short essay on poverty 250 words

The Ultimate Guide to Writing College Supplemental Essays

What are supplemental essays? Our top tips for writing supplemental essays that move the needle on your admissions decisions.

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Supplemental essays are a key component of any good college admissions strategy. These small but powerful essays are a great way to differentiate yourself, particularly at competitive schools. This blog dives into what they are, how they differ from your personal essay, and how to write them well.

What is a supplemental essay?

A supplemental essay is an additional essay that colleges ask applicants to write alongside their personal statement. These essays usually respond to specific prompts that reflect a school's values, interests, or expectations. Colleges use supplemental essays to gather more personalized information about an applicant beyond grades and test scores, allowing students to showcase how they align with the institution’s academic programs, culture, and community.

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What is the difference between a personal essay and a supplemental essay?

A personal essay and a supplemental essay have different purposes in the college admissions process and each have a unique focus. The personal essay is not tied to any specific school and the topics are often decided by the Common Application or its alternative, the Coalition application.  Supplemental essays, on the other hand, are school-specific, often asking applicants to answer targeted questions or prompts related to that particular institution.

The primary purpose of the personal essay is to allow the applicant to share something significant about themselves, their experiences, and their personal or intellectual journey. It is more general and focuses on who you are as a person. Typically, this essay provides an opportunity to communicate your character, values, and how past experiences have shaped you. It can touch on personal growth, challenges, aspirations, and passions.

Conversely, supplemental essays help admissions officers understand why you want to attend that school, how your academic and personal goals align with what the institution offers, and how you will contribute to their campus community​​. For example, many schools ask "Why this college?", where you are expected to demonstrate knowledge about the school and how it fits into your academic goals​​. Supplemental essays can also explore your academic interests, potential majors, or specific aspects of your identity​.

What should I write my supplemental essay about?

Your supplemental essay should effectively address the prompt provided by the school and tie into the overall ethos, or theme, of your application. You should use the supplemental essay strategically and tailor your response to each school and program. It should reflect your genuine interest in the college, and highlight how you fit with their programs, culture, and values.

How long does it take to finish a supplemental essay?

How long it takes to finish a supplemental essay varies widely. How confident you are in what you are writing, how easy it is for you to write, and how long you want to give yourself to proofread and make edits all determine how long it takes to write a supplemental essay. That being said, supplemental essays are generally short (250 words or less) and a first draft can typically be written in 20-30 minutes. It is the refining process that makes the process longer, as well as the total number of supplemental essays you need to write.

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What Are the Different Types of Supplemental Essays?

There are many different topics - and even formats - of supplemental essays: far too many to list them all! Below we cover a few of the most common and what colleges are looking to see in each.

1. "Why Us?" Essays

• Purpose : Schools like Cornell and Penn use these essays to assess applicants’ knowledge of the institution’s unique resources and culture. This prompts students to demonstrate genuine interest in the school’s specific programs and values.
• What Colleges Seek : Admissions readers look for evidence that the applicant has researched their institution and can articulate a specific fit, including majors, faculty, clubs, and research opportunities. Authenticity, specificity, and alignment with the institution's ethos are key​​.

2. Intellectual Curiosity or Academic Passion Essays

• Purpose : Universities often request essays that reveal a student’s passion for a subject area, like public health, environmental science, or data science.
• What Colleges Seek : Schools like UChicago encourage unique, thought-provoking approaches, pushing students to demonstrate an inquisitive, critical-thinking mindset. Admissions officers assess how the student's curiosity translates into research, community projects, or in-depth self-study, seeing it as a precursor to academic contributions on campus​​​.

3. Community Impact or Service Essays

• Purpose : Prompts related to community service and impact ask students to detail their contributions to their local or school communities, illustrating their awareness and proactive involvement in societal issues.
• What Colleges Seek : Colleges value stories that highlight students’ proactive problem-solving, empathy, and long-term commitment. This demonstrates a capacity for leadership and a civic-minded approach to challenges that will benefit the campus community​​.

4. Identity and Perspective Essays

• Purpose : Many top schools ask about applicants' personal backgrounds, often phrased as questions about their identities or unique viewpoints.
• What Colleges Seek : Admissions committees evaluate how students’ identities inform their values and perspectives. For example, writing on “identity” at a reach school like Penn might require an introspective, nuanced answer that showcases critical thought rather than a straightforward description of heritage​.

5. Video Supplements

• Purpose : Video essays or supplements are a newer trend where students are asked to answer a prompt via a short, recorded video. These formats offer admissions committees a chance to observe a student’s personality, passion, and communication skills directly. Brown University has become particularly known for its requirement of a video supplement.
• What Colleges Seek : Schools use video supplements to assess applicants’ engagement and authenticity, giving them insight into their character and enthusiasm in a way that written essays can’t always capture. The videos also allow students to add a new dimension to their application narrative, such as creative flair or humor, as well as real-time responses to potentially unrehearsed questions​.

Do colleges really look at supplemental essays?

Colleges definitely look at supplemental essays. Since the personal essay is a multipurpose essay often used for all or most of the schools to which a student is applying, the supplemental essay(s) gives admissions officers the chance to really understand why a student is interested in a specific program or school. They are particularly important as a differentiator for highly selective schools and programs, since many applicants will have strong grades and test scores. The supplemental essay is where you can emphasize unique experiences, perspectives, and academic interests that align with the college’s programs​.

Supplemental Essays in 2024

When will the supplemental essay prompts for 2024-2025 be released.

The 2024-2025 supplemental essay prompts were released over the summer of 2024 and can be found in the Common Application portal under the “Writing Supplement” Section (sometimes called “Other” or “Additional Essay”) for each school to which you are applying.

When Do Schools Release Supplemental Essays?

Supplemental Essay prompts are officially released on Aug 1 each year for the Common Application. Individual schools may choose to release their supplemental essays slightly earlier in July or later in August. Schools change their supplemental essays frequently so make sure you are using the correct prompts for your admissions cycle before beginning.

Colleges Without Supplemental Essays

Not all colleges choose to use supplemental essays ( here’s a nice list) . In some cases the supplemental essays are optional. If your school does not require supplemental essays but offers them, it is definitely advantageous to complete them.

How To Write A Supplemental Essay: 7 Tips For A Good Essay

To write a strong supplemental essay, our Director of College Admissions, John Morgenelli, Jr., shares his top tips based on the BluePrint Method he developed and his insights from years in the college admissions space.

• Understand the Ethos of the Essay. The ethos is the core message or character of your essay. It should align with the prompt and strategically reflect your application narrative​​. Before writing, ask yourself: What message am I trying to convey through this essay? Your ethos should make clear your values, interests, and the role you would play at the university. Each supplemental essay should contribute to your overall narrative, complementing other parts of your application.
• Tailor Your Response to Each School. Each college has its own unique culture and expectations, so it’s crucial to tailor your responses accordingly​​. Schools often ask for essays about why you want to attend or how you would contribute to their community. Research the specific programs, faculty, and opportunities that align with your goals, and reflect those details in your essay. Show that you’ve done your homework and understand how you fit into the school’s environment.
• Be Specific and Personal. Avoid vague or overly general answers. Use concrete examples from your experiences to illustrate your points​. If you’re discussing a future academic interest, describe specific engagements or research projects you've been involved with that align with the program you’re applying to​. Personalizing your response by connecting it to your own narrative makes your essay more authentic and engaging​.
• Be Creative and Thought-Provoking. Especially for reach schools, it’s important to stand out with creativity and originality​. When choosing prompts or topics, consider those that allow you to showcase your unique perspective. Approach the essay in an unexpected way—avoid clichés and predictable answers. Think of creative ways to address the prompt, like challenging an assumption or posing an intriguing question​.
• Use an Intellectual and Strategic Tone. Admissions committees are looking for critical thinkers. Even in personal essays, demonstrate depth of thought by explaining why your experiences or interests matter in the broader context of your future goals​​. Don’t just state facts—reflect on them and discuss how they have shaped your intellectual journey and potential contributions to the college.
• Create a Coherent Narrative Across Essays. Each supplemental essay should serve a purpose within your overall application, contributing to a cohesive narrative​. If one essay focuses on your academic interests, another might highlight your leadership or community involvement. Together, they should paint a full picture of who you are and what you will bring to the school.
• Be Honest, but Strategic. While authenticity is important, your essays should also be strategic​. Focus on the aspects of your personality and experience that best align with the program and the ethos of the school. If you’re not sure which qualities to highlight, consider what the school values most (e.g., intellectual curiosity, leadership, collaboration) and emphasize those traits in your essays.

By following these strategies, you can craft supplemental essays that not only stand out but also complement your overall application narrative, making you a more compelling candidate.

If you’re concerned about the strength of your supplemental essays, or have yet to craft an overall application strategy, consider working with Ivy Tutors Network. We offer college essay coaching , college admissions coaching , and our trademarked BluePrint plan to help you achieve your college admissions goals.

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How to Write a 250 Word Essay & How Many Pages Is It? + Examples

Learning how to write a 250 word essay is an essential skill for students and professionals alike. Whether you’re tackling a short assignment, crafting a concise cover letter, or aiming to make a quick but impactful point, mastering the art of writing a 250 word essay can be incredibly valuable.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of how to write a 250 word essay effectively, discuss its typical length in pages, and provide practical examples to help you hone your skills.

What You'll Learn

Understanding the 250 Word Essay Format

When learning how to write a 250 word essay, it’s crucial to understand its format and structure. A 250 word essay is a brief piece of writing that typically consists of three main parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Despite its brevity, this essay format requires careful planning and concise expression to convey your message effectively.

The introduction of a 250 word essay should be about 2-3 sentences long, presenting your topic and main idea. The body, which forms the bulk of your essay, usually comprises 2-3 short paragraphs, each focusing on a specific point that supports your main argument. Finally, the conclusion, like the introduction, should be 2-3 sentences that summarize your key points and reinforce your main idea.

Learning how to write a 250 word essay effectively means mastering the art of being concise while still providing meaningful content. Every word counts in this format, so it’s essential to choose your words carefully and avoid unnecessary fluff or repetition.

How Many Pages Is a 250 Word Essay?

One common question when learning how to write a 250 word essay is, “How many pages will it be?” The answer depends on several factors, including font size, line spacing, and margins. However, as a general rule of thumb:

• With single spacing, a 250 word essay typically takes up about half a page.
• With double spacing, which is more common in academic settings, a 250 word essay usually fills about one full page.

Steps to Write a 250 Word Essay

Now that we understand the basics, let’s dive into the step-by-step process of how to write a 250 word essay:

• Choose your topic: Select a focused topic that you can adequately cover in 250 words.
• Research: Gather relevant information, but be selective given the limited word count.
• Create an outline: Plan your main points to ensure a logical flow of ideas.
• Write your introduction: Clearly state your main idea or argument.
• Develop your body paragraphs: Present your supporting points concisely.
• Craft your conclusion: Summarize your main points and reinforce your argument.
• Edit and refine: Cut unnecessary words and ensure your essay is exactly 250 words.

Tips for Writing a 250 Word Essay

Mastering how to write a 250 word essay requires developing certain skills and strategies. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling 250 word essay:

• Be concise: Every word should serve a purpose. Avoid filler words and phrases .
• Use strong, specific language: Choose words that convey your meaning precisely.
• Focus on one main idea: With only 250 words, stick to a single, clear argument or point.
• Use topic sentences: Start each paragraph with a clear statement of its main point.
• Eliminate redundancy: Avoid repeating ideas or rephrasing the same point.
• Use active voice: It’s generally more concise and impactful than passive voice.
• Proofread carefully: In a short essay, even small errors can stand out.

Example of a 250 Word Essay

To better understand how to write a 250 word essay, let’s look at an example:

Title: The Impact of Social Media on Modern Communication

In the digital age, social media has revolutionized the way we communicate, creating both opportunities and challenges. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have connected people across the globe, allowing instant sharing of information and ideas. This unprecedented connectivity has fostered global communities and movements, enabling like-minded individuals to find each other regardless of geographical boundaries.

However, the rise of social media has also brought significant drawbacks. The constant stream of information can lead to information overload and decreased attention spans. Moreover, the curated nature of social media posts often presents an unrealistic view of people’s lives, potentially contributing to feelings of inadequacy and depression among users. The spread of misinformation on these platforms is another critical issue, as false news can spread rapidly, influencing public opinion and even political outcomes.

Despite these challenges, social media’s impact on communication is undeniably transformative. It has changed how businesses market their products, how politicians engage with constituents, and how individuals maintain personal relationships. As we continue to navigate this digital landscape, it’s crucial to harness the benefits of social media while being mindful of its pitfalls. By doing so, we can leverage these powerful tools to enhance our communication and connections in the modern world.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a 250 Word Essay

When learning how to write a 250 word essay, it’s important to be aware of common pitfalls. Here are some mistakes to avoid:

• Choosing a topic that’s too broad: With only 250 words, you need a focused topic.
• Inadequate planning: Failing to outline can lead to a disorganized essay.
• Lengthy introduction or conclusion: These should be brief in a 250 word essay.
• Including too many ideas: Stick to one main point and a few supporting details.
• Wordiness: Every word should count in a short essay.
• Neglecting to proofread: Small errors are more noticeable in short pieces.
• Ignoring the word count: Going significantly over or under 250 words misses the point of the exercise.

Strategies for Editing a 250 Word Essay

Editing is a crucial part of learning how to write a 250 word essay. Here are some strategies to refine your work:

• Take a break: Step away from your essay for a while before editing.
• Read aloud: This helps you catch awkward phrasing and unnecessary words.
• Use the “reverse outline” technique: Identify the main point of each paragraph to ensure logical flow.
• Cut ruthlessly: If a word, phrase, or sentence doesn’t directly support your main point, remove it.
• Replace phrases with single words: For example, “in order to” can often be replaced with “to”.
• Eliminate redundancies: Look for ideas that you’ve expressed more than once.
• Use a thesaurus judiciously: Sometimes a single, precise word can replace a longer phrase.

Practice Exercises for Writing 250 Word Essays

To improve your skills in how to write a 250 word essay, try these practice exercises:

• Timed writing: Give yourself 15 minutes to write a 250 word essay on a given topic.
• Expansion and reduction: Write a 500 word essay , then challenge yourself to convey the same information in 250 words.
• Daily journaling: Practice writing concise, 250 word entries about your day or thoughts.
• Summarization: Read a longer article and summarize its main points in 250 words.
• Topic roulette: Randomly select a topic and write a 250 word essay about it.

Related Article; How to Write a 250-word Essay?

How many paragraphs are in a 250 word essay?

A 250 word essay typically consists of 3-4 paragraphs: an introduction, 1-2 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

How to start an essay? Start with a hook to grab attention, provide context for your topic, and clearly state your main idea or thesis.

How to write an essay with examples? Choose a clear topic, create an outline, write an introduction with a thesis, develop body paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting evidence, and conclude by restating your main points.

How many characters are in a 250 word essay? A 250 word essay typically contains about 1,500-1,700 characters, including spaces, depending on the words used.

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Fourteen Scholarship Essay Examples That Won Thousands 2024

Winning a big scholarship can be life-changing, particularly for those with financial need.

BUT people often forget that winning lots of small scholarship applications can be life-changing too. The scholarship essay examples (and our strategy) below can take you from planning your college plans and career goals to living them.

A common problem soon-to-be college students face: Paying for college. They qualify for many scholarships but are daunted by the task of writing five to ten to fifteen (or more) essays. It can be a struggle to even start writing, particularly for those “why I deserve the scholarship” prompts.

One solution for how to write a scholarship essay for many topics at once: Pick topics that have overlapping subject matter and write an essay or two that fit lots of these essays at once. Below, we’ve given some more information about how to successfully earn scholarship opportunities with this technique and how to end a scholarship essay.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Kang Foundation and Legal Scholarship
• New York University Scholarship
• North Coast Section Foundation Scholarship
• Fund for Education Abroad Scholarship 1
• Questbridge Scholarship
• Change a Life Foundation
• Millennium Gates Last Dollar Scholarship 1
• Millennium Gates Last Dollar Scholarship 2
• Millennium Gates Last Dollar Scholarship 3
• Millennium Gates Last Dollar Scholarship 4
• National Association of University Women Scholarship 1
• National Association of University Women Scholarship 2
• Fund for Education Abroad Scholarship 2
• Local School District Scholarship

What Makes These Examples So Great

These scholarship winners earned thousands in financial aid from writing these essays.

The key to many of these essays is that they describe a story or an aspect of the student’s life in a way that is dynamic: It reflects many of their values, strengths, interests, volunteer work, and life experiences. 

Many of these essays also demonstrate vulnerability. Scholarship committees reading your responses will want to know who this money will benefit and why it’s important that you receive this money. In other words, they want to better understand how your values, qualities, and skills will flourish in college--and how good your writing skills are. In fact, we’ve written a guide to what colleges look for that can help you skillfully write vulnerable scholarship essays.

Whether it’s a scholarship essay about yourself , a creative writing scholarship, or an essay about why you deserve the scholarship, the sample scholarship essays below can help you better understand what can result from following a scholarship essay format or applying tips for how to write a scholarship essay. 

But first! If you’re an international student (not from the United States) applying to scholarships, don’t forget to consider some common mistakes international students make when applying to college .

How to Save Time By Combining Essays

Want to save a lot of time during the process?

Write a great college essay and re-use it when writing scholarship essays for similar prompts. Why? Combining essay prompts will not only save you time, it’ll actually result in a better essay.

We sometimes like to call these “Super Essays” because the added benefit of writing a multi-purpose essay is that it makes the essay stronger overall. We have a whole guide for how to do that here . 

This makes scholarship essays similar to supplemental essays because many supplemental essays also overlap. We know many students will be writing both types of essays at once! To help, we’ve put together a supplemental essays course on how to tackle the daunting supplemental essays, including many skills that help with writing those “Super” scholarship essays too.

Scholarship Essay Example #1

Kang Foundation Scholarship ($1000), Kingdom Dreamer Scholarship Fund Scholarship through Sarang Church ($2000), and the national contest from the Lamber Goodnow legal team ($1000) by Peter Kang.

Prompt: Open topic.

Fedora? Check. Apron? Check. Tires pumped? Check. Biking the thirty-five minutes each evening to the cafe and back to work a six-hour shift was exhausting, but my family’s encouragement and gratitude for the extra income was worth it. A few years earlier, my family of nine had been evicted from the home we had been living in for the past ten years. With nowhere else to go, we moved into our church’s back room for three months, where I shamefully tried to hide our toothbrushes and extra shoes from other church members. Right then I made a commitment to my family to contribute financially in whatever way I could. My sacrifice translated to a closer bond with my siblings and deeper conversations with my parents, helping me understand the true meaning of a unified family and the valuable part I play in that. With the financial stability that my part-time jobs provided my mother could stay home to raise seven children, my learning-disabled older sister could attend college, my younger sister could go on a mission trip to Korea, and my twin siblings could compete in national math competitions. I’ve seen that even as a high school student, I have so much potential to impact my family and beyond -- how one small act can go a long way. Through the successes of my efforts, I also realized that poverty was just a societal limitation. I was low-income, not poor. I was still flourishing in school, leading faith-based activities and taking an active role in community service. My low-income status was not a barrier but a launching pad to motivate and propel my success. To additionally earn more money as a young teen, I began flipping bicycles for profit on craigslist. Small adjustments in the brake and gears, plus a wash, could be the difference between a $50 piece of trash and a $200 steal. Seeing how a single inch could disarrange the lining of gears not only taught me the importance of detail but also sparked my fascination with fixing things. When I was sixteen I moved on to a larger project: my clunker of a car. I had purchased my 2002 Elantra with my own savings, but it was long past its prime. With some instruction from a mechanic, I began to learn the components of an engine motor and the engineering behind it. I repaired my brake light, replaced my battery, and made adjustments to the power-steering hose. Engineering was no longer just a nerdy pursuit of robotics kids; it was a medium to a solution. It could be a way to a career, doing the things I love. I was inspired to learn more. Last summer, to continue exploring my interest in engineering, I interned at Boeing. Although I spent long hours researching and working in the lab for the inertial navigation of submarines, I learned most from the little things. From the way my mentors and I began working two hours earlier than required to meet deadlines, I learned that engineering is the commitment of long hours. From the respect and humility embodied within our team, I learned the value of unity at the workplace. Like my own family at home, our unity and communal commitment to working led to excellent results for everyone and a closer connection within the group. What most intrigues me about engineering is not just the math or the technology, but the practical application. It is through engineering that I can fix up my car... and facilitate submarine navigation. Engineering, in fact, is a lifestyle --  instead of lingering over hardships, I work to solve them and learn from them. Whether the challenge is naval defense or family finances or even just a flat tire on my bike before another night shift, I will be solving these problems and will always be looking to keep rolling on.   Success is triumphing over hardships -- willing yourself over anything and everything to achieve the best for yourself and your family. With this scholarship, I will use it to continue focusing on my studies in math and engineering, instead of worrying about making money and sending more back home. It will be an investment into myself for my family.

Scholarship Essay Example #2

New York University College of Arts and Science $39,500 Scholarship by Ana

Prompt: Explain something that made a big impact in your life.

“If you can’t live off of it, it is useless.” My parents were talking about ice skating: my passion. I started skating as a ten-year-old in Spain, admiring how difficulty and grace intertwine to create beautiful programs, but no one imagined I would still be on the ice seven years and one country later. Even more unimaginable was the thought that ice skating might become one of the most useful parts of my life. I was born in Mexico to two Spanish speakers; thus, Spanish was my first language. We then moved to Spain when I was six, before finally arriving in California around my thirteenth birthday. Each change introduced countless challenges, but the hardest part of moving to America, for me, was learning English. Laminated index cards, color-coded and full of vocabulary, became part of my daily life. As someone who loves to engage in a conversation, it was very hard to feel as if my tongue was cut off. Only at the ice rink could I be myself; the feeling of the cold rink breeze embracing me, the ripping sound of blades touching the ice, even the occasional ice burning my skin as I fell—these were my few constants. I did not need to worry about mispronouncing “axel” as “aksal.” Rather, I just needed to glide and deliver the jump. From its good-natured bruise-counting competitions to its culture of hard work and perseverance, ice skating provided the nurturing environment that made my other challenges worthwhile. Knowing that each moment on the ice represented a financial sacrifice for my family, I cherished every second I got. Often this meant waking up every morning at 4 a.m. to practice what I had learned in my few precious minutes of coaching. It meant assisting in group lessons to earn extra skating time and taking my conditioning off-ice by joining my high school varsity running teams. Even as I began to make friends and lose my fear of speaking, the rink was my sanctuary. Eventually, however, the only way to keep improving was to pay for more coaching, which my family could not afford. And so I started tutoring Spanish. Now, the biggest passion of my life is supported by my most natural ability. I have had over thirty Spanish students, ranging in age from three to forty and spanning many ethnic backgrounds. I currently work with fifteen students each week, each with different needs and ways of learning. Drawing on my own experiences as both a second language-learner and a figure skater, I assign personal, interactive exercises, make jokes to keep my students’ mindset positive, and never give away right answers. When I first started learning my axel jump, my coach told me I would have to fall at least 500 times (about a year of falls!) in order to land it. Likewise, I have my students embrace every detail of a mistake until they can begin to recognize new errors when they see them. I encourage them to expand their horizons and take pride in preparing them for new interactions and opportunities. Although I agree that I will never live off of ice skating, the education and skills I have gained from it have opened countless doors. Ice skating has given me the resilience, work ethic, and inspiration to develop as a teacher and an English speaker. It has improved my academic performance by teaching me rhythm, health, and routine. It also reminds me that a passion does not have to produce money in order for it to hold immense value. Ceramics, for instance, challenges me to experiment with the messy and unexpected. While painting reminds me to be adventurous and patient with my forms of self-expression. I don’t know yet what I will live off of from day to day as I mature; however, the skills my passions have provided me are life-long and irreplaceable.

