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My School Essay in English (100, 200, 300, 500 words)

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My School Essay 100 Words

My school is a place where I get educated; learn new subjects under the guidance of trained and skilled teachers. I study at a school that is near my home. It is one of the best schools in my entire town. The management of my school believes that it isn’t only academic excellence that we should be after, but also the overall personality development and evolving into a good and useful human being.

The school has two playgrounds – one is a tennis court and the other one is a cricket ground. We also have a nice swimming pool and a canteen. It also has a beautiful garden where students relax and play during recess. Even in games, sports and tournaments, it has made much progress. My school has won many trophies, shields, and medals in many extra-curricular activities. In debates also, the students of my school secure good positions. It is considered to be one of the best schools in my locality.

My School Essay 200 Words

The school is called the educational institution which is designed to provide learning spaces and create an environment for the children where the teaching of the students is under the direction and guidance of the teachers.

My School is one of the best educational institutions where I get an education and make progress towards the goals of my life and make me capable of achieving them. Besides education, there are several significant roles that my school plays in my life. My school is performing well in all fields. It develops my physical and mental stamina, instills confidence, and

gives me tremendous opportunities to prove my skills and talents in different fields. In the academic field, it has made a mark. Its students secure top positions in the board examinations.

I go to school with my other friends. We study in our school in a great friendly environment. We reach school at a fixed time. As soon as we reach we line up to attend the assembly. Attending the school assembly is a wonderful experience. I enjoy for being first in a row in a school assembly. As soon as the assembly ends we rush to our respective classrooms. We take part in all school activities. One of my school fellows is the best singer and dancer. She has recently won the best singer award at the annual arts festival. Our school organizes all-important national events like Independence Day, teachers’ day, father’s day, etc. My school also gives every student abundant opportunities to take part in extracurricular activities like sports and music.

All of us are proud of being a part of it. I am fortunate enough to be a student at this school. I love and am proud of my school.

My School Essay 300 Words

An institution where higher education is taught is commonly called a school, University College, or University. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsory. In these systems, Students progress through a series of schools. The names for these schools vary by country but generally include primary school for young children and secondary school for teenagers who have completed primary education.

My school is a place where I not only get educated but also get trained in other necessary competitive skills like sports, music, and dance. I am proud of my school because it provides us with all the basic facilities like a big playground, a central library, a big auditorium hall, a science lab, and a good computer lab. That is why my school is rated as one of the best schools in my entire area. My school has produced many great people in my country. It has a big and beautiful building that looks shiny from far away. I reach my target at a fixed time. I came to school with other friends of mine. We happily enter the schools with great confidence. We take part in a school assembly and then we move into our classrooms.

This all is done by a very efficient and well-trained teaching staff of my school. The best schools are those that make the students the best and the best school is made by the best teachers. We study under the guidance of the best teachers. My school has a dedicated teacher for all the subjects as well as extracurricular activities like music and sports. I consider my school as the best school because it supports and encourages every student to do their best and make progress. Fortunately, my school provides the best environment, the best teachers, and the best facilities.

Our Class teacher greets us daily and asks about us. He is quite a cool and kind man. He entertains us along with teaching his subject. We learn a lot of things like discipline, self-help, confidence, and cooperation here. As I enter my classroom I feel quite happy and relaxed.

My School Essay 500 Words

The place where children as the leaders of tomorrow study and where the future of the nation is shaped are called schools. Education is an essential weapon for tomorrow, so the good schools of today are important for the best future of a nation. Schools are the center of learning where we attend classes on various subjects, interact with the teachers, get our queries

answered, and appeared in exams. In my school, learning is more like a fun activity, because of the extra-talented teaching staff.

My school is a government primary school located on the outskirts of the city. Usually, when people think about a government school, they perceive it to be at an isolated location and have poor basic amenities and teaching facilities. But, despite being a government school, my school defies all such speculations. Teachers of my school are not only knowledgeable about the subjects they teach but also are skilled enough to teach through fun activities. For example, our physics teacher explains every concept by stating real-life examples that we could relate to. This way we not only understand the subject better. Moreover, not a moment I remember, when any teacher had ever replied rudely to any of the students. They always patiently listen and provide answers to all the queries posed to them. Learning at my school is fun and it is made possible only because of the teachers.

My school is very important in my life, in a way even more than my family. My family gives me love, care, and affection, and provides for all my other essential needs. But, all of this isn’t enough to make me a good human being and succeed in life.  Favorably, I am lucky enough to be enrolled in a prestigious school, and gaining a wonderful education, looking forward to realizing my dreams one day. The most necessary for success in life is education, and only my school provides it to me. Without my school and the education that it gives, I would be like a confused and wandering soul, almost aimless in life.

My school helps with my educational and overall personality development. It imparts education through classes, tests, and exams to teach me how to conduct myself confidently. It just feels so great to be in my school and be a part of everyday activities, be it lectures, sports, or Something else. While in school, I always feel happy, confident, enthusiastic, and loved. I make friends at school, those whom I will never forget and will always love them. My family supports my materialistic needs, but school is the place where my actual physical, social, and mental development takes place.  I know that every question that crosses my mind will be answered by my teachers. I also know that my school friends will always be at my side whenever I need them to be. As much as the studies, my school also stresses much on These activities as the management thinks that extracurricular activities are very essential for our overall personality development. My school provides dedicated teachers and staff for each extracurricular activity. We have a big sports ground with kits for all the major sports; a covered auditorium for dance and music and a separate basketball court.

The role my school plays in my personality development is fantastic. It not only imparts education in me but also teaches me how to conduct myself and how to behave decently and properly. I get trained in all the other necessary skills of life, like how to keep calm in challenging situations and help others as well. My school teaches me to be a good and evolved human being, to stay composed and progressive always. It also teaches me to be kind and generous to others and not differentiate them based on their caste, religion, ethnicity, or other divisions. These are some of the most essential personality traits that my school imparts to me, something that I will always be thankful for. Every time I think of my school, I think of it as a temple of education. A temple, where my soul meets education, making my life more meaningful and useful to society and the nation as well. It is a place where my aspirations get a wing and I get the strength and confidence to realize them. No other place in the entire world could replace my school and the role that it plays in my life. I will always be thankful to my friends, teachers, and the staff of my school, for making it such a comfortable and Educational place of learning.

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How to Write the “Why [insert school name]” Essay

One of the most common school essays asks some version of “Why do you want to go to this school?” By answering this essay, schools get to learn if you truly are interested in the school, whether you’re a good fit with their values and offerings, and whether you’ll be able to contribute on campus and ultimately graduate from their institution.

Imagine you’re an admissions officer reading another essay about a student wanting to go to Tulane or NYU because they love the city; or a student wanting to go to Brown because of their open curriculum; or a girl wanting to study psychology at X school in order to help people.

What can an applicant say that’s different? What can you offer the college that no other applicant can?

Be specific . Hone in on a couple of reasons why you want to attend your desired school. Do not laundry list all the reasons why you love the school. A few really meaningful reasons that resonate with your background, experiences, and goals will go much longer in showing your understanding of the school.

Don’t rehash the school’s website info . The school does not need to know that it offers “65 majors and 80 minors.” They already know that the college’s “beautiful campus sits on 300 acres and has 50 buildings.” Rehashing the website doesn’t explain why you want to attend.

Research the classes/programs/activities . Schools want to know that you have intellectual curiosity and that their classes/programs/activities will help quench and expand your knowledge. Peruse the school websites and syllabi – are there particular classes that interest you? Is there a particular program that you want to join? Or if there isn’t a particular club or program, can you demonstrate your ability to possibly develop that activity on campus?

Research the faculty . Schools don’t want to read, “you have top-notch professors.” Via online research, is there a particular professor that impresses you? Did that professor have a particular body of work that interests you and, just as importantly, is there a way you can help that professor’s innovative research?

Cite faculty or alumni . If an admissions officer visited your school, you went on a school visit or fair, you took a summer class at the school, or you spoke with a faculty member on the phone, reference back to your experience with this person and how it changed your feelings about the school, what you learned, and how it’ll be a good fit. You can also mention alumni and their words of wisdom.

Avoid broad, generic statements . Do not give broad statements about other applicants, about other groups of people, or about the school. You’re not the busiest, hardest worker able to multi-task academics and extracurricular activities and that’s why the school should want you. Not every student at the University of Michigan or Duke is a huge sports fan. Write about yourself; not everyone else.

Reinforce interest . You always want to make the school feel that it’s your #1 choice. They want to know that if admitted, you will attend.

Other tips . If you’re applying to several schools with the same essay question, make sure to change the name of the school in which you’re applying. Make sure that the school has the offerings you’re listing. If you write that you want to major in pre-med, you’re going to be out of luck. And, always proofread.

Remember, the “Why X college” essay gives you a unique opportunity to show that you’ve done your research, that you understand the school, and that you can offer something that no one else can. We know you have a gem of an essay in you!

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How to Write an Essay about Your School

If you’re hoping to draft an insightful essay about your school, you’re in the right place! Writing an essay about your school offers an opportunity to share your experiences, the unique features of your school, and why it is important to you.

In this tutorial, I’ll guide you through five straightforward steps to pen such an essay effectively. Alongside these steps, we’ll craft a sample essay to demonstrate how you can apply these steps in practice. Ready to begin? Let’s dive in!

Step 1. Plan the word count for your essay’s paragraphs.

Planning the word count for each paragraph in your essay is a helpful initial step, which can make the writing process smoother and faster. Remember, a typical essay comprises three key parts:

• The introductory paragraph
• Three body paragraphs
• The concluding paragraph

For example, you want a 300-word paragraph. Here’s one way to distribute 300 words across five paragraphs:

That’s all you need for your essay — five solid paragraphs.

Step 2. Choose your central theme and supporting points.

Firstly, decide on a central theme that encapsulates your school experience. This will provide a coherent thread for your entire essay. When choosing your theme, think about what defines your school. What are the core values? What unique attributes does it possess?

For our sample essay, let’s use this as our central theme: “My school, Greenfield High, stands out for its emphasis on community, innovative teaching methods, and commitment to the arts.”

Next, we will apply the Power of Three to break down this main theme into three supporting points. The Power of Three is a three-part structure that aids you in crafting your body paragraphs.

In our case, we will focus on three features that define Greenfield High:

• Greenfield High fosters a strong sense of community.
• Innovative teaching methods are a hallmark of Greenfield High.
• Greenfield High shows a deep commitment to the arts.

With these in mind, we can now begin to write our essay!

Step 3. Write the introductory paragraph.

To write an introductory paragraph , you can follow the diagram below:

The introductory paragraph should begin with an engaging opener that sets the context for the essay. Following this, you should introduce your central theme and your three supporting points. Here’s our example:

Introductory Paragraph

“Schools can profoundly shape our lives, molding us through their unique cultures, methodologies, and focus areas. My school, Greenfield High, stands out for its emphasis on community, innovative teaching methods, and commitment to the arts. Its sense of community fosters cooperation and mutual respect among students, its innovative teaching methods stimulate our intellectual curiosity, and its commitment to the arts provides a rich, expressive outlet for students.”

Step 4. Write the body paragraphs.

Next, we’ll develop three body paragraphs to elaborate on our supporting points.

Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that summarizes the paragraph’s main idea, followed by explanation and examples.

Paragraph 1

“Greenfield High fosters a strong sense of community, which has deeply impacted my school experience. Its student-led initiatives and regular community outreach programs have taught us the value of teamwork and public service. For instance, our annual ‘Greenfield Gives Back’ campaign, where students volunteer in local charities, has not only benefited our local community but also fostered a sense of responsibility and empathy in us students.”

Paragraph 2

“The innovative teaching methods adopted by Greenfield High are another defining feature. Teachers often integrate technology into their lessons, enhancing our understanding and making the learning process more interactive. I remember how our geography teacher used virtual reality to explore different ecosystems, turning abstract concepts into immersive experiences.”

Paragraph 3

“Lastly, Greenfield High’s commitment to the arts is exceptional. The school offers numerous art programs and supports artistic events like art festivals and music competitions, providing students with opportunities to express themselves and develop their talents. For example, participating in our annual school musical has allowed me to explore my passion for performing arts and has greatly boosted my confidence.”

Notice how each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence, followed by further explanation and examples.

Step 5. Write the concluding paragraph.

The concluding paragraph is best written by paraphrasing the points made in your introductory paragraph. Avoid copying and pasting; instead, refer back to your introductory paragraph and restate the points in a new way. Let’s apply this method to our sample essay:

“Schools greatly influence our formative years through their unique characteristics. Greenfield High, with its emphasis on community, innovative teaching methods, and commitment to the arts, has shaped my educational journey in significant ways. Its strong sense of community has instilled in me the importance of cooperation and service. Its innovative teaching methods have fostered my intellectual curiosity. Finally, its dedication to the arts has allowed me to express myself creatively and grow my confidence.”

With this approach, writing the conclusion becomes quick and straightforward.

And there you have it! I hope you find this tutorial useful as you craft your own essay about your school.”

Tutor Phil is an e-learning professional who helps adult learners finish their degrees by teaching them academic writing skills.

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Essay On School for Students and Children

500+ words essay on school.

The school where I study, Kolkota Public School is one of the best school in our district. Our school has more than 2500 students and more than 100 teachers. All of our teachers are devoted to their duties and have good teaching skill . Our school got established in the year 1973 by one of the renowned people of our locality Mr. Bishwanath Chatterjee, the highly educated person whose goal is to educate children of the society selflessly.

The School Building

Our school building is very big and it has seven floors. Our school has classes from pre-nursery to class twelve. It also has a big playground and has a swimming pool too, which gives us a nice view of the building.

Our school runs in two shifts morning and day. Morning shifts are for classes pre-nursery to class three whereas the day shifts start from class four to class twelve. All of the classes have three sections.

Our Principal and the teacher both have two separate rooms. Also, there is another room for clerks where the records of all the students and teachers are kept.

There is a big library on the third floor where we have well-stocked useful books and we have also well-equipped laboratory rooms. We too have a common room where we play indoor games during .recreation hours. Our common room is also the venue of our debating club. The Principal as the president of the debating club. We have our debate on every Saturday after school hours in the common room of the school building. We have the debate, read out essays and have a discussion on interesting topics. Some of the students are good in games and have also won prizes in many competitive matches.

