Common App Essay Sample

Avoid a rehash of the accomplishments on your high school résumé and choose something that the admissions committee will not discover when reading the rest of your application.

Admissions officers want to feel connected to you and an honest, personal statement about who you are draws them in.

Your love of superheroes, baking chops, or family history are all fair game if you can tie it back to who you are or what you believe in.

Describe the event or accomplishment that shaped you but take care to also show what you learned or how you changed.

Colleges are looking for a sense of maturity and introspection—pinpoint the transformation and demonstrate your personal growth.

you actually think.\r\n\r\n Below you’ll find selected examples of essays that “worked,” as nominated by our admissions committee.

In each of these essays, students were able to share stories from their everyday lives to reveal something about their character, values, and life that aligned with the culture and values at Hopkins.","_modules_admissions_0_content_0_body":"field_590787fdbf314","modules_admissions_0_content":["body"],"_modules_admissions_0_content":"field_58da6dc5ec530","modules_admissions_0_button_type":"none","_modules_admissions_0_button_type":"field_58e79c0c1e382","modules_admissions_0_image":"2238","_modules_admissions_0_image":"field_58da6df4ec533","modules_admissions_0_image_position":"left","_modules_admissions_0_image_position":"field_58da6e06ec534","modules_admissions_0_image_glow_color":"none","_modules_admissions_0_image_glow_color":"field_58da6e17ec535","modules_admissions_0_vector":"overlapping-circles","_modules_admissions_0_vector":"field_58eba78a55869","modules_admissions_0_submodules":"","_modules_admissions_0_submodules":"field_58f5331e65bcd","modules_admissions_0_button_label":"Get essay writing tips from the Hopkins Insider","_modules_admissions_0_button_label":"field_58da6ddfec531","modules_admissions_0_button_link":"https://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/blog/2015/09/advice-on-writing-your-application-essay/","_modules_admissions_0_button_link":"field_58da6deaec532","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"essays that worked","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"essays that worked","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Essays That Worked | Undergraduate Admissions | Johns Hopkins","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Read selected examples of essays that worked, as nominated by our admissions committee.

The admissions committee doesn't need to be convinced they are influential people.

Focus on yourself: Choose someone who has actually caused you to change your behavior or your worldview, and write about how this person influenced you Be honest and specific when you respond to this question.

Don’t forget to explain why the problem is important to you!

Just like Prompt #2, the accomplishment or event you write about can be anything from a major milestone to a smaller "aha" moment.