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Scholarship Essay Example #3

North Coast Section Foundation Scholarship for $1000 by Christine Fung

As a child of immigrant parents, I learned to take responsibilities for my family and myself at a very young age. Although my parents spoke English, they constantly worked in order to financially support my little brother and I. Meanwhile, my grandparents barely knew English so I became their translator for medical appointments and in every single interaction with English speakers. Even until now, I still translate for them and I teach my grandparents conversational English. The more involved I became with my family, the more I knew what I wanted to be in the future. Since I was five, my parents pushed me to value education because they were born in Vietnam and had limited education. Because of this disadvantage, I learned to take everything I do seriously and to put in all of my effort to complete tasks such as becoming the founder of my school’s Badminton Club in my sophomore year and Red Cross Club this year. Before creating these clubs, I created a vision for these clubs so I can organize my responsibilities better as a leader. The more involved I became, the more I learned as a leader and as a person. As a leader, I carried the same behavior I portrayed towards my younger cousins and sibling. My family members stressed the importance of being a good influence; as I adapted this behavior, I utilized this in my leadership positions. I learned to become a good role model by teaching my younger family members proper manners and guiding them in their academics so that they can do well. In school, I guide my peers in organizing team uniform designs and in networking with a nonprofit organization for service events. Asides from my values, I’m truly passionate in the medical field. I always wanted to be a pediatrician since I was fourteen. My strong interest in the medical field allowed me to open up my shell in certain situations— when I became sociable to patients in the hospital as a volunteer, when I became friendly and approachable to children in my job at Kumon Math and Reading Center, and when I portrayed compassion and empathy towards my teammates in the badminton team. However, when I participated in the 2017 Kaiser Summer Volunteer Program at Richmond Medical Center, I realized that I didn’t only want to be a pediatrician. This program opened my eye to numerous opportunities in different fields of medicine and in different approaches in working in the medicine industry. While I may have a strong love for the medical field, my interest in business immensely grew as I soon discovered that I didn’t only have to take the practical approach in the medical field. With this interest, I plan to also become a part of a medical facility management team. In the future, I hope to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor by attaining an MD, and to double major in Managerial Economics. I intend to study at UC Davis as a Biological Sciences major, where I anticipate to become extremely involved with the student community. After graduation, I plan to develop a strong network relationship with Kaiser Permanente as I’ve started last year in my internship. By developing a network with them, I hope to work in one of their facilities some day. Based on my values, interests, and planned future, I’m applying for the NCS Foundation scholarship because not only will it financially help me, but it can give motivation for me to academically push myself. I hope to use this scholarship in applying for a study abroad program, where I can learn about other cultures’ customs while conducting research there.  

Scholarship Essay Example #4

Fund for Education Abroad Rainbow Scholarship $7,500 by Steven Fisher

Prompt: The Fund for Education Abroad is committed to diversifying education abroad by providing funding to students who are typically under-represented in study abroad. Please describe how you and/or your plans for study abroad could be viewed as under-represented.

“Oh well look at that one,” my uncle leans over and says about my brother-in-law in the living room wearing a dress. “I’d always had my suspicions about him,” he jokes with a disapproving sneer and leans back in his chair, a plate of Southern-style Christmas dinner in his hand. I was hurt. Why would my own uncle say that like it’s such a terrible thing that my brother-in-law is wearing a dress? That it was the worst thing in the world if my brother-in-law were gay or effeminite. “I think he looks beautiful,” my oldest brother Ethan chimes in. At that moment, I wish I could have hugged Ethan. No, not because he was defending my brother-in-law (who actually isn’t gay, as my uncle was suggesting), but because Ethan was defending me. My uncle has no idea that I recognized earlier this past year that heterosexuality wasn’t meeting all of my needs for intimacy with other people and that I’ve come to define myself as queer. It all started when I took a hard look at how my upbringing in Miami had taught me that the only way that boys are supposed to connect with others is by having sex with “beautiful” girls – that intimacy with other guys or “ugly” girls isn’t as meaningful. After freeing up that block in my brain that told me that I shouldn’t look at guys in a certain way, I could embraced the fact that I’m attracted to men (and people in general) in a lot of different, new ways. My growth as a person was exponential. I rewrote so many areas of my life where I didn’t do things I wanted because of social conditioning. Within two months, my world expanded to include polyamory. I looked back on my past relationship with my girlfriend and realized that I wasn’t jealous (angry, yes. hurt, yes. But not jealous) when she cheated on me. I realized that people’s needs — whether they are for sex, someone to talk to, someone to engage intellectually — don’t necessarily all have to be met with one person. It can be easier sometimes with one person, absolutely. But that’s not the only way. As someone who is both polyamorus and queer, I feel like parts of my family and large parts of my community marginalize me for being different because society has told them to. I want to change that. Since I will be studying for an entire year in Prague, I will have the opportunity to attend the annual Mezipatra, an international film festival in November that screens around a hundred top-ranking films on lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer themes. I feel really connected to going to this event because I crave being in an environment of like-minded people who strive to do that same thing I want to: balance the images of people typically portrayed through cliché and stereotype. When I came out to my sister-in-law, she told me that people who are really set in their ways are more likely to be tolerant to different kinds of people after having relationships with these people. If my uncle can learn to love me, to learn to love one queer/poly person, he can learn to love them all. If I can be an example to my family, I can be an example to my classmates. If I can get the opportunity to travel abroad, I can be an example to the world. Not just through my relationships, but through my art. Give me a camera and a screen and I will carry the message of tolerance from the audiences of Mezipatra in Prague to my parent’s living room. Fade in: Two men with thick beards kiss – maybe for once they aren’t wearing colorful flamboyant clothing. Fade in: A woman leaves her house to go to her male best friend’s house and her husband honestly tells her to enjoy herself. Fade in: A college student wanting to study abroad tells his conservative parents the truth…

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Get help from my free guide, scholarship essay example #5.

Questbridge Finalist essay earning $3,000 in application waivers plus $3000 in local scholarships by Jordan Sanchez

Prompt: 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.

Recall the most cherished memory with your father figure. For some it may be when he taught you how to ride a bike, for others it may be memories of him taking you out for pizza when mom said the family has to eat healthy, for others it’s the ability to confide in somebody that won’t judge or stop loving you because of the mistakes you have made. When a child is born, he or she is given a birth certificate, which provides information such as name, date and place of birth, but most importantly it provides the names of the parents of the child. On my birth certificate I have the name the name of my beloved mother Lurvin, but right above her name is an empty space where my father’s name should be. As a child I would often compare my life to my peers; I would often go through all of these hypothetical scenarios in my mind thinking, “If my dad were around I could be like all of the other boys.” As the years went by I always had a sense of optimism that one day I would meet him and he would tell me “I love you and I’ll never leave your side again.” But when the time came and I met him on January 2014 I learned that a man can reject his only son not once, but twice. My father left when I was one year old and I will soon be turning 17; I did the math and found that for about 5900 days he has neglected me. He was able to sleep 5900 nights without knowing whether or not I was dead or alive. Even though he’s been gone for 5900 days,  my life did not get put on hold. In those 5900 days I learned how to walk, talk, and I became a strong young man without the provider of my Y Chromosome because he is nothing more to me than that. In the past I believed that my father was necessary to rise but instead I found that false hope was an unnecessary accessory and now I refuse to let the fact that I am fatherless define the limits of the great things that I can accomplish. It’s said that boys learn to be a man from their fathers, that they learn what it means to be a man that has values and can stand up for what’s right. I, however, have found that grit can come from anywhere. When I was in middle school I was overweight and many other boys would call me names, and even after going to administration several times nothing changed and for several years I kept myself at bay because if I had done anything in return I would be no better than those guys who bullied me. I previously had this perception that somebody else would come to my rescue, that somebody else would provide the mental strength to combat the hardships that were sent my way. But as time passed I grew tired of waiting for help that was never going to come so I had to become my own hero. Since making that decision I have been liberated from the labels that previously confined me and I took back control of my own life. My ability to be self motivated has assisted me in becoming a leader in several of my extracurricular activities. I was one of the 4 male students of my school district that was selected as a delegate by the American Legion to participate at the Boy’s State program and I am also the captain of my group in the Young Senator's Leadership Program that is run by California Senator Tony Mendoza. I also developed skills on the wrestling mat.  On one occasion I wrestled the person who was ranked the 9th best wrestler in the state and although I did not win there was not a single second that I was afraid to fail because I knew I gave it my all. Similarly I have put the same effort into becoming a successful. My father’s name is not on my birth certificate, but it is MY birth certificate. My origins are not the brightest but I was given a life that is mine to live and because “Life is made of two dates and a dash..” I have to “...Make most of the dash.” I am not going to live forever but if I were to leave this world today I would feel content with the person I see in the mirror. I know the difficulty that latinos face in this day and age I can envision assisting other young latinos achieving their dreams. I believe the most valuable thing in this world is opportunity because sometimes all it takes for someone to be successful is a chance to do so. Consequently I would like to be part of that chance that can foster the growth of future success.

Scholarship Essay Example #6

Change a Life Foundation Scholarship Essay Examples by Isabella Mendez-Figueroa

Prompt: Please explain a personal hardship or catastrophic life event that you have experienced. How did you manage to overcome this obstacle? What did you learn and how did you grow from it? This answer is critical to your application as Change a Life Foundation’s vision is to assist individuals who have persevered and overcome a hardship/catastrophic life event.

Filling out this application, and my college applications, has forced me to face head on the realities that I've grown up in. Looking back and describing my life I see all the ways in which I am disadvantaged due to my socioeconomic status. But I think it's important to note that I wasn't fully aware of any of it growing up. I knew that my parents couldn't buy me everything, but I also knew that they hardly ever said no. I was a very normal child, asking for chicken nuggets and looking at mom and dad any time I was scared or unsure of something. As I've grown I've learned to fight my own monsters but I now also battle the ones that frighten my parents, the monsters of a world that they weren't born into. Monsters of doubt and disadvantage that try to keep them stuck in a cycle of poverty; thriving in a world that casts them to the side and a society that, with its current political climate, doesn't welcome them with the warmest hello. The baby sitter, the house keeper, the driver, it's taken my dad 10+ years of night shifts to attain financial stability, and become an asset to his workplace. He's been one of the millions of people who has been laid off in the last couple of decades and has had to start over multiple times. But each time he's re-built himself with more resilience. I've grown up living in section 8 housing because my parents often found themselves living paycheck to paycheck, not by choice, but by circumstance. They've endured bankruptcy over credit card debt, have never owned a home, or been given access to resources that allow them to save. Every time we've readapted, we get struck by a new change. I currently live in Manchester Square, a ghost town, byproduct of the Los Angeles Airport expansion project. The 16 steps I have always known, soon to be demolished. My neighbors are empty lots, enclosed by fences. Homeless people’s pitch tents, under the roar of airplanes. My home is soon to become an accommodation to an airport, soon to be nonexistent. Knowing that my family has to relocate as I'm applying to college makes me feel a tad guilty, because of my lack of resources, I fear it will become a barrier into my transition to college. My parents finances are not a secret, I know their struggles as I hear about them day after day. My parents now deal with the burden of relocating, no longer having subsidized housing and again, struck by yet another need to readjust and reassemble. Relocating a family of 5 in an area plagued by gentrification of stadiums and demolition is no simple task as rent prices are as high as mortgages. It's odd they don't want me to stress or have it become my problem but I know it is, and I want to do whatever I can to help. My older sister is the first in my family to go to college. I was always the shyer one. She's taught me through her efforts that the only limits you have are the ones you place on yourself. With my sister's example I have followed in the footsteps of never letting money become a reason why I can't or won't do something. If my sister can do it, I can do it. I see the leadership characteristic is genetic and it runs in my entire family. I witness my parents be leaders everyday as they tackle cultural obstacles in a country that wasn't the one they were born into, speaking a language that is not their own, and raising children to succeed in a system of higher education; one they never had the privilege to be part of. My family and I are one. We stack our efforts, and obstacles on top of each other to further our successes as a whole. When I think back to my family's story I'm amazed to think that my grandpa came to the US in the midst of WW2, a bracero, leaving his family to help feed millions of Americans in time of war. My grandpa, a man of the fields, paved the way so I could defy the odds with my prosperity. At home, the teacher role often switches within my family. I am responsible for translating documents to my parents and explaining procedures and concepts as I, myself, am learning them. I have had the responsibility of helping assist my younger sister who has a mild case of Cerebral Palsy. Due to her pre-existing condition, she is a slow learner. I have dedicated a lot of time this past year, helping her with her transition from elementary to middle school and helping her adapt to such a drastic change. Sometimes, I only sleep 4 hours as I wake up and rush out the door in order to make it on time to 6am tutoring. Having to manage my schoolwork and home responsibilities has been difficult but I've managed to maintain high academic achievement by managing my time correctly and being persistent. If I truly want something, I need to go after it, and I will get it done. Sometimes being tired isn't an option.

Scholarship Essay Example #7

Millennium Gates Last Dollar Scholarship and $3,500 in Outside Scholarship Essay Examples by Famyrah Lafortune

Prompt: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela. Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way. * (No more than 400 words)

Nothing is more important to me than ending racial inequality and discrimination in America, as I do not want my younger siblings to face the discrimination Black people continue to face in our present society. After winning our fight to freedom and provoking the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, why do Black teens face higher poverty rates than Whites and are still four times more likely to be incarcerated? “That was such a long time ago. You really need to get over it,” my White peers say when referring to racial inequalities. But, why then, in 7th grade, after winning Nazareth Academy’s Spelling Bee competition, did my fellow White classmate state with a heavy dose of surprise, “You know…when I first saw you, I didn’t think you were going to be smart?” I hope to contribute to ending racial discrimination by utilizing our present interconnectivity and running a social media campaign titled #It’sNotOver. #It’sNotOver aims to oppose the widespread misconception that, because racial inequality was legally outlawed, de facto racial inequality does not still persist in our society. Our recent presidential election may have brought life to a ‘Divided America,’ but it also exposed how influential social media is. By raising awareness of racial disparities that occur everywhere, I might encourage a new wave of change in our country like that of the present Time’s Up movement. Furthermore, if I can access the influence of celebrities in my #It’sNotOver campaign, like that of Time’s Up, I might similarly capture the attention of millions of people and inspire action against this issue across the globe. I know that social media can only do so much in addressing these issues as not everyone can afford the luxury of having internet access. However, I hope that my campaign can inspire all those who do have access to take it upon themselves to be the change by being inspired by the fact that we are globally united in this issue. Although I expect negativity and criticism from people who either do not believe that this issue exists or do not believe in our cause, I am willing to encounter it if it means our society as a whole irrevocably can grow to accept each other’s differences.

Scholarship Essay Example #8

Prompt: “It is very important to know who you are. To make decisions. To show who you are.” – Malala Yousafzai. Tell us three things that are important to you. How did you arrive at this list? Will these things be important to you in ten years? Why? * (No more than 400 words)

The three things that are important to me are my family, being successful, and leaving a legacy. As a result of my past, I keep these three crucial things at the forefront of my mind every day to help myself be successful. Above all, my family is the most important thing in my life. The meaning of family may differ for everyone, but for me, my family is life. I almost died in the 2010 Haitian earthquake, as Jacmel was one of the worst damaged areas, had it not been for my grandmother and my mom. Later, if it was not for my uncle, my mom would not have been able to come to America to give me a better life. Without my family, I wouldn’t be here. I am forever indebted to their sacrifices, and I am so grateful that I have their eternal love and support. Success is also very important to me. I hope to accomplish many things in my life, but most importantly, I would like to make my family proud so that they know that all of their sacrifices were worth it. Success to me is having a career that I love and allows me to help my family members financially. I hope to no longer experience hardships such as homelessness, poverty, and economic difficulties, as I had in my young life. Ultimately, however, I would like to grow into someone who is loved and remembered by people who aren’t my immediate family members and my friends. I do not wish to be glorified, but I want to be more than a nonentity in this big, vast world. I hope that if I can inspire the change that I want to make, I can leave a legacy that continues to influence and shape the landscape that follows me. After coming to the epiphany that if I died today, nothing would change except for the lives of those extremely close to me, I find myself unwilling to be just another Jane Doe. I want to leave a part of myself behind, whether it is a building or a popular hashtag, that is meaningful and permanent once I die.

ANOTHER GREAT READ: HOW TO COMBINE YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY PROMPTS (TO SAVE 20+ WRITING HOURS)

Scholarship essay example #9.

Prompt: “Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” - Cesar Chavez. What does it mean to you to be part of a minority community? What challenges has it brought and how have you overcome them? What are the benefits? * (No more than 400 words)

Being part of a minority is very conflicting for me as I feel both empowered as a part of a Haitian minority community but also disconnected from my non-immigrant peers. Coming from a background of poverty in Haiti, I knew that, even at a very young age, I had to be a good student in order to succeed. This work ethic--found throughout my Haitian community--has been very beneficial in my life as we all came here to pave ourselves a better future. As my mom held two jobs, went to college, and was temporarily homeless just to secure me a better future, I feel invigorated to be part of such an indefatigable community. And, it is because of this strong work ethic, central to my community’s core values, that I am now the salutatorian of a class of 679 students. As I was so young when I came to the US, I didn’t know how American society functioned, specifically elementary school. I was the only immigrant in a class of forty, barely spoke English, and had no friends because of these limitations. Every day of those first few years, I felt an almost physical divide between my peers and myself. I never experienced a sense of belonging, despite my efforts. Already a double minority as a woman and a Black person, I tried to relinquish my language and culture in favor of American language and values to better fit in the crowd. By doing this, however, I almost completely lost my cultural identity as both a Haitian and an immigrant, and also my language. It was in the halls of my first high school, International Studies Charter High School, that I realized the enormity of what I had lost. Where my peers retained their cultural identities and language, I had almost lost mine. It was there, I learned to embrace a part of me that was virtually buried inside, as I was encouraged to be more open: speaking Creole with my Haitian math teacher and peers. As a senior, I now volunteer weekly helping Haitian ESOL students with their homework. I am both a teacher and a student in that small classroom as I help them with their homework, and, in return, they help me in perfecting my use of Creole. They are my daily reminder of what unites us as Haitians—our ability to triumph in the face of adversity.

Scholarship Essay Example #10

Prompt: “The secret of our success is that we never, never give up.” - Wilma Mankiller. Tell us about a time when you failed at something. What were the circumstances? How did you respond to failure? What lessons did you learn? * (No more than 400 words)

I’ve danced ballet since I was seven-years-old. But, even after almost eight years, I could still barely extend my legs as high as my peers nor could do as many pirouettes as them. My flexibility was incredibly subpar and I easily wore out my Pointe shoes, making them unwearable after a couple of months. Where the average lifespans of my peers’ pointe shoes extended into months, mine could barely last ten classes. I was the weakling of my class at Ballet Etudes, and I was too absorbed in my insecurities to do anything to better myself to become the dancer I aspired to be. After a humiliating recital, wherein my pointe shoe ribbons untied in the middle of our group performance, I all but gave up on dance. I was in the middle of doing a Changement de Pieds (Change of feet jumping step) when I glanced down in horror to see my beautiful ribbons untied as I forgot to tape them with clear tape as I usually did before my performances. Glancing to my right, I saw that my ballet teacher backstage had also taken note and was rushing me to get off the stage, her hands beckoning me in a frantic manner. After berating me for not having properly tied my laces, I was not allowed to finish my part. Later, I could barely get back on stage that evening for our final performance as I didn’t want to fail myself and my team again. But, because of my move to Port Saint Lucie in the summer before sophomore year, I was able to rekindle my passion for ballet and pointe at South Florida Dance Company. South Florida Dance Company was my saving grace, a place where I was able to restart my experiences in dance and renew the joy I once felt in my art. It was an incredible feeling regaining my confidence and surety in my abilities, as a result of the additional help that I received from my dance teacher, Ms. Amanda. Presently, I always remind myself to be the best that I can be and to positively use my dance role models, like Misty Copeland, as encouragement to be a better dancer. From this experience, I learned that to overcome personal failures, I needed to move forward and think positively because change doesn’t happen when you sit still.

Scholarship Essay Example #11

National Association of University Women Scholarship Essay Examples by Isabella Mendez-Figueroa

Prompt: Please explain how your experience volunteering and participating in community service has shaped your perspective on humanity. Elaborate on how these experiences have influenced your future ambitions and career choice.

I didn’t really understand my community until I was forced to see it from the outside; sort of like when you see a picture of yourself someone else took that you weren’t aware of. It took a 3,000 mile flight for me to gain a different perspective of the world, of my world. When I landed in Maine it was nothing like the place I called home. There was no traffic, there were lots of trees, and absolutely no spanish to be heard anywhere. I missed my people, my home, and my community the most as I saw the ways in which other communities fostered creativity, advocacy, and community involvement. I talked about my community every chance I got, writing a public backlash to Donald Trump and reading out to the group of parents to show them my unique struggle. The election of Donald Trump has forced me to come to terms with the harsh realities of this world. The lack of respect he has for women, minority groups, and factual evidence are alarming. This presidency makes me want to prove wrong all of his perceptions of people like me, the poor, the immigrant, the woman. I left people in awe, leaving me empowered. I had people come up to me and explain that they can relate to my poem about not fitting in, being Mexican American and not feeling like you can consider yourself American or Mexican because you’re both. I emphasized that I, like many others, am in between and we have the same platform that anyone else does to succeed. I explained that many of us, hold this pressure of first generation children of immigrants to prove that we are the proof that our parents sacrifices of restarting in a new country was worth it. I was the visible representation of a first generation child of immigrants, branching out into a new environment despite where I had come from and shocking everyone with my prosperity. If I was the only visible representation available, I was going to use my voice to echo the feelings of my entire community and make it known that we are all here-- all of our struggles, our efforts, and our passions, are not absent from places where we are not seen. Maine helped me branch out in my own community now as a Student Ambassador. From this experience, I’ve learned that I can represent my high school and have the responsibility to assist staff at events for prospective students and organize presentations for parents. I spend a lot of time interpreting for parents at meetings and explaining the current events that are ongoing and new educational opportunities that students should take advantage of. I have had the privilege to work alongside office staff and the Principal, where I get to positively dedicate my time to parents who have general questions regarding the schools upcoming events. By dedicating my time as a Student Ambassador, I have allowed myself to excel at communicating with others and improving my customer service skills. I want my education to change the negative stigmas surrounding my community, by showing that it's possible to expand your access to the world and allow you to leave, by choice, through receiving a post-secondary education. I am someone who has grown up in an area with limited resources fostering limited mindsets. My neighborhood has 4 elementary schools, 2 high schools, and a strip club feet away from a library. What message does that send to children? It's normal in my community to have pregnant classmates in high school. People aren't aware of the world outside, they aren't encouraged to ever leave. Through my experience as a volunteer that communicates a lot with parents, I have learned that the American Dream does not simply belong to first generation students like myself. I have found that our accomplishments are stacked upon the sacrifices of our parents. I used to think that growing up was like the passing of a baton where you’re the next runner and it’s your turn to run your best race, but I now see that this is a team effort, as you expand your horizons your family also gets to experience the benefits. I want to demonstrate to my community that there can be a female, bilingual, Latina doctor. I want to showcase that one's zip code, doesn't determines one's success. One of the most common questions I get at these parent meetings is “what’s better college or university”? This question didn’t make sense to me at first then I realized that parents wanted to know the difference between community college and a four year. Concepts like financial aid, grants, loans, are all foreign concepts as most of our parents never went to college. They want to be able to help but do not know where to begin. As a student ambassador I helped bridge that gap. We often held meetings where we explained to parents within our community what resources were out there and available and what the difference were among the different options for each student. Being the student face for Animo, I’ve learned that I as a student and daughter, can provide assistance to my own community through the knowledge that I have gained. I am the communication that is needed in my community that’s necessary for further successes by using my personal knowledge and experience to help uplift and educate others in similar situations.