There is a monthly magazine published in our school. Also, every year we go for an excursion with some teachers as our guides.

The school annual function and the prize-giving ceremony holds every year. The Saraswati Puja, Independence day, Republic Day is also celebrated every year with great enthusiasm.

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

The Teacher-student Relationship

The Principal and teachers of our school take personal care of the individual students as a philosopher and guide. As a result, it’s a make bond between the two and its easy to communicate between them.

Our teacher motivates us and also guide us to have some aim in life. The person without an aim in life is like a ship without its radar.

Our school teaches us many things in life. The first thing which I learned there is self-help. There is proverb “God helps those who help themselves”. It’s the best kind of help us to increase self-confidence improves personality and also bring satisfaction to the mind.

Extra-curricular Activities

Extracurricular activities mean activities outside the curricular such activity include sports, music, acting, and debate. Tree planting, blood donation relief work, literacy and campaign for awareness creation all come under social activities. Nowadays, teachers also support extracurricular activities and encourage the students to participate in such activities.

To conclude I must say that I have happy memories of my school from the first of my school to the last day of my school where I spent so many years happily in close contact with the teacher.

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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 563,391 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

• 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.

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

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

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

Writing the Body Paragraphs

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

• 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.

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

• 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

• 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.

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

• 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

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

• 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.

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

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

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• ↑ 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.

Essay on My School

Today education is very important to achieve success in life. Education helps us to develop good skills and habits. The best and primary place to gain education is schools. Schools are the place that not only gives education but also develops many skills in children. Schools are the perfect place to develop a good personality. In schools, we learn with enjoyment and that is the reason that school life is considered the best phase of our life.

Short and Long My School Essay in English

Here, I’m providing short and long essays on My School. This topic is useful for students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and class 12. The language is kept easy so that children can understand it properly.

My School Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) My school’s name is Delhi Public School and it is very popular in my town.

2) Our school bus comes to pick up all the children.

3) The time of my school is from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

4) My school has one large playground.

5) My school is a two-storey building.

6) My school has three labs and one library.

7) We have separate classes for dance and yoga in our school.

8) My school has a large auditorium where all events are organized.

9) For small kids, my school has a special toy room.

10) My school is the best and I love it very much.

Essay on My School (300 Words)

Introduction

My school name is Kendriya Vidyalaya. It is a place where I spend most of my time during the day. It is like my second home and has a big impact on the way I grow as a person. It gives me a safe and interesting place to learn, grow, and find out more about the world.

Campus of My School

My school has a large campus. It is located in a quiet place with lots of trees around. It has one big garden at the entrance. The school building is well maintained and it has two floors. My school campus is also known for its calm and pleasant environment. There are different rooms for each class. Also, every department has a separate room. All the classes have modern equipment, which makes them a good place to learn. My school also has one huge auditorium where students can enhance their knowledge and showcase their talents.

Facilities at My School

My school offers excellent facilities to give every student a complete education. The library is a treasure of books, magazines, and newspapers for students of all classes. It has four labs, chemistry lab, physics lab, biology lab and computer lab. The lab is full of current tools and equipment that can be used to learn different subjects by performing practical. There are two playgrounds and is well-kept. Also there is a sport room where students can play indoor games like table tennis and chess.

My school is more than just a building; it is a place where students make memories that will last a lifetime. My school has been very important in making me ready for the future. The opportunities it has given me have been important in shaping my career.

Short Essay on My School (200 – 250 Words)

The name of my school is Ramakrishna Vivekananda Vidyapeeth. It is situated a few kilometers away from my home. I go on a school bus with my friends. All the students are instructed to reach the school at 8:00 am. My school has a big auditorium in the middle of the campus, where we all gather for Morning Prayer. After prayer, all the students go back to their respective classes.

The environment of my school is pleasurable. All the classes are spacious with neat and clean corridors. My school has two gardens located near the entrance gate. It also has a playground where we play in our games period. My school also has a basketball court but only senior students are allowed to play there.

In my school, separate teacher comes to teach all the subjects. All the teachers are highly qualified and polite. Apart from academic studies, my school also focuses on extra-curricular activities. It has yoga classes, dance classes, karate classes, and music classes. We celebrate many events in our school. All festivals and occasions are celebrated with great joy and interest. My school ends at 2:00 pm with the national anthem. Two guards are always available at the school gate to help children to reach their respective buses. I feel very proud that I’m a student of this famous school.

Long Essay on My School (500 – 600 Words)

Schools play a significant role in shaping the future of children. It is the first place where we learn many things. In the beginning stage, many children cry about not going to school. But once when we start going to school we love it. We make many friends and memories during the school phase of life. And when we are at the point of leaving the school again our eyes get wet.   

A Tour of My School

My school campus is very large with two multi-storey buildings. The two big gardens on both sides of the main gate make the entrance greener. Before the main building, we have a vehicle stand which is divided into two sections, one for teachers and another for students. The first section that you will find while entering the school is the reception. You can collect any information related to the school and children from there.

Just beside the reception is the account section where fees are collected. A separate cabin for the director and principal is allotted. Teachers sit in their respective departments in their leisure time. My school also has a big auditorium outside of the building. All the cultural events and program takes place there. All the students also gather there for morning prayer.

My School – A perfect place for learning

School is known as the temple of knowledge and my school perfectly defines this. My school has two libraries, one for small children where storybooks for kids are available. Another library holds academic books, magazines, novels, and other knowledgeable books that are required by higher-class students and teachers. My school also has separate labs for chemical and biological experiments.

Other than academic classes, students also enjoy dance classes, music classes, and art classes. We are also given computer knowledge and for this, my school has a separate computer lab. My school also provides self-defence and moral education class. All the sports equipment and accessories are available in my school. The basketball court and cricket pitch show the major focus of my school on sports activities.   

Achievements of My School 

My school is the best in the town. My school feels proud of its students because of their achievements. My school conducts several competitions and also allows students to participate in several national-level events. Many students of my school get selected for IITs and NITs. Recently our school basketball team got selected for the National Level Basketball competition.

Students of my school are also doing good in several competitions like essay writing, speech competition, painting completion, etc. Several times pictures of bright students of my school are printed in magazines. However, due to prestigious achievements, my school always remains on the top of the news.

What My School Teaches me?

My school helps me in developing various skills. It teaches me moral values and etiquette. I learned from school that we should always respect elders and help the poor. It also teaches me to save nature. Along with my studies, my school teaches me the importance of teamwork and helps us to boost our confidence levels. My school is responsible for what I’m today and I’m thankful for that.

School gives us lots of memories. Gossiping with friends, completing homework in time, celebrating a birthday in the classroom, etc I miss very much during my vacation. I eagerly wait for the end of the vacation so that I meet my friend and enjoy going to school again.

I hope the above given essays on My School will be easy to understand for students of all classes.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions on My School

Ans. The correct age for going to school is 3 – 4 for nursery classes and 6 for I standard.

Ans. Horace Mann, an educational reformer is considered the inventor of school.

Ans. In 1905, Roberto Nevelis gave the idea of homework.

Ans. St. George’s Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School founded in 1715, is considered the oldest school in India as well as World.

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610 School Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best school topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting school topics to write about, 📑 good research topics about school.

• ⭐ Simple & Easy Students Essay Titles

💡 Interesting Topics to Write about School

👍 good essay topics on school.

