?

14. Describe a time your family embarrassed you in public

15. The most beautiful place in the world

16. Your favorite season and why

17. If you were a part of nature, what element would you be? Why?

18. When you go outside, which of your senses are you most thankful to have?

19. Describe the first time you witnessed a tornado

20. Write a poem about your favorite season

21. Describe yourself as one of the four seasons

22. Describe a time in which you felt connected with nature

23. Describe the first time you played an instrument and how you felt

24. What major event would be much worse if music was removed, and why?

25. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

26. What would a life without music look like?

27. If you could master one instrument, what would it be and why?

Relationships

28. What if you had never met your best friend?

29. Describe a time when you fixed a broken relationship

30. Talk about a movie that defined a relationship for you

31. Describe your first date

32. Describe the first time you made a friend

33. Describe your relationship with your parents

Self Reflection

34. Have you ever fooled someone? If so, describe what happened and how you felt about it

35. What is the worst thing you’ve done to someone else?

36. Write about the difference between how things seem and how they really are.

37. Have you ever been embarrassed in some way? If so, describe the situation and how it affected you as well as those around you

38. Have you ever witnessed something really beautiful? Describe it

39. Is your glass half empty or half full?

Overcoming Adversity

40. Have you ever been very afraid of something but tried your hardest to appear fearless? If so, describe that experience

41. When have you ever succeeded when you thought you might fail

42. What are your secret survival strategies?

43. Describe the last time you were stressed and why?

44. Describe a time when you were discriminated against

45. The most memorable class you’ve had and why

46. Your favorite study abroad memory

47. Describe your kindergarten classroom

48. Describe your first teacher

49. The first time you experienced detention

50. Your first field trip

Hopefully these topics will get you thinking about a personal experience that could make for a thoughtful and engaging narrative essay. Remember, a strong narrative essay must contain relatable details and a clear flow that keeps the reader entertained and engaged to read all the way to the end.

If you need some additional guidance on your narrative essay, use CollegeVine’s free peer review essay tool to get feedback for free!

The Big List of Essay Topics for High School (120+ Ideas!)

Ideas to inspire every young writer!

What one class should all high schools students be required to take and pass in order to graduate?

High school students generally do a lot of writing, learning to use language clearly, concisely, and persuasively. When it’s time to choose an essay topic, though, it’s easy to come up blank. If that’s the case, check out this huge round-up of essay topics for high school. You’ll find choices for every subject and writing style.

Argumentative Essay Topics
Cause-and-Effect Essay Topics
Compare-Contrast Essay Topics
Descriptive Essay Topics
Expository and Informative Essay Topics
Humorous Essay Topics

Literary Essay Topics

Narrative and Personal Essay Topics
Personal Essay Topics
Persuasive Essay Topics

Research Essay Topics

Argumentative essay topics for high school.

When writing an argumentative essay, remember to do the research and lay out the facts clearly. Your goal is not necessarily to persuade someone to agree with you, but to encourage your reader to accept your point of view as valid. Here are some possible argumentative topics to try. ( Here are 100 more compelling argumentative essay topics. )

The most important challenge our country is currently facing is … (e.g., immigration, gun control, economy)
The government should provide free internet access for every citizen.
All drugs should be legalized, regulated, and taxed.
Vaping is less harmful than smoking tobacco.
The best country in the world is …
Parents should be punished for their minor children’s crimes.
Should all students have the ability to attend college for free?
Should physical education be part of the standard high school curriculum?

Should physical education be part of the standard high school curriculum?

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Schools should require recommended vaccines for all students, with very limited exceptions.
Is it acceptable to use animals for experiments and research?
Does social media do more harm than good?
Capital punishment does/does not deter crime.
What one class should all high schools students be required to take and pass in order to graduate?
Do we really learn anything from history, or does it just repeat itself over and over?
Are men and women treated equally?

Cause-and-Effect Essay Topics for High School

A cause-and-effect essay is a type of argumentative essay. Your goal is to show how one specific thing directly influences another specific thing. You’ll likely need to do some research to make your point. Here are some ideas for cause-and-effect essays. ( Get a big list of 100 cause-and-effect essay topics here. )

Humans are causing accelerated climate change.
Fast-food restaurants have made human health worse over the decades.
What caused World War II? (Choose any conflict for this one.)
Describe the effects social media has on young adults.

Describe the effects social media has on young adults.

How does playing sports affect people?
What are the effects of loving to read?
Being an only/oldest/youngest/middle child makes you …
What effect does violence in movies or video games have on kids?
Traveling to new places opens people’s minds to new ideas.
Racism is caused by …

Compare-Contrast Essay Topics for High School

As the name indicates, in compare-and-contrast essays, writers show the similarities and differences between two things. They combine descriptive writing with analysis, making connections and showing dissimilarities. The following ideas work well for compare-contrast essays. ( Find 80+ compare-contrast essay topics for all ages here. )

Public and private schools
Capitalism vs. communism
Monarchy or democracy
Dogs vs. cats as pets

Paper books or e-books
Two political candidates in a current race
Going to college vs. starting work full-time
Working your way through college as you go or taking out student loans
iPhone or Android
Instagram vs. Twitter (or choose any other two social media platforms)

Descriptive Essay Topics for High School

Bring on the adjectives! Descriptive writing is all about creating a rich picture for the reader. Take readers on a journey to far-off places, help them understand an experience, or introduce them to a new person. Remember: Show, don’t tell. These topics make excellent descriptive essays.

Who is the funniest person you know?
What is your happiest memory?
Tell about the most inspirational person in your life.
Write about your favorite place.
When you were little, what was your favorite thing to do?
Choose a piece of art or music and explain how it makes you feel.
What is your earliest memory?

What’s the best/worst vacation you’ve ever taken?
Describe your favorite pet.
What is the most important item in the world to you?
Give a tour of your bedroom (or another favorite room in your home).
Describe yourself to someone who has never met you.
Lay out your perfect day from start to finish.
Explain what it’s like to move to a new town or start a new school.
Tell what it would be like to live on the moon.

Expository and Informative Essay Topics for High School

Expository essays set out clear explanations of a particular topic. You might be defining a word or phrase or explaining how something works. Expository or informative essays are based on facts, and while you might explore different points of view, you won’t necessarily say which one is “better” or “right.” Remember: Expository essays educate the reader. Here are some expository and informative essay topics to explore. ( See 70+ expository and informative essay topics here. )

What makes a good leader?
Explain why a given school subject (math, history, science, etc.) is important for students to learn.
What is the “glass ceiling” and how does it affect society?
Describe how the internet changed the world.
What does it mean to be a good teacher?

