U.S. News has compiled several college essay examples that helped students get into school. Shared by admissions staff or referenced from admissions websites, these essays stand out, they say ...

For example ... hundreds of essays about a short but rewarding experience. The sheer number of works written about these experiences made them a cliché in the college admissions community.

In 2021, before Barbie mania existed, I chose that controversial six-word phrase to open the most important essay of my life: the one for my college application. In the fall of my senior year ...