• The Pros and Cons of Sex Education in Schools The reasoning behind this is that the role of sex education is not to instruct children not to have sex but rather to provide comprehensive and inclusive education on sex.
• Junk Food in Schools: Good or Bad for Children? One of the main advantages of junk food is that it is simple to cook and it satiates hunger. As for the main advantage of availability of junk food and its simplicity to be cooked […]
• School Tardiness: Action Research and Data Analysis The study will be determined through action research design due to its nature to contribute to the body of knowledge and to offer solution to the problem of tardiness in schools.
• Analyzing the Political Cartoon “School Begins” One of the periods rich in political cartoons, which provide a fruitful source of analysis, is the period of the 1890s in the United States.
• Public School vs. Private School Education Although public schools are free for all students, private schools are better for pupils because of the profound approach to studying and the effective environment for education.
• Essay on Public Schools vs Private Schools This essay critically compares the differences and similarities, advantages and disadvantages and the issues that a rise in both private and public schools that affects the education of the children mainly preschool kids the its […]
• Home School Versus Public School These two types of schools are also similar in that most of the subjects taught in public schools and home schools are the same.
• Why Should Shakespeare Be Taught in School Essay For instance, his works are very rich in the English language and are a good source of learning the language. The dramas are not in the same category as Shakespeare who is clearly in a […]
• Final Exams in a School The importance of exams is that students of English are motivated to learn English as there are clear goals. The exams are also similar to the activities of the students.
• School Uniform and Maintenance of Discipline Some prefer to implement the use of school uniform citing various benefits such as improvement of discipline in schools while others see the whole issue of school uniform as a cover up of failed social […]
• Students in School: Importance of Assessment Essay Before looking at the various methods of exam assessment, it is important to understand the major role that the assessment plays in the learning of the student.
• What Causes Truancy in Schools? The trend of truancy seems very fashionable to the extent of the truants sharing their ideas on how to skip classes on the internet.
• School Uniform: Correlation Between Wearing Uniforms and Academic Performance The combination of colors for example, may affect the students’ comfort as well as the public view and perception of the institution The issue of cost should also be put in to check.
• Computer Use in Schools: Effects on the Education Field The learning efficiency of the student is significantly increased by the use of computers since the student is able to make use of the learning model most suited to him/her.
• High School Dropouts and Their Reasons Even though it is difficult to overestimate the significance of high school diplomas, a few students fail to obtain them. It is not a surprise that academic performance is one of the principal aspects that […]
• How to Prevent School Violence According to Hauser of “The New York Times” newspaper on the day of the tragedy, thirty-three people were involved in a mass murder at the university after one of the student: Cho went round the […]
• High School and College Life High school is usually awkward for most people as the first year of high school is usually filled with anxiety and kind of defines the role of the individual for the remaining years in the […]
• A School Visit and Observation Journal The teachers said that developing a positive self-concept was their primary task to promote a positive atmosphere within the classroom. The teachers in the school influence the development of the positive self-concept.
• The Importance of Music in School Curriculum This essay attempts to explain the importance of music in the school curriculum. Music and other performing arts are just the right kinds of release.
• School Library Given the transformations in the learning environment occasioned by the changing informational landscape and developments in technology, the School Principal requested for a report that documents how the school library will be used as a […]
• Argument for Removing Vending Machines in Schools Ironically, junk foods which are responsible for the poor diets by children are readily available in schools through the vending machines which dispense chips, sodas and other foods that are of low nutritional value to […]
• Modern School and Its Advantages The philosophy statement does well to articulate the vision of the school as well as details of its conception about teaching and learning. The curriculum of the Modern School is unified and well communicated.
• Good School’ Definition and Aspects Despite this, it is important to note that there are fundamental qualities that a good school should poses. Therefore, despite the fact that school is where learners go to sharpen their academic skills, a good […]
• School Music Festival Concert The preliminary rounds will be designed to ensure that only the participants who measure up to the high standards of the competition are allowed to go on to the next stage of the competition while […]
• The Lack of Reading Comprehension in High School Therefore, the teacher in collaboration with the parent and the student should define and implement strategies that address the lack of reading comprehension.
• Problem Cases at School After few months of counseling, the school and the security personnel interrogated the two young men to reveal the sellers and the sources of the drugs.
• Keeping Physical Education in Schools Apart from participating in the physical education programs, the students need to be taught on the importance of the various exercises so that they inculcate the culture of physical fitness into their life-time fitness programs.
• School Leadership The multi-levelled pedagogic school leaders highly determine the mode of teaching students in schools and the effective application of the learning process.
• The School Culture They involve ceremonies of the positive aspects of the school, hence bringing the members of the community and the school together.
• Alcohol and Drugs Effects on High School Students According to Martin, “society also advertises the image of individual and social happiness for alcohol and drug users; this misconception results in the societal decrease of achievement, especially, of high school age students”.
• Separate Schools for Females On the other hand, female students from mixed-sex schools are distracted by boys, especially in adolescent stage when their emotional and sexual feelings are high, and they spend time trying to impress each other, while […]
• Private School Teaching V.S. Public School Teaching In the recent past, there has been a rise in the demand for education offered in private schools relative to public schools notwithstanding the high cost of private education.
• Electricity Blackout in Schools The issue of electricity blackout has been on the front line, giving researchers the work to find ways to solve the problem.
• Education and Life at School Campus This is a very important step that would promote the wellbeing of students, our immediate society and the general society in general.
• Headmaster’s Role in the School Development The principal and school administration is wholly responsible for the smooth running of a school and its impact on the community that it is found in.
• After-School Programs and Their Benefits After-school programs’ benefits include a significant improvement in health, enhancement of academic and non-academic competencies, strengthening of emotional and social learning capabilities, and creation of positive inner perception.
• Social Influence on Bullying in Schools The theory helps us to understand why the stronger members of the school population are likely to “rule” over the weaker members of the school as described in the social hierarchy concept in the theory.
• School Is Bad for Kids and Here’s Why Schools are therefore not the only forum through which children can be socialized and it is possible to form a harmonic society without the presence of schools. To reinforce this assertion, this paper has demonstrated […]
• School Uniform Policies Benefits After the analysis of the works of modern researchers on the topic, it was found out that many of them believed school uniform policy implementation to be a good way to reduce crime, decrease the […]
• Education and Schooling from Several Perspectives The position of the researcher is that the primary purpose of schooling, based on the position of the researcher, is to have a standardized approach of passing a set of skills and knowledge to a […]
• Banning of Social Media Such as Facebook from Schools Students, who spend most time using social media, such as Facebook and twitter, find it hard to concentrate in class because of the addictive nature of the social media.
• Importance of Sports in School It is prudent to discern the importance of sports for overall positive development of one’s life as focusing on a particular aspect, academics, relegates sports to irrelevance in a person’s routine, ignoring physical fitness to […]
• Making the School Environment Safe In order to make the school environment safe, it is essential to take into account many criteria, indicators, and features of the situation in the institution, region, and country.
• Truancy in Schools The meeting with the students was meant for counseling, where as the meeting with the parents and teachers were to determine the impact of the intervention program.
• Should Huck Finn Be Banned in Schools? Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned Essay In spite of the controversy The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn generates, its hidden values support the use of this book in schools and prove the point it should not be among banned books.
• The Giddings State School Capital Offender Program The rehabilitation of juvenile offenders has started to attract the particular attention of experts since the beginning of adolescents’ massive involvement in the criminal justice system and the increase in juvenile recidivism rates.
• Teaching of English in Primary School The main reasons of this tendency are recognition of significance of the learning process and vital role of teachers in it, importance of both pupil and teacher assessment and better understanding of the profession of […]
• The Mu’tazilites and the Ash’arites Islamic Schools It was established that the meanings of the second-order were to be found in Qur’an. In contrast with the Ash’arites, the Mu’tazilites refused to approach the verses of the Qur’an in a literal manner.
• School Uniform Improving Discipline and Performance The first argument that is often used to support the school uniforms states that they promote the sense of community and evoke pride for the school.
• School Bullying and Moral Development The middle childhood is marked by the development of basic literacy skills and understanding of other people’s behavior that would be crucial in creating effective later social cognitions. Therefore, addressing bullying in schools requires strategies […]
• Web-Based School Management Mobile Application The implementation process was scheduled to commence with the infrastructural development of the web-based system and upload all school data into the system.
• Multicultural Education: Action Plan for Professional Development of the School’s Staff Multicultural education has to be emphasized in the discussion to make it the core of a future action plan for the next academic year. It is a chance for teachers to recognize their roles in […]
• Poverty Effects on Child Development and Schooling To help children from low-income families cope with poverty, interventions touching in the child’s development and educational outcomes are essential. Those programs campaign against the effects of poverty among children by providing basic nutritional, academic, […]
• Dream School: Purposes, Pedagogy, Organization There should be a close relationship between the dream school and the multiple and diverse communities that it is meant to serve.
• Sporting Activities in High Schools and Society These activities have been used as part of education to the members of the society, as a source of entertainment and as a way of maintaining health in a person. Sporting activities are a source […]
• The Benefits of High School Sports The family will be relieved from solving cases that relate to deviance because their child is participating in sports. The community also comes together in support of their sports teams.
• E-Waste Management in the School Environment Recycling Recycling is one of the best ways of managing e-waste in the school. Specifically, the school should roll out a comprehensive campaign on the need to dump the e-wastes in these bins.
• Introducing English as a Second Language in Primary School in the Middle East During the 16th century, the rise of England as a maritime power and the expansion of the British Empire led to the recognition of English as an important language alongside French, Italian, and Latin, and […]
• School Uniforms: Conflicting Opinions It might be wise to teach a child from the early age what clothes it is suitable to put on when they go to school.
• How Media Promotes School Violence? Exposure to media violence encourages violent and aggressive behaviors in children, introduces new concepts of violence that children have been unaware of, and augments negative experiences of violence and abuse.
• Benefits and Drawbacks of Yoga and Meditation in Schools Educators and mental health professionals contributed considerably to the development of a wide range of programs aimed at improving the overall well-being of students in all areas of their life.
• Fashion in Society: School Uniforms and Self-Expression The use of school uniforms can actually enhance a child’s personal character development as “such requirements of standardized dress also include a symbolic rhetoric of legitimate authority, a reservoir of institutional and organizational values of […]
• School Description Context In addition to this, the decision is influenced by the observation of the pupils and the Victorian Early and Development Framework, which is critical in building children’s skills.
• Discrimination in School Based on the data in this case, describe the behaviour of the students in this class The children’s behaviour displays racial discrimination owing to their treatment of the new coloured student in class.
• Male Teachers: Gender and Schooling This is the perception that is held by most people and thus the presence of male teachers in the school might help to reduce the myth that is associated with school among the boys.
• School Lunch Program Development The main determinants of nutritional inadequacies will include the rising rate of undernourished children, childhood obesity and its related diseases, the level of satisfaction with the meals; the length the program has been in place […]
• Diversity in School and Its Advantages School classrooms need to be responsive to diversity for varied groups to interact and leverage the benefits of diversity. Most researchers agree that education founded on diversity offers the capacity for schools and teachers to […]
• Verbal Bullying at School: How It Should Be Stopped This paper highlights some of the best practices that can be used by teachers in order to address this problem. So, this information can be of great benefit to them.
• Uniform Policy Should Be Abolished in Asian High Schools Opponents of the school uniform policy assert that it leads to the formation of students who are unlikely to value the ideals of freedom of expression.
• Among School Children The first stanza of the poem is set in a classroom where William, a member of the Senate, has gone to evaluate the new school curriculum.
• Mandatory School Uniforms: Pros and Cons Finally, opponents of school uniforms claim that the ‘sense of community’ that is believed to be an advantage is, in fact, imposed on students and borders on some form of extreme uniformity.
• Solution to a Problem: School Bag Solution And it should be made a point that the bag is never carried on one shoulder whatever the weight is, because though fashionable in look, this kind of carrying is sure to damage the shoulder.
• ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors Second, school counselors should ensure and conform to the standards of confidentiality, including appropriate disclosure of information. The fifth aspect is counselors’ mandate to ensure they do not have relationships that are likely to compromise […]
• The First Aid Education in Schools In their study that involved a sample of Norwegian teachers, Bakke, Bakke, and Schwebs revealed that among the factors that educators perceived as limiting in terms of the amount and quality of first aid education […]
• Teaching a Musical Instrument in School The drive towards musical achievement is of great inherent value to both the learner and the society. The learners are the central point with the head teacher, the leader of music service, the class teacher, […]
• US Schools’ War Against Chocolate Milk by Gilbert Cruz The main concern of the article in question is the reduction of chocolate milk consumption in schools. It is due to the fact that chocolate milk is absorbed in stomach more slowly than unflavored milk.
• Getting High-School Diploma: Arguments For & Against Teachers should do all that is expected of them to ensure the children pass in their classwork and special attention been taken to the students who seem not to understand this is because not all […]
• School Institution and Its Functions By so doing, a school sets the standards of grading the child, thereby determining the promotion of the child to the fitness in the social life.
• Education Issues: School Notebooks or Notebook Laptops In addition to this, parents and teachers can be more vigilant by closely monitoring the usage of laptops by the students.
• Indian Boarding Schools This paper seeks to reflect on the events that led to the establishment of the schools, what life was at these schools and their effects on Indian populations, this is in regard to the larger […]
• The Consequences of School Cheating Cheating also leads to corrupted morals since students begin to cheat more frequently and try to rationalize their dishonesty. Academic dishonesty also affects personal relationships since friends and family can begin to question one’s honesty […]
• School-Community Partnerships: Purpose and Outcomes The purpose of the partnership between the school and the community-based healthcare organization is to implement a training program for the teachers working at GEMS.
• Social Studies in the Elementary School Young children require the knowledge of social studies to better their lives right from their homes, to their peer groups, in social life with the outside community, and in the world as they grow.
• WA Schools Public-Private Partnership Project Audit The second issue was the effectiveness of project management and monitoring of contract performance and risks. Creating a detailed plan for performance monitoring, audit, and inspections would help private companies during the pre-contract award stage […]
• Youth Misbehavior: School and Community Risk Factors The following paper analyzes school- and community-related factors that contribute and sustain adverse behavioral patterns assesses the influence of diversity and multicultural issues that may impact the success of interventions, and explores several possible ways […]
• Class Tardiness: A Survey of Elementary Schools Aim and Objectives of the study The purpose or aim of this study is to explore the issue of tardiness in relation to identifying whether it correlates directly with the teaching process and the entire […]
• School Bullying: Causes and Police Prevention It is for this reason that there has been need for the intervention of the community and the government to address the issue of bullying schools lest the school environment becomes the worst place to […]
• The Main Purpose of the Christian Education Model: Sunday School The main aim of the mission-based model of Christian Education is to develop educational leaders to achieve the mission of Christian Education namely discipleship education.
• Supervision in Public Schools The supervisors concerned with the public schools management ought to have gained sufficient skills to promote the act of supervision in the schools.
• Ethical Issues in the School The second ethical issue raised in the case is that Robert has gone to the extent of stealing a phone from the bag of another student.
• School Is Bad for Children The current system of education is very different from the ancient system, because unlike the ancient one, it does not give school children the opportunity to develop hobbies.
• Working During the High School The students who do part time jobs in companies get the opportunity to meet their future employers and if they become good employees while doing their stints as part time employees they will improve, their […]
• Compare and Contrast Private and Public Schools in Saudi Arabia Although Saudi Arabian government does not restrict parents on where they will educate their children, it ensures that both private and public schools in the economy are of high quality.
• The Negative Consequences of Employing High School Students in Fast Food Restaurants In addition, high school students should be advised that education and their careers are more important as compared to working at fast food restaurants.
• Personal High School Experience Teachers and students as the main participants of the teaching-learning process are inclined to shift the responsibility for the low effectiveness of the programs on each other.
• Parents’ Involvement in Schoolwork Parent involvement is important in improving academic performance as students have to prove to teachers and parents that they are working hard at school.
• Analysis of Uniform in Japanese Schools In addition, uniforms and the rules of school life contribute to the development of a sense of harmony and collectivism in children.
• Erikson’s Development Model and Pre-School Education The pre-school children, while climbing the ladder of his pre-school years, feel the need of exploration of new dimensions. In order to make a child a successful person in his future life, it would be […]
• Ethics Code in School Leadership This personal code of ethics will guide me to empower others and promote the best actions that can support every individual in the district.
• Ethics Setting the Condom Vending Machines in the High-School Area The reason behind the discussion is the argument in favor of condom vending machines in the high-school area, and the beneficial facts behind it.
• After-School Programs and Activities The referral programs have ensured the success of the students’ endeavors to get jobs near or in the campus hence solved a myriad of financial problems encountered by students before the onset of such programs.
• School Bullying: Methods for Managing the Problem The investigation of relevant studies on the methods for stopping school bullying reveals that the most effective ways of eliminating this type of behavior include providing training for teachers, encouraging students to participate in the […]
• The Issue of Bullying in the Schools It gives me joy to know that the issue of bullying is now a pubic affair since bullying stories were unheard of when I was growing up.
• Homeschooling is a Viable Alternative to Public School General information: In public discourse, homeschooling can be seen as inferior to mainstream education and criticized as unregulated and ineffective from the standpoint of socialization.
• Three Things You Can Do to Help Your Child Do Better in School Motivation is the basis for any action and students should be reminded the main purpose of their school attendance.[6] Parents are free to motivate their children in different ways.
• Achieving and Maintaining Elementary School Safety School safety calls for a proactive approach by the school leadership, which implies that the school administration should first conduct a comprehensive analysis of the safety situation in and around the school to determine the […]
• Academic Performance at St. Martin de Porres High School At the same time, one of the most important missions of a teacher is to form the skills and abilities of an educational and cognitive nature.
• Pros and Cons of Prayer in School The majority of the people all over the world believe in a supernatural being in which they believe provides them with the necessary day-to-day needs.
• Underachievement in Schools: Teaching and Learning In a school setting, underachievement refers to the inability of a learner to meet standards of performance that are set in the relevant level of study, which they have been established to have the ability […]
• Single-Sex and Coeducational Schools Viewing the idea of gender diversity in classroom from an ethical standpoint, one must admit that, by depriving learners of the opportunity to interact with the representatives of the opposite gender in the educational setting, […]
• Southwood School: Recruitment and Selection The selection process arrangement used by Southwood School to select the most appropriate candidates is the combination of interviewing method, testing and the teaching methods.
• Selection and Recruitment in the School Sector For teachers, the strategy entails the creation of a Priority Placement Pool that is centrally maintained and given preferential consideration for all openings.
• Improving the School’s Funding This paper will present the analysis of the current situation, as it needs to be resolved in the shortest time to avoid the negative consequences of the current state.
• Significance of Teamwork in Schools However, teamwork in schools is initiated by the administration and embraced by teachers in their respective departments. Teamwork is important in ensuring the success of schools.
• Relevance of Technology in Schools But this rapid advancement in technology has created problems in understanding and adjusting for the laypersons in the society. The point that should be focused on is to use this available technology effectively so that […]
• Key Elements in a Successful Career Development in a School The essay tries to analyze the concepts of career development, career education, career counseling, career guidance, and career information with special reference to the Australian career development system in schools.
• Celebrations in School Culture A school culture that is student-focused can be formed by encouraging teachers to pay much attention to efficient testing and curriculum that can facilitate the making of decisions in a school.
• High School Education: Past, Present, and Future In this paper, focus will be cast on historical development of high school education, the current practices in high school curriculum, the challenges that are related to high school education and the future trends that […]
• Poor Neighborhoods, Quality of Schools, and Social Mobility Study Question: Is the quality of schools, social mobility, and differential treatment of children worse in disadvantaged neighborhoods compared to those in affluent areas?