Explain how we could colonize the moon or another planet.
Discuss why mental health is just as important as physical health.
Describe a healthy lifestyle for a teenager.
Choose an American president and explain how their time in office affected the country.
What does “financial responsibility” mean?

Humorous Essay Topics for High School

Humorous essays can take on any form, like narrative, persuasive, or expository. You might employ sarcasm or satire, or simply tell a story about a funny person or event. Even though these essay topics are lighthearted, they still take some skill to tackle well. Give these ideas a try.

What would happen if cats (or any other animal) ruled the world?
What do newborn babies wish their parents knew?
Explain the best ways to be annoying on social media.
Invent a wacky new sport, explain the rules, and describe a game or match.

Explain why it's important to eat dessert first.

Imagine a discussion between two historic figures from very different times, like Cleopatra and Queen Elizabeth I.
Retell a familiar story in tweets or other social media posts.
Describe present-day Earth from an alien’s point of view.
Choose a fictional character and explain why they should be the next president.
Describe a day when kids are in charge of everything, at school and at home.

Literary essays analyze a piece of writing, like a book or a play. In high school, students usually write literary essays about the works they study in class. These literary essay topic ideas focus on books students often read in high school, but many of them can be tweaked to fit other works as well.

Discuss the portrayal of women in Shakespeare’s Othello .
Explore the symbolism used in The Scarlet Letter .
Explain the importance of dreams in Of Mice and Men .
Compare and contrast the romantic relationships in Pride and Prejudice .

Analyze the role of the witches in Macbeth.

Dissect the allegory of Animal Farm and its relation to contemporary events.
Interpret the author’s take on society and class structure in The Great Gatsby .
Explore the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia.
Discuss whether Shakespeare’s portrayal of young love in Romeo and Juliet is accurate.
Explain the imagery used in Beowulf .

Narrative and Personal Essay Topics for High School

Think of a narrative essay like telling a story. Use some of the same techniques that you would for a descriptive essay, but be sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. A narrative essay doesn’t necessarily need to be personal, but they often are. Take inspiration from these narrative and personal essay topics.

Describe a performance or sporting event you took part in.
Explain the process of cooking and eating your favorite meal.
Write about meeting your best friend for the first time and how your relationship developed.
Tell about learning to ride a bike or drive a car.
Describe a time in your life when you’ve been scared.

Write about a time when you or someone you know displayed courage.

Share the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you.
Tell about a time when you overcame a big challenge.
Tell the story of how you learned an important life lesson.
Describe a time when you or someone you know experienced prejudice or oppression.
Explain a family tradition, how it developed, and its importance today.
What is your favorite holiday? How does your family celebrate it?
Retell a familiar story from the point of view of a different character.
Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision.
Tell about your proudest moment.

Persuasive Essay Topics for High School

Persuasive essays are similar to argumentative , but they rely less on facts and more on emotion to sway the reader. It’s important to know your audience, so you can anticipate any counterarguments they might make and try to overcome them. Try these topics to persuade someone to come around to your point of view. ( Discover 60 more intriguing persuasive essay topics here. )

Do you think homework should be required, optional, or not given at all?
Everyone should be vegetarian or vegan.
What animal makes the best pet?
Visit an animal shelter, choose an animal that needs a home, and write an essay persuading someone to adopt that animal.
Who is the world’s best athlete, present or past?
Should little kids be allowed to play competitive sports?
Are professional athletes/musicians/actors overpaid?
The best music genre is …

What is one book that everyone should be required to read?

Is democracy the best form of government?
Is capitalism the best form of economy?
Students should/should not be able to use their phones during the school day.
Should schools have dress codes?
If I could change one school rule, it would be …
Is year-round school a good idea?

A research essay is a classic high school assignment. These papers require deep research into primary source documents, with lots of supporting facts and evidence that’s properly cited. Research essays can be in any of the styles shown above. Here are some possible topics, across a variety of subjects.

Which country’s style of government is best for the people who live there?
Choose a country and analyze its development from founding to present day.
Describe the causes and effects of a specific war.
Formulate an ideal economic plan for our country.
What scientific discovery has had the biggest impact on life today?

Tell the story of the development of artificial intelligence so far, and describe its impacts along the way.

Analyze the way mental health is viewed and treated in this country.
Explore the ways systemic racism impacts people in all walks of life.
Defend the importance of teaching music and the arts in public schools.
Choose one animal from the endangered species list, and propose a realistic plan to protect it.

What are some of your favorite essay topics for high school? Come share your prompts on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out the ultimate guide to student writing contests .

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — First Day of School — First Day of High School Essay – 150 Words

About My First Day at High School

Categories: First Day of School High School

About this sample

Words: 168 |

Published: May 14, 2021

Words: 168 | Page: 1 | 1 min read

First day of school (essay)

Works cited.

Chen, X., & Wu, B. (2019). Traditional Chinese Cultural Values and Personality Traits Among Chinese International Students. Journal of International Students, 9(2), 487-503. doi:10.32674/jis.v9i2.239
Cohen, E. G. (1994). Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the Heterogeneous Classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Delpit, L. (1995). Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. New York, NY: The New Press.
Du, X., Li, Y., & Zhang, L. (2016). Confucianism, Education, and Schooling: A Brief Introduction. In Y. Li & X. Du (Eds.), Chinese Education in Global Contexts: Research and practice in China and the UK (pp. 1-20). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. doi:10.1057/978-1-137-58078-6_1
Gay, G. (2000). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kao, G. (1995). Asian Americans as Model Minorities?: A Look at Their Academic Performance. American Journal of Education, 103(2), 121-159. doi:10.1086/444120
Ogbu, J. U. (1988). Minority Education and Caste: The American System in Cross-Cultural Perspective. New York, NY: Academic Press.
Su, C., & Kuo, B. (2019). The Impact of Western Education on Chinese Students' Cultural Identity. Journal of International Students, 9(2), 601-622. doi:10.32674/jis.v9i2.266
Zhou, M. (2002). The Limits of Racial Domination: Plebeian Society in Colonial Mexico City, 1660-1720. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

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Insights I Wish I Would’ve Had During My First Year of Teaching

Almost a decade ago, on the first day of my first year teaching, I sat and stared at a circle of high school students. On my desk was a lesson plan that I’d spent weeks preparing. I’d decorated my classroom to perfection. It was a veritable Pinterest board of beauty and inspiration. I’d carefully arranged the desks in a circle so that my students would face each other and learn together. Everything was in place exactly as I’d planned.