Scholarship Essay Example #12

Prompt: Discuss in your essay any challenges or obstacles you have dealt with and overcome in life and how this will help you succeed in college and beyond. Describe how volunteer, community service or extra-curricular activities have shaped who you are today and what it has taught you. May also include future educational plans and career goals. [250-500 Words]

I have encountered an emotional barrier making it difficult to manage my schoolwork, extracurricular activities and family responsibilities. I have had to deal with being viciously raped by a peer during my sophomore year, resulting in severe depression. I am no longer allowed to be alone for a long period of time, as I’ve attempted to commit suicide twice, but I do not regard those as true attempts to end my life. I just wanted someone to know how I felt and how much I needed help. My past has only made me more resilient, as I choose to prove to myself and those around me that I am more than the barriers I’ve encountered–but overcome. It took a 3,000- mile flight for me to gain a different perspective of my world. Landing in Maine was nothing like home. There was no traffic, lots of trees, and absolutely no Spanish to be heard anywhere. I was a 10th grader when I found myself at Coastal Studies for Girls, a marine science and leadership school; I would be there for a whole semester. I was surrounded by strangers who looked different, sounded different, and could recite tide pool specifics in casual conversation. I was the visible representation of a first-generation child of immigrants, branching out into a new environment. An environment where I wanted to prove wrong all perceptions of people like me, the poor, the immigrant, the brown woman. I used my voice to echo my community and make it known that, we, are here–all of our struggles, our efforts, and our passions, are not absent from places where we are not seen. Returning home, I had the privilege to work alongside school administrators as a student ambassador. I got to positively dedicate my time to parents who have general questions regarding the school and help translate information. I have learned that the American Dream does not simply belong to first generation students like myself, but I now see it is a team effort, as you expand, your family also gets to experience the benefits. One of the most common questions at parent meetings is “what’s better college or university”? This question did not make sense to me, I then realized that parents want to know the difference between community college and a four year. Concepts like financial aid, grants, loans, are all foreign concepts as most of our parents never went to college. As a student ambassador, I help bridge that gap. We often hold meetings where we explained resources available and different options for each student. I have learned, that as a student, I can provide assistance to my own community through my knowledge. I am the communication necessary for further successes, using my personal knowledge and experience to help uplift and educate others in similar situations. My pursuit is to not only go to college but thrive and come back ready and able to help students like myself that have to fight for their seat in the lecture hall.

Scholarship Essay Example #13

Prompt: The Rainbow Scholarship is awarded to a deserving LGBTQ student who aims to participate in a high-quality, rigorous education abroad program. If you would like to be considered, please explain why you would be a strong candidate for the Rainbow Scholarship. What will this scholarship enable you to achieve for yourself and your LGBTQ community?

It is my life goal to make films that will change the way society see groups of people typically defined by stereotype and cliché. By immersing myself in Prague’s culture through the American Institute of Foreign Study year-long program, I will gain the cinematic and philosophic tools to create films that will help others to better understand the LGBTQ community. I’ve been making movies since I was old enough to hold a camera, but now I’d like to take it a step further. While abroad, I’ll visit the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague. The Hollywood Reporter puts FAMU at the top of the list of best film schools in Europe. I put it at the top of my list of prospective graduate schools because it was the center of Czech filmmakers’ during communist rule in the 1960s. FAMU was where rebellious film makers broke the bonds of censorship by creating films that depicted the perspectives of marginalized people. I want to do the same thing today. I ask: What can the Czechoslovak New Wave filmmakers and their struggle for social equality teach me about making films that will help to free the LGBTQ members in my own community? I will find my answers here: In November, the international film festival held in Prague called the Mezipatra will screen around a hundred top-ranking films on lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer themes. What better place for a queer filmmaker obsessed with Czech New Wave film to meet people to learn and collaborate with? I’d also like to volunteer to work on a photography project at the Lobkowicz Palace and Nelahozeves Castle, 15km from Prague, where I will find one of the world’s largest private collections of world-famous artworks, artifacts, and a library of over 65,000 volumes. I hope to hone my skills with a camera and take a zoomed-in look at the Prague history. I’m going to wear my Canon t2i like a glove. And finally, I hope to better understand Czech culture as it pertains to film making by studying at Charles University and taking classes like “Central European Film: Search for Identity” and “Hollywood and Europe”. I will get more in touch with the performance and character elements of film by taking the theater class “Prague Theater Scene: Performance Analysis.” Finally, I’ll learn to better listen to what my community in Prague has to say (literally and figuratively) by taking Czech language classes in a two-week intensive course that includes two language-focused events where students engage with the local area. Through traveling abroad in Prague, I give myself to a new perspective and open myself up to influence. I want to use my experience to create films that will convince others to do the same—as a representative of the LGBTQ community, I want to send the message of acceptance and tolerance to the world, from the screens of Mezipatra in Prague to my conservative parents’ television sets.

Scholarship Essay Example #14

$1,000 local school district scholarship by Amani Davis.

Last February, I partook in a Divas in Defense workshop. Within this class, our group met a woman who was a survivor of domestic violence. She was also close to becoming a victim of sex trafficking. From this I learned that intimate partner violence is the leading cause of female homicide and injury-related deaths during pregnancy. Although it is not a common hot topic, many people go through it everyday. These people are not only women but men and children, too. Therefore, domestic violence is an issue that is under-discussed, yet extremely important. Every 1 in 4 women will be a victim of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. This means our mothers, sisters, grandmothers or even daughters can be victims of domestic violence. We have to be the ones willing to initiate the conversation because many victims are scared. Everyday more people are speaking up about their own stories. Celebrities such as Bill Clinton, Rihanna, and Halle Berry have spoke about their personal accounts with domestic violence. Through these views, people are seeing domestic violence as a bigger issue and an issue that needs to be opened up about. All in all, domestic violence is all around us. Additionally, abuse can hurt people physically, mentally, and financially. Physical abuse results in injuries that cost money in order to be fixed. Many remain in or return to an abusive relationship because they lack the financial resources to live on their own. Also, children who grow up around domestic violence are 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually abused than the national average. In short, abuse can have various effects on those involved. To surmise, domestic violence is often kept quiet within minority communities. As a whole, we have to be proactive and reactive in order to fight the current problem with abuse. Nevertheless, we have to be the change we want to see.Ultimately, domestic violence is not an issue that can be completely rid of, but we can make a true difference through education and prevention. Some issues have to be dealt with in house before we see a major turn around.

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About Yourself College & Scholarship Essay Examples (2024)

Jennifer Finetti Oct 20, 2024

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A popular scholarship essay prompt is “Tell us about yourself.” This question is relatively open-ended, which may make it difficult to answer at first glance. What should I tell them about myself? My struggles, my goals, my passions…? These may all be fitting topics, depending on the scholarship. We’ll show you some scholarship essay examples about yourself, along with writing tips to guide you along the way.

What they want to know about you

As you prepare to write, think of the topics the scholarship committee would be interested in. These may include:

• Your current degree, as it applies to your overall career goals. You can explain why you chose your current educational path and what you want to do with that.
• Your short-term and long-term professional goals . Frame your answer as if to say “Where will you be in 5 years? Where will you be in 10 years?” Scholarship committees like to reward people with defined aspirations.
• Past experiences that sparked your passions. You could talk about an influential person in your life, but make sure most of the essay focuses on you. After all, you are talking about yourself.
• Something about you that relates to their organization. With any scholarship essay, you should try to connect yourself with the organization providing the funding. Don’t force a connection. Find one that naturally fits. Mention hobbies, experiences and goals that match what the review committee is looking for.
• Something unique that sets you apart from other applicants. This may be volunteer experience, career specialties, situational differences (growing up in an area that didn’t encourage education), etc.

Note that you do not have to throw all this information into one essay. Choose the elements that best fit the scholarship. If you were on the review board, what would you want to learn about each applicant? What would make you choose one applicant over another? Keep this in mind as you develop your thoughts.

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What they don’t want to know about you

There is plenty of information you could include in an about yourself scholarship essay. There is just as much information to avoid though. Some topics to keep out of your essay include:

• False information. Do not make up stories or fabricate goals to fit the prompt. The scholarship committee can instantly tell when someone is lying, and they will disqualify you immediately.
• Past struggles that do not pertain to the essay topic. You can briefly mention struggles from your past, as long as you mention how you’ve learned from them. Do not make your essay a long story about the hard life you’ve led. Focus on your triumphs, not your obstacles.
• Vague goals and aspirations. Scholarships are usually given to students who have a plan. If you say, “I’m not sure what I’m doing yet,” the committee will select a more motivated candidate. If you have a plan and a backup plan, that’s fine. Just make sure you mention both options and show which one you favor.
• Cliché stories that most people tell. There is something that makes you stand out as a person. Use that to your advantage. Don’t rely on generic information they’ll find with other applicants.
• Unrelated elements of your personal life. In most cases, you should not mention your significant other in the essay. You might mention a spouse if you need to reference your children or a turning point in your life, but these personal details do not fit most essays. Any information that seems frivolous or ill-placed should be removed from the essay.

Read through your essay carefully. If you stop at one point to say, “Why did I mention that?” get rid of the corresponding information. Showcase the best elements about yourself in a fluid and cohesive manner.

Short scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (100 Words)

With 100 words, you can only focus on one or two elements of your life. Think about your biggest selling points – the things that show you are the ideal candidate. Start by introducing yourself and your educational status. Then jump into the main topic of the essay. You may not have room to mention how the scholarship will help your education. Instead, mention how your education can help your career. The other information will be implied.

My name is Christian Wood. I am a high school senior who will be attending the University of Nevada, Reno in the fall. I want to become an online journalist. My goal is to work for the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, or another news outlet that has a strong online presence. Most people already get their news on the internet, and the industry will be even bigger by the time I graduate. Getting a degree in journalism with a focus on digital media will set me up for a fulfilling, fast-paced career fit for the future.

Word Count: 96

Medium scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (250 Words)

With a mid-length scholarship essay, you have more space to explain how your past has influenced your present and future goals. You should have rom for an intro paragraph, a few body paragraphs, and a conclusion (maybe incorporated into the last body paragraph). Think of a few main points you want to touch on, and write those down first. If you still have room, you can add more details about yourself.

My name is Sarah, and I spent most of my childhood on the wrong medication. I experienced a problem common in clinical psychology – misdiagnosis. Professionals provide inaccurate diagnoses for many reasons – f rom antiquated testing methods to limited education. I want to open my own psychological testing facility and help change that. Therefore, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology.  I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child because I had trouble focusing in school. The medication m y doctor prescribed to me only made me numb to the world around me. I couldn’t think or process emotions, or had no emotions at all. After several years my parents finally decided to get a second opinion. I saw a specialist and she concluded that I didn’t have ADHD , but a combination of dyslexia and dysgraphia (difficulties with reading and writing). She sent us to a therapist who helped me learn how to work around my conditions, and my life improved tremendously. I went from being a lifeless student with barely passing grades to an honor roll student full of joy and excitement. Unfortunately, my story is not one of a kind. There are countless children in America who are put on mind-altering medications that do not adequately address their needs. I cannot help all of those children, but I can provide a better alternative for the ones in my area. Through proper education, funded by financial aid, I can learn about psychological evaluations and provide the most accurate diagnoses possible.

Word Count: 249

Long scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (500 Words)

Scholarship essays that are 500 words or longer let you tell the whole story. You can discuss your past, present and future in a comprehensive manner. Avoid rambling and make sure each topic contributes to the overall essay. If one piece feels out of place, remove it and elaborate more on the existing elements. By the end of the essay, the reader should have a full understanding of who you are and what you want to accomplish.

My name is Sierra Breault, and I am a junior at Murray State University. I am double-majoring in Criminal Justice and Forensics Science, and I will graduate in 2024 with two bachelor degrees. My career goal is in social justice, so I can contribute to criminal justice reform. I want to ensure that those who commit crimes are treated fairly.  I come from a small town where excessive force and even death by cop incidents are often committed, especially against minorities. A few years ago, one of my relatives was charged for a crime although the crime scene evidence wasn’t properly obtained, catalogued and analyzed.  This experience played a big part in my wish to study criminal justice. I started exploring the career more when I decided that a desk job just wasn’t for me. Throughout high school I struggled because of the routine nature of it all. I saw the same people and attended the same classes every single day. I knew I didn’t want a job that would be that stagnant. That’s when I got the idea to work in law enforcement, because there would always be a new challenge for me to tackle. After researching the field even more, I set my sights on crime scene investigation. I have performed much better academically in college than I ever did in high school. That’s because there is no routine to the experience. Every week, I have new projects to complete, tests to study for, and activities to try. I have been involved with the campus Crime Stoppers organization all three years of college, and I was elected president for the upcoming term. This lets me work closely with law enforcement to supplement my college education and further my career.   After graduating, I will apply for work as a dispatcher in a state organization, such as the Department of Criminal Investigation. While my ultimate goal is to work as a forensic analyst or crime scene investigator, those positions usually only go to people within the organization. Dispatch is the most direct option for career entry, giving me the best chance to pursue my dream career. I am applying for this scholarship to help me finish the last two years of my degrees. As a college junior and soon-to-be senior, my scholarship opportunities are limited. Most awards are reserved for freshmen. I took advantage of those early on, and I have one recurring scholarship that covers half of my tuition. However, I need additional financial aid to cover the remainder of my academic costs. I appreciate your consideration, and I hope that you can help me pursue a profession in criminal justice. This is my passion, and I have a clear plan to turn that passion into a lifelong career.

Word Count: 463

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Jennifer Finetti

Jennifer brings over 20 years experience in edtech, marketing, communications, content development, academic advising, and financial aid & scholarship counseling to ScholarshipOwl. She is also a marketing consultant and content developer for Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, where she writes the college's biannual publication, DVC Magazine. Jennifer is a college financial aid and scholarship expert who has been seen on news segments across the country as well as in USA Today, CNBC, and Yahoo! Finance. She earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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The most essential back to school supply in Mozambique? Water.

Since the local school only offers up to seventh grade, some children must repeat grades to continue their education. All photos: Sarah Easter/CARE

By Sarah Easter October 29, 2024

Classrooms are full in northern Mozambique. In Cabo Delgado, there are 100 students in one small room, four children to a bench. Half of the school’s 1,072 students attend in the morning, the other half in the afternoon.

“It is not easy, but at least they have a school to go to,” one of the teachers reflected.

There are classes up to the seventh grade here, and the student ages range. Some children repeat grades because there is no higher-level school, while other students have been out of school for several years. The ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado has forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, leaving many families in a desperate search for food, shelter, and safety.

Yet, regardless of their background or age, these students come together to sing, learn, and study.

High hopes in a land of scarcity

Farsana is 15 and in the seventh grade. She is not sure if she will be able to continue her education after finishing this grade, as the nearest school offering higher levels is too far away, and her family cannot afford to send her. But Farsana has high hopes.

“I want to be a doctor to help other people,” she says. Her 18-year-old brother is in the same class, because he can’t attend a higher-level school. Farsana and her brother’s school time is in the afternoon, from 12:30 to 5:30. In the morning, they help their parents in the fields.

“I cut grass, so my parents can plant the seeds, and I help with harvesting,” she says.

“We do not have any running water. We collect rainwater during the rainy season, but it is not enough for all the children for the whole year. On a hot day, we would need at least 250 gallons of water each day for drinking, hand washing, and the latrines,” says the school’s director.

For Farsana, the lack of water is a big problem.

“It is not easy. Some weeks we have no water at all. We cannot wash our hands. We have no water to drink. We then have to go and find water somewhere in the village. It is so difficult to concentrate when I don’t have any water to drink,” she says.

Water as school supply

“If the water tank is empty, we have to ask the children to bring water to school. We have a system in place, where the classes are on weekly water duty in shifts so that everyone contributes,” says the director.

When Farsana’s class is on water duty, she uses her mother’s bucket to carry five gallons of water to the school’s water tank.

“Sometimes I find a waterhole that has enough water. Sometimes I go to the river and sometimes we have to buy it,” she says.

Addressing menstrual and other hygiene needs in schools

The school’s latrines also lack access to water, which makes hygiene a big challenge for the school and the students.

“Especially for the girls on their period, not having access to water is a problem,” says the director. There is not enough water in the school to wash the cloths they use for menstrual hygiene.

“I use a plastic bag and take it home to wash it there,” explains Farsana. Buying soap to wash the cloth is another challenge for her.

Farsana is part of a girls group at school that learns about menstrual hygiene from a CARE volunteer. She has also received a menstrual hygiene kit, which includes underwear, three washable cloths pads, and a cycle tracker.

“Before I used the traditional way, where we tie parts of our capulanas around our legs. But that was not clean or safe and you could not sit comfortably like that. Now it is a lot easier for me,” Farsana says.

Capulanas are the traditional cloth Mozambiquan woman and girls use as skirts. It is a length of material about 2 metres by 1 metre. It can either be used as a wrap-around skirt, dress or can become a baby carrier on the back. It is considered a complete piece of clothing.

What CARE is doing

Together with Farsana’s school and financial support from the Austrian Development Agency, CARE is evaluating the area to find ideal spots to build a waterhole for the school. Additionally, CARE plans to rehabilitate the water tank to increase its capacity from 1,300 gallons to 3,000 gallons and improve the rainwater collection system.

CARE plans to rebuild the latrines, making them bigger with water access and a waste management system.

“I am looking forward to when CARE finishes the waterhole,” Farsana says, “because that will make our lives a lot easier. Water is important, not just for drinking but also for hygiene and to stay healthy.

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The Hardships and Dreams of Asian Americans Living in Poverty

Illustrations by Jing Li Narrated by Kelly Marie Tran

Asian Americans are often portrayed as economically and educationally successful.

In reality, about one-in-ten Asian Americans live in poverty. Asian Americans also have the most income inequality of any major racial or ethnic group in the United States.

Without closely examining the diversity of Asian American experiences, it’s easy to miss the distinct stories of Asian Americans living with economic hardship.

To understand more about this population, Pew Research Center conducted 18 focus groups in 12 languages to explore the stories and experiences of Asian Americans living in poverty.

Table of Contents

Asian americans and financial struggles, overcoming economic challenges, striving for the american dream, about this project, methodological note, acknowledgments.

Listen to this essay

Narrated by Kelly Marie Tran

Of the 24 million Asians living in the United States, about 2.3 million live in poverty . Many are working to overcome the economic hardships they encounter and achieve their American dream. But they face challenges along the way, from Asian immigrants grappling with language barriers to U.S.-born Asians navigating pathways to success.

In February 2023, Pew Research Center conducted 18 focus groups with adult participants from 11 Asian origin groups in different regions across the U.S. These are among the most likely Asian origin groups to experience economic hardship in the U.S. Focus groups included those whose approximate family income is at or below 140%-250% of the 2022 federal poverty line, depending on their location. Accompanying these focus group findings are results from a Pew Research Center survey about the hardships and dreams of Asians living in poverty, conducted from July 2022 to January 2023.

Some common themes that focus group participants shared include day-to-day financial difficulties, assumptions by others that they do not need help because they are Asian, and the importance of financial security in achieving the American dream.

Related:   1 in 10: Redefining the Asian American Dream (Short Film)

Focus groups also reveal that Asian Americans’ experiences with economic hardship differ by whether they were born in the U.S. or outside the country. Some immigrants not only experience difficulties making ends meet, but also face challenges that come with living in a new, unfamiliar country. These include learning English, navigating daily life in a new place and finding a stable job.

Even though U.S.-born Asians grew up in this country and speak English, they talk about the challenges of understanding what it takes to succeed in America. This includes getting the “right” education, getting access to the “right” knowledge and knowing the “right” people to succeed.

The findings in this data essay reveal what participants shared about their experiences with economic hardship, overcoming challenges, and their views of the American dream and social mobility in America.

The terms Asians and Asian Americans are used interchangeably throughout this data essay to refer to those who self-identify as Asian, either alone or in combination with other races or Hispanic identity.

The terms living in poverty, living near or below the federal poverty line and living with economic hardship are used interchangeably throughout this essay to refer to adults whose family income is close to or below the 2022 federal poverty line.

• For results on Asian adults from the focus groups, this refers to adults whose approximate family income is at or below 140%-250% of the federal poverty line. Thresholds varied by focus group recruitment locations to account for differences in the cost of living.
• For results on Asian adults from the survey , this refers to adults whose approximate family income falls at or below 100% of the federal poverty line.
• For data on the total U.S. Asian population from the U.S. Census Bureau , this refers to all Asian Americans whose family income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty line.

The terms federal poverty line and poverty line are used interchangeably to refer to the federal poverty guidelines published yearly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The term U.S. born refers to people born in 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories.

The term immigrant refers to people who were born outside the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories.

“It got really bad to the point where a simple bowl of rice, we weren’t even able to afford that. So there were times where a bowl of rice would be a meal for all three meals, or we just simply did not eat.” NOLAN , FILM PARTICIPANT

Financial difficulties are part of many Asian Americans’ day-to-day lives, according to the 2022-23 survey. Asian adults were asked if they had experienced any of the following financial challenges in the past 12 months: gotten food from a food bank or a charitable organization, lost their health insurance, had problems paying for their rent or mortgage, had trouble paying for medical care for themselves or their family, had trouble paying their bills, or been unable to save money for emergencies.

About eight-in-ten Asian adults living near or below the poverty line (79%) have experienced at least one of these six financial challenges. In comparison, 48% of Asian adults living above the poverty line said the same. 1

The most common financial difficulty experienced is being unable to save for emergencies. More than half of Asian adults living in poverty (57%) said this had happened to them. By comparison, fewer Asian adults living above the poverty line (40%) said this.

More than half of Asian adults living in poverty say they have been unable to save for emergencies

% of Asian adults living near or below the federal poverty line who say they have __ in the past 12 months

Note: “Asian adults living in poverty” refers to survey respondents whose approximate family income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty line. Share of respondents who didn’t offer an answer or answered “no” not shown. nn

Source: Survey of Asian American adults conducted July 5, 2022-Jan. 27, 2023. “The Hardships and Dreams of Asian Americans Living in Poverty”

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Some focus group participants shared how challenging it was for them to save because of their earnings and their family needs. Participants also talked about the urgency they feel to save for their children and retirement:

“I feel a bit helpless [about my financial situation]. … I don’t want to be in debt. I have to save money to raise my kids, but I don’t have money to save.”

–Immigrant man of Korean origin in early 30s (translated from Korean)

“[I save money] to go to Pakistan. Because I have four children … I needed five or six tickets, in case my husband traveled with us, and it required a lot of money. We used to save for one whole year, and when we were back from Pakistan, we were usually empty-handed. Then the cycle started again.”

–Immigrant woman of Pakistani origin in late 40s (translated from Urdu)

“You’re not going to work forever. No one is going to work forever. You want to have savings … for your rent [or] in case of medical bills [if] something happens. [You] might as well [save for] some trips down the while when you [can] travel still. But you’re not going to be working at 80 years old, are you?”

–U.S.-born man of Chinese origin in early 40s

“We were all four of us in one apartment, four siblings, plus the parents, so that’s six people in a house, which was very, very cramped.” SABA , FILM PARTICIPANT

Other common difficulties for Asian Americans living near or below the poverty line include having trouble paying their bills (42%), needing to get food from a food bank or a charitable organization (38%) and having problems paying their rent or mortgage (33%), the survey found. Smaller shares of Asian adults living above the poverty line say they experienced difficulties paying their bills (17%), got food from a food bank or a charity (6%) or had trouble paying their rent or mortgage (11%).

These findings were echoed in our focus groups, where participants recalled the stress and tension their families felt when things like this happened to them:

“My dad lost his car a couple of times. There was this one time where I remember it was nighttime. All of a sudden, a cop comes over to our home [with another person]. … And my dad was forced to give up his car to this stranger … because, I don’t know, he wasn’t paying off the car or something. And it was very humiliating, and my brothers wanted to get physical with that person because he was acting very arrogantly. My dad was able to eventually pay back the car and somehow get it back. But there were many times when we might not have had a roof over our heads.”

–U.S.-born man of Pakistani origin in late 20s

Asian immigrants face challenges navigating life and employment in the U.S.

Immigrant and U.S.-born Asians experience economic hardship in different ways. Asian immigrants in the focus groups discussed how a lack of English proficiency, navigating transportation and getting a good job all shape their experiences with economic hardship.

