Best Essay Opening Lines from Stanford

College Essays
1

<p>Although I posted this link on the Stanford site, it is also appropriate here. Reinforces post #19</p>

<p>...."The undergraduate admissions staff, while evaluating students on their total merit, take notice of the first lines that make essay-reading a particular pleasure. We asked them to share some of their favorite openers from those students who, starting in September, can write, Call me Cardinal."</p>

<p>From the recent issue of the Stanford Alumni magazine. Examples of the actual starting sentences of essays from the class of 2012 that caught the eye of the admissions staff are in the article:</p>

<p>STANFORD</a> Magazine: September/October 2008 > Features > Admissions Essays Opening Lines</p>

2

<p>First impressions really do count. An opening line or paragraph that hooks the reader is a huge asset.</p>

<p>"On a hot Hollywood evening, I sat on a bike, sweltering in a winter coat and furry boots..." Is there a reader on the planet who could stop there and not wonder what occasioned that bizarre scene?</p>

3

<p>I agree, some of them are very amusing also,
"The spaghetti burbled and slushed around the pan, and as I stirred it, the noises it gave off began to sound increasingly like bodily functions." Now that takes a fair amount of creativity and skill to write, I wonder if how the spaghetti tasted in the end.</p>

4

<p>I like that opening ^</p>

<p>also thanks for posting the link!</p>

5

<p>"I change my name each time I place an order at Starbucks."</p>

<p>LOL I'm guilty of this as well. Wish I would have thought to put it in an essay.</p>

6

<p>^ wat does that mean?</p>

7

<p>^When you order a drink at Starbucks, they sometimes ask you for your name to write it on your drink so that they can call your name when your drink's ready.
I loved that one, and several of the others. These are really great!</p>

8

<p>Haha, when you order a Frappuccino or other drink, they usually ask for your name and write it on the cup so they can call out your name when it's ready. </p>

<p>My friends and I are guilty as well. :)</p>

<p>Once, my friend said his name was "Jesus" (hay-zeus) so that the employee could write "Jesus" on the cup, in hopes of another employee calling out for "Jesus" (jee-zuhs). However, the experiment failed. Hahahaha :P</p>

9

<p>I do that at Jamba Juice all the time!</p>

10

<p>I've never done that at Starbucks. I'll have to go do it now. :) I'm suprised that no one on CC has discovered that their essay was mentioned. </p>

<p>Thanks for the link!</p>

11

<p>"I change my name each time I place an order at Starbucks."</p>

<p>OMG I DO THIS</p>

12

<p>These lines weren't particularly impressive. Does anyone else agree?</p>

13

<p>I thought a few were interesting. I'd categorize most of them as nothing special, however.</p>

14

<p>i thought the starbucks one was creative, and I wish i had thought of it. I thought the others were okay. Some of them pushed cheezy, especially the ones about race or being in a slum.</p>

15

<p>Most of them made me want to read more, and I guess that's the point.</p>

16

<p>Anyone know a good site to read more such opening lines, or even full essays? I can feel the inspiration for writing my own essays when i'm reading these.</p>

17

<p>It's also important to remember that a closing line is just as important.</p>

18

<p>Well, now we know which lines NOT to use.</p>

19

<p>I think the "I have old hands" one is from a CC member, I think I read that essay actually?</p>

20

<p>I remember starting off one of my essays (school: RPI) by insulting the prompt. </p>

<p>I was accepted.</p>