Why You Shouldn’t Read Sample College Essays

It’s the first thing everyone does when they sit down to write their college admissions essay. They search for “college essay examples” or “best common app essays Ivy League,” and then they read the responses that supposedly got candidates into Harvard, Princeton, and other top schools.

If you want to write a good college essay, nothing could be more damaging. Here are the three main reasons we recommend you avoid reading sample college essays and focus on your own experience instead.

Reading sample college essays is stressful.

You’re already stressed by the idea of writing a 650-word essay that will play a major role in determining where you go to college. Do you really want to go through all the other ideas, storytelling techniques, and turns of phrase other people have come up with? All this will do is add to your stress by making you feel intimidated, without helping you get started on the process yourself.

Here’s the thing: you have no reason to feel intimidated by the essays other people have written. These essays are rarely as great as people make them out to be. And that brings us to the next reason you should stay away from sample college essays…

“Essays That Worked” often didn’t work at all.

Before you find yourself googling “MIT essays that worked,” or “best common app essay examples,” pause. When someone tells you they got into Harvard because of their essay, be suspicious. Great college essays are really important. But was this really the reason they got in? Or is it possible their 4.0 GPA, 1580 SAT, and extensive list of achievements and extracurricular activities played a part in the decision?

We’ve noticed that the highest achieving students often face their own challenges when writing effective college essays. These students are hardworking and successful, but the college essay asks you to be thoughtful and humble about your experience – something these students can have trouble with.

If you try to copy their not-so-great essay, you might be stabbing yourself in the foot before you even begin. Which brings us to the most important reason you shouldn’t read sample essays…

Reading sample essays prevents you from finding your own voice.

The whole point of the college essay is to reflect on your experience and uncover your most authentic story. Go and look at the Common App prompts. You’ll see they’re refreshingly honest attempts to find out more about you.

If you spend time reading sample essays, you’ll be tempted to emulate things other people have said (and college admissions officers have read) thousands of times before. You’ll reduce your experience to a cliché – and college admissions officers will read your essay and groan.

But if you avoid the sample essays and instead do some serious self-exploration, you’ll eventually hit on an idea that’s so unique to you that it will make a real impact.

Of course, writing a college essay isn’t easy. It’s slow, challenging work, and it requires patience, thoughtfulness, and maturity.

Don’t ruin your chances by comparing yourself to others before you even begin. Instead, if you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed, consider reaching out to work with one of our college essay tutors.