“I felt sad about life, didn’t know the language, didn’t know the roads. I had no friends, so I felt very sad.” PHONG , FILM PARTICIPANT (TRANSLATED FROM VIETNAMESE)

For example, not knowing English when they first arrived in the country created extra challenges when using local transportation systems and meeting basic daily life needs such as shopping for groceries:

“When we were very young, the most difficult thing we faced [after coming to the U.S.] was not being able to speak the language. Unless you lived in those times, you wouldn’t know. We didn’t know how to buy food. … We didn’t know the language and there was no interpreter available. … I didn’t know how to take the bus, I didn’t know where to go, or to which place they were taking me to school. When we were asked to go to the classroom, we didn’t know where to go. … There was no other way, because there was no communication.”

–Immigrant woman of Hmong origin in late 50s (translated from Hmong)

Language barriers also brought extra hurdles for Asian immigrants in the job market. Some focus group participants said it was hard to explain their skills to potential employers in English effectively, even if they had the relevant education or skills for the job and had learned English before they immigrated:

“After coming [to the U.S.], there were many problems to face, first … the language problem. We have read English … but we are not used to speaking. … We also had education … but since we can’t explain ourselves in English – what we can do, what we know … we are getting rejected [from jobs] as we cannot speak. … Another problem was that I had a child. My child was small. I could not go to work leaving him. At that time, my husband was working. He also had the same thing – he had education, but he could not get a good job because of the language. [As another participant] said, we had to work below the minimum wage.”

–Immigrant woman of Bangladeshi origin in late 30s (translated from Bengali)

Not wanting to be a burden influenced life choices of many U.S.-born participants

For many U.S.-born focus group participants, concerns about being a burden to their families shaped their childhoods and many of their life decisions:

“It’s difficult to talk to [my parents] because you grew up here and it’s just totally different from them growing up in Vietnam. … It’s the same like what [another participant] was saying, when you take off the burden to your parents, right? So I dropped out of college, just because I didn’t want them paying anymore. I just didn’t think that I was going to do or be anything in college, right? So I would rather work. So I started taking responsibility of my own and you start working really hard and you getting out of the house and helping them pay for bills.”

–U.S.-born man of Vietnamese origin in mid-40s

“My family’s struggling. Is education more important, [or] is working more important? I really felt that growing up because a lot of my friends, education – going to college and going to a techno school – wasn’t really on their radar, it wasn’t really something on their plan. I think talking to a lot of the folks and a lot of my friends during their time, they felt like they had to grow up to provide for their family or for you to find some type of income to kind of help their family. And so that really drove the direction of at least one of my friends, or a lot of my friends.”

–U.S.-born man of Hmong origin in mid-30s

Some U.S.-born focus group participants said that when reflecting on their childhoods, they could see the financial burden they had on their families in a way they did not realize as a child:

“At a certain point you become very aware of how much of a financial burden you are. You don’t ask for anything you want. Like, you don’t ask for prom. You don’t ask to join clubs. You don’t ask to go on field trips, things like that. You just know that it’s going to cause so much drain on your parents.”

–U.S.-born woman of Vietnamese origin in mid-20s

“[My parents] had like a lot of responsibilities, like … giving money back to their father, and then their sisters and brothers, helping them out back [in Pakistan]. … [My father] had to support us and then send money back constantly there. I didn’t know that until now, basically. … We would hardly see him. Maybe like on Sunday, we would see him a couple of hours. But it was on the weekdays, we would hardly see our father. He was always working.”

–U.S.-born woman of Pakistani origin in early 30s

The survey found that when Asian adults living in poverty have needed help with bills, housing, food or seeking a job, about six-in-ten (61%) say they’ve turned to family or friends.

% of Asian adults adults living near or below the federal poverty line who say they have ever turned to or received assistance from the following for help with bills, housing, food, or searching for a job

* Professional organizations only offered as an option for receiving assistance when searching for a job. Note: “Asian adults living in poverty” refers to respondents whose approximate family income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty line. “Government” includes the federal, state or local government. “Religious institutions” include churches, temples or other religious institutions. Share of respondents who didn’t offer an answer or answered “no” not shown.

Some focus group participants mentioned that families and friends in their ethnic community were a great source of financial help. For others, the limited size of their ethnic community in the U.S. posed obstacles in obtaining assistance.

“My dad arrived in the U.S. when he was 26 years old, and I’m now 29 years old. … I have seven siblings and my parents who support me. And my parents didn’t have that, they didn’t have their parents to support them.” TANG , FILM PARTICIPANT

“It was very difficult during [my] study [at university]. … I had a scholarship, most of the part was scholarship; however, I had to pay something between $10,000 and $15,000 per semester. And I had to eat, I had to pay rent, I had to do everything. At the same time, there are many other things too, aren’t there? And there was always a stress about money. This semester is over now, how do I pay for the next? I had no clarity about what to do and not to do. In that situation, I approached those friends studying there or who came there a little earlier and were working to borrow money. … I [was] offered help by some friends and in finding a job and being helped for my needs.”

–Immigrant man of Nepalese origin in early 40s (translated from Nepali)

“We didn’t have a large Burmese community to ask for such help. It was not yet present. As we had no such community, when we had just arrived, we told close friends, got directions and went to ask for help.”

–Immigrant woman of Burmese origin in late 40s (translated from Burmese)

However, not all Asians living with economic hardship have asked for or received help. In the focus groups, participants shared why they or their families sometimes did not do so or felt hesitant. Fear of gossip and shame were mentioned multiple times:

“[I experienced financial difficulties after I first arrived in the U.S.] because I came here as a student. … It’s because I had to pay monthly rent and I paid for living expenses. I felt a little pressured when the monthly payment date approached. I had no choice but to ask my parents in Korea for money even as an adult, so I felt a sense of shame.”

–Immigrant woman of Korean origin in early 40s (translated from Korean)

“My cousin will [help me financially] without judgment. But, like, my aunt and elders – if it gets back to them [that I asked for help], it’s going to for sure come with judgment. And if I could figure it out myself, I will take the way without judgment.”

“To add on to what [another participant] said, if you go to the community [for help] or whatever, you know, by tomorrow everybody’s going to know it’s your problem.”

–U.S.-born woman of Pakistani origin in early 40s

Immigrants who came to the U.S. because of conflict are more familiar with government aid programs

Asian immigrants come to this country for a variety of reasons. In the focus groups, immigrant participants who came to the U.S. due to conflict or war in their origin countries referenced government assistance programs more often than those who came for other reasons.

This reflects a broader pattern among Asian immigrants overall: Those who came because of conflict or persecution have turned to federal, state or local governments for help with living expenses or employment more often than immigrants who came for economic or educational opportunities, according to the survey.

Focus group participants reflected on differences in the amount of government help available. Sometimes, they expressed a sense of unequal treatment:

“Vietnamese have this program where people got sponsored because of the war. So for other Asians, they feel that we are more privileged. Because from what I know, the Koreans and the Japanese, they must have money in order to come to America. As for us, we can come here through the refugee program, we can come here through the political program. They feel that we got more preferential treatment than other Asians in that regard.”

–Immigrant man of Vietnamese origin in early 40s (translated from Vietnamese)

“During the pandemic, I had to go through housing assistance and everything [to pay my rent]. Something like that with EBT [Electronic Benefits Transfer], how they send you stimulus checks. Korea doesn’t have any of that stuff.”

–U.S.-born woman of Korean origin in late 40s

“I think my community is relatively traditional. Because 20 years ago, we went straight to Chinatown fresh off the plane [after immigrating]. I still remember being in [the local] hospital, lots of social workers were there to help out, including with a medical insurance card, and applying for service, most importantly medical insurance. We all went to [the same] street. We relied on other Chinese people.”

–Immigrant man of Chinese origin in late 30s (translated from Mandarin)

Family ties contribute to increased awareness of government programs. For example, when asked how they learned about using government programs for help, some U.S.-born participants said:

“[I learned about the government programs from] my parents. I had to translate for them.”

–U.S.-born woman of Cambodian origin in mid-30s

“I was working at [a smoothie shop], and I was 17 and a half. … My college loan was like $50,000 [and I was] making $12.50 [an hour], how the hell am I supposed to be paying that month to month? Because my month-to-month was damn near $300, $500. My $12.50 an hour does not even cover for it, any of it, whatsoever. And, you know, me [having] been kicked out of home … I was living with my aunt. … I don’t want to burden her. So I had to go and ask her. She told me, ‘Hey, you should go and apply for food stamps.’”

–U.S.-born woman of Laotian origin in mid-30s

U.S.-born and immigrant focus group participants hold different views on education’s role in achieving a better future

“My friend, he started out at internship … I was too naive. I was laughing at the time, like, ‘Man you spend your time? You took buses there every day? No pay?’ … I just didn’t know the big picture behind [it]. I wish I could plan for [it] just like how they did.” PHUOC , FILM PARTICIPANT

Reflecting on what could lead to success and achieving the American dream, focus group participants who were born in or grew up in the U.S. emphasized the value of getting connected to the “right” opportunities:

“[You don’t have] to go to school to be successful. I mean, they say there are people who are book smart and just people who are street smart, you know. [As long as you] grow up and you know the right people … networking on the right people to get into things. Or, you know, the right people to do the right things to get to where you want to be in life.”

–U.S.-born man of Hmong origin in late 20s

Other participants said it would have helped if their families had a deeper understanding of how the education system prepares them for good careers:

“I feel if my parents were educated and they could have guided me in the right direction [for college] – although, they tried their best. I’m not blaming them. But, you know, if I had someone of a more academic background who knew the system … I will try my best to help my daughter out in college or help her choose what her major is going to be. [My parents couldn’t provide] that kind of help that really helped me in choosing my major. … And so I think just the background that we come from was not the best – or not having the full grasp of this system. … Versus someone who’s had parents here for multiple years, and their parents are now telling them, like, ‘Hey, this is not the right decision for you. Try doing this. This will be better in the long run.’”

–U.S.-born man of Pakistani origin in early 30s

Some also said firsthand knowledge of how to invest and how the U.S. financial system works would have helped:

“[In] the newer generation, we have access to learn all the things we need to, right? [I watch videos] that talk about, like, ‘These are the things you need to do in order to be financially successful. You need to invest your money, get into stocks,’ and stuff like that. And I know that not even 1% of my Hmong community knows anything about that stuff. … So I think we can be more financially successful, including myself, if we were to look more deeply into those things.”

–U.S.-born woman of Hmong origin in late 20s

“If you’re educated and know how, like, let’s say investments work, if you know how that’s done and then you apply it actually going through [someone] like investors or even stockbrokers, then you’ll see the fruits of your labor, or at least experience that, as opposed to not even having the knowledge or even the experience to begin with.”

–U.S.-born man of Cambodian origin in mid-30s

Some participants shared that even when they have some knowledge of financial institutions, they feel the system is working against them:

“I think systematic racism [is a barrier to achieving the American dream]. … I mean, if you own a car, you got to get the bank to approve you. … And they charge people with, like, no credit the highest fee, the most percentage, which are a lot of the folks [like] us trying to achieve the American dream. And then we go to neighborhoods that have the highest crime rate, we also have the most premiums. … And so I think that, one, we’re paying a lot more with much less … the system [was] set up well before minorities, and I think we’re pretty much going to fall behind.”

Many focus group participants also see the value of education, especially a college one, in leading toward a better future and achieving the American dream:

“[When I think of the American dream, it means] if you work hard enough, you can succeed. … You can get an education or a higher education. Then you have so many choices here and exposure to so many ideas and concepts that you wouldn’t otherwise.”

“The bachelor’s degree was important to me in the sense that I needed it so that I could apply for the jobs I wanted. … I guess it made things a bit easier.” THET , FILM PARTICIPANT (TRANSLATED FROM BURMESE)

But this sentiment resonated more with immigrant participants than those born in the U.S.:

“It is the education and the relevant knowledge I think that our Hmong people must have. We’ve been living in this country for the last 45 years. I think that to live in this country, it is very important for some people. I do not think everyone has a ‘lawyer’ or a ‘doctor’ in their house. If it happens, maybe we will reach our goal and the poverty will gradually disappear from our lives.”

–Immigrant woman of Hmong origin in mid-30s (translated from Hmong)

“I think if I obtain any degree, I would perhaps be able to do something.”

Assumptions about Asians hurt their chances of overcoming challenges

Participants shared that other people’s assumptions about Asians complicate their experience of living with economic hardship. Asians are often characterized as a “model minority” and portrayed as educationally and financially successful when compared with other groups.

Some participants shared how the assumption that all Asians are doing well hurt their ability to seek help:

“I have a daughter … she’s the only Asian in class. … Everybody tends to think, ‘She’s Asian; she’s so smart; her mommy has money. So you got to invite her to your birthday party because her mom is rich. [Her] mom will buy you a present.’ … I’m not rich, but because we’re Asian … she’s invited to all these parties.”

–U.S.-born woman of Hmong origin in early 30s

“What I can assume is that outside of our community, especially at the government level, [including] state level and central federal level here, we are missing out or not eligible for benefits. In their opinion, we are rich, no matter if we are working or not. [They may think] our stories may not be genuine. They may think we are making up a story [if we apply for benefits].”

Freedom was a recurring theme in how focus group participants define their American dream. Two aspects were mentioned. The first was freedom from debt and stress over making ends meet, such as paying for everyday basic needs including rent and food. The second was the ability to make life choices freely without financial constraints, enabling them to live the life they aspire to.

Reaching the American dream

Half of Asians living near or below the federal poverty line say they believe they have achieved the American dream or are on their way to achieving it, the survey found. This includes 15% who say they have achieved it and 36% who say they are on their way. By comparison, among those living above the poverty line, 27% say they’ve achieved the American dream, and another 46% say they are on their way.

“Before I came to America, I had never heard of the American dream. … But because I was able to at least bring my son along, not only my life but also his education has improved significantly.” THEIN , FILM PARTICIPANT (TRANSLATED FROM BURMESE)

Among focus group participants, many were optimistic about reaching the American dream for themselves:

“[To me, the American dream is] the opportunity to come to America. I’ve learned a lot after reaching here. And I’ve been able to help my parents and relatives. Despite facing some troubles here, I’ve [provided them a] little financial assistance. I would’ve been unable to help them if I had been in Bhutan.”

–Immigrant woman of Bhutanese origin in late 40s (translated from Dzongkha)

Some participants were also hopeful that the next generation can achieve their American dream, even when they themselves are not there yet:

“When I think about the American dream, I look back at myself, because I belong to the first generation that came to this country. We all started very late. I know that this country will help you, but really it will not be easy for us. … What I think will help me to be happy is to ‘reach the American dream.’ If I can’t achieve it, then I will support my children so that they can reach the dream and I will be happy with them. I will give my children money to help them study.”

“If I can’t get [the American dream] for myself, it is okay. No matter how I am, I’ve already reached half of my life. But I’ve done as much as I can do for [my children], so my responsibility is done. If it’s their turn, I believe they will be able to do all that I couldn’t. I believe it.”

“I would like to own a home one day. And at this rate, and like many of my peers, that’s not a reachable goal right now. I don’t see it being a reachable goal for me for a very, very, very long time.” TANG , FILM PARTICIPANT

Still, the survey found that 47% of Asian adults living in poverty say the American dream is out of reach for them, higher than the share among those living above the poverty line (26%). Not all Asians living in poverty feel the same way about achieving the American dream, with U.S.-born Asians in the focus groups being less optimistic about reaching the American dream than immigrant Asians.

“In a certain era with the U.S. and the immigrants coming, the American dream [was] you come, you study, you do this, you can climb up the ladder, etc., etc. That was the big American dream. And I think there was a period where that was possible. Not any longer.”

Others also shared worries about their prospects of reaching the American dream because of different immigration histories and economic concerns such as inflation:

“I think I was conditioned to think too small to have the American dream. … Vietnamese Americans came over here at a very specific time. … There were Chinese Americans that came here like centuries ago, and they had the time to build generational wealth. We know that Vietnamese people came here in the ’70s. That’s not enough time to grow generational wealth.”

–U.S.-born woman of Vietnamese origin in late 20s

“I have kids. … They’re spoiled. … Now with inflation, houses are more expensive now [than 10, 20 years ago], right? Let’s say 20 years from now, when they buy a house, [the American dream] is going to be unachievable, you know what I mean? Like, unless they are a TikTok star or an entertainer or some kind. … [It’s] going to be tough.”

–U.S.-born man of Chinese origin in late 30s

Freedom from debt

For many participants, being debt-free is important to their vision of the American dream and promotes a life with more financial stability and independence:

“[If I could choose one dream in America, it would be to have] no debt. … When buying something, they always say, ‘Be careful, or you’ll be in debt.’ … And that is what got stuck in my throat.”

–Immigrant woman of Laotian origin in mid-30s (translated from Lao)

“[I haven’t achieved the American dream because I’m not] debt-free, you know, just trying to have extra money, instead of living paycheck to paycheck.”

“[My dream in America is] to be independent, for example, we always lived with the money of mom and dad. One is to be independent when you come here. Let me earn so much money that if I go to the store and buy something, I don’t even have to look at the price tag. That [is] my dream.”

–Immigrant woman of Nepalese origin in early 40s (translated from Nepali)

Participants shared that being debt-free also means having less stress and worry about making ends meet so that they can have extra resources and bandwidth to help their families:

“[The most important thing to achieving the American dream is] being debt-free and having real estate and income steadiness. … If you have rent income, you’re not trading in your time for money, so you have real estate. … You’re not stressing, you have time for your kids more, and your family. You’re probably a little bit happier.”

–Immigrant man of Cambodian origin in mid-20s

“The main thing is that I want to fully support my father and mother, and that I don’t have to worry about [how] I will support myself, or how I will pay my house rent. This is my number one.”

–Immigrant woman of Bangladeshi origin in late 20s (translated from Bengali)

For others, having a stable job is an important step to reaching the American dream:

“I want to have a job, and if I have a job, I’ll have money. I’m only working three and a half days a week right now, and I want to work more. I want more jobs the most, right now. I don’t need anything in America. Just a job.”

Freedom to dream

Focus group participants mentioned having the financial ability to not only meet their basic needs, but also pursue their dreams. Asians born in the U.S. mentioned the freedom to chase one’s aspirations without financial constraints more often than immigrants. Regardless of nativity, the ability to live the life they want is fundamental to many focus group participants’ definitions of the American dream:

“[When] everyone around you is immigrants and you’re all just trying to survive, the only thing you’re trained to think about is survival. But you’re not thinking about investment. Like, when you grow older and you start thinking, ‘Okay, I need to spend money to make money,’ that’s when you start thinking bigger. Yeah, I’m not just thinking about like having one home, I want 10 homes.”

“[Financial] stability is you have nothing but you could survive. [Financial] freedom is you have enough that you can do anything you want. That’s my financial freedom.”

“As it was so hard at that time … what motivated you to keep going and work so hard?” “My strength, my mindset was I wanted to earn money so that my children could have a bright future.” PHUOC AND PHONG , FILM PARTICIPANTS (TRANSLATED FROM VIETNAMESE)

The American dream, to some focus group participants, is about more than financial achievements. Finding happiness and helping others, ultimately leading them to live the life they desire, are key parts of their American dream.

“I want to thank [another participant] for saying ‘self-actualization,’ because personally I think it’s really powerful to be able to know what you want. Because then you’ll know what kind of job you want, what kind of house you want, whether you want to be in politics or not. Like, loving yourself and understanding yourself to your core, then that will be the [deciding factor].”

–Immigrant man of Cambodian origin in early 40s

“I think for me [the American dream] is that there is a house for me, with no interest, I do not owe any loan, my parents could live there comfortably, their struggle is over, and also I have enough … to be able to do something for Pakistan later [in life], God willing.”

–Immigrant woman of Pakistani origin in mid-20s (translated from Urdu)

“[Some people define success as having] lots of money, kids, cars, right? But that’s not really … what I would consider success. Success is something that – does it make you happy? … Are you happy every day going to work? Does it make you happy? When you come home, are you happy?”

Pew Research Center designed these focus groups and survey questions to better understand the experiences of Asian Americans living with economic hardship. By including participants who are among the Asian origin groups most likely to experience poverty, the focus groups aimed to capture, in their own words, their experiences and challenges in America today. The discussions in these groups may or may not resonate with all Asians living in poverty in the United States.

The project is part of a broader research portfolio studying the diverse experiences of Asians living in the U.S.

Survey and demographic analysis of Asians living in poverty

For a comprehensive examination of Asian adults’ experiences with economic hardship from Pew Research Center’s 2022-23 survey of Asian Americans, as well as a demographic analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, read “Key facts about Asian Americans living in poverty.”

Videos throughout this data essay illustrate what focus group participants discussed. Individuals recorded in these video clips did not participate in the focus groups but were selected based on similar demographic characteristics and thematically relevant stories.

Watch the short film related to the themes in the data essay.

This multi-method research project examines the many facets of living with economic hardship among Asian Americans today.

The qualitative analysis is based on 18 focus groups conducted in February 2023 in 12 languages with 144 participants across four locations. Recruited participants had an approximate family income that is at or below 140%-250% of the federal poverty line, depending on the location. More information about the focus group methodology and analysis can be found in the focus group methodology .

The survey analysis included in this data essay is based on 561 Asian adults living near or below the poverty line from Pew Research Center’s 2022-23 survey of Asian Americans, the largest nationally representative survey of Asian American adults of its kind to date, conducted in six languages. For more details, refer to the survey methodology . For questions used in this analysis, refer to the topline questionnaire .

Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. The Center’s Asian American portfolio was funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, with generous support from The Asian American Foundation; Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; the Henry Luce Foundation; the Doris Duke Foundation; The Wallace H. Coulter Foundation; The Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation; The Long Family Foundation; Lu-Hebert Fund; Gee Family Foundation; Joseph Cotchett; the Julian Abdey and Sabrina Moyle Charitable Fund; and Nanci Nishimura.

We would also like to thank the Leaders Forum for its thought leadership and valuable assistance in helping make this survey possible.

The strategic communications campaign used to promote the research was made possible with generous support from the Doris Duke Foundation.

This is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of a number of individuals and experts at Pew Research Center and outside experts.

• In this data essay, definitions of “living near or below the poverty line” and related terms differ between survey respondents and focus group participants. Refer to the terminology box for details. ↩

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College Essay Prompts: Complete List, Analysis, and Advice

College Admissions , College Essays

When talking about college essays, we tend to focus on the Common Application prompts , and it's true that many students will need to write a Common App essay. However, there are actually quite a few schools, including both public and private universities, that don't use the Common App and instead ask applicants to respond to their own college essay prompts.

Luckily, college essay prompts tend to be pretty similar to each other. In this guide, I'll list all the college essay questions for popular schools in the US (and a few abroad) and then break down the patterns to help you brainstorm topics and plan how to approach multiple essays efficiently. After reading this guide, you'll be able to strategize which essays you'll write for which colleges.

Feature image: Mayr /Flickr

Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?

The short answer: the essay gives admissions committees a sense of your personality beyond the statistics on the rest of your application. The essay is your chance to show the committee your unique perspective and impress them with your maturity and insight.

College application essay prompts are written with this goal in mind. Admissions officers want to give you the chance to share your interests, aspirations, and views on the world, so most prompts ask about how your experiences have shaped you or what you're excited about studying or doing in college. I've collected a ton of examples below and provided some analysis to help you begin planning and crafting your own essays.

Keep in mind that the personal statement alone won't be enough to get you in— your grades and test scores are still the most important factors in your application . That being said, a stellar essay can help bring a borderline applicant over the top or give an excellent but not extraordinary student the opportunity to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.

As such, the essay tends to matter most for very competitive schools. Non-competitive schools generally don't ask you to submit an essay.

Complete List of College Essay Prompts

This list collects the 2024-2025 college essay prompts for major state universities, top-50 schools, and other popular schools which have their own unique questions. They're divided by region, with all optional essays listed at the end.

I left off the Common App supplements, as those often require a substantially different approach. I also stuck to four-year schools, meaning I didn't include special two-year programs, such as Deep Springs College or Miami Dade College's Honors Program (both of which require essays).