At 8:45am, thirty-one 10th graders entered the room, taking in their new English teacher. They whispered to each other, giving me adolescent side-eye. I smiled back, knowing these first few moments were critical. They settled into their seats. It was showtime.

All of my training, all of my excitement and nervousness came down to this moment. But I immediately felt like every Piaget and Vygotsky reading was failing me. All the pedagogical theory in the world had not prepared me for the pressure of this moment, staring at a circle of urban teenagers on the first day of school.

I looked down at the attendance sheet full of faceless names and back up at the expectant faces of my students. Suddenly, it hit me: “There’s been a mistake. Surely, I can’t be the one in charge of all of these teenagers right now. No one is checking on me? No one is making sure I don’t mess this up? I am just supposed to BE a teacher now?”

The answer was yes . I was now officially a teacher, and like a million educators before me, it was time to dive in and start creating the magic. And so, I did.

The first year of teaching is the hardest. While being an educator is never without its struggles, the first year is by far the most challenging — pieced together with idealism, confusion, good intentions, excitement, fear, and expectations. But fear not. We’ve gathered some amazing wisdom from teachers around the country. Here’s what veteran teachers wish they would’ve known their first year.

On the first day of school

“Make a point to greet each child. They are just as nervous as you are!” – Carolyn

“Look ’em in the eye, say “how are you?” and mean it. Ask students to pronounce their names and say one thing about themselves. It saves you the embarrassing mispronunciation of names, and shows respect when you use their name correctly. Also, you won’t be the only one talking.” – Jeri

“Always remember that you are not the only one who is scared. There are 30 scared kids too. Empathize and relax together.” – Jeremy

“Enjoy the ride! Smile and breathe. You only get one first day [with these students]! Don’t worry about accomplishing all your goals in one day.” – Janice

About making connections

“Make establishing relationships with students a priority.” – Tyson

“Do not fall into the “Pinterest/Instagram-worthy” classroom snapshot. Make your curriculum and student connections be [what] stands out and is remembered. All of the other stuff is just smoke and mirrors.” – Tina

“Greet each student by name with a smile every day. Your smiles may be the only smiles they see.” – Brenda

“Write a letter to yourself describing the year you are looking forward to, the kind of teacher you will be, and the success of your students. Save this letter in a sealed envelope and read it at the end of the year.” – Wanda

“Create positive relationships with the maintenance staff, the librarian, the office staff, and anyone else who is in the trenches with you and is often overlooked. They are the most amazing people, and can make your life so much easier, and certainly more pleasant.” – Amy

After a long day

“Every day is a new lesson to learn and grow from. Mistakes are proof you are learning!” – Anabel

“Be patient with yourself. Go home before dark, and keep fighting the good fight!” – Samantha

“Don’t try to do it all and be perfect. Students want to know you care and they want you to be honest with them. Don’t be afraid to see that the lesson is not working and change it up.” – Sherry

“Take deep breaths. Everything is not an emergency. It only gets easier from here.” – Sabrina

“It’s OK to not finish everything. It’s OK to not fully know the answers, and it’s OK to be overwhelmed. Just love the kiddos the best you can.” – Amy

“You will have days when you will mess up. You will struggle. You will want to run away crying, and you will beat yourself up over all you could have done differently. Now remember this: every time you fail, you have learned something new. Every time you want to run away, know you will come back again tomorrow. When you feel the need to cry, let it out. Then look for the good in your day, no matter how small it may seem. We all have hard days, but when you reflect and grow, you are becoming a better teacher and a better person. Leave the bad in the past and step forward to the future — for you and for your students!” – Mary

“Pick your battles. Everything is not worth fighting over. You’ll just end up exhausted and spread too thin. Don’t forget the importance of self-care .” – Allison

When it comes to planning and teaching

“Don’t be afraid to wait. Leave a question lingering. Wait for kids to formulate a thought. Wait for them to settle down. Wait time is golden! Be planned and prepared (because admin. can walk in at any time!) but don’t be afraid to go with the flow of the classroom. If a good conversation is happening, don’t cut it short on account of time or “it’s not in the plans.” It’s usually moments like that where students really get the most out of what you’re doing anyway!” – Laura

“Expect the unexpected. Have plans for when:

The network goes out
The Smartboard bulb blows out
The copier breaks down
You schedule a test for the last day before vacation and instead there’s an assembly.” – Kevin

“Any work you assign will come back to you tenfold. Choose wisely.” – Jeff

And living the teacher life

“Going to bed early, getting a full eight hours of sleep, and getting to work early to prep for the day is a much better routine than staying up late and showing up five minutes before first period.” – Andrew

“Be prepared to have kids call you Mom — some on purpose and other by accident. Either way, take it as a compliment.” – Bridget

“Make the payroll secretary your BFF.” – Chiara

“It’s OK to take time for yourself at lunch! Although it’s important to build relationships with students, figure out what time you need to recharge and block that out for yourself. If you need a midday break, make lunch a ‘grown-up only’ time.” – Stephanie

And being a role model

“You don’t have to know everything; modeling curiosity and the ability to find answers is one of the most valuable lessons you can teach.” – Lori

“Plan, prepare, have fun and be a role model, not their friend. Always be kind. Listen first and model being a lifelong learner.” – Darlynn

Hopefully you gained some insight and a few new ideas from these very knowledgeable teachers. Being a teacher isn’t easy but it’s incredibly rewarding. And to that end, keep in mind the powerful words of Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai.

Jennifer L.M. Gunn spent 10 years in newspaper and magazine publishing before moving to public education. She is a curriculum designer, teaching coach, and high school educator in New York City. She is also cofounder of the annual EDxEDNYC Education Conference for teacher-led innovation, and regularly presents at conferences on the topics of adolescent literacy, leadership, and education innovation.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 177 college essay examples for 11 schools + expert analysis.

College Admissions , College Essays

The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I'll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 11 different schools. Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 177 full essays and essay excerpts , this article is a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You'll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author's present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author's world, and for how it connects to the author's emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don't take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don't want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don't bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

And if you need more guidance, connect with PrepScholar's expert admissions consultants . These expert writers know exactly what college admissions committees look for in an admissions essay and chan help you craft an essay that boosts your chances of getting into your dream school.

Check out PrepScholar's Essay Editing and Coaching progra m for more details!

Want to write the perfect college application essay? We can help. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will help you craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay to proudly submit to colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these.

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of 177 college essay examples responding to current and past Common App essay prompts.