⭐ Simple & Easy School Essay Titles

• The Structuring of Schools Organizations Nevertheless, the noticeable heterogeneity of knowledge, skills, and abilities in the Education/Organizational Leadership creates both a challenge and an opportunity for educating an organization, because shared organizational leadership is a continuum, people need to be […]
• Discipline Implementation at School The offered examples should be punished as school is the place where children are taught and they should be given the examples of behavior.
• Chapter 1-6 of “Child, Family, School, and Community” The reason for this is that, as it was shown in the Chapter, the actual quality of kin-relationships is the subject of continual transformation.
• Business Plan: Preschool Startup in Dubai The Ministry of Education governs the school education in the country. Hence, the rising demand for private schools presents a unique opportunity in the education industry of the UAE.
• How Can School Prayer Possibly Hurt? Those who support school prayer argue that banning of prayer in schools causes a decline in the moral standards of people.
• Use of Cell Phones in Public Schools and Should Cell Phones Be Allowed in Public Schools The following themes are included: the patterns of cell phone use in public schools; the benefits and drawbacks of using cell phones in class; the Massachusetts cell phone policy; and possible methods to solve the […]
• Students’ Involvement in Establishing School Rules The process of setting rules in this case will be free and democratic. Executive committee- this will be the supreme body in rule making.
• Fast Food Ban Necessity in Schools Schools should not offer fast foods because they lead to the development of bad habits, long-time health complications and influence students to spend money unnecessarily.
• An Evaluation of Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development and How It Could Be Applied to Grade School It is the purpose of this essay to summarize Kohlberg’s theory, and thereafter analyze how the theory can be applied to grade a school.
• No Homework Policy in Primary Schools of Abu Dhabi The scholars have set out to examine the effects of having and not having assignments on weekends on the academic performance of the students.
• A School Nurse’s Role in Healthcare Some of the tasks that emphasize the advocating role entail communication with school staff and parents on behalf of a child regarding any healthcare concerns and, in some cases, motivational counseling for struggling students.
• Confidentiality and Data Protection in School Confidentiality and data protection at any UK school are guaranteed according to the following laws and acts: the Human Rights Act 1998, the Children’s Act 1989 and 2004, and the Data Protection Act 1998.
• Strategies for Maintaining School Facilities The long-term benefits of such an approach are the reduced risk of emergencies and a lesser amount of maintenance work overall, which is important because “the goal of maintenance is to get out of the […]
• How to Respond to a School Crisis? For example, if a stranger got into a school and stabbed students and teachers, it would be better to liaise with the police and bring the perpetrator of the crime to book.
• Social Transformation: The Summerhill School Neill suggest that this position should be both recognized and employed as a means of creating a more natural and productive world as is shown in the film “Summerhill Video”.
• Rachel’s Challenges and Its Benefits to the Youth. Columbine School Shooting If told in the right context, tone and by a person who really understands the predicament, Rachel’s challenges are bound to have a profound effect on students and inspire them to spread the dream that […]
• Drug Abuse in High School and College With respect to social work and the problem of substance abuse, research has been carried out in terms of investigating the relationship between drug abuse and poverty, the effects of drug abuse on the society.
• Washington Schools Public-Private Partnership Project In order to prevent the wastage of money within the PPP, it is recommended to invest in leadership coaching, evaluate the decisions made in the project on the basis of costs and benefits of the […]
• School Fire Crisis: Response Plan Operations: This department will handle the challenges of the crisis by providing necessary support to students and families. Logistics: The logistics team will be in charge of managing and delivering all necessary equipment and supplies […]
• Gender Issues in the School Environment Studies show that the school does not convene the needs of a child in the way that is expected because of the narrower understanding of the terms masculinity and femininity.
• Student Diversity in School Classroom What are the effects of cultural diversity in the classroom on academic performance? What are the effects of diversity in undergraduate institutions in influencing student outcomes?
• The Impact of School Governance on School Leadership The traditional school system in most states and territories took the form of the old public administration with school governance highly centralized in the Ministry of Education and the Education Department.
• School Improvement As a result, these societies contain a rich heritage due to the interaction of the culture, traditions and beliefs of the people who are part and parcel of it.
• Ways in Which Girls Are Disadvantaged in School The most worrying thing that is bedeviling the girl child is the stereotype that girls are naturally weak in Sciences and mathematics.
• A Case for Sex Education in Schools This paper set out to discuss the merits and demerits of sex education in school so as to show that it is beneficial for the youth.
• The Plight of Mexican American Students in US Public School System Unfair and discriminatory treatment against Mexican American students has contributed to the increased number of school dropouts. The introduction of flipped classrooms has led to increased struggles and barriers to Mexican American students from low […]
• Introducing Tablet PC Into School It was Bill Gates who started the tablet PC in 2000, for the reason that PC customers have been uncertain about jumping on the bandwagon and In order for the Tablet PC to cross the […]
• What Are Fan Behaviors Towards Sports Officials at the Middle School Level? Thus, this project contributes to the existing literature by identifying the behaviors of middle school students towards sports officials and the causes of such behaviors.
• The Role of Religion in the Schools The primary goal of schools is to make the learners competent in the future in terms of being skilled in the labor market as well as when making important life decisions.
• Analysis of High School Longitudinal Study Dataset M1MTHYRS912 is a continuous variable that shows how many years of experience the math teacher had at the moment of the survey.
• Strategies for Recess in Schools If I see that the guys need a shake-up, I suggest games and physical activity but do not insist on it if the students are not in the mood.
• Purpose of Human Resource Management in the UAE Public School The benefit package that has been used for decades in the context of the UAE educational setting must be revisited and shaped to a considerable extent.
• Effectiveness of Integrating ICT in Schools Most of the learning activities were undertaken in a classroom in front of the students, and assessment processes were conducted in class with paper and pen assessments.
• Techniques of School Management in the Day to Day Operations of Schooling The principal of the school explained to me that the day to day operations of a school requires a range of policies and procedures to be followed.
• School Campaign Against Anaphylaxis The awareness campaign on Anaphylaxis may enjoin parents of highly sensitive and allergic children to share their experiences with Anaphylaxis with other parents.
• The Problem of Social Promotion in Schools Social promotion in public school was approved practice in the late 1950s and 1960s and put in place to allow students pass to the next level of education without meeting the necessary requirements in the […]
• School Bus Drivers & Cars on the Road The other drivers of the road also become aware of the presence of a school bus on road and that consciousness makes them aware of the reason to drive safely.
• Boston Fights Drugs in Harvard Business School The problem of the case under analysis is that the population of Boston is challenged by the access to illicit drugs.
• Uniforms in Public Schools: Benefits and Drawbacks However, some schools disagree with the need for learners to wear uniforms and, in their place, choose to encourage a dress code while others allow students to dress in clothes of their choice provided that […]
• School Dress Codes and Self-Expression Being urged to wear only approved clothes, students are deprived of an opportunity to understand the differences between social groups and the unique problems of their social class.
• Life in School: Interview Report and Analysis
• The School Improvement Plan
• School Licensed Counselor’s Interview on Profession
• Accountability in Hotel and School Management
• Ethics in School-Based Action Research
• The Causes of High School Dropping Out
• Sexual Harassment in Schools
• What Themes of ICT Should Be Taught in Secondary School
• Teaching Web Design in Secondary School Classroom
• Comparison of Preschool and Middle School Child Development
• Educational Leadership in School
• Who Governs the Schools?
• Sociological Issues in Schools
• Code of Conduct and Ethics in School
• Social and Emotional Learning in Schools
• School-Based Yoga Program for Adolescents’ Mental Health
• School Leadership: Concepts and Evidence
• Usage iPads in Schools
• Schools and Good Diet
• School Family Community Partnership and Its Benefits
• Children Grade Promotion in the US Schools
• Gymnastics Training in Schools: Pros and Cons
• The Forest School Theory by Marlene Power
• The Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. Case
• Student Rights in School Disciplinary Proceedings
• The ABC Model of Crisis: Bullying at School
• Science in the Preschool Classroom
• GEMS World Academy: School Improvement Plan
• Decision-Making. College or Break After High School
• Public School Quality and Its Relationship With Location Within the American Class Structure
• Cheating in High Schools: Issue Analysis
• Theoretical Background of School Shooting
• Professional School Counseling: Interview Reflection
• Dubai New Ethos School: Academic Plan
• High School Social Studies Teacher Career
• School Improvement for Students’ Benefits
• School Climate and Student Culture
• Fights and Bullying Among Middle School Learners
• An Ethnography of Communication in the School
• New School Model in Abu Dhabi Public Education System
• Retention in Schools
• Managing Challenges in Schools
• High School Students Participating In Extra-Curricular Activities Have Fewer Discipline Problems?
• Game-based Learning and Simulation in a K-12 School in the United Arab Emirates
• Group Counseling in the Schools
• Sunday School in HD by Allan Taylor
• Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption
• Bullying in School
• School Violence, Its Causes and Prevention
• Increasing of Sex Education in Schools to Curb Teenage Pregnancy
• LA School Uniforms as Mandatory Attire for All Students
• Motivation in Continuous Education: Back to School
• Disparities in NYC Education: Challenges Faced by African American Community
• Pre-Schooling Before Kindergarten Admission
• Technology Integration Process in Education: Repton School in Dubai
• Dubai Business School’s Vision for Future Excellence in Management Education
• Sports-Related Injuries Prevention in High School
• Inclusive Primary School in Nigeria: Factors to Consider
• “School Counseling Video EP” Evaluation
• Entrepreneurial Climate in Schools: Insights from Dunbar High School
• Secondary School Teachers’ Issues in Turkey
• Nurturing Learning Through School Philosophy: Insights and Approaches
• Perception of the School: The Informal System
• The English Preparatory School Programs
• American Boarding School System
• Enhancing School-Home Connectivity for Holistic Student Development
• Spatial Factor in Educational Inequality at Schools
• Introducing Ethnic Studies Into Schools’ Curricula
• Task Specialization and Directive Leadership in Beaufort County School District
• Abolishment of Standard (ACT and SAT) Tests in Schools
• The Purpose of High School Sports
• Acceptable Use Policy in Miami Public Schools
• Opportunities After Secondary School
• Empowerment and Accountability in the High School
• School Principals Preparation and Skills
• Analysis of Lancaster Central School District’s Code of Conduct
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in Schools
• Developmental Milestones of School-Aged Children
• Graduate Schools: Challenges and Expectations
• Four Schoolmasters and American Foreign Policy
• School Anxiety and Phobia in Children
• Southside High School Principality: Case Analysis
• The School Curriculum: Gender and Sexuality Themes
• School Employees’ Mental Well-Being in Wyomissing
• Administration of School Technology Programs
• Concept for Teaching Memory in Primary School Students
• African American Male Principals in High-Performing Title I Schools
• Evaluating the School Textbooks From the Perspective of Students
• Geometry in High School: Issues and Solutions
• Transgender Bathroom Policies in Schools
• Aspects of Experience of Nursing School
• Strong Relationships Between Home and the School
• Effective Ways to Deal With Bullying in US Schools
• Mitigating Drug Abuse in Pine View School
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Schools
• Evaluating the Impact of Financial Support on School Fees and Budget Management
• Researching of Partnership Schools
• School Nursing: The Main Challenges
• Spring Road Elementary School’s Improvement Plan
• Discussion: LED Lighting in Schools
• The Ministry of Health’s Fruit in Schools Action Plan
• Mental Health in School-Age Children
• Promoting Students’ Health: School-Based Strategies
• Effects of Support on Stress in School Principals
• Closing Education Attainment Gap in Schools
• The Use of Technology in American Schools
• Preschoolers’ Free Play During Covid-19 in Saudi Arabia: The Impact of Screen Use
• Cyberbullying Through Facebook at School: Teacher’s Actions
• The Action Team for Partnerships and the School Improvement Team
• The Role of Parental Involvement in School Life
• Network Bullying: School Policy Framework
• Exposure to Smartphones on Learning Development in Preschoolers
• Micropolitics of School Aspects
• Race Factor in Students Admission to Law School
• The Need for Online Learning at St. Francis Elementary School
• Summarise of the BUS411 Course at Malcolm Baldrige Business School
• Teaching Preschool Children
• How “Play” Can Affect Preschool Students in Language Acquisition
• K-12 Educational Policy of St. Mark’s School in Texas
• Public School Financing Plan: New Jersey State Summary
• Abuse and Maltreatment of School-Aged Children
• Organizational Culture: The Project for the School Fair
• How to Become a Data-Driven School
• School’s Performance and Education Intervention
• Smith Elementary School’s Improvement Project
• “The First Days of School” Book by Wong and Wong
• Social Enterprise for Economic Stability Among Schools in Africa
• School Motivation: The Use of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivations
• Preventing School Violence Can Be Effective
• Freedom of Speech and Propaganda in School Setting
• The Significance of School Staff in Promoting Student Achievement
• Effect of Social Media on Junior and High School
• The Fox News Article: School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas
• Schools and Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Challenges and Barriers in Novice Teachers’ Practice in Public Schools
• Middle School Student Interview on Education Issues
• Gothic Revival, Arts & Crafts, and Glasgow School
• Data-Driven School Education Improvement
• Coral Springs High School Guidance Counselor Interview
• Black Children Start on the Road to Prison in Preschool
• Integrative Negotiation Strategy for Connecticut Valley Schools
• Male Gender Expression in Middle School
• A Preschoolers’ Learning Curriculum: A Celebration of Diwali
• Teaching and Managing in New York City Schools