Finally, note that these prompts are for freshman applicants, so the requirements might be different for transfer students .

General Applications

There are three general applications you can use to apply to many different schools at once:

Common Application

Universal college application, coalition application.

Each application has its own personal statement requirement. Some schools will ask for additional supplemental essays.

Many more schools accept the Common App than they do the UCA or Coalition Application , though some will accept more than one of these applications.

For the Common App essay, you pick one of the prompts and write 250-650 words about it. Here are the prompts for the 2024-2025 school year:

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.

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?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

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?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

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?

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.

The UCA essay prompt is completely open ended and has a 650-word limit. Here is the 2024-2025 prompt:

Please write an essay that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event.

For the Coalition Application, you'll pick one of five prompts listed below. While there is no hard word limit, the range guidelines are roughly 500-600 words. Here are the prompts for 2024-2025:

Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future? 

Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?

Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?

What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Now that you know the essay requirements for the three general applications, let’s look at the application essays for specific schools . To keep things organized, we’ve grouped schools based on the region of the US in which they’re located.

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic

The Great Dome at MIT

Georgetown University

Georgetown asks applicants to write one short response (250 words), one short essay (about half a single-spaced page), and two longer essays (approximately one single-spaced page each). Each applicant must respond to the first three prompts and can choose among the other five based on the specific program she's interested in.

Short Essay: Please elaborate on any special talents or skills you would like to highlight. (250 words)

All Applicants: Briefly discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved. (About 1/2 page, single-spaced)

All Applicants: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief personal or creative essay which you feel best describes you and reflects on your own background, identity, skills, and talents. (Approximately one page, single-spaced)

Applicants to Georgetown College: Describe y our interest in studying in the College of Arts & Sciences. (Applicants interested in the sciences, mathematics, or languages are encouraged to make specific reference to their choice of major.)

Applicants to the School of Nursing:  Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying Nursing at Georgetown University.

Applicants to the School of Health: Describe the factors that influenced your interest in studying health care at Georgetown University, specifically addressing your intended related major: Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, or Human Science.

Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service: The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems.  Describe your primary motivations for studying international affairs at Georgetown University and dedicating your undergraduate studies toward a future in global service.

Applicants to the McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives.  Describe your primary motivations for studying business at Georgetown University.

For more Georgetown application tips, check out our articles on the Georgetown essays and how to get into Georgetown .

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT doesn't ask for a single personal statement but rather asks applicants to respond to a series of questions with just a paragraph or two of 100-200 words each .

What field of study appeals to you the most right now? (Note: Applicants select from a drop-down list.) Tell us more about why this field of study at MIT appeals to you.

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.

While some reach their goals following well-trodden paths, others blaze their own trails achieving the unexpected. In what ways have you done something different than what was expected in your educational journey?

MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds together to collaborate, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to lending a helping hand. Describe one way you have collaborated with others to learn from them, with them, or contribute to your community together.

How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn’t expect? What did you learn from it?

For more details on how to get into MIT , read our other articles on the MIT application process , tips for MIT essays , and an example of a real MIT acceptance letter !

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Indiana University Bloomington

IU asks for 200-400 words on your plans and interests.

Describe your academic and career plans and any special interests (e.g., undergraduate research, academic interests, leadership opportunities, etc.) that you are eager to pursue as an undergraduate at Indiana University. If you encountered any unusual circumstances, challenges, or obstacles in completing your education, share those experiences and how you overcame them.

University of Illinois

The University of Illinois asks for two essays (or three only if you selected a second-choice major other than what's noted on your application). All responses should be approximately 150 words.

You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program, and if you've selected a second choice. Each response should be approximately 150 words. If You're Applying to a Major: 1.  Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. 2.  Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. If You're Applying to Our Undeclared Program in the Division of General Studies: 1.  What are your academic interests? Please include 2-3 majors you're considering at Illinois and why. 2.  What are your future academic or career goals? You may include courses you took in high school and how these impacted your goals.

If You've Selected a Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared): Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals.

If you're applying to UIUC, check out our UIUC essay tips article as well!

University of Wisconsin–Madison

All applicants must complete two essays for UW–Madison. The essays should be 250-650 words in length and may be used for scholarship and campus program review.

If you apply through the Common Application, you’ll be asked to reply to one of the freshman Common Application essays in lieu of the first essay prompt below, but you’ll be required to respond to the second prompt below. 

If you apply through the UW System Application, the following two essays are required:

Each student is unique. Please tell us about the particular life experiences, talents, commitments, and/or interests you will bring to our campus.

Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest.

Kyle Field at Texas A&M ( Ed Schipul /Flickr)

The ApplyTexas application is used by all Texas public universities and some private colleges. There are four ApplyTexas essay prompts. Which ones you need to respond to will depend on where you're applying. UT Austin, for example, requires applicants to submit at least one essay responding to Topic A on the ApplyTexas application. .

While there's no set word limit, the online application will cut off each essay at 120 lines (~1000 words).

Topic A: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Topic B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

Topic C: You've got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Topic D: Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept the Apply Texas Application. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education , you are not required to write this essay.

Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

We go into all the ApplyTexas prompts in detail here !

University of Georgia

For UGA, applicants must write two essays, one 200-300 words and one 250-650 words . Both essays are required for all applicants. The longer personal essay uses the Common Application prompts ; the prompt for the shorter essay is as follows:

“The transition from middle to high school is a key time for students as they reach new levels of both academic and personal discovery. Please share a book (novel, non-fiction, etc.) that had a serious impact on you during this time. Please focus more on why this book made an impact on you and less on the plot/theme of the book itself (we are not looking for a book report).”

For a more detailed discussion of the UGA essays, read this article .

The Campanile at UC Berkeley

University of California

Students applying to the UC system must respond to four out of eight short personal insight questions. The maximum word count for each response is 350 words.

• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
• Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
• What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
• Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
• Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
• Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Learn more about the UC essays , the UC application , and how to choose which UC schools to apply to with our complete guides .

University of Oregon

Applicants to the University of Oregon are required to submit one essay of 650 words or fewer. You also have the option to write a second essay (maximum of 500 words), but it’s not required.

The essay prompts are as follows:

The UO is interested in learning more about you. Write an essay of 650 words or less that shares information that we cannot find elsewhere on your application. Any topic you choose is welcome. Some ideas you might consider include your future ambitions and goals, a special talent, extracurricular activity, or unusual interest that sets you apart from your peers, or a significant experience that influenced your life. If you are applying to the UO's Robert D. Clark Honors College, feel free to resubmit your honors college application essay.

Optional second essay: As you've looked into what it will be like to attend Oregon, you've hopefully learned what makes Ducks Ducks. No two are alike, though, so tell us what makes you you, and how that connects to our campus community. We are interested in your thoughts and experiences recognizing difference and supporting equity and inclusion, and choosing one of these two options will guide you in sharing those thoughts. You can learn more about equity and inclusion at Oregon by visiting the Equity and Inclusion website . Maximum statement length is 500 words. This statement is not required.

University of Washington

In addition to its specific prompts, the University of Washington gives specific advice about what its admissions officers consider to be good writing before the prompts:

"At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Essay Prompt (Required): Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped shape it. Maximum length: 650 words.

Short Response (Required): Our families and our communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. Maximum length: 300 words

You can also find more tips on the University of Washington essays in this blog article .

International

Generally speaking, international schools are less likely to ask for an essay, since admission tends to be heavily focused on grades and test results. However, a few popular international schools do ask for a personal statement as part of their application.

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UK Schools)

UCAS is a general application for UK schools (similar to the Common App in the US). There's no specific prompt for the personal statement—instead, applicants are required to write an essay describing what they want to study, why they want to study it, and what they bring to the table. There is a 4,000-character/47-line limit.

University of British Columbia

UBC asks applicants to fill out a personal profile consisting of five to seven short-answer questions that vary depending on the program you're applying to. Answers should be 50-200 words.

Depending on which degree program you apply to, you’ll be asked to answer some or all of the following questions on the UBC application:

• Tell us about who you are. How would your family, friends, and/or members of your community describe you? If possible, please include something about yourself that you are most proud of and why.
• What is important to you? And why?
• Family/community responsibilities
• Creative or performing arts
• Work/employment
• Service to others
• Tell us more about one or two activities listed above that are most important to you. Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response.
• Additional information: You may wish to use the space below to provide UBC with more information on your academic history to date and/or your future academic plans. For example: How did you choose your courses in secondary school? Are there life circumstances that have affected your academic decisions to date? What have you done to prepare yourself specifically for your intended area of study at UBC?
• Please submit the names of two referees who know you well and can comment on your preparedness for study at UBC. Examples of referees include an employer, a community member, a coach, a teacher/instructor, or anyone who knows you well. One of the referees you select must be able to speak to one of the activities/experiences described in one of your long-answer responses above. For applicants who are currently attending a high school, one of your referees must be a school official (e.g., Grade 12 or senior year counsellor, teacher, or IB coordinator). Neither referee should be a friend, family member, or paid agent.

Some programs of study may ask applicants to respond to the questions above and some additional, program-specific questions when completing the personal profile.

University of Cambridge

Optional Essays

Some schools don't require an essay from all applicants but do recommend or require an essay for certain programs. I've listed a selection of those prompts below.

Arizona State University

Students applying to the Barrett Honors College at ASU must submit one essay of 300 to 500 words in response to one of the following prompts (your response may be critical or creative):

City University of New York

Applicants to Macaulay Honors College must write two essays: an “about you” essay, and an essay describing your plans for college. Each response should be around 500 words, give or take a few within reason.

Essay 1 Describe an experience/time that impacted your life. It could be when you learned something new, faced a situation that challenged you, or anything academic, personal, or professional related that has made an impact on you.

Essay 2 Why do you want to go to college and what are some of your areas of academic interest or career goals? How does your specific Macaulay campus choice fit with those plans? What do you expect to contribute and gain from the campus-based and Macaulay communities?

Ohio University

For the Ohio University application, students who've been out of school for more than a year must submit an essay explaining what they've done in their time off from school.

Applicants who have been out of high school for more than one year must submit an essay detailing activities since graduation.

Additionally, applicants to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism are encouraged, though not required, to submit an essay detailing how they want to help shape the future of journalism.

For all other applicants, submitting an essay here is optional; however, if you do wish to write an essay, the application suggests that you describe any academic challenges you’ve faced, academic and career objectives, or involvement in community affairs (recommended length is 250-500 words).

Those interested in Ohio University's OHIO Honors Program (including the Cutler Scholars Program) are required to answer the following essay prompt (limit 250 words):

Students in the OHIO Honors Program represent all majors on campus and take engaging honors courses while applying what they learn outside of the classroom. Students choose from classes and experiences across three pathways: community engagement, research and creative activity, and leadership . Students in OHP can move among the three pathways as their interests evolve and they develop their goals. What pathway is most exciting to you right now, and why?

Finally, those interested in the Honors Tutorial College are must answer the following two essay prompts (in about 500 words each):

HTC Question 1: Please explain why you have chosen your particular program(s) of study.

HTC Question 2: We expect that one reason you seek a tutorial education is for the one-on-one interaction with faculty, but other than that, what interests you about pursuing a tutorial-based undergraduate education? What aspects of your education and life experience have prepared you for a tutorial education with its emphasis on research and creative activity?

Type 1: Questions About a Meaningful Experience

This type of college essay question is the most common. The exact focus of these prompts can vary quite a bit, but they all ask you to reflect on an important experience. Some questions specify a type of experience whereas others don't, simply opting to have applicants write about whatever matters to them.

There are three basic sub-types that you'll see when dealing with these prompts. Let's look at an example of each.

#1: Overcoming a Challenge

These prompts ask about how you dealt with a particular challenge or solved a problem. Below is a typical example of this question type from the MIT application:

Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?

To address a question like this, you need a topic that has real stakes —that is, something that you genuinely struggled with. Even though it can seem as though you should only discuss positive experiences and feelings in your college essay (you want to impress your readers with how awesome you are!), unwavering positivity actually hurts your essay because it makes you seem fake.

Instead, be honest : if you're writing about a negative experience, acknowledge that it was unpleasant or hard and explain why. Doing so will just make your overcoming it that much more impressive.

#2: Engaging With Diversity

Questions about diversity ask how you interact with those who are different from you . See an example below from the Common Application:

When approaching this type of question, you need to show that you're thoughtful about new ideas and perspectives. Colleges are full of students from all kinds of backgrounds, and admissions officers want to know that you'll be accepting of the diversity of other students, even if you don't necessarily agree with them.

Also, make sure to pick a specific instance to focus on. Writing a general essay about how you accept others won't impress admissions officers—you need to show them an example of a time that you did so.

#3: Growing Up

Finally, this type of prompt asks about a transitional experience or rite of passage that made you feel like an adult. I've reprinted another example from the Common App:

For these types of prompts, you want to show personal growth. Explain to the reader not just who you are but also how you've changed . (Really, this is a good idea no matter which prompt you're addressing!)

College can be challenging, so admissions officers want to know that you have the maturity to deal with (likely) living on your own, managing your own life, and planning for your future.

Regardless of the exact prompt, the key to this type of college essay is to show what you've learned from the experience. Admissions officers don't care that much about what happened to you—they care about what you think and feel about that event. That's what will give them a sense of who you are and what kind of college student you'll make.

Once you write a first draft, put it in a drawer for a week. Taking some time away from it will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes. Then, try to read your essay from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about you. Would they be able to understand the story? Do you explain clearly what you learned? Does your intro grab the reader's attention?

It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or peer, to read your essay and give you feedback. Really listen to what they say and think about how you can improve your writing.

Finally, try reading your essay aloud. This will help you catch any weird or awkward phrasings.

What's Next?

If you're struggling with how to approach your personal statement, consider looking at some college essay examples .

The essay is just one part of the college application process. Check out our guide to applying to college for a step-by-step breakdown of what you'll need to do.

Finally, if you're planning to take the SAT or ACT , consider taking a look at our expert test-prep guides for some helpful advice on whatever you might be struggling with.

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Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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5 Compare and Contrast Essay Examples (Full Text)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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A compare and contrast essay selects two or more items that are critically analyzed to demonstrate their differences and similarities. Here is a template for you that provides the general structure:

A range of example essays is presented below.

Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

#1 jean piaget vs lev vygotsky essay.

1480 Words | 5 Pages | 10 References

(Level: University Undergraduate)

Thesis Statement: “This essay will critically examine and compare the developmental theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, focusing on their differing views on cognitive development in children and their influence on educational psychology, through an exploration of key concepts such as the role of culture and environment, scaffolding, equilibration, and their overall implications for educational practices..”

#2 Democracy vs Authoritarianism Essay

Thesis Statement: “The thesis of this analysis is that, despite the efficiency and control offered by authoritarian regimes, democratic systems, with their emphasis on individual freedoms, participatory governance, and social welfare, present a more balanced and ethically sound approach to governance, better aligned with the ideals of a just and progressive society.”

#3 Apples vs Oranges Essay

1190 Words | 5 Pages | 0 References

(Level: 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade)

Thesis Statement: “While apples and oranges are both popular and nutritious fruits, they differ significantly in their taste profiles, nutritional benefits, cultural symbolism, and culinary applications.”

#4 Nature vs Nurture Essay

1525 Words | 5 Pages | 11 References

(Level: High School and College)

Thesis Statement: “The purpose of this essay is to examine and elucidate the complex and interconnected roles of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental influences (nurture) in shaping human development across various domains such as physical traits, personality, behavior, intelligence, and abilities.”

#5 Dogs vs Cats Essay

1095 Words | 5 Pages | 7 Bibliographic Sources

(Level: 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade)

Thesis Statement: “This essay explores the distinctive characteristics, emotional connections, and lifestyle considerations associated with owning dogs and cats, aiming to illuminate the unique joys and benefits each pet brings to their human companions.”

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

I’ve recorded a full video for you on how to write a compare and contrast essay:

Get the Compare and Contrast Templates with AI Prompts Here

In the video, I outline the steps to writing your essay. Here they are explained below:

1. Essay Planning

First, I recommend using my compare and contrast worksheet, which acts like a Venn Diagram, walking you through the steps of comparing the similarities and differences of the concepts or items you’re comparing.

I recommend selecting 3-5 features that can be compared, as shown in the worksheet:

Grab the Worksheet as Part of the Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Pack

2. Writing the Essay

Once you’ve completed the worksheet, you’re ready to start writing. Go systematically through each feature you are comparing and discuss the similarities and differences, then make an evaluative statement after showing your depth of knowledge:

Get the Rest of the Premium Compare and Contrast Essay Writing Pack (With AI Prompts) Here

How to Write a Compare and Contrast Thesis Statement

Compare and contrast thesis statements can either:

• Remain neutral in an expository tone.
• Prosecute an argument about which of the items you’re comparing is overall best.

To write an argumentative thesis statement for a compare and contrast essay, try this AI Prompts:

💡 AI Prompt to Generate Ideas I am writing a compare and contrast essay that compares [Concept 1] and [Concept2]. Give me 5 potential single-sentence thesis statements that pass a reasonable judgement.

Ready to Write your Essay?

Take action! Choose one of the following options to start writing your compare and contrast essay now:

Read Next: Process Essay Examples

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How to Write the “Why this Major” College Essay + Examples

What’s covered:.

• What is the “Why This Major” Essay?
• Examples of “Why This Major?” Essay Prompts
• Tips for Writing the “Why This Major?” Essay
• “Why This Major?” Essay Examples

What to Do If You’re Undecided

The “Why This Major?” essay is a common prompt that nearly every college applicant will have to answer at least once. In this post, we’ll go over the purpose of this essay, examples of real prompts, sample responses, and expert tips for writing your own essay. If one of the colleges on your list asks you to respond to this prompt, you’ll be well-prepared after reading this post. 

What is the “Why This Major” Essay? 

In the college admissions process, you’ll need to submit two main types of essays: the personal statement and supplemental essays. The personal statement is your main application essay that goes to every school you apply to. The goal of this essay is to share more about who you are and your development. 

On the other hand, supplemental essays only go to specific schools, and each school requests their own essays. The goal of these essays is to showcase your fit with the school. Common prompts include “ Why This College? ”, “ Describe an Extracurricular ,” and “Why This Major?” 

The “Why This Major?” prompt in particular asks you, unsurprisingly, to explain your interest in your intended major. Colleges want to understand where you’re coming from academically, what your intellectual passions are, and what you plan to do professionally (at least roughly). If you aren’t 100% sure about what you want to study, that’s totally fine, but you do want to show that you’re an overall curious, engaged student.

It’s also meant to gauge your academic fit with the college, so you should be sure to cover school-specific resources related to your intended major that will help you achieve your goals. In other words, this prompt should actually be considered “Why This Major at This School?” 

Examples of “Why This Major?” Essay Prompts 

Before we dive in, let’s first take a look at some real-life examples of these prompts. 

For example, Yale requests that students write a 200-word supplemental essay based on the following prompt: 

Similarly, Purdue asks applicants to write 250 words in response to the below statement:

Carnegie Mellon , another top college, requires students to discuss the evolution of their proposed field of study, in 300 words or less: 

Finally, the University of Michigan asks students to craft a slightly longer essay, up to 500 words, about the qualities that attracted them to the college or school they’re applying to and how the curriculum will support their interests.

Tips for Writing the “Why This Major?” Essay 

Answering the “Why This Major?” prompt may seem like a difficult task. However, there are tips to help simplify the process and ensure your response addresses the question fully and effectively. Here are three steps for writing a standout essay about your major of choice: 

1. Share how your academic interest developed.  

The first step in crafting an effective “Why This Major?” essay is explaining your emotional resonance with the subject, and your background in it. While you might be tempted to write about your passion for the subject in flowery language, it’s better to share specific experiences that show how your interest developed. You should cover both the coursework that you’ve done in the field and any relevant extracurricular experiences. If you have space, you can also add in the specific subtopics that interest you within the major (i.e. analyzing gender relations or racism within the broader topic of sociology). 

You might also consider sharing a short anecdote related to your interest in the major. This strategy is especially effective at the beginning of the essay, as telling a story will both draw in the reader and provide context for your academic interest. For example, if you’re interested in studying English at Yale, you could start your essay by describing a childhood ritual in which you and your dad went to the library every Saturday.  

However, while anecdotes are crucial components of a college essay, students should choose what details to include with care. The most impactful essays tell a story, so you should refrain from listing all of your extracurricular activities that relate to your chosen major. This is not a resume! Instead, find ways of connecting your initial anecdote with your desire to pursue your major. For example, perhaps your early experiences at the library led you to get a job at a local bookstore and organize author readings for the community.

2. Detail your reasoning and goals.  

It’s not enough to express your passion for a particular subject. You also want to describe your goals and explain how majoring in your chosen field will help you achieve them. Perhaps your early experiences with authors inspired you to start a novel. You can further explain how majoring in English will enable you to study the great works of literature, thereby providing you with the background and foundation needed to find success as a writer.  

3. Explain your school choice.  

Finally, a “Why This Major?” essay should reveal how the college in question will help you achieve your goals. Your reasons should extend beyond “the college is highly ranked for this major,” as no matter how excellent the school’s reputation is, there are assuredly other colleges out there that are also strong in this department. Instead, dive into the curriculum, teaching methodology, specific classes, professors who are doing work in your area of interest, or other resources that can be found only at that school. 

For example, if you’re passionate about becoming a writer one day, take time to explain how Yale’s English program will set you on the road to success. Perhaps you’re interested in studying British greats through the famed Yale in London study abroad program. Or, maybe you plan on pursuing the Creative Writing Concentration as a senior to further refine your abilities to craft engaging narratives with compelling characters. 

You could also mention a desire to take a particular course, study with a certain professor, or work on the school newspaper. Just be careful not to “name-drop” professors⁠—only mention a specific faculty member if their work is highly relevant to your interests. Otherwise, your interest will look disingenuous.

“Why This Major?” Essay Examples 

To give you a better idea of what these essays should look like, below are a few example responses to the “Why This Major?” prompt.

One Christmas morning, when I was nine, I opened a snap circuit set from my grandmother. Although I had always loved math and science, I didn’t realize my passion for engineering until I spent the rest of winter break creating different circuits to power various lights, alarms, and sensors. Even after I outgrew the toy, I kept the set in my bedroom at home and knew I wanted to study engineering. Later, in a high school biology class, I learned that engineering didn’t only apply to circuits, but also to medical devices that could improve people’s quality of life. Biomedical engineering allows me to pursue my academic passions and help people at the same time.

Just as biology and engineering interact in biomedical engineering, I am fascinated by interdisciplinary research in my chosen career path. Duke offers unmatched resources, such as DUhatch and The Foundry, that will enrich my engineering education and help me practice creative problem-solving skills. The emphasis on entrepreneurship within these resources will also help me to make a helpful product. Duke’s Bass Connections program also interests me; I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary problem-solving comes by bringing people together from different backgrounds. Through this program, I can use my engineering education to solve complicated societal problems such as creating sustainable surgical tools for low-income countries. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field. Duke’s openness and collaborative culture span across its academic disciplines, making Duke the best place for me to grow both as an engineer and as a social advocate. 

This student does a great job of sharing how their interest in biomedical engineering developed. They begin the essay with an anecdote, which is more engaging and personal than simply stating “I want to study X major because…” and then smoothly take us into the present, and show how their understanding of the field has become more sophisticated over time. It’s also clear this student has done their research on how Duke specifically can help them achieve their goal of being an engineer and social advocate, as they’re able to name several relevant resources at Duke, such as DUhatch, The Foundry, and the Bass Connections program. 