Connecticut college.

12 Common Application essays from the classes of 2022-2025

Hamilton College

7 Common Application essays from the class of 2026
7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022
7 Common Application essays from the class of 2018
8 Common Application essays from the class of 2012
8 Common Application essays from the class of 2007

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Coalition Application (which Johns Hopkins used to accept).

1 Common Application or Coalition Application essay from the class of 2026
6 Common Application or Coalition Application essays from the class of 2025
6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2024
6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2023
7 Common Application of Universal Application essays from the class of 2022
5 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2021
7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2020

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

2 Common Application essays ( 1st essay , 2nd essay ) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a collection of essays that are college-specific.

Babson College

4 essays (and 1 video response) on "Why Babson" from the class of 2020

Emory University

5 essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) from the class of 2020 along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on why the essays were exceptional
5 more recent essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on what made these essays stand out

University of Georgia

1 “strong essay” sample from 2019
1 “strong essay” sample from 2018
10 Harvard essays from 2023
10 Harvard essays from 2022
10 Harvard essays from 2021
10 Harvard essays from 2020
10 Harvard essays from 2019
10 Harvard essays from 2018
6 essays from admitted MIT students

Smith College

6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018

Books of College Essays

If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers.

College Essays That Made a Difference —This detailed guide from Princeton Review includes not only successful essays, but also interviews with admissions officers and full student profiles.

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson—A must for anyone aspiring to Harvard .

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays and 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe—For essays from other top schools, check out this venerated series, which is regularly updated with new essays.

Heavenly Essays by Janine W. Robinson—This collection from the popular blogger behind Essay Hell includes a wider range of schools, as well as helpful tips on honing your own essay.

Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example 1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

"Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?"

"Why me?" I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. "The water's on fire! Clear a hole!" he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I'm still unconvinced about that particular lesson's practicality, my Dad's overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don't sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don't expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

It's the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren't going to get food or dinner; they're going for "Texas BBQ." The coat hanger comes from "a dumpster." Stephen doesn't just move the coat hanger—he "jiggles" it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn't just uncomfortable or nervous; he "takes a few steps back"—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word "click."

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

"Unpredictability and chaos" are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like "family of seven" and "siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing," Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: "in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed."

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase "you know," so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father's strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn't occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad's approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can't control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like "twists and turns" and "don't sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he "learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions combines world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've guided thousands of students to get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit and are driven to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in:

Example 2: By Renner Kwittken, Tufts Class of '23 (Common App Essay, 645 words long)

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go," and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration.

Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear.

I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

In the lab, Dr. Ray encouraged a great amount of autonomy to design and implement my own procedures. I chose to attack a problem that affects the entire field of nanomedicine: nanoparticles consistently fail to translate from animal studies into clinical trials. Jumping off recent literature, I set out to see if a pre-dose of a common chemotherapeutic could enhance nanoparticle delivery in aggressive prostate cancer, creating three novel constructs based on three different linear polymers, each using fluorescent dye (although no gold, sorry goldbug!). Though using radioactive isotopes like Gallium and Yttrium would have been incredible, as a 17-year-old, I unfortunately wasn't allowed in the same room as these radioactive materials (even though I took a Geiger counter to a pair of shoes and found them to be slightly dangerous).

I hadn't expected my hypothesis to work, as the research project would have ideally been led across two full years. Yet while there are still many optimizations and revisions to be done, I was thrilled to find -- with completely new nanoparticles that may one day mean future trials will use particles with the initials "RK-1" -- thatcyclophosphamide did indeed increase nanoparticle delivery to the tumor in a statistically significant way.

A secondary, unexpected research project was living alone in Baltimore, a new city to me, surrounded by people much older than I. Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research. Whether in a presentation or in a casual conversation, making others interested in science is perhaps more exciting to me than the research itself. This solidified a new pursuit to angle my love for writing towards illuminating science in ways people can understand, adding value to a society that can certainly benefit from more scientific literacy.

It seems fitting that my goals are still transforming: in Scarry's book, there is not just one goldbug, there is one on every page. With each new experience, I'm learning that it isn't the goldbug itself, but rather the act of searching for the goldbugs that will encourage, shape, and refine my ever-evolving passions. Regardless of the goldbug I seek -- I know my pickle truck has just begun its journey.

Renner takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but their essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through some of the strengths of this essay.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

This essay is ultimately about two things: Renner’s dreams and future career goals, and Renner’s philosophy on goal-setting and achieving one’s dreams.

But instead of listing off all the amazing things they’ve done to pursue their dream of working in nanomedicine, Renner tells a powerful, unique story instead. To set up the narrative, Renner opens the essay by connecting their experiences with goal-setting and dream-chasing all the way back to a memorable childhood experience:

This lighthearted–but relevant!--story about the moment when Renner first developed a passion for a specific career (“finding the goldbug”) provides an anchor point for the rest of the essay. As Renner pivots to describing their current dreams and goals–working in nanomedicine–the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” is reflected in Renner’s experiments, rejections, and new discoveries.

Though Renner tells multiple stories about their quest to “find the goldbug,” or, in other words, pursue their passion, each story is connected by a unifying theme; namely, that as we search and grow over time, our goals will transform…and that’s okay! By the end of the essay, Renner uses the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” to reiterate the relevance of the opening story:

While the earlier parts of the essay convey Renner’s core message by showing, the final, concluding paragraph sums up Renner’s insights by telling. By briefly and clearly stating the relevance of the goldbug metaphor to their own philosophy on goals and dreams, Renner demonstrates their creativity, insight, and eagerness to grow and evolve as the journey continues into college.

An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Renner sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know them.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Renner's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks their younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver.

I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Renner gives a great example of how to use humor to your advantage in college essays. You don’t want to come off as too self-deprecating or sarcastic, but telling a lightheartedly humorous story about your younger self that also showcases how you’ve grown and changed over time can set the right tone for your entire essay.

Technique #2: intentional, eye-catching structure. The second technique is the way Renner uses a unique structure to bolster the tone and themes of their essay . The structure of your essay can have a major impact on how your ideas come across…so it’s important to give it just as much thought as the content of your essay!

For instance, Renner does a great job of using one-line paragraphs to create dramatic emphasis and to make clear transitions from one phase of the story to the next:

Suddenly the destination of my pickle car was clear.