• Importance of Symbolic Capital in Economics as Taught in Schools
• The Potential Benefits of Diverse Schools and Classrooms Video
• Holidays, Schools, and Family: Family Language Policy on Holiday
• Moral Position of Religious Education in Schools
• Native American Boarding Schools
• School Fundraiser Event: Conventional Foodservice
• School Teacher Pay and Its Adequacy
• Aspects and Missions of Community Schools
• School-Based Diet and Nutrition Focused Behavioral Change Intervention in Bangladesh
• Elementary School Librarian Versus Dept. of Veterans Affairs Librarian
• The Job of Associate Director of School Operations
• Methods of Elementary School Music Teaching
• The Role of My School Platform in Developing Teachers’ Technical Skills in Saudi Arabia
• Styles of Decision-Making, and Management of Personality of School Principals
• Curriculum Trends in Schools After COVID-19
• Shaping School Culture for Instructional Leaders
• New York City Community Schools’ Strategic Plan
• Accreditations of Higher Educations Healthcare Schools
• School-To-Prison Pipeline: Educational Perspective
• Adolescent Pregnancy and School Dropout After COVID-19 in Kenya
• Sexual Bullying in Schools and Its Influence
• Diversity in School: Diversity In Organizations
• Adolescent Relationship and School Culture
• “Home, School, and Community Relations”: The Complex Role Nature of Parenting
• Opioid Crisis in Canadian High Schools & Colleges
• Legal Search of Students in Schools
• Conserving Resources Due to Reduced School Funding
• How to Minimize Gender Disparities in Schools
• Low-Income Elementary School Students in the Indianapolis Area
• Queer (LGBT) Teenage Bullying at School
• The Working Poor and Schooling
• March for Our Lives: Campaign to Defund Police in Schools
• Marijuana Possession in a High-School Student Case
• Competitors of Pole Dancing: Pole Dancing Schools
• The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on School Students’ Physical Activity
• Legal Issues in a Public School Setting
• School Sports Director’s Challenges and Commitments
• Problem of Racism in Schools Overview
• How to Prevent School Violence?
• Social Mobility and Economic Inequalities in Schools
• “Bullying in Schools”: The Aspects of Bullying
• Youth Violence in Schools
• Role of the Pediatric Nurse in the Promotion of Health in School
• Reducing Obesity in African-American School-Age Children
• The Budget of the York County School Division
• Should Florida’s School Resource Officers Get Permission to Use Tasers on Youths?
• Dietary Patterns and Nutrition at Schools
• Healthier School Lunches Without Processed Foods
• Leaders of the Future School: Academic Plan
• Promoting Equality in the UK Primary School Education System
• Home to School Connections in Terms of Learning
• Technology Adoption in Plymouth-Canton School District
• Hillgrove High School Data Profile
• School Operations for Student Learning: Educational Leadership
• Collective Efficacy Action Plan at Highschool X
• Building a School in the Polluted Environment
• Analysis of Breakfast for School Children in USA, UK, Finland and Singapore
• Sociology: Home School Environment
• Depression Among High School Students
• Japanese “Juku” Schools in Alexander Karr’s View
• West Virginia Safe and Supportive Schools Project
• New Harbor North High School’s Research and Evaluation
• Schools in the UAE for Children of Expatriates
• St. Louis College Prep High School: Problems and Solutions
• Before and After School Care
• United Arab Emirates Schools: Students With Learning Disabilities
• Educational Supervision in a Transformed School Organization
• Are Homework Tasks Successful in Helping a School Develop Key Priorities?
• Skinner North Elementary School: Leadership
• Effect of Supportive Relationships on School
• American Indian Boarding Schools
• Professional Development and School Improvement
• Taking Children to School Process Flowchart
• Colonization and Residential Schools
• Stocking Epinephrine in Schools: Policy-Making Visit
• Impacts of Racial Segregation in High School
• Fostering the Home/School Connection
• Learning Centers for Preschool Children
• Schooling for Poor Children in 19th-Century America
• Parent-School Communication
• The Importance of School Counseling Program
• Preschool Teaching and Nuggets of Wisdom
• Elementary and Middle School Mathematics Teaching Developmentally by Walle
• School Violence Prevention Proposals
• High School Transition From One Model to Another
• Education System in Willowbrook School
• Reflection on the Job of a School Social Worker
• Bullying Perpetration Among School-Aged Children
• Promotion of the Healthy Breakfast Program at Elementary Schools
• Needed Changes in School Health Care
• Reinforcing Nutrition in Schools to Reduce Diabetes and Childhood Obesity
• Implementing a Permanent Exercise Regimen in Schools to Decrease Childhood Obesity
• School Project and Design: Building a Six-Story Boarding School Apartment
• School Nurses Role Regarding Obesity in School-Age Children in Kuwait
• Juvenile Treatment: The High Scope Perry Preschool Project
• School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work
• The Superior School of Nursing
• Tox Town Website: Health Concerns in the School Environment
• Wholeness Meeting to Deal With Stress in School
• Microorganisms Associated With Snacks Sold in Schools
• Stocking Epinephrine in Schools
• Food and Grades of Students at School
• Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe
• The Hospital Fatimah School of Nursing
• How to Choose the Best Supplier for the Class in the School
• School Campus Service: Wellness and Health Promotion
• The Qatar Independence Schools’ Computer Network Security Control
• Face Biometrics in a School: Pros and Cons
• HIV Testing of High School Seniors Should Not Be a Mandatory Requirement for Graduation
• The Engineering School Conceptual Design
• Purchasing School Supplies for a Classroom
• University of Washington: Dental School and a Hospital Within the Campus
• Searching the Web for Research Evidence: Drug Addiction Among School Aged Children
• Behavior Modification as an Intervention to Enhance School and Training Attendance at Manson Youth Institution
• Overweight and Obesity Among Primary School Children
• Jonathan Kozol “The Shame of Nation”: The Rationales of Apartheid Schooling
• Sexual Harassment in the Schools
• Defibrillators in All the Schools of Indiana
• Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education Meeting
• Bethel School District v. Fraser: Free Speech Issue
• Bullying of LGBTQ Students in American Schools
• Fairness in Schooling: Legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision
• School Lunch Program on Reducing Obesity Among Children
• Teaching English in Riyadh Public Primary Schools
• The Problems English Teachers Face in Riyadh Public Primary Schools
• School Mathematics Reform Versus the Basic
• Improving Low Performance in Science in Primary Schools
• Cultural Toxicity in a Public School Setting and the Means to Deal With It
• Cultural Environment in Schools: Demographic Characteristics
• The Clarion School for Boys, Inc. – Milwaukee Division: An Assessment of Three Major Projects
• Features of High School Education
• Saudi Primary School Science Teachers’ Beliefs: Teaching New Curriculum
• Comprehension Achievement Test and High School Comprehensive Test at High Schools
• School Counseling: A Challenge, an Opportunity
• School Counselors for Students With Disabilities
• “The Death and Life of the Great American School System” by Diane Ravitch
• How the School Has Changed My Sense of Self?
• Schoolwide Performance Bonuses: A Big Apple for Educators
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in the School Curriculum
• Schools and Census Data for Cities in Virginia
• School Leadership and Its Role in Teacher Turnover
• Importance of Formal Schooling in America
• Rethinking Schools and Reconstruction Approach
• School Counseling Specialization
• Management of Occupational Health and Safety in Schools in Libya Tripoli
• School Attendance Issues: Funding of the Project
• The Phenomenon of Failing Schools
• Social Inequality at School: Vision
• Social Inequality at School: The G-Spot
• Input-Directed Approach to Raising Schools’ Teaching Quality
• Alleged Flaw in a System of the U.S. Compulsory Schooling System
• School Community Entrepreneurial Partnership
• School Leadership and Change
• Learning Environment in Schools of Twenty First Century
• Bushvale Primary School: Good Curriculum
• Sheltered Curriculum at the Ho Chi Minh City School
• School Hostage Crisis Intervention
• Arnold Kitchens as the Superintendence for Schools in Huntsville Description
• The Spread of Multilingualism in School
• Human Rights Issues in Australia: Bullying Among School-Going Age and Young People
• Interview With the School Principal: Something for Grown-Ups to Learn
• Making Sense of Data to Save School Operations Dollars
• Reducing Energy Consumption in Schools
• Evaluation of Waste Reduction Program of the Green School
• Supervision Change and School Success
• Children’s Rights and School Attendance
• Agnes Parker…”Keeping Cool in Middle School” by O’Dell
• The Trivialization of School in the Present Educational Organization
• Public Schooling in 19th Century Canada
• Mapleton High School Review
• “Bowling for Columbine” and “Elephant”: The Problem of School Violence
• Algebra I in Middle School and Its Impact on Tracking and Motivation
• School Counseling Study: Data Analysis
• St. Luke’s School’s Organizational Change
• Free After-School Programs for 1st-8th Graders
• Aboriginal Policy Initiatives at School
• Aboriginal Policies and Disadvantage in Schools
• St. Lucie County School’s Language Policy
• Kozol and Epstein on Teachery and School
• How Stress Affects Learning in Middle School
• The United States School Violence Problem
• School-Based Interventions for Students With Behavior Problems
• A New High School Curriculum and Lifeboat Ethics
• “Big-City Schools Struggle With Graduation Rates” by Greg Toppo
• Character Education Program in Elementary Schools
• Gillean McCluskey’s “Exclusion from School” Critique
• Concept Problem of School Counseling
• Poverty, Suburban Public School Violence and Solution
• Preschool Program Based on Piagets Developmental Theory
• Aboriginal Peoples Studies: School and Work
• Schools of Strategic Management
• Developmental School Counseling and Pupil Services
• “Home, School and Playroom” by Claire Etaugh: The Combined Effects and Interactions Among Parental Child-Rearing Practices
• Behavior Problem of Students in the School
• Influence of School Culture and School Leaders
• Strategic Planning in the Schools
• Discussion Against the Afro-Centric School in Toronto
• Execution of Education in Australian Business School
• School Vouchers in States
• McCluskey’s Qualitative Study “Exclusion From School?”
• Leadership in Empowered Schools
• “Exclusion From School” by McCluskey, and “Moments of Social Inclusion and Exclusion” by Lareau
• High School Students Restriction From Playing in Athletics
• “In School” Accommodation Program
• Biblical Account of Creation in Genesis in School
• Schools of the Future in America
• Culture-Sensitive Science Teaching and Urban Schooling
• Missouri School Improvement Program
• What Are the Causes of Poor Educational Standards in the Chicago Public Schools?
• Peer Pressure in High School
• Catholic Identity and Culture in Australian Schools
• Team Collaboration Between Teachers in Schools
• History of Singaporean Education: Independence and Bilingualism in Schools
• The New York State School Observation
• High School Activities Participation
• Why Do Many Students Drop Out of School?
• School Administration Sensitive Situations
• Public Relations and Crisis Plans for Schools
• Interim Budget for Santa School for the Fiscal Year
• The Structure of Learning Systems in Schools
• Local Council and the Lack of Primary Schools
• Report on School Observations/Interviews
• School Climate, Communication, and Supervisory Climate
• The Middle Years Program at Underdale High School
• School Principal: Successful Time Management
• Non-Traditional Leadership in U.S. Schools
• Teaching Skills in Simschool Program
• Importance of Art at Elementary School
• Comparison of the Opportunity Educational Equality Pedestal on the Two Schools
• Information Systems and E-Services at the State and Province Level Schools
• School-Based Nutrition Health Promotion Program
• Immigration and Schools in the United States
• Emmett Scott High School Study: Data Analysis
• The Lawsuit Against the Hazelwood East School
• Mandatory Drug Testing of High School Students Wishing to Pursue Extra-Curricular
• Universal Prevention of Mental Stigmatization Among the Adolescents in Schools
• Education in Jewish Church and Family Services Therapeutic Day School
• School Sport and Safety Controversy
• Supportive Supervision in Schools
• Frustrated and Fed Up: Alternatives to Public School
• Wallis on Modernization of Schools
• Sedona Red Rock High School Exhibition
• The Smart School: Ethics Business Project
• Segregated and Integrated Schools for Children
• Two US Business Schools in View of Two Ranking Systems
• “An Experiment in Three Approaches to Teaching Average to Elementary School Children” by D. Baker
• Engaging the Learner in the Early Years of School
• Clements High School: Policy on Drug and Alcohol Need
• American Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling in the School Curriculum
• Primary School Teaching: Challenging Racism
• High School Teacher’s Role in Education
• Effectiveness of Physical Education Provisions in the UK School
• Carlisle Indian Industrial School
• Evaluating a School District Supervisor’s Budget Presentation
• Northwestern and New York Business Schools Comparison
• Crime in High Schools
• Nursing School at Seattle University
• “Organizational Structures and Perceived Cultures of Community Charter Schools in Ohio” by J. Fox
• Controversies in the School System
• Violence in United States High Schools
• Home Schooling and Public Schooling Comparison
• Over Crowding in Miami Dade County Schools, Florida
• Huntington High School: Diversity Issue
• Public School Prayer Question Analysis
• Studying and Teaching Environment of Australian and Malaysian Primary Schools
• Every Child Matters and Extended Schooling
• Preventing Burnout in Preschool Teachers
• Prayer in Public Schools Discussion
• School Bullying: Case Analysis
• Creative Writing for Children in Primary School
• High School vs. College: Differences
• US Education History. Local Control of Schools
• Preschool Teacher Burnout Prevention
• Political Process and Schools Analysis
• Standards-Based Curriculum in the Elementary School
• Character Education Curriculum in Elementary Schools
• School Vouchers and Their Role in American Education
• Anti-Racism Policy Statement in Australian Schools
• Aboriginal Education Policy in Australian Schools
• School Lunches Addressing Childhood Obesity
• Afrocentric Schools in Toronto
• Social Work Services in a School Environment
• Athletic Programs for High School Students
• Sex Education as a Part of the Elementary School
• Federal Initiatives Rescuing Failing Schools
• School Interventions Against HPV and Effect on Vaccination Rates
• The Opportunity for School Food to Influence a Child’s Dietary Intake
• New Jersey’s Charter and Public Schools’ Impact
• Garfield High School: Observation Experience
• School Employee Training Reporting Scheme
• Al Zadjali Grade School: Technological Upgrade Program Evaluation
• Parent Involvement in the Elementary School Setting
• Adding Health Education as a Mandatory Class in Saudi Arabia Schools
• Health Education Instructional Program in Schools in Saudi Arabia
• Depression and Anxiety Due to School and Work-Related Stress
• Religion in American Public Schools
• School-Community Partnerships Building
• Parent-School Online Communication Platforms
• School Counseling Group Functions Analysis
• Adoption of Blackboard in a School Setting: Project Management Plan
• Extending Existing Knowledge in the Area of Schools Foods and Their Influence on Children’s Diets
• King Khaled School: Final Strategic Plan
• The Long Term Effects of Bullying in Elementary School
• Preschool in Three Cultures
• Student Satisfaction in the Schools of Georgia
• Motivating Middle School Students to Read
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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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!