I woke up. The curtains filtered the sun’s rays, hitting my face directly. I got up, looked from the bathroom to the kitchen, but my dad wasn’t there. I plopped on the couch, then the door opened. My dad walked in, clutching a brown paper bag with ninety-nine cent breakfast tacos. After eating, we drove to a customer’s house. He sat me in a chair, lifted the floorboard, and crawled under the house to fix the pipes. As he emerged, he talked, but my mind drifted to the weight of the eleven-millimeter hex wrench in my hand. My interest in mechanical engineering originates from my dad, who was a plumber. When I was fifteen, my dad passed away from cancer that constricted his throat. Holding his calloused hand on his deathbed, I wanted to prevent the suffering of others from cancer. Two years later, when I was given a topic of choice for my chemistry research paper, I stumbled upon an article about gold nanoparticles used for HIV treatment. I decided to steer the topic of gold nanoparticles used for cancer treatment instead, entering the field of nanotechnology. After reading numerous articles and watching college lectures on YouTube, I was utterly captivated by topics like using minuscule devices to induce hyperthermia as a safe method of cancer treatment. Nanotechnology is multi-disciplinary, reinforcing my interest in pursuing mechanical engineering as a gateway to participate in nanoscience and nanotechnology research at the University of Texas at Austin. I have learned that nanotechnology is not limited to stories like mine, but to other issues such as sustainable energy and water development that I hope to work towards. It is important for me to continue helping others without forfeiting my interest in nanotechnology, working in collaboration with both engineering and the medical field.

The narrative style of this essay engages readers and keeps us eager to know what’s going to happen next. In terms of content, the student does a great job of sharing personal and specific details about themselves, the roots of their academic interests, and their motivation to pursue them in college. While this essay is very strong overall, it is missing the “Why nanotechnology at UT Austin?” element of this kind of prompt, and would be even more successful if the student mentioned a particular professor at UT Austin doing research in their area of interest, or a lab dedicated to work in the field of nanotechnology.

I held my breath and hit RUN. Yes! A plump white cat jumped out and began to catch the falling pizzas. Although my Fat Cat project seems simple now, it was the beginning of an enthusiastic passion for computer science. Four years and thousands of hours of programming later, that passion has grown into an intense desire to explore how computer science can serve society. Every day, surrounded by technology that can recognize my face and recommend scarily-specific ads, I’m reminded of Uncle Ben’s advice to a young Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility”. Likewise, the need to ensure digital equality has skyrocketed with AI’s far-reaching presence in society; and I believe that digital fairness starts with equality in education. 

The unique use of threads at the College of Computing perfectly matches my interests in AI and its potential use in education; the path of combined threads on Intelligence and People gives me the rare opportunity to delve deep into both areas. I’m particularly intrigued by the rich sets of both knowledge-based and data-driven intelligence courses, as I believe AI should not only show correlation of events, but also provide insight into why they occur. 

In my four years as an enthusiastic online English tutor, I’ve worked hard to help students overcome both financial and technological obstacles in hopes of bringing quality education to people from diverse backgrounds. For this reason, I’m extremely excited by the many courses in the People thread that focus on education and human-centered technology. I’d love to explore how to integrate AI technology into the teaching process to make education more available, affordable, and effective for people everywhere. And with the innumerable opportunities that Georgia Tech has to offer, I know that I will be able to go further here than anywhere else.

This essay has a great hook—it captures the reader’s attention and draws them into the story right away. Through this anecdote, the student shows their personality and interests, and then deftly transitions into talking about why Georgia Tech’s computer science program is the right match for them. The student explains how the College of Computing at Georgia Tech fits into their future by referencing “threads,” which are unique to the College of Computing’s curriculum and allow students to apply their CS coursework to particular areas. 

Just because you haven’t decided on a concentration doesn’t mean you’re out of luck when it comes to writing the “Why This Major?” essay. Ultimately, schools care less about knowing that you have your whole academic career planned out, and more about seeing that you are a genuinely curious, engaged student who does have intellectual passions, even if you’re still figuring out which one you want to pursue as a major. 

If you’re still undecided, you can opt to write about 1-3 potential majors (depending on the word count), while detailing how the school can help you choose one, as well as meet your broader academic goals. For best results, include personal anecdotes about a few academic subjects or courses that have inspired you, and share some potential career paths stemming from them. For more tips, see our post on how to write the “Why this major?” essay if you’re undecided . 

Where to Get Your “Why This Major?” Essay Edited 

Do you want feedback on your “Why This Major?” essay? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.  

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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What this handout is about

This handout provides definitions and examples of the two main types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. It also provides guidelines for constructing an abstract and general tips for you to keep in mind when drafting. Finally, it includes a few examples of abstracts broken down into their component parts.

What is an abstract?

An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work. Components vary according to discipline. An abstract of a social science or scientific work may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work. An abstract of a humanities work may contain the thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work. An abstract is not a review, nor does it evaluate the work being abstracted. While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document rather than an excerpted passage.

Why write an abstract?

You may write an abstract for various reasons. The two most important are selection and indexing. Abstracts allow readers who may be interested in a longer work to quickly decide whether it is worth their time to read it. Also, many online databases use abstracts to index larger works. Therefore, abstracts should contain keywords and phrases that allow for easy searching.

Say you are beginning a research project on how Brazilian newspapers helped Brazil’s ultra-liberal president Luiz Ignácio da Silva wrest power from the traditional, conservative power base. A good first place to start your research is to search Dissertation Abstracts International for all dissertations that deal with the interaction between newspapers and politics. “Newspapers and politics” returned 569 hits. A more selective search of “newspapers and Brazil” returned 22 hits. That is still a fair number of dissertations. Titles can sometimes help winnow the field, but many titles are not very descriptive. For example, one dissertation is titled “Rhetoric and Riot in Rio de Janeiro.” It is unclear from the title what this dissertation has to do with newspapers in Brazil. One option would be to download or order the entire dissertation on the chance that it might speak specifically to the topic. A better option is to read the abstract. In this case, the abstract reveals the main focus of the dissertation:

This dissertation examines the role of newspaper editors in the political turmoil and strife that characterized late First Empire Rio de Janeiro (1827-1831). Newspaper editors and their journals helped change the political culture of late First Empire Rio de Janeiro by involving the people in the discussion of state. This change in political culture is apparent in Emperor Pedro I’s gradual loss of control over the mechanisms of power. As the newspapers became more numerous and powerful, the Emperor lost his legitimacy in the eyes of the people. To explore the role of the newspapers in the political events of the late First Empire, this dissertation analyzes all available newspapers published in Rio de Janeiro from 1827 to 1831. Newspapers and their editors were leading forces in the effort to remove power from the hands of the ruling elite and place it under the control of the people. In the process, newspapers helped change how politics operated in the constitutional monarchy of Brazil.

From this abstract you now know that although the dissertation has nothing to do with modern Brazilian politics, it does cover the role of newspapers in changing traditional mechanisms of power. After reading the abstract, you can make an informed judgment about whether the dissertation would be worthwhile to read.

Besides selection, the other main purpose of the abstract is for indexing. Most article databases in the online catalog of the library enable you to search abstracts. This allows for quick retrieval by users and limits the extraneous items recalled by a “full-text” search. However, for an abstract to be useful in an online retrieval system, it must incorporate the key terms that a potential researcher would use to search. For example, if you search Dissertation Abstracts International using the keywords “France” “revolution” and “politics,” the search engine would search through all the abstracts in the database that included those three words. Without an abstract, the search engine would be forced to search titles, which, as we have seen, may not be fruitful, or else search the full text. It’s likely that a lot more than 60 dissertations have been written with those three words somewhere in the body of the entire work. By incorporating keywords into the abstract, the author emphasizes the central topics of the work and gives prospective readers enough information to make an informed judgment about the applicability of the work.

When do people write abstracts?

• when submitting articles to journals, especially online journals
• when applying for research grants
• when writing a book proposal
• when completing the Ph.D. dissertation or M.A. thesis
• when writing a proposal for a conference paper
• when writing a proposal for a book chapter

Most often, the author of the entire work (or prospective work) writes the abstract. However, there are professional abstracting services that hire writers to draft abstracts of other people’s work. In a work with multiple authors, the first author usually writes the abstract. Undergraduates are sometimes asked to draft abstracts of books/articles for classmates who have not read the larger work.

Types of abstracts

There are two types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. They have different aims, so as a consequence they have different components and styles. There is also a third type called critical, but it is rarely used. If you want to find out more about writing a critique or a review of a work, see the UNC Writing Center handout on writing a literature review . If you are unsure which type of abstract you should write, ask your instructor (if the abstract is for a class) or read other abstracts in your field or in the journal where you are submitting your article.

Descriptive abstracts

A descriptive abstract indicates the type of information found in the work. It makes no judgments about the work, nor does it provide results or conclusions of the research. It does incorporate key words found in the text and may include the purpose, methods, and scope of the research. Essentially, the descriptive abstract describes the work being abstracted. Some people consider it an outline of the work, rather than a summary. Descriptive abstracts are usually very short—100 words or less.

Informative abstracts

The majority of abstracts are informative. While they still do not critique or evaluate a work, they do more than describe it. A good informative abstract acts as a surrogate for the work itself. That is, the writer presents and explains all the main arguments and the important results and evidence in the complete article/paper/book. An informative abstract includes the information that can be found in a descriptive abstract (purpose, methods, scope) but also includes the results and conclusions of the research and the recommendations of the author. The length varies according to discipline, but an informative abstract is rarely more than 10% of the length of the entire work. In the case of a longer work, it may be much less.

Here are examples of a descriptive and an informative abstract of this handout on abstracts . Descriptive abstract:

The two most common abstract types—descriptive and informative—are described and examples of each are provided.

Informative abstract:

Abstracts present the essential elements of a longer work in a short and powerful statement. The purpose of an abstract is to provide prospective readers the opportunity to judge the relevance of the longer work to their projects. Abstracts also include the key terms found in the longer work and the purpose and methods of the research. Authors abstract various longer works, including book proposals, dissertations, and online journal articles. There are two main types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. A descriptive abstract briefly describes the longer work, while an informative abstract presents all the main arguments and important results. This handout provides examples of various types of abstracts and instructions on how to construct one.

Which type should I use?

Your best bet in this case is to ask your instructor or refer to the instructions provided by the publisher. You can also make a guess based on the length allowed; i.e., 100-120 words = descriptive; 250+ words = informative.

How do I write an abstract?

The format of your abstract will depend on the work being abstracted. An abstract of a scientific research paper will contain elements not found in an abstract of a literature article, and vice versa. However, all abstracts share several mandatory components, and there are also some optional parts that you can decide to include or not. When preparing to draft your abstract, keep the following key process elements in mind:

• Reason for writing: What is the importance of the research? Why would a reader be interested in the larger work?
• Problem: What problem does this work attempt to solve? What is the scope of the project? What is the main argument/thesis/claim?
• Methodology: An abstract of a scientific work may include specific models or approaches used in the larger study. Other abstracts may describe the types of evidence used in the research.
• Results: Again, an abstract of a scientific work may include specific data that indicates the results of the project. Other abstracts may discuss the findings in a more general way.
• Implications: What changes should be implemented as a result of the findings of the work? How does this work add to the body of knowledge on the topic?

(This list of elements is adapted with permission from Philip Koopman, “How to Write an Abstract.” )

All abstracts include:

• A full citation of the source, preceding the abstract.
• The most important information first.
• The same type and style of language found in the original, including technical language.
• Key words and phrases that quickly identify the content and focus of the work.
• Clear, concise, and powerful language.

Abstracts may include:

• The thesis of the work, usually in the first sentence.
• Background information that places the work in the larger body of literature.
• The same chronological structure as the original work.

How not to write an abstract:

• Do not refer extensively to other works.
• Do not add information not contained in the original work.
• Do not define terms.

If you are abstracting your own writing

When abstracting your own work, it may be difficult to condense a piece of writing that you have agonized over for weeks (or months, or even years) into a 250-word statement. There are some tricks that you could use to make it easier, however.

Reverse outlining:

This technique is commonly used when you are having trouble organizing your own writing. The process involves writing down the main idea of each paragraph on a separate piece of paper– see our short video . For the purposes of writing an abstract, try grouping the main ideas of each section of the paper into a single sentence. Practice grouping ideas using webbing or color coding .

For a scientific paper, you may have sections titled Purpose, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Each one of these sections will be longer than one paragraph, but each is grouped around a central idea. Use reverse outlining to discover the central idea in each section and then distill these ideas into one statement.

Cut and paste:

To create a first draft of an abstract of your own work, you can read through the entire paper and cut and paste sentences that capture key passages. This technique is useful for social science research with findings that cannot be encapsulated by neat numbers or concrete results. A well-written humanities draft will have a clear and direct thesis statement and informative topic sentences for paragraphs or sections. Isolate these sentences in a separate document and work on revising them into a unified paragraph.

If you are abstracting someone else’s writing

When abstracting something you have not written, you cannot summarize key ideas just by cutting and pasting. Instead, you must determine what a prospective reader would want to know about the work. There are a few techniques that will help you in this process:

Identify key terms:

Search through the entire document for key terms that identify the purpose, scope, and methods of the work. Pay close attention to the Introduction (or Purpose) and the Conclusion (or Discussion). These sections should contain all the main ideas and key terms in the paper. When writing the abstract, be sure to incorporate the key terms.

Highlight key phrases and sentences:

Instead of cutting and pasting the actual words, try highlighting sentences or phrases that appear to be central to the work. Then, in a separate document, rewrite the sentences and phrases in your own words.

Don’t look back:

After reading the entire work, put it aside and write a paragraph about the work without referring to it. In the first draft, you may not remember all the key terms or the results, but you will remember what the main point of the work was. Remember not to include any information you did not get from the work being abstracted.

Revise, revise, revise

No matter what type of abstract you are writing, or whether you are abstracting your own work or someone else’s, the most important step in writing an abstract is to revise early and often. When revising, delete all extraneous words and incorporate meaningful and powerful words. The idea is to be as clear and complete as possible in the shortest possible amount of space. The Word Count feature of Microsoft Word can help you keep track of how long your abstract is and help you hit your target length.

Example 1: Humanities abstract

Kenneth Tait Andrews, “‘Freedom is a constant struggle’: The dynamics and consequences of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, 1960-1984” Ph.D. State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1997 DAI-A 59/02, p. 620, Aug 1998

This dissertation examines the impacts of social movements through a multi-layered study of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement from its peak in the early 1960s through the early 1980s. By examining this historically important case, I clarify the process by which movements transform social structures and the constraints movements face when they try to do so. The time period studied includes the expansion of voting rights and gains in black political power, the desegregation of public schools and the emergence of white-flight academies, and the rise and fall of federal anti-poverty programs. I use two major research strategies: (1) a quantitative analysis of county-level data and (2) three case studies. Data have been collected from archives, interviews, newspapers, and published reports. This dissertation challenges the argument that movements are inconsequential. Some view federal agencies, courts, political parties, or economic elites as the agents driving institutional change, but typically these groups acted in response to the leverage brought to bear by the civil rights movement. The Mississippi movement attempted to forge independent structures for sustaining challenges to local inequities and injustices. By propelling change in an array of local institutions, movement infrastructures had an enduring legacy in Mississippi.

Now let’s break down this abstract into its component parts to see how the author has distilled his entire dissertation into a ~200 word abstract.

What the dissertation does This dissertation examines the impacts of social movements through a multi-layered study of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement from its peak in the early 1960s through the early 1980s. By examining this historically important case, I clarify the process by which movements transform social structures and the constraints movements face when they try to do so.

How the dissertation does it The time period studied in this dissertation includes the expansion of voting rights and gains in black political power, the desegregation of public schools and the emergence of white-flight academies, and the rise and fall of federal anti-poverty programs. I use two major research strategies: (1) a quantitative analysis of county-level data and (2) three case studies.

What materials are used Data have been collected from archives, interviews, newspapers, and published reports.

Conclusion This dissertation challenges the argument that movements are inconsequential. Some view federal agencies, courts, political parties, or economic elites as the agents driving institutional change, but typically these groups acted in response to movement demands and the leverage brought to bear by the civil rights movement. The Mississippi movement attempted to forge independent structures for sustaining challenges to local inequities and injustices. By propelling change in an array of local institutions, movement infrastructures had an enduring legacy in Mississippi.

Keywords social movements Civil Rights Movement Mississippi voting rights desegregation

Example 2: Science Abstract

Luis Lehner, “Gravitational radiation from black hole spacetimes” Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, 1998 DAI-B 59/06, p. 2797, Dec 1998

The problem of detecting gravitational radiation is receiving considerable attention with the construction of new detectors in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The theoretical modeling of the wave forms that would be produced in particular systems will expedite the search for and analysis of detected signals. The characteristic formulation of GR is implemented to obtain an algorithm capable of evolving black holes in 3D asymptotically flat spacetimes. Using compactification techniques, future null infinity is included in the evolved region, which enables the unambiguous calculation of the radiation produced by some compact source. A module to calculate the waveforms is constructed and included in the evolution algorithm. This code is shown to be second-order convergent and to handle highly non-linear spacetimes. In particular, we have shown that the code can handle spacetimes whose radiation is equivalent to a galaxy converting its whole mass into gravitational radiation in one second. We further use the characteristic formulation to treat the region close to the singularity in black hole spacetimes. The code carefully excises a region surrounding the singularity and accurately evolves generic black hole spacetimes with apparently unlimited stability.

This science abstract covers much of the same ground as the humanities one, but it asks slightly different questions.

Why do this study The problem of detecting gravitational radiation is receiving considerable attention with the construction of new detectors in the United States, Europe, and Japan. The theoretical modeling of the wave forms that would be produced in particular systems will expedite the search and analysis of the detected signals.

What the study does The characteristic formulation of GR is implemented to obtain an algorithm capable of evolving black holes in 3D asymptotically flat spacetimes. Using compactification techniques, future null infinity is included in the evolved region, which enables the unambiguous calculation of the radiation produced by some compact source. A module to calculate the waveforms is constructed and included in the evolution algorithm.

Results This code is shown to be second-order convergent and to handle highly non-linear spacetimes. In particular, we have shown that the code can handle spacetimes whose radiation is equivalent to a galaxy converting its whole mass into gravitational radiation in one second. We further use the characteristic formulation to treat the region close to the singularity in black hole spacetimes. The code carefully excises a region surrounding the singularity and accurately evolves generic black hole spacetimes with apparently unlimited stability.

Keywords gravitational radiation (GR) spacetimes black holes

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Belcher, Wendy Laura. 2009. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Press.

Koopman, Philip. 1997. “How to Write an Abstract.” Carnegie Mellon University. October 1997. http://users.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/essays/abstract.html .

Lancaster, F.W. 2003. Indexing And Abstracting in Theory and Practice , 3rd ed. London: Facet Publishing.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Social Media Essay in English, 100, 250, 500 Words

Social media is a way for people to connect and share information online. It includes platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Users can post pictures, videos, and messages to share their thoughts and experiences. Students can Social Media Essay in English for 100, 250, and 500 words here.

Table of Contents

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter help us connect with friends and family, share ideas, and stay informed. While it can be fun and useful, spending too much time on it might take away from real-life activities. It can also spread misinformation and affect mental health. However, when used wisely, social media can be a powerful tool for learning, communication, and staying in touch with the world. The key is to use it in a balanced way to enjoy its benefits without problems. All the students and children can check the Essay on Social Media in an Easy and Short way (100, 250, 500 words) in the article below.

Essay on Social Media In 100 Words

Social media is a way to connect with people using the internet. Popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp let us share pictures, videos, and messages with friends and family. It helps us stay in touch with loved ones who live far away.

People use social media to learn new things, watch fun videos, and share their ideas. It can be helpful for school too. We can join groups to discuss lessons or find interesting facts for our homework.

But, it’s important to use social media carefully. Spending too much time on it can take away time from studies and play. It’s also important to talk to our parents before sharing personal information or talking to strangers online. In conclusion, social media can be fun and useful, but we must use it wisely.

Social Media Essay in 250 Words

Social media is a way to connect with people using the internet. Some popular social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Many people use social media to share photos, videos, and messages with their friends and family.

Why do people use social media? People use it to stay in touch with others, make new friends, and learn new things. Some use it to watch funny videos or share their own hobbies and interests. It also helps people know what is happening around the world quickly.

Is social media helpful? Yes, it can be helpful. It allows people to communicate easily, no matter where they are. Students can also use it to learn from online videos, read articles, or find answers to their questions. Many businesses use social media to advertise their products and reach more customers.

Sometimes, there can be problems. Spending too much time on social media can be bad for our health. It can make us lazy and take time away from other important activities like studying or playing outside. Also, not everything on social media is true, so we must be careful about what we believe.

Essay on Social Media For Students

Social media has become a big part of our lives. It helps us connect with friends and family, even if they are far away. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp allow us to share pictures, videos, and messages instantly. It’s like having the world at your fingertips!

Many students use social media for learning. They watch educational videos, follow experts, and join online study groups. It’s a great way to gain knowledge beyond the classroom. Phrases like “information at the speed of light” and “learning beyond borders” truly describe the power of social media in education.

However, there are some downsides too. Spending too much time on social media can distract students from their studies. Some people also use it to spread false information or hurt others’ feelings. We should always use social media responsibly and stay safe online. As the saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Essay on Social Media in 500 Words

Social media has become an important part of our daily lives. It allows people from all over the world to connect, share ideas, and stay informed. From young children to older adults, almost everyone today is using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp. These platforms have changed how we communicate and interact with each other.

Social media is a collection of websites and apps that enable users to create profiles, share content, and interact with others online. These platforms let us share photos, videos, messages, and updates about our lives. The goal is to help people connect, learn, and express their ideas quickly and easily.

With social media, we can share moments from our daily lives, whether it’s a special occasion or an ordinary day. We post photos of vacations, celebrations, or just our favorite meals. Through likes and comments, we can show support and appreciation for each other’s lives. This interaction makes us feel connected, even when we are miles apart.

Social media also allows for the sharing of news and information. Users can follow various accounts to stay updated on current events, trends, or topics that interest them. This instant access to information can keep us informed about what’s happening in the world, from local news to global issues.

Moreover, social media fosters creativity. Many people use these platforms to showcase their talents, whether it’s art, music, writing, or other forms of expression. It provides a space for individuals to share their work and receive feedback from others, encouraging creativity and collaboration.

In conclusion, social media is a powerful tool that can be both helpful and harmful. It connects us, teaches us, and entertains us, but we must be careful about how we use it. As students, we should focus on using social media to learn new things and stay connected with the world, while also being mindful of our time and safety. Remember, “balance is key” when it comes to using social media wisely!

Benefits of Social Media

• Staying Connected: One of the biggest benefits of social media is that it helps us stay in touch with friends and family, even if they live far away. Through video calls, messages, and sharing photos, we can feel close to our loved ones.
• Learning and Sharing Information: Social media platforms are full of useful information. People can share news, educational content, and helpful tips on various topics. Students can learn new things from online videos and tutorials, while professionals can share their expertise with a wider audience.
• Entertainment: Social media is also a great source of entertainment. From funny videos to interesting posts, people spend a lot of time browsing for fun. It’s a good way to relax and take a break from everyday life.
• Helping Businesses: Social media has become a powerful tool for businesses. Many companies use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to promote their products, reach new customers, and grow their business. This has opened up new job opportunities and ways to earn money.

Challenges of Social Media

While social media has many advantages, it also has some downsides:

• Addiction: Many people, especially young ones, spend too much time on social media. They can become addicted, which affects their studies, sleep, and social life.
• Cyberbullying: Some people use social media to hurt or insult others. This is called cyberbullying, and it can harm the mental health of those affected.
• Privacy Issues: Sharing too much information on social media can be risky. Personal information can be stolen or misused, which can lead to problems like identity theft.
• False Information: Not everything we see on social media is true. Fake news and misinformation can spread quickly, which can confuse or mislead people.

Short Essay on Social Media (10 Lines)

• Social media is a platform where people can share information and connect with others worldwide.
• Popular social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp.
• It allows users to post photos, videos, and messages to stay in touch with friends and family.
• Businesses use social media to market their products and services.
• It helps spread news and information quickly to a wide audience.
• Social media is also used for entertainment, with many people following celebrities and influencers.
• It can sometimes lead to misinformation or cyberbullying if not used carefully.
• Many people spend a lot of time on social media, which can impact their mental health.
• Social media provides a platform for people to raise awareness about social issues.
• While it connects people, it’s important to use social media responsibly and balance online and offline life.