Not only does the one-liner above signal that Renner is moving into a new phase of the narrative (their nanoparticle research experiences), it also tells the reader that this is a big moment in Renner’s story. It’s clear that Renner made a major discovery that changed the course of their goal pursuit and dream-chasing. Through structure, Renner conveys excitement and entices the reader to keep pushing forward to the next part of the story.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Renner emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research.

In the examples above, Renner switches adeptly between long, flowing sentences and quippy, telegraphic ones. At the same time, Renner uses these different sentence lengths intentionally. As they describe their experiences in new places, they use longer sentences to immerse the reader in the sights, smells, and sounds of those experiences. And when it’s time to get a big, key idea across, Renner switches to a short, punchy sentence to stop the reader in their tracks.

The varying syntax and sentence lengths pull the reader into the narrative and set up crucial “aha” moments when it’s most important…which is a surefire way to make any college essay stand out.

Renner's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Connecting the research experiences to the theme of “finding the goldbug.” The essay begins and ends with Renner’s connection to the idea of “finding the goldbug.” And while this metaphor is deftly tied into the essay’s intro and conclusion, it isn’t entirely clear what Renner’s big findings were during the research experiences that are described in the middle of the essay. It would be great to add a sentence or two stating what Renner’s big takeaways (or “goldbugs”) were from these experiences, which add more cohesion to the essay as a whole.

Give more details about discovering the world of nanomedicine. It makes sense that Renner wants to get into the details of their big research experiences as quickly as possible. After all, these are the details that show Renner’s dedication to nanomedicine! But a smoother transition from the opening pickle car/goldbug story to Renner’s “real goldbug” of nanoparticles would help the reader understand why nanoparticles became Renner’s goldbug. Finding out why Renner is so motivated to study nanomedicine–and perhaps what put them on to this field of study–would help readers fully understand why Renner chose this path in the first place.

4 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Get Help From the Experts

Getting your college applications together takes a lot of work and can be pretty intimidatin g. Essays are even more important than ever now that admissions processes are changing and schools are going test-optional and removing diversity standards thanks to new Supreme Court rulings . If you want certified expert help that really makes a difference, get started with PrepScholar’s Essay Editing and Coaching program. Our program can help you put together an incredible essay from idea to completion so that your application stands out from the crowd. We've helped students get into the best colleges in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. If you're ready to take the next step and boost your odds of getting into your dream school, connect with our experts today .

#2: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?
Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?
Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?
Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it . Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

#3: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

Check out essays by authors like John Jeremiah Sullivan , Leslie Jamison , Hanif Abdurraqib , and Esmé Weijun Wang to get more examples of how to craft a compelling personal narrative.

#4: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

For more editing tips, check out a style guide like Dreyer's English or Eats, Shoots & Leaves .

What's Next?

Still not sure which colleges you want to apply to? Our experts will show you how to make a college list that will help you choose a college that's right for you.

Interested in learning more about college essays? Check out our detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application , some suggestions on what to avoid when writing your essay , and our guide to writing about your extracurricular activities .

Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

The recommendations in this post are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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The Biggest Lesson of My First Year Teaching

A veteran teacher shares how she learned the value of prioritizing relationships when she was just starting out in the classroom.

Two teachers walking with their elementary students through a school corridor, talking and having fun

Overwhelming is the word that best describes my first year of teaching. I wasn’t prepared for the multitude of things on my plate. I didn’t have a handle on classroom management, and I left each day feeling exhausted and defeated.

My time was spent learning new curriculum, developing personalized learning techniques, modifying lessons, and analyzing data. I knew this was important work, but I also knew that something was not working. I felt a disconnect in my classroom and knew I could do better.

I looked around and saw that there were some teachers who seemed to just take everything in stride and really enjoyed what they were doing. Their classrooms ran smoothly, and their students looked happy. To figure out what they were doing that set them apart, I made an effort to study three teachers during my first year.

I asked if I could sit in and observe their classes. Over a few months, I observed these teachers around five to seven times, for approximately 20–30 minutes each time. I usually planned these observations during my prep or lunch, but on occasion I was able to bring in a substitute teacher for my classes to create observation time.

I also watched teachers interact with students outside of the classroom: on the playground, during lunch, in the hallway, and in assemblies. I paid attention to conversations, comments, and attitudes.

Lessons Learned

I started to see that the highest priority for these teachers was forming relationships with students—everything else fell into place after that.

One teacher played basketball with kids every Friday during lunch. Another sat with kids in the lunch room a few times throughout the year. There was the teacher who liked to walk during her lunch and would invite different groups of kids to join her for conversation. I watched a kindergarten teacher meet a different parent in the pickup line after school each day to let them know of something great that happened with their child.

Some of what I noticed was more time intensive. One colleague did 15-minute morning meetings and ended the day with a short reflection, asking kids to share one thing that went well that day and possibly one goal they were working on for the remainder of the week.

One teacher attended their students’ sporting and musical events, while another came early every day to meet a struggling student and preview the math lesson for the day.

I knew I wanted to model myself after these teachers, so I made a gradual, conscious shift—changing my priorities to make my relationships with students my main focus. I started out with a morning meeting. This was something I could implement easily. I started to gather my students in a circle at the beginning of the day. We did different class greetings and then had either a game or a discussion. I used this time to give short announcements and go over the day’s schedule.

Making this shift changed me as a teacher, and it changed the vibe in my classroom. I began to feel happier at school, and I could see that my students were happier too. They were more prepared to tackle the day.

They trusted me and felt more comfortable asking questions and taking risks. They were reaching out for help and clarification more than ever before. The discipline problems I had been having started to decrease, and honestly, the school day was so much more enjoyable for all of us. We were building trust and friendships, and the students knew that I was on their side and willing to help. Parents would reach out more, and I started to hear that kids really enjoyed being in my class. I never abandoned my work on curriculum, data, differentiation, and all of the other things that are essential in a classroom, but I did shift my priorities.

How to Make Time for Relationships

I’ve been teaching for over 15 years now, am National Board certified, and serve as a mentor to other teachers going through the National Board certification process. New teachers often ask me where I find the time to build relationships in the classroom. I always tell them that it should be the first thing they build into their plans. Prioritize it at the beginning of the year and continue it each day. Just as one allocates time to teaching procedures, an equal amount of time should go into building community and getting to know students.

I let teachers know that it’s helpful to spend time at the beginning of the year telling students about themselves. To the level that they’re comfortable with, educators can let students know about their pets, family, and things they like to do outside of school. And vice versa, it’s helpful to find out information about students. Sending home a parent questionnaire enables caregivers to share personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses—valuable insight into students’ lives and how they learn.