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

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.

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

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.

"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.

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 .

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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How to Write University and College Names in Sentences

By Erin Wright

We’ll also look at when to capitalize the word the in university and college names and when to lowercase words such as university and college .

Note that these guidelines are for general writing. If you are writing on behalf of a university or college, you should follow the recommendations provided by that school’s house style guide .

These guidelines also apply to high schools, middle schools, junior highs, and elementary schools.

How to Write the Names of Universities and Colleges in Sentences

Capitalize all the main words in the names of universities and colleges in sentences, including words such as university , college , and institute . 1

Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame have been football rivals since 1896.

The Illinois Institute of Technology’s campus features renowned twentieth-century architecture.

When to Capitalize the Word The in University and College Names

Sometimes the word the is officially part of a university’s or college’s name. In that case, the decision to capitalize the word the before the name in sentences will depend on your style guide.

Let’s look at the recommendations provided by three of our primary style guides : The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style), The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style), and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style).

(We’ll use the University of Alabama for the examples below because AU is careful to capitalize the word the before its name on its website and in other official writing.)

Chicago Style

The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends lowercasing the word the in sentences even when it is officially part of a school’s name (unless the name appears at the start of a sentence, of course.) 2

Carol studied economics at the University of Alabama.

The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) doesn’t offer specific guidelines for this issue in relation to schools. However, AP style does recommend capitalizing the word the when it is officially part of a company’s name. 3 Therefore, we are probably safe to assume that AP style approves of capitalizing the word the when it is part of a university’s or college’s name.

The tenth-grade students enjoyed their tour of The University of Alabama.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style) is silent on this issue, also. However, several of its formatting examples include university names without the capitalized word the even though those universities officially include the word the in their names. 4 Therefore, followers of APA style are probably safe to lowercase the word the in the names of universities and colleges in sentences.

Graduate students at the University of Alabama can choose from 150 different programs.

Pro Tip: If you don’t follow a specific style guide, I recommend following Chicago style—unless you are a journalist or are publishing news-centric content, in which case AP style is the way to go.

Further Reading: Which Style Guide Is Best for You?

When to Lowercase Words such as University and College

Words such as university , college , and institute are lowercased in sentences when used outside of a formal name, even when referencing a specific school. 5

Terry returned to the university after spring break.

Jan was excited to leave for college.

But, universities and colleges frequently capitalize those words when writing about themselves. So, consult the house style guide if you are writing for or about your school in an official capacity.

How to Write University and College Names as Abbreviations in Sentences

The words the , a , and an (which are formally called articles ) are not typically used in front of university and college abbreviations serving as place names, even if you would use the word the in front of the full name.

Bartholomew graduated from IVCC in 2018.

Conversely, the words the , a , and an normally appear before university and college abbreviations when they are used as adjectives in front of singular nouns.

The researchers monitored study habits in a CSU dorm and a DU cafeteria.

If you are writing for a general audience, be sure to mention the full name of the university or college before using the abbreviation. This is particularly important if you are using an abbreviation that may not be immediately identifiable with the full name (e.g., Mizzou for the University of Missouri) or is a nickname rather than an abbreviation (e.g., Ole Miss for the University of Mississippi).

Further Reading: When Should You Capitalize Geographic Regions in the United States?

1. The Associated Press Stylebook 2022–2024 (New York: Associated Press, 2022), 216; The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 8.68.

2. The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 8.68.

3. The Associated Press Stylebook 2022–2024 (New York: Associated Press, 2022), 54.

4. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2020), 2.6.

5. The Associated Press Stylebook 2022–2024 (New York: Associated Press, 2022), 54; The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 8.68.

Updated July 14, 2022

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

Ideas to inspire every young writer!

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?

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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.

• 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.

• 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 .

• 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.

• 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 …

• 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?

• 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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Gre prep online guides and tips, how to write a stand-out personal statement for grad school.

If you’re applying to graduate school, you’ll likely need to write a personal statement. But what exactly is a graduate school personal statement? And what should you write about to give yourself your best shot at admission?

In this guide, we teach you how to write a personal statement for grad school, step by step. But first, let’s go over how the personal statement differs from the statement of purpose as well as what schools look for in a great graduate school essay.

What Is a Graduate School Personal Statement?

A graduate school personal statement is an admission essay that typically focuses on your personal reasons for wanting to enter a grad program and particular field of study. Essentially, you must tell the story of who you are and how you developed your current research interests.

So is a personal statement for graduate school the same thing as a statement of purpose? Well, not always (though it can be). Here are the general distinctions between the two essay types:

• Statement of purpose:  A formal essay that summarizes your academic and professional background, research interests, and career goals. In this essay, you’ll usually explain your reasons for applying to grad school and why you believe the program is a good fit for you (as well as why you’re a good fit for it!).
• Personal statement: A less formal essay that focuses on your passion and motivation for wanting to enter your chosen field and program. This statement is typically more flexible than the statement of purpose, with a bigger emphasis on storytelling. Schools often encourage applicants to discuss (relevant) challenges in their lives and how they’ve overcome them.

Both the graduate school personal statement and statement of purpose are usually anywhere from one to three double-spaced pages long, depending on the program you’re applying to.

Below is a chart comparing the personal statement and statement of purpose:

Usually, the personal statement and statement of purpose are considered two different graduate school essay types.

But this isn’t always the case. While some schools consider the personal statement and statement of purpose two distinct essays, others use the names interchangeably.

For example, Michigan State University’s College of Engineering  considers them two distinct essays, while The Ohio State University uses “personal statement” to describe what is essentially a statement of purpose.

Many schools require just one essay  (and it’ll usually be the statement of purpose, as it’s the more academic one). But some, such as the University of Michigan , ask for both a personal statement and statement of purpose, while others, such as  Notre Dame’s Creative Writing MFA program , want an essay that combines the features of both!

Ultimately, the type of graduate school essay you  submit will depend entirely on where you’re applying.

What Do Schools Look For in a Personal Statement?

Many grad schools require a personal statement in order to learn more about you, your interests, your struggles, and your motivations for wanting to enter a field of study. Through this essay, schools can get to know you on a deeper, more intimate level and learn about you in ways they can’t through transcripts and letters of recommendation alone.

But what specifically do universities look for in a great personal statement for graduate school? Here are some of the most important elements to include in your essay.

A Compelling Story

First off, your personal statement must tell a story. After all, this essay is basically your autobiography: it introduces who you are, your interests and motivations, and why you’ve decided to apply to grad school.

Unlike the statement of purpose, the personal statement should focus mostly on your personal history, from your failures to your triumphs. All experiences should tie back to your field or research area, emphasizing what you’ve learned and what this means in terms of your potential as a grad student.

Since you’re talking about yourself, be conversational in your storytelling: use an authentic voice, open up about your experiences, and maybe even throw in a joke or two. Though you’re still writing an essay for school, it’s generally OK to be a little more informal here than you would in a statement of purpose.

That said, there are a couple of things you absolutely shouldn’t do in your personal statement.

• Open your essay with a quotation. Professors have heard the quotation before and don’t need (or want) to hear it again. Plus, quotations often take up too much space in an already short essay!
• Use clichés. Think of unique ways to tell your story and grab readers’ attention. Schools want to see you can be creative yet honest about yourself, so avoid clichés like the plague (see what I did there?).
• Get too creative. Your goal is to look like a serious, committed applicant—not a wacky risk taker—so write clearly and avoid any unnecessary distractions such as images, colors, and unprofessional fonts.

Most importantly, remember that your graduate school personal statement should focus on your successes. Try to use strong, encouraging words and put positive twists on difficult experiences whenever possible. It’s OK to mention your setbacks, too—just as long as you’re discussing how you ultimately overcame (or plan to overcome) them.

Inspirations for Your Research Interests

Schools don’t only want to see clearly defined research interests but also  why you have these particular interests.   While the statement of purpose elaborates on your professional goals, the personal statement explains what personally motivated you to explore your interests.

For example, in my personal statement for a Japanese Studies MA program, I wrote about my hot-and-cold relationship with the Japanese language and how a literature class and a stint abroad ultimately inspired me to keep learning.

Don’t make the mistake of going way back to the beginning to start your essay. Many applicants open their statements with something along the lines of “I fell in love with psychology when I was ten years old” or “It all started when I was in high school.” But these broad statements lack the creativity and zest needed to secure an acceptance, so avoid them at all costs.

Your Motivation for Applying to Grad School

Your statement of purpose should explain why grad school is a practical next step in your professional life—but your personal statement should focus on what personally motivates you to take this step.

Generally, schools want answers to the following questions:

• Why is grad school an appropriate step for you now?
• How will a graduate degree help you achieve your goals?
• Why didn’t you apply to grad school earlier (if you took time off after undergrad)?
• Were there any struggles or problems you faced that prevented you from applying to grad school before?

Be honest about why you’re applying, both to grad school and the program in particular. In my graduate school essay, I discussed how my passion for Japanese literature and desire to translate it inspired me to seek advanced language training at the graduate level.

Strong Writing Skills

A great personal statement shows that you can write cogently and coherently. After all, strong writing skills are imperative for success as a grad student!

So in addition to telling a good story, make sure you use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Use paragraphs to break up your thoughts, too. Because the personal statement is slightly less formal than the statement of purpose, feel free to play around a little with paragraph form and length.

Also, remember that  good writing doesn’t necessarily equal big words.  You’re writing about yourself, so use words that come naturally to you. Don’t grab a thesaurus and start throwing in a bunch of high-level vocabulary wherever you can; this will make your essay sound less authentic, not to mention stiff.

On the other hand, don’t get too colloquial. You’ll lose respect if you start inserting conversational words such as “gonna” and “gotta.” Therefore, look for the middle ground and write from there.

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Explanations for Any Hiccups in Your Academic Career

Lastly, the personal statement  gives applicants a chance to explain any problems or changes in their academic histories, such as low grades or gaps in education.

Because transcripts and resumes are severely limited in what information they give, schools often use the personal statement to understand your reasons for abrupt changes in your resume and/or transcripts, and to see how you’ve overcome these barriers in your education (and life).

Essentially, a personal statement equalizes the playing field by giving you full rein to explain yourself and emphasize your success over any struggles you’ve had.

How to Write a Personal Statement for Grad School: 9-Step Guide

The personal statement is a fiercely important part of your grad school application. In this section, we teach you how to write a memorable personal statement for grad school so that you’ll have a better shot at getting accepted.

Step 1: Start Early

Personal statements (actually, grad school applications in general!) take a lot of work, so don’t put off writing your essay until the week before your deadline. Rather, try to start working on your essay at least two or three months before your application is due.

You might want to give yourself more time to write it if you’re currently in school or working a demanding job. Setting aside more time lets you work on your graduate school essay routinely without having to squeeze in too many hours each week.

If you only have a month or less until your application deadline, get started on your essay pronto! Though it’s possible to write a personal statement quickly, I recommend carving out more time so that you can put more thought and effort into what you write and how you present yourself. (Doing this also gives others more time to edit your essay for you! We’ll cover this more in later steps.)

Step 2: Read the Instructions

Perhaps the most important step is to read your program’s instructions for the personal statement. Not following these instructions could very well result in a rejection, so always read these first before you start writing! Most programs put their personal statement instructions on their application materials pages.

Your program should give you the following information:

• What type of content your personal statement should include or generally focus on (you might even get an actual prompt to answer!)
• How long your statement should be
• What type of heading, if any, you must include on your statement
• How to save and submit your statement (e.g., .docx, PDF, etc.)

For example, let’s say you’re applying to the History PhD program at UC Berkeley . In this case, your personal statement can’t exceed 1,000 words (three double-spaced pages). You must also answer this prompt :

Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include information on how you have overcome barriers to access in higher education, evidence of how you have come to understand the barriers faced by others, evidence of your academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for women, racial minorities, and individuals from other groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, evidence of your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality, or evidence of your leadership among such groups.

On the other hand, if you were to apply for an MS in Mining, Geological, and Geophysical Engineering at the University of Arizona , your personal statement would follow these parameters:

Your personal statement is an opportunity to sell yourself, in terms of your research interests, research experience and research goals. Unless you have extensive research experience, most personal statements should be about two single-spaced pages. Your writing should be clear, concise, grammatically correct and professional in tone. You may convey some personal experiences that have led to your current interests or that make you a particularly promising candidate.

Clearly, grad programs can approach personal statements quite differently. Some schools consider them the same as statements of purpose and want a formal focus on academic and research interests, while others want applicants to explain more informally the challenges they’ve overcome to get to this point.

Simply put,  follow your program’s directions exactly in order to give yourself your best shot at admission.  And if any part of the instructions is unclear, don’t hesitate to contact your program!

Step 3: Figure Out Your Angle

Your “angle,” or focus, in your graduate school personal statement will depend on a few key factors:

• What your grad program wants you to write about
• Your field of study and research interests
• How much experience you have in your field

As I mentioned in step 2, it’s extremely important to  read the personal statement instructions for your program. Many times these guidelines will tell you what to include in your essay, thereby clarifying what your overall angle needs to be.

Let’s look back at the example we used above for UC Berkeley’s doctoral program in history. If you were applying here and came from a low-income family, you could discuss how you’ve overcome these financial challenges in your life to get to where you are today.

No matter the prompt, you’ll need to discuss your research interests (to some degree) in your personal statement.  How much you talk about your interests, however, will depend on whether you have to submit a separate statement of purpose. If so, you can focus less on your research plans and more on your passions and motivations for applying.

On the other hand, if your personal statement is essentially a statement of purpose, dive deep into your research interests—that is,  be specific! For example, those applying to English lit programs should think about the works, eras, and writers they want to study, and why.

More broadly, though, try to answer the question of  what you hope to accomplish, either during or after the program. Is there any particular project you want to do? Skills you want to improve? Field you want to break into?

Finally, always choose a positive angle.  Use affirmative words and phrases to highlight both your successes and overall enthusiasm for the program.

Step 4: Ask Yourself, “Why This Program? Why This Field?”

Although the statement of purpose usually answers this question directly, you’ll likely need to address this in your personal statement as well—ideally, with a less academic and more conversational tone.

As you brainstorm, try to come up with answers to the following questions:

• What goals or experiences led you to apply to this program?
• How will this program help you grow on a personal level?
• What made you interested in this field? Why do you want to study it more?
• What are your research interests? How did you develop these interests?
• Are there any particular professors you wish to work with?

Step 5: Make an Outline

Now that you’ve brainstormed some ideas, it’s time to start outlining your essay.

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How you choose to outline your statement is up to you. Some people like drawing bubble charts for organizing their thoughts, whereas others (like myself) prefer to write a list of rough ideas in the general order they want to present them.

Even if you’re not sure whether you want to include something, just add it to your outline anyway. You can always cut it out later as you draft and edit.

Step 6: Draft Your Essay

It’s now time to start writing! Once you’ve got your outline ready, work on expanding what you’ve written into full-fledged paragraphs.