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Essay on Social Media

Q. what are the disadvantages of social media.

Ans: The major disadvantages of Social Media is Addiction, Cyberbullying, Privacy Issues, False Information and more.

Hey there! I'm Sonika an experienced content writer. I craft captivating content for students on various events and subjects like chemistry, physics, and biology. Content perfect for young minds eager to explore the depth of education in India. From molecules to ecosystems, I make complex concepts simple and exciting, specializing in school-level education. Let's journey through the fascinating world of education together!

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Reader essays: ‘In a world filled with woe, I found solitude, beauty, grace, and peace.’

This month’s theme of “Fast-Told Tales” -- 200-word essays by Fast Forward readers -- was Sacred Spaces, and we received some quite evocative, passionate, and even romantic compositions. All contained a common thread: Calm, peace, tranquility. To find such contentment, even if for a short period of time, is a gift. Thanks for sharing those moments.

My daughter, 24, was graduating with a master’s degree last September in Geneva. As soon as I landed, she asked me to braid her hair for the ceremony. I put my hand to my mouth – I had not done her hair in maybe 10 years. It means two hours of her sitting between my knees while I carefully moisturize, comb, part, and plait braids through her thick hair. Our ritual began with gathering up the items we needed, recreating a sacred space we shared for that most intimate task between a mother and her baby girl. I loved and missed her deeply, and now she sat between my feet, with her elbows on my knees, her fingers unconsciously stroking my shins as she shared her challenges in our space. I gently kneaded rows of braids down toward the nape of her neck. My heart soared as my baby girl smiled and patted the finished product.

I pondered the insecurities she had faced in graduate school that braids at the ceremony would enable her to conquer. She is undeniably beautiful, smart and strong. In this conflicted moment, the sacred space brought comfort and love, and strength.

– Adelaide Steedley

The stains on the concrete floor tell a story. So do the tools hanging from the pegboard and the cabinet holding dusty cans of paint and stain. It was here that I took apart a classic British sports car with oil dripping in my face and onto the floor. When I look at the stains now, I can hear myself cussing my way through the seven years of its restoration.

On the pegboard hang the saws, planes, squares, and chisels I used for countless projects: my son’s Pinewood Derby race car for Cub Scouts; the plywood “gravestones” I made for our Halloween lawn display. The shelving that turned a messy closet into a pantry to my wife’s delight.

In the metal cabinet are my paints and stains, each with a story to tell. The Early American stain I used on the plank flooring in the dining room. The can of Butchers Wax I used to make drawers and windows slide more easily.

The workbench is old and worn, with dried paint drips and oil from small engines dotting its surface. And a long-faded testimonial written with a black felt pen: “We ❤️ Dad.”

My sanctuary, my sacred place, my garage.

– James Gaffey of Groton, N.H.

I was alone. We were together. The weather was crap, but it was a beautiful day. I was grateful and I was disappointed.

Near the campground in Acadia National Park, Maine is a patch of woods leading to the Otter Cliffs. A steady drizzle dashed plans to hike or even climb on the rocks for morning coffee. So I wandered into that little patch of woods.

I have been to wild places, but this little patch was a world away. Fog condensed on pine needles and dropped heavy onto the undergrowth, my dog, and on me. The lichens and mosses did not crush under our weight but yielded and sprang back, plumped up, happy for the fog. They blanketed the rocks. Mushrooms drew the affection of hungry slugs.

How marvelous to see us all there, so different and so much alike. Earth, air, and water nesting such diversity, ancient and recent, representing all the Phyla of life yet with similar DNA. Things living on rock, on the dead of the forest detritus, on each other, yet all so balanced and vibrant.

I was alone. We were together. An atheist in the fog – in church.

– Edward Daniels of Eastham

Inside edge, outside edge, repeat, repeat.

When thawed, the mosquitoes mass, the crickets chorus, the squirrels traipse through the brush pond-side. When frozen, subtle breezes rustle past my scarf and hat on the local frozen pond.Inside edge, outside edge, repeat, repeat.

The skating isn’t elegant – the beauty seen with Olympic dizzying displays – but more a shuffle, a sluggish attempt at solitude amidst foggy breaths and sighs. It became routine in afternoons, after work, alone, when nature normally naps for three months and sunsets edge horizons earlier than preferred. Gone are the mosquitoes, the crickets, the squirrels. Gone, too, are deadlines, stresses, and demands – if only for a half hour.

The only noise is the crisped flaking of ice, the carving of a loop that wanders aimlessly from side to side, turning only to meander another frozen route again. It’s not lonesome or boring or static, nor a labor to shuffle in my sighs. The birches sway, the breezes graze, the sun blushes its goodbye. And tomorrow begins anew.

Inside edge, outside edge. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

– Patrick Cuff of Medford

My sacred place is my first game of the year at Fenway. It tells me that everything has been renewed, that the world once again is full of promise (at least for the next few hours), and that spring is finally here.

– Bruce Richardson of Chestnut Hill

The term “sauntering” is discussed in Thoreau’s essay, “Walking.” He explained that the verb “saunter” had two possible derivations. One was people going to the Holy Land or la Sainte Terre were said to be “Sainte Terrer” which became “saunterers” or " one who saunters.” Another possible derivation is “sans terre” or people “without land” who could find home anywhere – an apt description of pilgrims.

Those who saunter on the Camino de Santiago travel various distances on different routes. The reasons why we saunter are as varied as each individual who undertakes this journey. One can read the guidebooks and watch the videos, but until one pulls on their hiking shoes and starts walking, you can’t really understand the magic. The magic really is inside you.

My reasons for the sauntering were in thanksgiving for a blessed life, a recovery from a life-threatening illness, and to pray for more than 50 friends who asked me to pray for them along “The Way.”

Although the Camino can be crowded, I found many moments of solitude, beauty, grace, and peace. In a world filled with woe, I could not ask for more.

– Peter H. Gilligan of Chapel Hill, N.C.

I think it’s the combination of the deer and the land that’s it for me. A walking trail, through the woods, past ponds and waterfalls, through cow pastures sublime and pastoral. Morning sunrises of infinite variance and hue, sometimes misty, sometimes saturated. I touch creation and creator here, every morning to begin the day. The deer and cows look on, the birds sing, and sometimes the heron visits. This special slice of nature is my physical and mental therapy, and yes, is my church. I try to take its blessings with me as I venture forth into the world. I’m so very fortunate to have this sacred space.

– Anne Bristow

My home is my sacred place. Probably the majority of submissions will say the same thing. For me, though, home is where I can still be with my wife of 44 years, Faye, who succumbed to cancer in December 2020.

We literally shared everything in our lives, and now that she’s gone… For so long now, my home (condo) is all I have left of our life together. All the furniture, art, pictures, kitchen items, music, etc. we collected over so many years remind me of her constantly. It’s a blessing to remember her that way, but also tends to keep me from becoming who I have to be to reclaim my own life and move forward, writing new chapters. But the memories live on in my heart, my soul … and my home.

I’ve been dating recently and have found someone I’m beginning to develop feelings for. She’s widowed, too, and we actually have the same birthday. We’re taking ballroom dancing lessons and enjoying each other’s company. She visits me and I visit her, so we’re each writing a new chapter in our lives … while honoring the deep love we both once knew that will always be with us.

– Bill Bradley of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

You’ve heard of “a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou,” right? Well, I’m a “fishing rod, a worm, and nobody” kind of person. I love to fish but I really love to fish alone. Sky above, water beneath, fish lurking somewhere … and me between all of them. I have a bucket list of fish I want to catch (and I’ve made a good start on it), but for the most part, it’s the joy of being out, being by myself and just never knowing what the day might bring. No calls, no texts, no communication. I can start before dawn and return in the late afternoon and however the day has turned out, catch-wise, it’s always a success.

– Mary Helen Sprecher of Columbia, Md.

I thought this would be so easy. It’s my garden, of course! Inspecting new life that appeared overnight, pruning spent efforts, tending, dreaming, reinventing, but wait … what about the ocean so close by? Letting the breeze take my hair, inhaling life and death in one breath, syncing my rhythms to the waves, the big boulder I sit on, dangling my feet just above the water, and all those gorgeous rocks, freshly deposited at my feet, begging to go home to my garden. My home also vies for this honor with its centuries-old, wooden beams. Putting thoughts of wars and loss away for the silky feel of flour on my hands, the savory aromas and the creativity of what I can make with what I have, and the satisfaction of providing sustenance. Travel photos on the walls, constant reminders of adventures from faraway places, and my old, yellow cat, Tom, always ready to share purrs and warm cuddles. The act of being a good listener for friends, exercising creativity to help with good causes and self-care on my old exercise mat to the rhythm of favorite music.

I finally realize: Purpose is my sanctuary.

– Andrea Daniels of Eastham

Sanctuary. It is both a place and a yearning. A place of refuge and safety. A sacred space. Sanctuary is sought both by those fleeing oppression and those in search of peace, silence, and solace. I am one of the latter.

My sacred space is in Northern New Mexico. “Sanctuary” is right there in its name: Santuario de Chimayo. I was born nearby, just after WWII. My family predates statehood. I have since lived in NYC, LA, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland. I’m an old atheist, but it is to Santuario I return when my soul needs healing.

I went home last month to sit in silence. I’m a full-time caregiver to a beloved wife in the grip of late-stage Parkinson’s. You can’t imagine what it’s like. I was ragged, in need of sanctuary … and a respite from hallucinations.

Reverence, like courtesy, is a virtue in danger of extinction. We are too self-involved to be reverent. We need quiet spaces in which to practice being small. Forests do nicely. So do lonely beaches. I needed silence in which to regain my equilibrium. The 200-year old Santuario is a place silent and sacred enough, even for an old atheist like me.

– Jack Haynes of Portland, Ore.

Smashing through mounds of recently fallen oak leaves, we leave the cozy canopy of the woods, and the sky opens up. I am not alone. My Alabama, mostly Labrador rescue, Harlow, leads the way, her tail swinging like a happy pendulum. Our pace quickens as we strut south through the vast pastureland where sheep and cattle graze. We are surrounded by a Great pond, filled with brackish water, where wild oysters and blue crabs live. This pond is where my grandparents summered in a rustic cabin, and where, as kids, my brother and I wildly romped.

Once again, for our walk, nobody is here. We have the whole earth to ourselves.

Almost a mile in, we arrive at the opening through the tall grass and bushes at the pond’s edge. Harlow wades in up to her chest, her tail swings, and she dips her mouth in for one salty gulp. Her plunge is done. No swimming for her. As I said, she is not a full Lab. She does a vigorous shake to expose her shiny black coat, and leads the way out, heading north. We are both smiling.

– Tina Miller of West Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard

The fish pond came with the house my husband and I bought in 2021. He thought having a pond was great, but I could take it or leave it. Fish kind of creeped me out and the notion of having to take care of yet one more thing was unnerving. We already had two dogs and a cat, and my husband’s Parkinson’s was getting worse every day.

During the chaos of getting settled in our new home, I found that the few moments I could spend staring at the goldfish were surprisingly restorative. The fish are calm. They open their mouths and expect to be fed. They don’t worry that you might forget or that you won’t give them enough. They don’t crave, they accept. They are the most Zen-compliant beings I’ve ever encountered. I peered into the pond several times a day and I always came away feeling more settled.

A year after we moved in, my husband passed away. Tending the pond reassures me that life goes on and being in the moment is enough. It helped me start rebuilding the rest of my life. The fish pond is my homily: my reflection, instruction, exhortation, and consolation.

– Lisa Peterson of Biloxi, Miss.

I have hiked Knuckup Hill for more than 50 years, from the top of which one can enjoy a wonderful view stretching to the New Hampshire border on a clear day. This Wrentham hummock is strewn with giant boulders deposited during the last Ice Age, some of which our two sons named after dinosaurs during our many trips to the summit.

Tucked away on the south side of Knuckup, there is a small cedar grove working diligently to bury its feet in the sparse soil atop the granite outcroppings. On a sunny day, you can lounge on a bed of moss that grows near the stone surfaces, which soak up and radiate solar warmth. The forest fragrances are both soothing and inspiring.

It is here that I am persuaded to dream and write, while the birds and wildlife scurry about, tending to their many chores, oblivious to the painful and worrisome travail of mankind.

– G. Gregory Tooker of Wrentham

Two years ago, we went from washed-up high tech workers to wash-ashore residents on Cape Cod. Like so many, COVID changed our lives forever.

In the pandemic’s early days, my husband and I lost jobs. No income + skyrocketing costs = bad news. So we sold our home of 36 years and quickly bought the first fixer-upper that we could tolerate. It was a whirlwind romance!

Now the honeymoon is over. It’s time for some old Cape magic.

Years ago, on my family’s annual summer trip to Cape Cod, our station wagon passed and ignored a sign on Route 6A for this jam kitchen place called Green Briar. Now the Green Briar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen is a neighbor. One sunny day this summer I heeded the sign and turned onto a narrow, shady country road to the woodland where the animal characters of naturalist and children’s writer Thornton Burgess had many adventures.

I plopped down under an ancient maple. The sky was riotously blue populated with requisite perfect clouds. A hushed hum vibrated the air as bees and dragonflies bothered wildflowers. A turtle slid off a log into the pond. The world was gone. I was home.

– DB Harrison of Sandwich

My sacred place has morphed through the years. When I was a homeowner with an acre of land, half of it in woods, it might have been the big rock where the trail through the woods to the top of the property begins. I would go there sometimes and just sit. Or sometimes I would take a folding chair and place it further up along the path, where I was in the woods but could see the lawn below, and my house.

Last year I moved into an apartment in the independent living portion of a life care community. I took my stone statue of the Buddha, the one from my old garden, and put it on my tiny balcony, thinking that would be my meditation space. But life is different here – my whole apartment has become a kind of refuge from the generally welcome but sometimes overwhelming presence of lots of other people in the public spaces of the community. I am as likely to find spiritual sustenance in reading a book or essay in a comfy chair, practicing my guitar, or editing photographs, surrounded by a welcome silence, as I am in formal meditation.

– Peg Espinola of South Setauket, N.Y.

My most sacred space exists inside my brain: My imagination.

It started out as a real place – the creek trail at Placerita Canyon, where, pregnant in 1978, I hiked and communed with nature and divinity. The glaring California sunshine gets soft under the trees creekside. I invent a cave in the rocks behind the waterfall. The cascading water is a portal; walking through it cleanses me in preparation for the sacredness inside.

As I enter, I am greeted by a wise woman dressed in white. In the dim cave, in comfy seats, an assortment of loving guides – people, animals, plants, and spirits – wait to comfort or enlighten me. The peace is absolute. Whatever is troubling me, whatever desire is unmet, whatever unrest I bring, the answer is there. With deep love and gentleness, the appropriate guide shows me another way of seeing my dilemma or walks me through confusion and heightened emotions. Sometimes I simply rest in a guide’s arms, basking in peace and love as I regain strength to go back out there.

– Carol Brach of Bellingham, Wash.

My favorite sacred place is the Jesuits’ Gonzaga Retreat House at Eastern Point in Gloucester, Mass. Overlooking the sometimes tranquil but otherwise raging North Atlantic, this holy space offers retreatants acres of rocky precipices, forested land, and a nearby deserted cove to ponder their lives and things eschatological; it also allows me to pose Kris Kristofferson’s musical question, “Why me, Lord, what have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I’ve known . . .?”

In the autumn of my life now, I was first welcomed here as a BC High senior in November of 1961, but I really didn’t appreciate the overriding silence until I started going there as part of the St. Ignatius parish retreat maybe a decade ago. For 40 hours the silence prevails – even though we know our fellow parishioners – from after supper on Friday evening to lunch at noontime on Sunday; of course, one is free to “break the silence” by participating in in common prayer services. And to me, the highlight is when our former pastor arrives to humorously and prayerfully inspire us as he had done for years at our parish straddling the Brighton-Newton line.

– Joe Galeota of Boston

Weeding is peace. My large vegetable garden is where I contemplate and find strength. Fortified by a tall perimeter fence, the garden originated from my love of food and my need for my own playpen, a quiet space while my three children played outside the fence. I planted, pruned, and weeded while keeping an eye on the kids. They were allowed inside with the understanding that the garden was a place of peace. No conflict was allowed. They were welcome to help, but I did not expect them to work. The beans, corn, squash, and more sprouted – or not – thrived – or not – and always yielded plenty of food. Germinating, watering and weeding have provided me with vegetables, humility, and wonder.

– Mary Hollinshead of Rehoboth

The place I go when I need to get away is a tiny beach on the New Hampshire coast. It’s generally quiet there. I love to sit in the sun, listen to the waves crash, and read a book. Usually my thoughts wander away from my book, and I think about how my family had such happy times at the beach when my children were young. My husband also likes to sit quietly at the beach, which makes it even better.

– Sharon Pecci of Haverhill

I used to walk to an abandoned rock quarry about a mile from my house. I’d sit near the pond and contemplate the long row of random numbers painted on the rock wall across the water. My husband says those numbers were there more than 60 years ago when he was a kid. No one knows who painted them or what they mean.

Through the years, I pondered the numbers accompanied by three different dogs: Buster, Woody, and Domino. All gone over the Rainbow Bridge. I first visited the quarry with Buster, who led me home as the crow flies when I got lost. I pondered the numbers with Woody in March, 1988, newly pregnant with our son Travis but not aware yet. When he was a little boy, we hiked to the quarry together and Travis scooped up frogs from the pond with his bare hands while Domino waded and I watched.

Twenty years ago, someone bought the rock quarry and the land around it. I haven’t been there since. I miss the quiet, the pond, and the little boy my son once was. I miss the numbers. I still wonder who wrote them and why.

– Marylou Ambrose of Tafton, Penn.

My sacred space is not a physical location but a mental haven, where I find solace, self-discovery, and renewal. It’s the realm of words and imagination, where literature and writing transport me to different worlds, times, and perspectives. In the pages of a book or on a blank document, I discover my sanctuary. Within the realms of literature and writing, I find a refuge for my thoughts and emotions. Whether engrossed in a novel, exploring an essay, or weaving my narratives, this space offers an escape from daily chaos. It’s where I connect with authors, past and present, who share their wisdom and experiences, guiding me through life’s challenges and enriching my understanding of the world. Writing, in particular, allows me to process thoughts, express feelings, and articulate ideas. In this sacred space, I confront fears, embrace dreams, and give voice to my stories. My sacred space transcends physical walls and boundaries, a boundless expanse of literary exploration and creative expression. Here, I find my authentic self and connect with the wisdom of humanity. This is why my sacred space is one of words and imagination.

– Paul Tennis of Pepperell

Check list done, canopy and airbrakes locked, wing up, tow rope slack out. The tow plane departs the runway on its way to where I release. I’m free! Just the clouds, the birds and looking at the beautiful earth below. Where to now? If the conditions are good, I’m off on a short cross-country, 50-100km out, then return – all without an engine.

Watching the clouds, deciding which are best for thermals, where under the cloud the lift is, eyes continuously outside scanning for traffic, listening to radio chatter, checking instruments to decide where other glider pilots are. If close enough, I’ll join up and fly a bit with them. If not, that’s okay too, solitude under the clouds, in the clear, well above the ground truly enjoying the scenery.

After a couple of hours and wondering at the pure joy of flying a sailplane, it is time to head back to the airport. Gear down, checklist done, scanning for traffic, and listening on the radio. In the pattern, conscientiously thinking safety, speed to fly, time to turn to final approach. Over the grid, flare, smooth touch down, roll to a stop by my trailer. Another beautiful flight.

– Fred Looft of Leicester

In my bedroom, right next to my bed, I have created a small altar with some of my most sacred objects: pictures of those who have been my spiritual teachers, whether formally or informally; small statues of two Hindu gods with whom I feel a strong personal connection; a picture of the Matrimandir – the temple to the Divine Mother at the center of the spiritual community of Auroville in south India; a small candle and an incense holder. Oh, and also my malas – prayer beads for counting repetitions of the mantra I use during my morning Practice.

I find it extremely helpful to have this resource any time I need re-centering or calming down, in addition to having it be the focus of my morning meditation. Also, it is somewhere I can place as an offering anything like a letter, a gift, any kind of bill or anything that makes me feel conflicted, to help me rise above or to embrace difficult emotions that may be associated with that object. I may leave it for an hour, or a day or two, until the emotional charge has been resolved. Sometimes simply lighting a candle is enough.

– William Moss (Karun Das) of Montague

Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Mass., is the oldest performance space in the US designed for dance, and my sacred space. Though I never was a dancer, the Pillow is a magical combination of nature and art. Just stepping out of the car becalms me (an antique but apt word).

It’s partly the setting. The views of the Berkshire hills are breathtaking, no matter which way you look. Although there’s plenty of open space, there’s plenty of forest, too. I always expect to spot Tinkerbell (or at least the odd forest faerie) behind the next tree. The outdoor performance space is the infinity pool of dance floors – jutting out into thin air with the hills in the distance. Even the main stage has a back wall that fully opens to a different forested vista – a perfect backdrop for some stunning dance performances.

And it’s partly the friendly ghosts that coexist peacefully there – generations of indigenous peoples, 18th century settlers who saw the switchbacks in the road leading to the area as rungs of a Biblical ladder and the stone boulders as “pillows,” and the spirits of 90 years of dance icons who taught and performed in this magical place.

– Alison Sneider of Lenox

People might scoff and say you cannot call a state sacred, but I disagree. I grew up in the Midwest and never saw the ocean until my teenage years. My vacations were not spent at the beach, but in Kenosha with my grandparents. It wasn’t until my 20s that I encountered Maine.

In 1995, my boyfriend (now my husband) surprised me by driving us to Maine for the weekend. A Massachusetts native, he grew up summering there and wanted to share it with me. One trip to the Nubble Lighthouse, and I was hooked. The colors, the ocean, the people. It became my favorite place.

Every trip east to visit family ends with Maine. The serenity that I feel there is unparalleled to any other place. Breathing in the pine-scented air, hearing the gulls, watching the sunrise, smelling the sea roses, these fill me up the way nothing else does. It truly is my sacred space. I understand why Maine’s motto is “The Way Life Should Be.”

On Oct. 26, we awoke in Ogunquit to frantic texts from loved ones asking if we were safe. While we slept, Lewiston was torn apart by violence. My heart aches for Maine.

– Jennifer Dolan of Louisville, Ky.

My sacred place to escape the craziness of the world around me and daily stress is to be near the ocean or a running stream. President John Kennedy once said, “We are drawn to the sea because that is where we came from, and in time that is where we shall return.”

I come from a family of seafarers, lifesavers, fishermen, and Lighthouse Keepers. The salt air and the sea run through my veins. When I need to relax and escape life, that is where I go. The calming effect of the crashing waves, the colors of the rainbow, and reflections of a setting sun or a full moon. It is my place to converse with the creations of Mother Earth, watch graceful gulls or playful seals, and perhaps encounter whales, the monsters of the sea.

The sea is where I feel most at home!

– Robert Metell of East Boston

My sacred space is along the shore of Lake Michigan. The waves crash upon the shores, the sun glints off the water. Trees rise high, home for birds, squirrels and other wildlife. Gulls soar across the open water, plucking unlucky fish out of their homes. On a rare day, a bald eagle or two can be spotted.

If you listen closely and quietly, you can feel the souls of those who lie in her icy depths. You can feel their desire to have returned home, yet also their love of being on the water.

It is easy to pray here. It is easy to feel peace here. To breathe, releasing the burdens of the real world. To feel one with nature. And to feel God’s presence all around.

– Amy Rivera of Milwaukee, Wis.

My sacred space is more of a moment in time in which I would recall regularly.

February 2017. I was visiting Kentucky. Old Friends Farm in Georgetown featured retired thoroughbreds who are now enjoying rolls in the mud while receiving bits of carrot from their fans. During the tour, we met graded stakes winners and claimers.

At that time, I was dealing with my husband’s dementia and my years-long depression and spiritual upheaval.

The tour guide brought the group to the star of the farm, 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm. Noble yet mellow. I stepped forward to feed him. He ate the carrot from my hand and then he kissed me on my forehead. That was when things shifted from mundane to mystical.