Building in a morning meeting each day is a great way to foster relationships and to gauge students’ emotions.

Scheduling fun small group activities so that kids can get to know each other and feel comfortable working with different students is a small commitment with a big payoff.

One of my favorite classroom games is Who Is It? Each student writes two to three unique things about themselves on a Post-it note with their name. I collect the notes and read them to the class, and they have to guess who wrote it.

Trying out one new thing is a great starting point. For new teachers, it’s important not to overcommit. Burnout is too serious of an issue. A simple conversation, a question, a walk, or a game can make the classroom a great place to be.

My First Day At School Essay

500 words my first day at school essay.

Our lives are full of new events which we experience on different days. Similarly, going to school for the first time is also memorable. How can one forget their first day, it is only natural to remember the day, no matter good or bad. Thus, my first day at school essay will take you through my experience.

A New Experience

My first day at school was a completely new experience for me. It is because the atmosphere completely changes for any child. You always stay in the comfort and safety of your own home.

However, your first day at school opens door to unknown experiences and opportunities. Much like any other child, I was also scared on my first day. I remember clearly not letting go of my mother’s hand, hesitant to go in the classroom.

On my first day, I got up excited and put on my uniform for the first time. The feeling it gave me was so memorable, I can never forget it. As it was my first day, both my parents went to drop me off.

I remember seeing the classroom full of little children. Some crying while the others playing with others. I looked at my mother and gave her the look that I didn’t want them to leave. They had to go so I kept crying but eventually, my teacher consoled me.

Once I settled in the class, I talked with the other kids and started playing with them. The colourful walls of the classroom fascinated me a lot. We got many toys to play with so it all the other kids also got distracted and stopped crying.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

My Sister My Saviour

My advantage was that my sister was also studying in the same school. She is 3 years older than me so she was my senior. During recess, I was starting to miss my parents so I got teary-eyed.

But, then my sister came to meet me and I feel she was no less than a saviour for me that day. She took permission from the teacher to take me out and I went with her to the playground.

We were swinging throughout recess. All my worries went away because I had a known face with me. After eating and swinging together, the bell rang to mark the end of the recess . So, she dropped me back to my class.

Before leaving, she gave me a kiss and patted my head. It was enough for me to go through the rest of the day without crying. Thus, it made me feel extremely blessed that I had my sister there for me.

Conclusion of My First Day At School Essay

Thus, my first day at school was really pleasant. It fills me with pride when I look back at it and share my experience with others. I feel my first day helped me become confident in school which ultimately shaped the rest of my years there. Thus, it was indeed a memorable experience for me.

FAQ on My First Day At School Essay

Question 1: Why is the first day of school memorable?

Answer 1: We usually remember the first day of school because it is a new experience for us completely. It is the first time we step out from the comfort of our home as kids, so it will be memorable.

Question 2: Does everyone have a good first day at school?

Answer 2: Not necessarily. Everyone’s experience differs, some kids enjoy a lot on their first day. While some which are maybe shy or feel homesick don’t enjoy it that much. Nonetheless, it grows on you and eventually kids start to love going to school.

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School Education /

Essay on My First Day in School: Sample in 100, 200, 350 Words

Updated on
Jan 23, 2024

Essay on My First Day in School: The first day of school is often considered an important day in every child’s life. It is a time of a mix of emotions, like nervousness, excitement, homesickness, feelings of shyness, and likewise. But did you know these feelings are responsible for making our day memorable?

As children, we all are like a blank canvas, easily dyed into any colour. Our first day in school is like a new world to us. As a child, we all have experienced those feelings. So, to make you feel nostalgic and refresh those special feelings, we have brought some samples of essay on my first day in school.

Quick Read: Essay on Best Friend

Table of Contents

1 Essay on My First Day in School in 100 words
2 Essay on My First Day in School Sample in 200 Words
3 Essay on My First Day in Day in School in 350 Words
4 FAQs

Essay on My First Day in School in 100 words

It was a cloudy day when I took my first step into the compound of my school. I was carrying a new backpack that was filled with notebooks. Though the backpack was a bit heavy, instead of focusing on the weight, I was excited about the beginning of my journey on my first day in school.

My classroom was at the end of the corridor. As I entered my classroom, my class teacher introduced me to the class and made me feel welcome. Activities like reading, solving problems in groups, and sharing our lunch boxes slowly and steadily transformed the new student with a sense of belonging.

The whole day progressed with mixed excitement as well as emotions. As the bell rang, declaring the end of the school day, the school felt like a world of possibilities where the journey was more than textbooks.

To improve your essay writing skills, here are the top 200+ English Essay Topics for school students.

Essay on My First Day in School Sample in 200 Words

It was a sunny day and the sun was shining brightly. With my new and attractive backpack, I was moving through the school gate. It was my first day in school and I was filled with nervousness and excitement. From the tower of the building to the playground everything was bigger than life. As a school student, I was about to enter a new world.

The corridor was filled with the echo of students. As I entered the classroom, wearing a mix of curiosity and excitement, my classmates and class teacher welcomed me with a warm smile. After a round of introductions and some warm-up activities, strangers gradually started tuning into potential friends. At lunchtime, the cafeteria was filled with the smell of delicious food. However, I hesitated before joining the group of students but soon enough, I was laughing with my new friends and sharing stories. The unfamiliar were now my friends and transformed my mixed emotions into delightfulness.

The bell rang for the next class and I stepped out for new learning in my new academic home. My first day of school had many memorable stories, with old subjects and new introductions of knowledge. The day was spent learning, sharing and making new memories.

Also Read: Essay on Joint Family in 500+ words in English

Essay on My First Day in Day in School in 350 Words

My first day in school started by stepping onto the school bus with a bag full of books and a heart full of curiosity. It was like I was starting a new chapter in my life. After travelling a long way back, I stepped at the gate of my school. The school gate welcomed me with open arms and greeted me with a sense of excitement as well as nervousness.

As I entered the classroom, I found many new faces. Arranging my stuff on the seat, I sat next to an unknown, who later on turned into the best friend of my life. I entered my class with a welcoming smile, and later on, I turned everything in with ease. During our lunchtime, the cafeteria was filled with the energy of students.

At first, I hesitated to interact with the children, but later on, I was a part of a group that invited me to join the table. At lunchtime, I made many new friends and was no longer a stranger. After having delicious food and chit-chatting with friends, we get back to our respective classrooms. Different subjects such as mathematics, science, and English never left the same impact as they did on the first day of school.