In the beginning, it’s OK to write down anything you feel is relevant, but as you continue to draft, try to look for any extraneous information you can chop.

Remember, most personal statements will be short— usually one to two double-spaced pages—so you don’t want to risk exceeding your program’s word limit. Schools want to see that you can tell a story concisely yet effectively.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a way to open your statement, try skipping around as you draft. Go ahead and jump to a paragraph you have more ideas for—it’s perfectly OK! Just make sure you start to tie all of your ideas together the closer you get to finishing your draft.

On a related note, be careful not to copy any material from your statement of purpose (if you’re required to submit two separate essays). These statements may share a little overlap but should still focus on different aspects of your (academic) life, accomplishments, and goals.

Step 7: Get Feedback

Once you finish drafting, give your essay to people you trust for feedback. This could be a parent, friend, sibling, or mentor (such as a former or current professor).

Ask your editors to give you  specific feedback  on what you can change, both stylistically and technically, to make it more impactful. Ideally, they’ll also note any unclear, awkward, or redundant ideas/phrases and will offer you helpful suggestions for improvement.

If you’ve written a separate statement of purpose, see whether your editors are willing to check that essay over as well so that you can ensure there isn’t too much overlap between the two.

Step 8: Revise & Edit Your Essay

Once you get feedback, revise and edit your personal statement using your editors’ comments as a guide.

For example, if your editors told you your essay lacked detail, look for places in your writing where you can be more specific and that are likely to have a strong impact on the admission committee.

As you revise, keep an eye out for any awkward sentences or extraneous information. Personal statements are usually pretty brief and you don’t want to accidentally exceed the word limit. So when in doubt, take it out!

Step 9: Proofread

The final step is to proofread your draft. Start by using your computer’s spell check function to quickly find any glaring typos and grammatical errors.

Then, proofread your essay one sentence at a time. Since it’s easy to miss errors in your own writing, I recommend editing your essay from back to front (i.e., from the last sentence to the first sentence). Doing this prevents you from glossing over words and lets you pinpoint punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors more easily.

In addition, check that you have page numbers on each page (if required—though I suggest adding them regardless) and a proper heading (again, if required) that meets the requirements of your program.

Before you submit it, see if you can get someone else (preferably one or all of your editors from step 7) to look over your final draft as well.  If anyone spots a problem with your essay, go back to step 8. If you get all thumbs ups, read over your statement one last time and then turn it in without looking back! (Seriously, don’t read it again or you’re going to want to change something.)

The Key to a Great Graduate School Personal Statement

The personal statement is an essential part of your grad school application. Like the statement of purpose, it highlights your research interests, experiences, and goals.

But more importantly, the personal statement showcases  your unbridled passion for your field, lets you reflect on challenges you’ve faced (and subsequently overcome), and answers the overarching question of why you want to attend grad school.

A great graduate school personal statement will normally include most or all of the following elements:

• A compelling story
• Inspirations for your research interests
• Your motivation for applying to grad school
• Strong writing skills
• Explanations for any changes or problems in your academic career

Above, we walked you through how to write a personal statement for grad school. To recap, here are the nine steps to follow:

• Start early—at least two or three months before your application is due
• Read your program’s instructions for the personal statement
• Figure out your angle by brainstorming ideas
• Ask yourself, “Why this program/field?”
• Make an outline using charts, a list, etc.
• Draft your essay
• Get specific feedback from multiple editors
• Revise and edit your essay
• Proofread (and get other people to proofread it, too!)

What’s Next?

Need to write a statement of purpose, too? Waste no time!  Our expert guide offers tons of tips to help you come up with a statement of purpose that’s certain to impress admission committees.

Do your schools require a CV or resume?  If you’re totally lost on where to begin, read our guides to learn how to put together a great CV or resume for grad school. And for extra help, check out our four original CV and resume templates !

What do you need to submit for your grad school application?  Get the scoop on what kinds of materials you’ll need to prepare when applying to grad school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

Student’s Essay Leads Her to Global Symposium in Switzerland

Batten graduating MPP student Khalila Karefa-Kargbo recently returned from the St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland where she was one of only 100 students from around the world qualifying through its Global Essay Competition to participate as a Leader of Tomorrow .

Now in its 53rd iteration, the symposium is held annually at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, outside Zurich, as a forum for international and intergenerational dialogue on economic, political and social issues. The theme for this year’s symposium focused on scarcity. The essay competition in which Karefa-Kargbo competed asked participants to address the question: “Striving for more or thriving with less – What pressing scarcity do you see, and how do you suggest to tackle it?”

In a bit of a departure from traditional topics, Karefa-Kargbo focused on what she sees as a rising scarcity of “recognizing the inherent humanity that binds us together.”

“I had a few ideas about more tangible topics, but around January as I was reading the news and talking to people, this idea came to me and I felt like I could put something really cool together by going more abstract,” said Karefa-Kargbo this week after her return from overseas.

As to the experience of spending the week attending panels and taking part in one-on-one discussions with global leaders and fellow “leaders of tomorrow,” Karefa-Kargbo said her greatest takeaway is that one person really can make a big difference.

“Many people I met really trusted themselves to do scary and hard things, like moving to a strange country for school or starting their own business, even when they were not sure if it would pay off. It was incredible meeting others who were struggling, like me, to envision the future, but were confident it would all work out. It was great getting to know others like me and realizing that I can be the author of my own life.”

Two of Karefa-Kargbo’s favorite speakers from the week included former Malian presidential candidate Niankoro Yéah Samaké and Lindiwe Mazibuko, public leader, writer, academic fellow and CEO of Futurelect .  She was also inspired by the symposium’s focus on intergenerational leadership and the valuable wisdom she gained through collectively looking at how the world currently looks and the vision of how it could look.

"I was struck by the fact that the total number of elected officials and parliamentarians in the whole world is only about 46,000. Of this number less than 30% are women and less than 3 percent are under 30. This showcases how our elected leaders don’t truly represent the world order, but also the capacity for change and the potential for representation to make a change."

After final exercises, Karefa-Kargbo is headed to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to spend time with family before returning to McLean, Virginia, to work for Capital One. For the long-term, she intends to stay connected with Leaders of Tomorrow.

Karefa-Kargbo’s essay can be viewed here .

Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events

Opinion: Restoring Confederate names on schools is a lesson in why symbols matter

E ditor’s Note: Nicole Hemmer is an associate professor of history and director of the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the Study of the Presidency at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of  “Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s”  and co-hosts the podcasts “ Past Present ” and “ This Day in Esoteric Political History .” The views expressed in this commentary are her own. View  more opinion  on CNN.

In 2020, Virginia’s Shenandoah County School Board joined hundreds of other institutions across the country when it renamed two schools to shed their association with Confederate leaders and enslavers. Stonewall Jackson High School became Mountain View, and Ashby Lee Elementary School (named after Confederate generals Turner Ashby and Robert E. Lee) became Honey Run.

Late last week, the school district became the first in the nation to  reverse  such name changes.

School board members voting for the change said they did so because the initial name changewas part of a “knee-jerk reaction” to the 2020 protests.  One board member said  the members who voted to drop the Confederate names had “exploited the tragedy of Covid” in order to push through the decision without full public input.

The rollback of the reckoning with America’s racist past and present has proceeded with alarming speed in recent years. Corporations  have slashed  their funding for diversity and inclusion initiatives, and Republican state governments  have forced universities  to downsize or eliminate their diversity and inclusion offices. Books by Black authors  have been banned  in dozens of schools, and teachers in some districts  have been barred  from mentioning structural racism.

In light of these policies, this re-renaming of two schools may not seem like much. But in restoring the Confederate names, the school board has signaled that the politics of  redemption  have fully returned, and that no part of the reckoning of the last decade will go unchallenged.

Honoring Jackson and Lee is an act of Confederate nostalgia wherever it happens. In Virginia, though, the political valence of the act is especially sharp. Stonewall Jackson High School  opened in 1959  as a White-only school, in defiance of the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling five years earlier that segregated schools were unconstitutional. In the wake of Brown, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this week, school boards throughout Virginia regularly opted  to close schools altogether rather than open them to Black students. Slapping Jackson’s name on the White-only school sent a clear message about who the school was for, even after the first Black students  enrolled several years later .

Twenty-five years later, when the federal government  established Martin Luther King, Jr. Day , White Virginians again turned to Jackson — and to Lee. Instead of honoring King with a stand-alone holiday (the state  had commemorated  King on New Year’s Day since 1978), the state assembly bundled him with Lee and Jackson, who had been given a joint state holiday since 1904. Thus Lee-Jackson-King Day, the most incongruous holiday in the United States, was born.

The irony of grouping a Black civil rights leader with two Confederate enslavers became too heavy to bear by 2000, when the state separated the holidays. In 2020, after several municipalities  stopped marking the holiday , the state assembly  dropped  Lee-Jackson Day altogether.

The memory of Lee and Jackson likewise played a significant role in recent efforts to promote (and to violently resist) racial reconciliation in Virginia. Statues of both men stood in the middle of two city parks in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia since the 1920s, when White townspeople, backed by the Ku Klux Klan, erected the monuments as  part of a terror campaign  against the city’s Black citizens.

The year before Shenandoah County opened Stonewall Jackson High School in 1959, Virginia’s governor ordered two Charlottesville schools to close  rather than desegregate . They reopened under court order in February 1959, though  nearly a third  of the schools’ White students left for segregated private schools.

Nearly a century after the Confederate statues went up in Charlottesville, in response to  a petition  drawn up by then-15-year-old Zyahna Bryant, the Charlottesville City Council voted in February 2017 to remove the statues of Lee and Jackson and rename the parks. Robert E. Lee Park became Emancipation Park; Stonewall Jackson Park became Justice Park.

What happened next was an orgy of racism and violence that stunned most Americans. Neo-Nazis, neo-Confederates and Klan members marched on the city several times in the ensuing months, culminating in the racist rally that began with a torchlight attack on antiracist activists at the University of Virginia and ended with a car attack that murdered Heather Heyer and injured a score of other antiracist protesters. That violence, combined with a series of lawsuits, kept the statues in place until 2021, when the Supreme Court ruled that a state law prohibiting the removal of war memorials did not apply to the Charlottesville statues. Late last year, the Lee statue  was taken to a foundry and melted down .

The battle over the name of the parks and the fate of the statues in Charlottesville were deeply intwined with policy debates over fair housing, equal access to education and income inequality. What could be dismissed as symbolic politics was actually deeply rooted in a broader policy vision. That’s because these markers on the landscape reflect the vision for the people and the polity that a community wants to pursue.

That was true in 1924, when the statues were erected in a display of White power; true in 2017 when the parks were renamed for emancipation and justice; true in 2018 when a cowed City Council  renamed the parks again , this time to be as anodyne as possible (the parks are now called Market Street and Court Square).

A few years later in Richmond, Virginia, the city’s Robert E. Lee statue became  a site of protest and reclamation . Following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protesters gathered at the Lee statue and transformed it into a symbol of resistance, tagging it with slogans calling for equal rights, justice and accountability for the police.

At night, they projected images of Floyd and leaders of the Black freedom struggle onto the monument. Finally, the statue came down,  relocated  to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.

We minimize all this change at our peril. Names matter, because they signal who we honor and how we imagine our communities. They tell us something about the people who hold power at the local level and how they plan to use it.

The Shenandoah County School Board knows this; it’s why they have reclaimed the names of Jackson and Lee. They have chosen to christen the schools to the Confederacy, to revive the celebration of enslavement and insurrection and White supremacy that have always been central to any act that honors the Confederate generals. In doing so, they have provided a stark reminder that the process of racist redemption is well under way in the United States, and steadily gaining in power and confidence.

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

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A Virginia county board votes to restore Confederates' names to schools

Bill Chappell

Mountain View High School will soon be known by its former name: Stonewall Jackson High School. The Shenandoah County School Board voted 5-1 to once again honor the Confederate general, whose name was originally attached to the school during the battle over racial segregation. Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

Mountain View High School will soon be known by its former name: Stonewall Jackson High School. The Shenandoah County School Board voted 5-1 to once again honor the Confederate general, whose name was originally attached to the school during the battle over racial segregation.

The Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia will restore the names of Confederate generals Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby to two local schools. The controversial reversal comes nearly four years after the names were changed.

Mountain View High School will revert to its former name, Stonewall Jackson High School, and Honey Run Elementary School will go back to being Ashby-Lee Elementary School.

The board approved the change by a 5-1 vote, with supporters saying the Confederate figures' names had been taken off the schools in 2020 in a "knee-jerk" reaction amid protests of George Floyd's murder by police. But opponents — including some current students — warned the board that the Confederate names would brand the schools and their county as a haven for backward, racist thinking.

Debate over changing the name began last month. As member station WMRA reports, it was the second attempt to restore the names, after a failed try in 2022.

At the contentious and lengthy meeting saw, advocates from both sides drew raucous cheers and ovations from their supporters. The public session started around 7 p.m. ET Thursday and stretched into the early hours of Friday.

Here's what the students said

A handful of students attended the meeting, including several who said the current names represent inclusion and progress and should be kept.

"School board minutes from 1959 reveal that the decision to name our school after Stonewall Jackson was a product of massive resistance," said student Pria Dua, referring to an era when Virginia's leaders were aggressively fighting attempts to racially integrate the state's schools.

Like some of the other students who spoke, Dua attends classes at Mountain View High School as part of her curriculum at the Massanutten Regional Governor's School (a program that draws students from several school systems).

"I acknowledge that the community has been left divided and unhappy over the initial name change," Dua said. But, she asked the board, "By taking this step backward in 2024, what foot are we putting forward? What legacy are you leaving behind for my generation to inherit?"

Another student, Eden Shelhamer, criticized the board for investing time and energy into what she called a "clearly divisive argument" at the expense of important issues, while also seeming to refuse to consider students' opinions.

Live Updates: Protests For Racial Justice

Virginia governor calls for renaming schools that honor confederate leaders.

"The fact that this discussion is receiving a disproportionately vast amount of attention from the county deeply disappoints me," she said, "and leads me to wonder whether we are operating in the interests of our students or the preservation of our parents' pride."