From that kiss, a flood of divine love and joy came over me. It was a message telling me that life was too short to remain miserable. I spent the next several days pondering.

Ultimately, I moved to Kentucky and I found a healthy spiritual environment and sought mental wellness. When I had my moments of despair, I remember Silver Charm’s kiss and that reminds me that God is closer than I think.

– Carol Rutz of Shepherdsville, Ky.

When I was a kid in the 1960s, about twice a month we would head up into the San Gabriel Mountains to be the hosts for Harwood Lodge, a three-story, stone and timber, 100-plus-year-old Sierra Club Lodge, up the road from Baldy Village and deep in the trees. Once there, we kids had only two rules: We could run around anywhere on the mountain as long as we could see at least a corner of the lodge, and we had to come when the whistle sounded. Such freedom! Even when the weather precluded outdoor activities, there were games, books, and puzzles. In the evenings there might be dancing, singing, or playing music. It was magical and still where I go in my head when I think of childhood.

– Saski Augustine of Sunnersta, Sweden

I must be the only person on this planet who finds their sacred space at the office. And willingly shares that space.

To be precise, just down the corridor from my office, which as a mostly remote worker I now visit infrequently, exists a transcendent, enveloping space of peace, a small silent cocoon, a retreat from some decidedly un-sacred work moments and any other of life’s lunacies. The compact interfaith chapel, despite the prominence of the 23rd psalm engraved on the wall behind the altar, is a haven sought out by all persuasions.

In the great equalizer that is the hospital, this lapsed Catholic may encounter fellow travelers in deep nonsectarian meditation, or Muslims at prayer at the back, or a patient’s relative in deep supplication, or hospital employees at all levels of its multilayered strata seeking a moment of tranquility and escape. We are the whole world on a tiny scale, each quietly respecting the other.

I think of the chapel as a place where the dream of America is alive, a place where all visitors are freely, comfortably, able to worship or reflect or just sit quietly together without judgement or fear. Our own little practicum in democracy.

– Pat Conway of Rochester, N.Y.

I spend time walking along the Touchet River in Columbia County, Washington state, to experience both sacred space and sacred time. I have a water meditation I practice silently when walking. This is a simple process and also powerful for my 75-year-old body, mind, and spirit. The river flows alongside a mountain and the mountain provides much-needed shade during the hot/sunny summer months. This walking is a sacred space experience for me because it is also a block away from my husband’s rest home. There is the old saying that your cup needs to be half full in order for you to be able to be present and be generous with others. Metaphorically, I walk by the Touchet River so I will be quietly nourished and my cup will be half full.

– Dee McMurrey

My Sacred Space is without longitude and latitude. My Sacred Space is time.

I spend most if not all of my waking days with colleagues, my family, my pets, with others. This time is spent for the most part quite happily.

It is rare that I have time with just me. This time is my sacred space.I don’t even need to pray, meditate, or leave my chair if I prefer not to. It’s a time when my mind is free to wander. Sometimes it will wander over the times I’ve spent or will spend with others; other times, it goes beyond to other places, other times – future and past. Sometimes I ponder, other times I just reflect. Still other times I am a blank (these times usually mean I’ve been on overload and my mind needs to be empty).

These occasions do not happen often, and they’re impossible to plan. I take them when they present themselves and am exceedingly grateful for them. If you asked, I wouldn’t be able to tell you how long I’d been in my sacred space.

I emerge like a butterfly from a chrysalis, ready to fly off again. Until the next time.

– Elena Zadoroznia Larsen of Vermont

Some places hold a special home in my heart. Just being in them brings out gratitude, awe and wonderment.

We held our “Moving Through Grief, Trauma and Loss Workshops” at the Notre Dame Spiritual Center in Alfred, Maine. For more than 22 years, I had the extreme privilege and honor of working with participants struggling to move through experiences of grief, loss, and trauma.

But those are just words. Words pale and are insufficient to describe what was in that room in Eugene Hall.

Death, suicide, overdoses, accidents, cancer, divorce. Extreme violence, physical abuse, rape, incest, cults, clergy sexual abuse. How to describe the emotions they expressed in those four days? I can’t do justice to their work with words.

When we arrived at Eugene Hall on the day before the workshop, I would walk into that empty room and memories would take over and time would stop.

– Paul K. Matteson of Pownal, Maine

“Made or declared holy.” What is sacred centered in a place, a hallowed spot in the space-time continuum? Google Earth shows the ocean trenches and raised relief mountain ranges, omniscient live view drills down to 10 acres outside Pittsburgh, closer in to see the settlers’ gravestones akimbo, closer still to see the windows of the restored pioneer church. Then two real feet on the ground with hands cupping the window to hide the reflected sky, to peer through to the rows of wooden pews facing the massive tree stump holding the pulpit.

By the pulpit is the font, simple on a carved stand, dry now but filled up with every memory of every baptism whose water caressed a baby’s head. Time has passed and rippled but the space is intact and still. The difference between space and memory, and maybe the difference between holy and human. Sacred because it was consecrated and used by parishioners building in communion a rural retreat from the steel mills in Duquesne.

A tiny wooden sanctuary anchors arranged cabins made from US Army castoff building parts, a picnic pavilion, and a swimming pool dug out of former farmland. Reclaimed for sacrament; declared holy.

– Skye Fackre Gibson of Boston

My sacred place is in my small living room and serves as a refuge only in the early morning hours, when no one else is awake. The silence is of primary importance, as is the natural light that floods the room, inviting the day forward in the most pleasing way. This is “alone time” that I truly love.

Sitting in a bright-red antique chair that has molded to my body, I prioritize my morning meditation. In the “metta,” or loving-kindness practice, I direct goodwill to myself, a loved one, a challenging person, and/or all beings. My tailored phrases include: “May I experience deep joy” and “May all sentient beings delight in the natural world,” among others.

Once the meditation is done, something substantial has been accomplished. I turn to gazing outdoors at the birds or the lush landscape, watching for the sweet 8-year-old child headed to her bus stop. I note whether she is skipping ahead of herself with eagerness or hanging back reluctantly; she is so dear to me. I pick up my journal, a book, or a puzzle, and nod in gratitude for allowing myself, in this sacred space, a “soft start” to what will be a very good day.

– Rita Ghilani of Ashland

Music has forever been my place, my sacred space. When the fingers hit the keyboard, I drift into my own personal meditation, my singular Zen. Sometimes it’s a gentle touch, a soft release resolving into a cherished feeling of peace. At other times, it’s a pounding! It’s mad frustration or it’s joyful exhilaration. The world slips away. The calm overtakes me, and the beauty surrounds me.

In moments of collaboration, when other instruments join in and voices unite, there is essential joy and sweet harmony. It’s all so simple, yet it’s so beautiful.Music. My passion. My personal space. My sacred place.

Music is life.

– Marianne Howell of Nashua, N.H.

Sixty-five years ago, my 2nd-grade class took a field trip to the public library. We left clutching our first library cards, and ever since that day some library, somewhere, has been my sacred space – as the dictionary instructs, a space I regard with respect and reverence.

The libraries of my past and present have been both peaceful spots of quiet and relaxation, where the stresses of daily life fade away, and exciting places of stimulation and discovery, where the whole world awaits exploration. All are locked in my memory – the old stone building where my teenage self barreled through every book on the science fiction shelf in order and dropped nickels into an awesome new invention, the copier; the busy college center where I soaked up knowledge at my favorite carrel and earned $1.60 an hour at the check-out desk stamping due dates (and deleting friends’ fines – ssh); the children’s rooms of suburban libraries where I tried to nurture in my kids, with uneven success, the love of reading that has carried me my whole life.

Sit home and download a novel onto my e-reader? No thanks. I’m going to the library.

– Jane Wiznitzer of Stamford, Conn.

I wake at 4:30 a.m., take a cold-water plunge in the Lamprey River, and then meet with 60+ teenagers at a high school to enthrall them with the joys of French and Spanish. I write bathroom passes, remind my cherubs to take out their cahiers or cuadernos, insist they have Chromebooks charged, encourage them to quiet down and engage in the study of language.

By 2:30 p.m., I am toast.

My sacred spot is the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Rochester, New Hampshire. I head there on my way home; put on a podcast, and wander through the aisles. I do not talk, save for a “Hi” to the welcoming clerk. I disappear in the racks, perusing the bags, the dresses, the coats, the scarves.

I find the locale soothing, comforting, and not once have been asked, “Can I help you?” I crave being left alone, delighted that no one asks me for a thing. I meander and touch and, on occasion, find some treasure, a beautiful trench coat I’ll give my daughter, a fishing shirt for my husband. I hunt in silence, in peace.

I decompress just as many of the donors decompose.

– Susan Dromey Heeter of Newmarket, N.H.

I’ve spent most of my adult life looking for a place that could be my sanctuary. I found it in 2010: Briarwood Beach, Wareham. The beginning of the experience was a challenge. Purchase home – job loss – regroup – relocate – renovate – reap benefits – a roller coaster, 10-year adventure. It’s a short stroll to the sandy spot by the Weweantic River where you can park your chair, but make sure you keep moving with the tide. Most days there’s no one there but the birds looking for a meal. The gentle lapping waves and warm sun bring peace. What began as a part-time experience is now permanent. We’ve added two couples, long-time friends who also craved the serenity and spectacular sunsets of our neighborhood. The house has changed, but the feeling remains. Simple peace every day.

– Joanne Robertson

Wind in the sail, water gurgling past the hull, hand on the tiller, alone on the water in a small sailboat feeling the forces of nature – or is it the hand of God – moving us along. Wind in the sail, water churning past the hull, hand firmly on the tiller with muscles tensed as the gale drives the small sailboat forward, soaked with spray, feeling the forces of nature – or is it the hand of God – driving us furiously forward.

On a large schooner, standing wheel watch alone, feeling the forces of wind and water transmitted through spokes of the wheel, watching the compass in the dimly lit binnacle, keeping us on course moving onward through the night toward our destination, feeling the warm steady breeze, the gentle force of nature – or is it the hand of God – helping us on our way.

These are my sacred spaces, wide open places in which to find both solitude and renewal, places like no other in which to feel close to the spiritual world, to feel a gentle softness much of the time and the full fury of a possibly angry spirit testing strength and resolve. All are sacred to me!

– Walter G. Ensign Jr. of Ashland, Ore.

My rowboat is 7 1/2 feet long. I was lucky to inherit her. She needed a home and I welcomed her. I’d learned to row as a kid and rowing, like bike riding, is a skill never forgotten.

At that time my husband was falling apart with Parkinson’s and dementia. As his caregiver, I lived a constrained life. Getting out on the water seemed like a fine idea. I’d bring in a friend to keep my husband company when I rowed. And once on the water, all constraints fell away.

My husband died four years ago, and still I row in the broad, busy harbor. I like to row alone. It’s never silent, but the sounds have meaning: the cries of the ospreys and gulls, the occasional boat horn, the thrum of a lobster boat engine.

Boats, buoys, moorings are constants in the harbor, but the water, the sky, the clouds, are miracles of light. There are seals to sing to or flotillas of ducks bobbing on the waves. Sometimes I visit a beach and look for treasure. Other times I just row for hours. And watch. And listen. My rowboat is the entry to my sacred space.

– Lynn Hower Allen of Rockland, Maine

On most Sunday afternoons, after errands are completed and social gatherings are finished, my husband Jim and I sit on the bed with a bunch of pillows and our two dogs, pull out our books, and read. It is the best time of my week, and the constant answer to the question that one podcast host always asks her guests, “What is saving your life right now?” It doesn’t matter that we read differently – he devours formulaic mysteries on his iPad and I tend to enjoy literary fiction in “real book” form. What matters is the quiet togetherness. Sometimes we hold hands while we read. Sometimes we laugh at something silly the dogs are doing. Sometimes we read until we fall asleep. If we’ve been cranky with each other during the week, being here fixes everything. If, as I believe, the highest spiritual practice in any faith is love, this time and space is our sacred space and we always come away better from having been there together.

– Sharon Lewis of Williston, S.C.

My sacred space is my home yoga studio and practice. My practice happens via Zoom once a week. My yogi lives in one state and the rest of us live in different states, so it is perfect for us. I also appreciate that I do not have to leave my home to have a yoga practice. It is so peaceful to sit on my mat in my own home. I can moan and groan to my heart’s content in my own private yoga space. I have my own candle and essential oils and I do not need to worry about offending anyone with the scents. This is the one hour a week where I can be alone and at peace. This practice grounds me and helps me cope. I am very lucky to have this sacred hour as part of my life, and I offer my unending gratitude to my yogi. 🙏

– Nancy Stenberg of Easthampton

When I was little, my family would take the week before Labor Day to spend at Camp High Sierra, near Mammoth Lakes in California. Mostly, our dad would go fishing (we would, too, but not every day, like he would). We would take an all-day horse trek up to Grass Lake from McGee Pack Station. The trek would be led by Bill Bryan, a former rodeo rider and after a few years, our friend.

Along the way, there was (is still?) an area where the trees bent toward each other, forming what Bill and I called “the Cathedral.” It was a peaceful pathway and very quiet. Only the hoof-falls and birds could be heard. That was, and will always be, my sacred space.

– Janice Cagan-Teuber

My sacred place has stood the test of time, from childhood into adulthood. I now share it with my own family, and they have grown to similarly cherish the remoteness as a needed respite from a too-connected, “always-on” life we struggle to manage.

This particular haven of solace is nestled on the Maine coast, 30 minutes from the hectic thoroughfare that carries visitors into mid-coast Maine, to Boothbay, Acadia, and beyond. No signage adorns the familiar turn from the blurring traffic of Main Street to the calming pace of vacationers as we leisurely navigate toward an idyllic seaside fishing village. A quaint cottage containing a kitchen, a sitting room, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms offer me perspective in troubled times. The easy meander over a stone path to the churning and rejuvenating sea brings me strength, focus, and gratitude, all sorely needed after the tribulations we all experience from time to time. A short stroll beyond, the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum welcomes weary travelers keen to learn of local history or bask in the late-day sun.

This nirvana on the coast of Maine is my sacred place, and the medicinal qualities I have enjoyed here are more powerful than any other therapy I’ve yet found.

– Thomas Moore of Shrewsbury

My sacred space is a 34-foot sailboat I have sailed with my husband and son for more than 30 years. Our ship is sacred to me because it connects me with a more beneficial life rhythm. At home, there is always something else to do or an email to answer. I need to move fast to keep up and often become frazzled. But on the boat I am responsible for only a limited area below deck, mainly the salon and galley, plus internet is not constant. So I am able to slow down – to breathe, relax, dream, and just appreciate being.

I love to stare at the waves when underway, be they sparkling in sun or green-gray under clouds. I savor the “golden hour” when the almost setting sun gilds the landscape in glorious light. I like to sit on deck then with a glass of wine and contemplate the peace of the harbor. I also enjoy leaning against the deck shrouds after dark to study stars – so many points of brightness way, way above the mast. After that, to climb below, crawl into my bed in the bow’s v-berth, and be gently rocked to sleep.

– Jean Trescott Lambert of West Newbury

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Diwali Paragraph 100, 150, 200, 250 to 300 Words for Kids, Students and Children

September 05, 2024 by Prasanna

Paragraph On Diwali: Diwali is a Hindu festival that is known as the festival of lights. This festival usually lasts for five days and is celebrated during the Hindu month of Kartika. The festival symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness.” In India, Diwali is also known as Dipawali.

You can read more  Paragraph Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

Diwali Paragraph For Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Students

Paragraph on diwali – 100 words for classes 1, 2, 3 kids.

Diwali is one of the most important festivals in Hindu culture. It is one of the most important holidays in the Hindu calendar. Diwali gets its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Deepavali’ that roughly translates to ‘a row of lights.’ It is a great time to have fun with your family and friends. People decorate their houses with oil lamps and fairy lights at night. They cook delicious food and share them with their neighbors. It is a festival of lights; every street is lit up with beautiful lights. It spreads cheer and joy among people and makes them fall in love with their culture.

Paragraph on Diwali – 150 Words for Classes 4 and 5 Children

The festival of lights Diwali has been around for a long time. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama returned home to Ayodhya on this day after killing the demon king Ravana. Upon the arrival of their king, the residents of Ayodhya lighted the streets and houses with oil lamps to celebrate the occasion. Since then, the Hindus have been following the tradition by celebrating the festival with pomp and fervor. It is easily the favorite festival for kids as they get to eat their favorite sweets and wear new clothes.

The festival teaches us that good always wins over evil and that we must eradicate darkness with light. A festive atmosphere can be seen during Diwali in every Indian household. Everyone is busy cleaning houses, preparing sweets, or lighting up lamps. A religious ceremony usually precedes the celebrations in the evening.

Paragraph on Diwali- 200 Words for Classes 6, 7, 8 Students

Diwali is the season to celebrate with joy and cheer. It was the day when king Rama destroyed the evil forces and reached home to a rousing welcome by his subjects. Diwali has long been associated with bursting crackers, which is not in the true spirits of the festival. The main motive of the festival is to spread happiness with your loved ones.

Festivals have been made to reinforce strong bonds between families and friends, and Diwali is the best example. Everyone goes home for Diwali and celebrates it with their families. It is a national holiday, so everyone enjoys the festival without worrying about work. It gets more exciting at night because lots of sky-lanterns are released into the air that flies high and lights up the night sky. Diwali teaches us to be patient for good things in life.

Children keep waiting for many days to enjoy that bite of their favourite sweet. The houses are thoroughly cleaned to clean them of dirt. Cleanliness is very important as it would determine your wellness and health. It has been a part of Hindu culture for a very long time and fosters the moral lesson of “Good people always win over bad ones.

Students can also find Essay on Diwali and 10 Lines on Diwali from here.

Paragraph on Diwali – 250 to 300 Words for Classes 9, 10, 11, 12 and Competitive Exams Students

Festivals form a very important aspect of human lives. They celebrate brotherhood, sharing, and the social nature of humans. One such festival is Diwali. It is celebrated by Hindus to mark the arrival of Ayodhya’s King Rama after a fierce and bloody battle with the demon king Ravana. It celebrates the basic theme of the victory of light against the dark. Our human minds are well-equipped with the ethos of social and behavioral patterns that form intricate relationships with people around us.

Festivals are the perfect way to know your neighbors and celebrate with them. Diwali teaches us to be kind to everyone and has a patient heart and mind to wait for good results to come through. Our beliefs shape our minds; therefore, we must never lose faith in festivals. Diwali has long been associated with bursting crackers but, is it necessary? Of course not! Diwali can still be celebrated amazingly if we all stay at home and enjoy a hearty dinner with our friends and family. Bursting of firecrackers releases harmful gases to the atmosphere that ultimately results in air pollution.

Firecrackers hurt the animals living around us. We must responsibly celebrate the festival without compromising the safety of others. During Diwali, the households are filled with the thick scent of delicious aroma rising from freshly cooked food. Scrumptious delicacies are cooked and consumed during the festival. We must keep in mind that festivals have been made to foster the important spirit of brotherhood among us and not to destroy our surroundings in the name of celebration.

FAQ’s on Paragraph on Diwali

Question 1. Why is Diwali celebrated?

Answer: Diwali is celebrated to commemorate the arrival of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana.

Question 2. When is Diwali celebrated?

Answer: In the month of ‘Kartik.’ It is a month in the Hindu calendar and falls somewhere between October end and November.

Question 3. How is Diwali celebrated?

Answer: Diwali is celebrated by decorating our houses with traditional oil lamps. You might also cook up delicious treats and share them with your families and friends.

Question 4. How can you save for Diwali?

Answer: We have a safe and fun Diwali by sticking to its traditional methods and practices and staying away from firecrackers.

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Paragraph on My Best Friend [100, 150, 200, 250 Words]

Paragraph on My Best Friend: We all need a best friend in our lives . In this article, you are going to learn how to write a paragraph on my best friend in English (100, 150, 200, and 250 words). These paragraphs will be very helpful for students of all classes (class 1 to 12). So, let’s begin.

Table of Contents

Short Paragraph on My Best Friend [100 Words]

Friends play an important part in everyone’s life. I am very lucky to have a friend like Rohan. Rohan is my best friend. He is my classmate. He belongs to a respected middle-class family. He is very good at his studies. His favourite subject is math. Teachers love him so much.

Besides academics, he is also good at extracurricular activities like drawing, painting, sports, etc. Rohan is a very well-mannered boy. He respects elders and talks to everyone very politely.   He often comes to my house and helps me with my studies. We also play together every day in the afternoon. I am very proud of my best friend.

Paragraph on My Best Friend [150 Words]

I have many friends, but my best friend is Ratan. He is the best boy in our class. Although he is intelligent and a very good student, he is not at all proud. Besides, he is very kind-hearted also. If anyone falls ill, Ratan is the first to pay him a visit.

If anybody is sad, he is sad too. In fact, he comes forward to help anybody at any time. Ratan is also a very good sportsman. He plays football and cricket in our school team and has bagged many prizes. His manners and behavior attract everybody. All these qualities have made him so different from others.

He is very dear to me and we are very intimate with each other. We share our thoughts and feelings. He comes to my place almost every day in the afternoon and we go out together. I like him very much.

Also Read: 10 Lines on My Best Friend

My Best Friend Paragraph Writing [200 Words]

Friends are dear. But true friends are very rare. I have a number of friends including my school friends and the friends of my locality. But how many of them are true friends? I do not know. But I know one as my best friend. He is Rahul. He reads with me. We both sit on the same bench in school.

He helps me in clearing my doubts and I help him too. Even we have our tiffin together. We return home together after the school hour. Indeed, we are very intimate. He is my class fellow since childhood. Our friendship is natural and so everlasting. He is not a brilliant student. He is, just like me, an average student.

We together share our joys and sorrows. Science subjects are his favorite. Rahul wants to become a doctor. He likes to play cricket and badminton. Rahul is not a son of rich parents. He belongs to an average family.  He has an amiable nature. I have never found him rude or impolite.

Moreover, he is sympathetic and kind to all. No matter how the situation is, he is always there to support me. These are the qualities to draw me to him. I am very lucky to have him as a friend.

My Best Friend Paragraph [250 Words]

A true friend is a precious thing. Without a friend, life is dull and boring. A best friend is the one with whom we can share our feelings and thoughts. I am very fortunate that I have a best friend. Kabir is my best friend. He is my class fellow and lives near my house.

He is smart and intelligent. Kabir is a brilliant student in the class. He is punctual and disciplined. Teachers love him so much. Kabir’s aim is to be an engineer.

He is not only a good student but also good at sports. His favorite game is football. He participates in the annual school sports every year and wins many prizes. He loves drawing and singing. In the evening we play together in the playground. 

Kabir is the only child of his parents. His father is a school teacher and his mother is a housewife. Kabir belongs to a respectable middle-class family. Kabir’s parents and my parents are friends too. We often have our dinner together. We use to go to each other’s houses regularly.

Kabir is very polite and well-mannered.  He never argues with me on any matter. He always respects our elders. He is very entertaining in nature and makes me laugh through funny jokes.

We are made for each other. He is much similar to me in many aspects. We both help each other in our studies. He is my well-wisher and encourages me to do better in every aspect of life. I’ve learned so much from him.  I never want to lose him.

My Best Friend Essay 10 lines

1. I have many friends but Rohan is my best friend. 2. He is my classmate. 3. He lives near my house. 4. He is a brilliant student in class. 5. He always helps me in my studies. 6. His favorite subject is English. 7. He likes drawing and singing. 8. He wants to be a good teacher. 9. He is very polite and well-mannered. 10. I love him very much.

Read More Paragraphs: 1. Paragraph on My Family 2. Paragraph on My likes and Dislikes 3. Paragraph on My Daily Routine 4. Paragraph on Morning Walk 5. Paragraph on My Aim in Life

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4 thoughts on “paragraph on my best friend [100, 150, 200, 250 words]”.

very well explained. thanks

l like all the paragraph, thank you so much

I really enjoyed reading your blog post on best friends. It was very insightful and I learned a lot about what makes a good friend. I also enjoyed the personal anecdotes you included. They made the article feel more personal and gave it a more

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