The teacher taught the lessons so interestingly that we learned the chapter with a mix of laughter and learning. At the end of the day, we all went straight to the playground and enjoyed the swings. Moreover, in the playground, I also met many faces who were new to the school and had their first day in school, like me.

While returning home, I realised that my first day was not just about learning new subjects; it was about making new friends, sailing into new vibrant classrooms, and settling myself as a new student. The morning, which was full of uncertainty at the end of the day, came to an end with exciting adventures and endless possibilities. With new experiences, I look forward to new academic and personal growth in the wonderful world of education.

Also Read: Trees Are Our Best Friend Essay

My first day of school was filled with mixed feelings. I was nervous, homesick, and excited on the first day at my school.

While writing about the first day of school, I share my experience of beginning my journey from home. What were my feelings, emotions, and excitement related to the first day of school, and how did I deal with a whole day among the unknown faces, these were some of the things I wrote in my first day of school experience essay.

The first day of school is important because, as a new student, we manage everything new. The practice of managing everything is the first step towards self-responsibility.

Along with studying my favourite subjects, I share fun moments and delicious foods with my friends in school.

Parents are filled with emotions on the first day of their child. As school is the place to gain knowledge, skills, and experience, parents try their best to give their children the best academics they can.

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For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with expertise in creating educational and informative content. She has a year of experience writing content for speeches, essays, NCERT, study abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and ananlysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particulary in education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs with related to her field to further expand her expertise. In personal life, she loves creative writing and aspire to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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Student Stories: “What do you write, my lord? Words, words, words.”

Media contact.

Katy Payne she/her 360-764-0201

Editor’s Note: OSPI aims to elevate the authentic experiences of the students in Washington’s K–12 public schools. This story was written by a Washington state high school student participating in OSPI’s Student Stories Program . The author’s opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints do not necessarily reflect those of OSPI, and publication of this story does not constitute OSPI’s approval or endorsement of its contents. With questions, please contact OSPI’s Communications team at [email protected].

I’ve been thinking a lot about writing lately. I can’t seem to escape it. I doubt there will ever come a time in my life again where I do nearly as much writing as I have been this past month. College application essays, AP Literature essays, scholarship applications, my summer job application, and my OSPI blogs. With each keystroke, each new sequence of syllables, I think more and more about the practice as a whole.

Last year I hated my writing. Any jumble of words produced by this mind and these hands was, to me, the worst thing I’d ever read. This was because last year I had to completely rewire the way I had always thought about writing. For so long I had been able to get through my English classes by relying solely on a single process. Five paragraphs: outlining intro, body example #1, body example #2, body example #3, topped off with a conclusion reiterating everything I’ve already said. It was a formula that had worked for so many years, even through two honors English language arts classes. Come my junior year, however, it became clear that this was no longer going to cut it. Megan, meet AP English Language and Composition.

Although there was a good deal of non-fiction reading, AP Lang was primarily a composition class over anything else. The first thing I learned when I walked through those doors was that a five paragraph essay was too formulaic, and such predictability leads to essays that can be boring reads. I learned the hard way that an essay should flow, it should have as many body paragraphs as the idea needs to be properly communicated, and each paragraph should build on or somehow connect to the last.

I hated this new process, I thought. In reality, I hated learning it. It contradicted everything that made sense to my brain, the way I was taught to write. The organized system I knew, I found comfort in, wasn’t satisfactory anymore. Sure, the introduction and conclusion still stand, but most of the essay was thrown out the window.

I often wondered why writing was taught the way it is in the first place if, to be successful in their writing as high schoolers and beyond, a student must relearn to write. The simple answer is that it is the easiest way for young students to begin to grasp longer forms of writing, which makes a lot of sense. I’ve never found this answer to be fully satisfactory though, as it doesn’t answer my second underlying question: Why do we still lack a more substantive transition to the writing demanded of us later on? Now seems like the moment in which I introduce an end-all be-all solution, but I’m not sure there is one. I have no expertise other than being a student in the public school system for the past 13 years, and as a result have only known one method of long-term English language arts education.

As such, I can only offer an idea: More exposure. Throughout nearly all my English education we read books, not essays (even though essays are what we are expected to write). By no means am I saying that children should read fewer books, though. Books are incredible works of art, and reading provides us with so many benefits. What I am saying, however, is that I believe providing essays to middle schoolers as reading materials in addition to longer works like novels could help bridge the gap between the five paragraph essay and more creative, flowing works. If children learn by imitation, how are we supposed to imitate something we’ve never seen?

In terms of expectations, I felt that the transition from a formulaic essay to something more thoughtful and advanced was expected of me from the moment I signed up for an AP English class. In terms of my skill and progression, the transition took about three months of taking AP Lang. In an ideal world, though, I wouldn’t have been under expectations for those few months; I would have crossed that bridge somewhere before my junior year of high school. In reality I believe I was able to cross that bridge so quickly in part due to the pressure of College Board expectations, but primarily due to the sheer number of essays we read in class. Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace, Politics and the English Language by George Orwell, The Owl Has Flown by Sven Birkerts, Seeing by Annie Dillard, and so many more. We also annotated essays of varying scores from actual college students, and listened to speeches like David Foster Wallace’s This is Water . By the end of my first semester in AP Lang, I felt so thoroughly exposed to short-form literature that I could use the techniques I observed in these works and confidently apply them to my own essays, effectively bridging the previously mentioned “gap.”

The way we write influences the way we think, and, by extension, the way we communicate and interact with those around us. As such, I believe we need to begin to think about English language arts education as a path, in which each step builds on the last and leads to the next, more than we currently do.

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Tell NPR about the pandemic's impact on your high school years

Olivia Hampton

Students at the University of Birmingham take part in their degree congregations as they graduate on July 14, 2009 in Birmingham, England. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images hide caption

Students at the University of Birmingham take part in their degree congregations as they graduate on July 14, 2009 in Birmingham, England.

High school seniors across the country are preparing to graduate — with the class of 2024 having started their freshman year during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. And Morning Edition would like to know how the pandemic impacted your life and your studies as a member of the class of 2024.

With your responses, please tell us your first and last name, age and where you're from. You can also share your answers as an audio submission. Your answers could be used on air or online.

We will be accepting responses until 12:00 p.m. ET on May 6.

Your submission will be governed by our general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . As the Privacy Policy says, we want you to be aware that there may be circumstances in which the exemptions provided under law for journalistic activities or freedom of expression may override privacy rights you might otherwise have.

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Aquinas Scholars Honors Program

Eligibility and Admissions

After admission to the University of St. Thomas, students must complete a separate application for the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program. The application consists of the student's academic record and a short essay.