Aliyah Ogle, a Black eighth grader and athlete who plays three sports for Mountain View High School, spoke about the possibility of having to compete under Stonewall Jackson's name.

"I would have to represent a man that fought for my ancestors to be slaves," she said, adding that she would feel as if she's being disrespectful both to her ancestors and her family's values.

"It is your job to make our schools a place where all students are valued and respected," Ogle said. She later added, "If this board decides to restore the names, I would not feel like I was valued and respected and you would not be doing your job."

Dropping the name of a Confederate leader, Fort Bragg is becoming Fort Liberty

Other students spoke in favor of changing the schools' names.

"My last name goes back six generations of conservative farmers in this county," senior Trey Heishman said, adding that his family — and he himself — have paid their taxes.

Heishman said he is poised to graduate from Mountain View — but, he added, "I'm hoping that my fellow friends who are juniors at the school can see that the name has been changed and that they can graduate under SJHS."

Carter Heishman, an eighth grader who is an athlete and a member of Future Farmers of America, also asked the board to restore the Stonewall Jackson name.

"I would like to wear a name that I'm proud of," he said. "Not only do I want to have my FFA jacket say Stonewall as I enter high school, but I would also love to have my jerseys — which I wear all year round — say Stonewall."

Invoking a long and complicated history

Residents speaking in favor of reverting to the Confederate names included Stuart Didawick, who noted that his family's roots run deep in the community, where his ancestors received land grants in the decades before the American Revolution.

"When you vote on the name restorations, will you listen to the opinions of woke outsiders who have for the most part no ties to the land, the history, or the culture of this county?" Didawick asked the board members. "Or will you listen to the voices of the people who elected you to represent them, the people whose families built and have sustained this county for generations?"

Judge allows the removal of a Confederate memorial at Arlington Cemetery

"We are the majority," Didawick said, "that's the way government works."

He added, "This board has a moral and ethical obligation to the citizens you represent to undo the dirtiest, most underhanded political stunt in the history of Shenandoah County politics."

But another citizen who spoke up was Stephanie Bullock Smith, a Black woman who graduated from Stonewall Jackson High School in 1983. It's time to move on, she told the board.

"Please do not go back in history," she said. "We don't need that. Our children don't need that either."

50 Years Of NPR

Confederate names on schools are flashpoints. here's one community's story, the board speaks.

Several board members who supported reverting the names back to their Confederate eponyms said that in the debate over the legacy of slavery and racism, critics have seemingly ignored school buildings that still bear the names of historic figures who owned enslaved people — including the namesake of Peter Muhlenberg Middle School, where Thursday's meeting convened.

"So I think all of this was politically driven," board member Michael Rickard said.

Confederate monument melted down to create new, more inclusive public art

Board members said they've received hundreds of emails from constituents about the names. Rickard held up a stack of what he said were around 260 emails.

"I had 118 of you vote to keep the names the way they are," he said. "But I had 144 of you ask to restore the names."

Kyle Gutshall, the board's vice chairman who also attends James Madison University, was the only member to vote against restoring the Confederate names.

America Reckons With Racial Injustice

Virginia military institute removes statue of confederate gen. 'stonewall' jackson.

The naming question, he said, is "clearly a very difficult and divisive matter that we've been on now for 2 to 4 years."

"Things like this really come down to perspective and, and how you view things," he said.

"Two years ago when I voted to change the name back, the outcome and the feedback that I received was quite different," Gutshall said. But, he added, as time has gone on, it seems some of his constituents no longer care as strongly about the issue.

"Ultimately, for me, it's a very tough decision," he said, describing efforts to get public feedback. While he has his own beliefs on the matter, Gutshall said that his district "has been overwhelmingly in support of retaining the names the way they are."

My daughter prefers going by a short nickname than her long name. I wish I had just named her that.

• My 5-year-old daughter is named Elizabeth and goes by Ella.
• She still gets confused about how the names are related.
• I try to use her longer name, but she prefers the nickname.

My second daughter arrived in the world in a rush. I waddled into the hospital at exactly 3 a.m., and she was in my arms at 3:17, caught by a midwife who was still wearing her street clothes. I scooped the baby up, admiring her red hair and perfect features. There was only one problem, I thought: she still didn't have a name.

I found out we were having another girl early on in the pregnancy , and my husband and I started tossing around monikers. Our first daughter is Harriet, a name we agreed on almost instantly. I loved its old-time appeal and the fact that I'd never met a Harriet before her. My husband, an English immigrant, liked that the name was sweet and familiar, having been used by many of his classmates.

Nearly five years later, he was wiser about American culture, and we were at an impasse. I liked more unique names while he preferred something well-known. For months, we went back and forth over a name for our second, consistently coming up short.

I settled on her name but kept nickname options open

By the time my due date came and went, I realized we might need to — dare I say it — settle. So, we put together a shortlist. Rose was in the running, and so was Elizabeth. As I looked at my little redhead , Rose was crossed off the list — while the colorful connotation might have been fun for some families, it seemed too much for me.

So, Elizabeth it was. My husband has a distant family member with the name who goes by Elle. That pairing seemed like a good fit for us: a well-known name to please my husband, but a less common spin on Elizabeth's many nicknames . Elle felt a bit metropolitan for an infant, so we started calling the baby Ella.

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As I wrote Elizabeth on the birth certificate , I was satisfied, but part of me wondered if I was just kicking the proverbial can, choosing a name that has infinite nicknames to avoid actually settling on one.

In school, she started requesting to go by her nickname

Ella settled into our family perfectly, but her name occasionally nagged at me. I wanted to use Elizabeth, and not just when she was in trouble, but the name felt awkward on my tongue. Other family members weren't too bothered. My husband rarely used the baby's formal name and my sister confessed that she sometimes forgot about Ella's longer given name.

When it came time for school, the teacher (Ms. Elizabeth, who went by Liz), emailed me. What name did I want my daughter to go by? I decided school would be a perfect place to practice using Ella's formal name. But three weeks in, my daughter asked with frustration why her teachers didn't call her Ella.

At her request, teachers made the switch but continued to use the longer name for written communication and name-writing practice. But before long, "E-L-L-A" was scrawled across all the papers. I couldn't blame her — what preschooler would want to spell out Elizabeth when Ella would cut it?

Explaining a nickname is complicated

During that school year, I started to wonder if I had made Ella's life more difficult by giving her a formal name and a nickname. Part of me wishes I had just gone with Ella, and saved us the confusion of the little-used formal name.

Ella is nearly 6, and she still doesn't quite understand how her names fit together. Her sister and cousin have a first name and middle name, but she has this strange formal name thrown in there too. In trying to explain a nickname to Ella, I've realized just how complicated the concept is. I have yet to find a good way to explain it, though I point out other loved ones with formal names, like my dad William, who exclusively goes by Bill.

Growing up, I always wanted a nickname. I thought it was so sophisticated the way some classmates had a formal name and then something else that they were called. On the flip side, I have an aunt who legally changed her name to her nickname as an adult, because she never connected with the formal moniker. Only time will tell where Ella will land.

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In reversal, Virginia school board votes to restore Confederate names to 2 schools

FLE - A statue of confederate general Stonewall Jackson is removed on July 1, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Shenandoah County, Virginia’s school board voted 5-1 early Friday, May 10, 2024, to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School and Honey Run Elementary as Ashby Lee Elementary four years after the names had been removed. AP Photo/Steve Helber)

FLE - A worker attaches a rope as they prepare to remove the statue of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson from its pedestal on July 1, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Shenandoah County, Virginia’s school board voted 5-1 early Friday, May 10, 2024, to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School and Honey Run Elementary as Ashby Lee Elementary four years after the names had been removed. AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

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A Virginia school board voted Friday to restore the names of Confederate military leaders to a high school and an elementary school, four years after the names were removed amid nationwide protests calling for a reckoning over racial injustice.

In a reversal experts believe was the first of its kind, Shenandoah County’s school board voted 5-1 to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School and Honey Run Elementary as Ashby Lee Elementary.

Friday’s vote reversed a decision by the school board in 2020 when school systems across Virginia and the South were removing Confederate names from schools and other public locations in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, which maintains a database of more than 2,000 Confederate memorials nationwide, is not aware of another case of a school system restoring a Confederate name that was removed, said senior research analyst Rivka Maizlish.

Overall, the trend toward removal of Confederate names and memorials has continued, even if it has slowed somewhat since 2020, she said, noting that the Army renamed nine installations named for Confederate leaders, and removed a Confederate memorial from Arlington National Cemetery.

In Virginia, local governments had been banned from removing Confederate memorials and statues until the law was changed in 2020, though the statute did not apply to school names.

On Friday, school board members who voted to restore the Confederate names said the previous board ignored popular sentiment and due process when the names were stripped.

Elections in 2023 significantly changed the school board’s makeup, with one board member writing in an op-ed for the Northern Virginia Daily that the results gave Shenandoah County “the first 100% conservative board since anyone can remember.”

That board member, Gloria Carlineo, said during the six-hour meeting that began Thursday night that opponents of the Confederate names should “stop bringing racism and prejudice into everything” because it “detracts from true cases of racism.”

The lone board member to vote against restoring the Confederate names, Kyle Gutshall, said he respected both sides of the debate but believed a majority of residents in his district wanted to leave the Mountain View and Honey Run names in place.

“I don’t judge anybody or look down on anybody for the decision they’re making,” he said. “It’s a complex issue.”

During several hours of public comment, county residents spoke up on both sides of the issue.

Beth Ogle, a longtime resident with children in the school system, said restoring the Confederate names is “a statement to the world that you do not value the dignity and respect of your minority students, faculty and staff.”

Kenny Wakeman, a lifelong county resident, said the Stonewall Jackson name “stood proudly for 60 years until 2020,” when he said the “actions of a rogue police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” prompted a move to change the name, a reference to the killing of Floyd that propelled nationwide protests and debate over racial injustice.

Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson was a Confederate general from Virginia who gained fame at the First Battle of Bull Run near Manassas in 1861 and died in 1863 after he was shot and had his arm amputated. Jackson’s name was also removed from another high school in Virginia’s Prince William County in 2020 that is now known as Unity Reed High School.

Ashby Lee is named for both Gen. Robert E. Lee, a Virginia native who commanded Confederate forces, and for Turner Ashby, a Confederate cavalry officer who was killed in battle in 1862 near Harrisonburg, Virginia. A high school near Harrisonburg is also named for Ashby.

The resolution approved by the school board states that private donations would be used to pay for the name changes.

Shenandoah County, a largely rural jurisdiction with a population of about 45,000, roughly 100 miles west of the nation’s capital, has long been politically conservative. In 2020, Republican Donald Trump won 70% of the presidential vote in Shenandoah, even as Biden won Virginia by 10 points.

In Virginia, local governments were banned from removing Confederate memorials and statues until the 2020 law lifted those restrictions. Statues of Confederate leaders, including Lee, Jackson and Confederate President Jefferson Davis were removed from Richmond’s famed Monument Avenue in 2020 and 2021 following protests and vandalizing of the statues.

Maizlish, from the Southern Poverty Law Center, said it’s unusual, though not unprecedented, that conservative jurisdictions like Shenandoah removed Confederate names in the first place.

She said that while there’s no evidence other jurisdictions have restored Confederate names or monuments, she is “always concerned about people who work to continue to promote Lost Cause propaganda.”

Barakat reported from Falls Church, Virginia.

Virginia school board votes to restore names of Confederate leaders to schools

The school board in Shenandoah County, Virginia, early Friday approved a proposal that will restore the names of Confederate military leaders to two public schools.

The measure, which passed 5-1, reverses a previous board’s decision in 2020 to change the names of schools that had been linked to Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby, three men who led the pro-slavery Southern states during the Civil War. 

Mountain View High School will go back to the name Stonewall Jackson High School. Honey Run Elementary School will go back to the name Ashby-Lee Elementary School.

The board stripped their names after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, fueling a national racial reckoning . The calls for racial justice and equity inspired some communities to remove Confederate symbolism and statues of Confederate generals.

But in Shenandoah County, the conservative group Coalition for Better Schools petitioned school officials to reinstate the names of Jackson, Lee and Ashby. “We believe that revisiting this decision is essential to honor our community’s heritage and respect the wishes of the majority,” the coalition wrote in an April 3 letter to the board, according to a copy posted online.

The board considered a similar motion in 2022, but it failed because of a tie vote.

Four years ago, a previous incarnation of the board moved to change the names in a 5-1 vote, according to minutes from a meeting held July 9, 2020 . The minutes say that the goal of the resolution was "condemning racism and affirming the division’s commitment to an inclusive school environment for all."

The current members said the 2020 board's decision was made hastily and without appropriate community input. About 80 people spoke Thursday before the board's vote — more than 50 of them against restoring the old names.

"I am a Black student, and if the names are restored, I would have to represent a man that fought for my ancestors to be slaves," one student said in a direct appeal to the board members, later adding: "I think it is unfair to me that restoring the names is up for discussion."

In the last decade, Confederate iconography has provoked intense sociopolitical divides across the nation.

The anti-Black mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in June 2015 set off fierce debates about public displays of the Confederate flag and commemorations of the Confederacy. South Carolina officials voted to remove the Confederate flag from state Capitol grounds that year.

Two years later, hundreds of neo-Nazis and white nationalists descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, for the deadly “Unite the Right” rally . They stormed the college town in part to protest the planned removal of a statue of Lee from the city’s Market Street Park, formerly known as Lee Park.

In the wake of Floyd’s murder and massive protests against racism, the legacy of the Confederacy once again became a focal point in the national conversation. At least 160 public Confederate symbols were taken down or moved from public places in 2020, according to a tally from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“These racist symbols only serve to uphold revisionist history and the belief that white supremacy remains morally acceptable,” SPLC chief of staff Lecia Brooks said in a statement at the time. “This is why we believe that all symbols of white supremacy should be removed from public spaces.”

The vote in Shenandoah County comes as conservative groups across the U.S. increasingly push back against efforts to reckon with race in America in educational settings, including efforts to limit classroom discussion of racial identity, ban library books dealing with racial themes, and derail diversity plans .

Daniel Arkin is a national reporter at NBC News.