Admission decisions are made jointly by the faculty director of the program and an admissions committee based on two factors:

High School Seniors

High school GPA (3.8 or higher)
Written essay (high-quality work following the written guidelines)

Current St. Thomas Students or Transfer Students

For current St. Thomas students, the overall GPA is calculated from both institutional St. Thomas courses and from transfer courses combined.
For transfer students who do not yet have a college GPA available, high school GPA (3.8 or higher) is used instead.

The most important qualifications for success in the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program are intellectual curiosity, openness to new ideas, eagerness and ability to participate actively in class discussions, strong self-motivation and commitment to both active and collaborative learning.

Requirements & Policies
About the Program

Application Process and Deadlines

High school seniors: march 15, 2024.

To begin the application process, incoming first-year students will need their St. Thomas acceptance/welcome materials, 9-digit St. Thomas ID and the email address they used to apply to St. Thomas. If you need assistance finding this information, please contact the St. Thomas Admissions Office .

Incoming first-year who meet application thresholds will find a link to apply via their admissions portal .

Decisions and Deadlines

The decision will be made on the basis of the thoughtfulness and clarity of the responses to the prompts in conjunction with your GPA.

We begin reviewing applications after December 1 and continue to review them on a rolling basis through Friday, March 15, 2024. The sooner an application is received, the sooner a decision can be made. The earlier you send in thoughtful responses, the better.

The application review process typically takes four to six weeks.

Current St. Thomas 4-Year Students: March 1, 2024

Current St. Thomas students with an Overall GPA of 3.60 or above may apply to the honors program. Because honors requirements can take some time to complete, it is recommended that current students apply either in the second semester of their first year or early in their second year.

First-year students who earn a 3.60 GPA or above during their first semester at St. Thomas will receive an invitation (via their St. Thomas e-mail address) to apply to the honors program early in their second semester. Application instructions are included in that invitation.

Qualifying upper-level students who are interested in applying to the program should contact the honors program director .

The deadline for receipt of your application is Friday, March 1, 2024 . This will give us time to review your application and notify you of our decision before registration for fall semester begins in April.

Students hoping to enroll in honors sections during spring semester should apply before mid-January. If you are accepted into the program, you will want to register for Aquinas Scholars sections of core courses.

DFC Transition Students: August 2, 2024

Dougherty Family College graduates who transition to the four-year program at St. Thomas with an Overall GPA of 3.60 or above may apply to the honors program.

Qualifying students will receive an invitation (via their St. Thomas e-mail address) to apply to the honors program in early summer after their DFC graduation. Application instructions are included in that invitation.

The deadline for receipt of your application is Friday, August 2, 2024 . This will give us time to review your application and notify you of our decision before fall semester begins.

Students hoping to enroll in honors sections during fall semester should apply as early as possible. If you are accepted into the program, you will want to consult with your academic advisor and register for Aquinas Scholars sections of core courses.

Transfer Students: Rolling Basis

Students who transfer to St. Thomas with an Overall GPA of 3.60 or above may apply to the honors program. If you have a college GPA, that is the one that will be considered; if you do not yet have a college GPA, your high school GPA will be considered.

We review transfer applications each year on a rolling basis. The sooner an application is received, the sooner a decision can be made. The earlier you send in thoughtful responses, the better.

The review process during the academic year may take four to six weeks. During the summer months it is typically two weeks.

Written Essay Requirements

To prepare to write your responses to the application prompts:

working on a class project that introduced you to new ideas and concepts
interacting with a culture different from your own that broadened your worldview
participating in a service activity that helped you understand more about your community
Carefully look through the information about the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program. Read about our purpose and benefits and expectations of Aquinas Scholars , along with information about the honors courses and seminars .

Application Prompts

Drawing connections between your learning experience and aspects of the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program, write your responses to the following two prompts:

Prompt 1: Personal and Intellectual Growth

The Aquinas Scholars Honors Program is a place where you will encounter challenging and rewarding opportunities to grow intellectually and interact with a diversity of viewpoints and perspectives. Write a paragraph (about 200 words) about a time where you were challenged to grow and self-reflect because you were confronted with new viewpoints or perspectives. Please describe in specific detail what challenged you and what you learned.

Prompt 2: Dedication to Community

As an Aquinas Honors student, you would be part of a vibrant scholarly community. Please familiarize yourself with some of the student activities . Write a paragraph (about 200 words) about how you would seek to engage with the Aquinas Scholars community through your academic or extracurricular activities. What are some skills, experiences, academic and/or personal interests that you would bring to the community and what do you hope to gain? Please give specific detailed examples.

The application prompts for the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program will be judged on the following criteria

Written Essay Criteria

The organization of the prompts.

The clarity of the ideas presented in the prompts.

The clarity of the expression of the prompts.

Clearly describes the learning experience and what they learned from it.

Reflects on how the learning experience could relate to the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program.

Describes how they will contribute to and gain from Aquinas Scholars Honors Program membership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it easy to gain admission to the aquinas scholars program if i have good grades.

The Aquinas Scholars is a selective program. Written essays are carefully judged by a panel of faculty and by the faculty director for evidence of academic skill in the areas of written expression, critical thinking and creativity. Not everyone who meets the GPA guidelines is admitted to the program. The quality of the written essay is the final determining factor.

Can I get into the honors program even though my high school GPA is below 3.8?

For incoming freshmen, the honors program currently requires a high school GPA of 3.8 or higher for application. If you do not meet this requirement, we recommend that you wait until after your first semester at St. Thomas to apply to the honors program. Any St. Thomas student with an Overall GPA of 3.6 or higher is eligible to apply. The written essay will still be required as assessed for admission.

I’m a current St. Thomas student with a GPA above 3.6. Is it possible for me to join Aquinas Scholars at this point?

If you enter the program as a current St. Thomas student, you need to take three honors sections and three honors seminars to graduate as an Aquinas Scholar. Seminars are usually taken as overloads or as J-term courses during the junior and senior years. Honors sections, on the other hand, involve general requirements, some of which you will have completed by the end of the current semester.

To determine if you have enough opportunities to take honors sections with your remaining general education requirements, complete the checklist here: Aquinas Honors Section Checklist

I applied to the honors program but I haven’t heard back yet. When will I hear from you?

Incoming first-year applications are reviewed starting December 1. For applications received between then and the submission deadline, applicants can expect a decision within 4-5 weeks. If it has been more than 4 weeks since you submitted your application, please e-mail the program for assistance.

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