<p>I see that the Conn. College website has a group of essays that they think are good. Does anyone know of other schools that have published "winning" essays?</p>
<p>Mostly found “tips,” but not many actual essays. Here are the ones I did find, though:</p>
<p>[Hamilton</a> College - Essays that Worked](<a href=“http://www.hamilton.edu/magazine/2003/fall/essays.html]Hamilton”>Essays that Worked - Class of 2007 - Hamilton College)
[Hamilton</a> College - More Essays that Worked](<a href=“http://www.hamilton.edu/magazine/2008/summer/essays.html]Hamilton”>http://www.hamilton.edu/magazine/2008/summer/essays.html)
[Discovering</a> Voice: Essays That Matter - Tufts University](<a href=“Tufts University”>Tufts University)
[WAC</a> - Sample Application Essays - Coe College](<a href=“http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/samples.htm]WAC”>http://www.public.coe.edu/wac/samples.htm)</p>
<p>And if one line is better than nothing:</p>
<p>[Admissions</a> Essays Opening Lines - Stanford](<a href=“http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2008/sepoct/features/essays.html]Admissions”>http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2008/sepoct/features/essays.html)
[First</a> Lines from the Application Essays - Bennington College](<a href=“http://www.bennington.edu/index.cfm?objectID=0F140837-5056-BA14-23005F5C3B28D0B7]First”>http://www.bennington.edu/index.cfm?objectID=0F140837-5056-BA14-23005F5C3B28D0B7)</p>
<p>UVA has excerpts - </p>
<p>[Essays</a>, Admission Information, Undergraduate Admission, U.Va.](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html]Essays”>http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html)</p>
<p>These are actual essays from kids who got in and are at MIT:</p>
<p>[MIT</a> Admissions | Blog Entry: “MY college essay”](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_freshman_application/my_college_essay_1.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_freshman_application/my_college_essay_1.shtml) –> scroll down a bit</p>
<p>[MIT</a> Admissions | Blog Entry: “My College Essay”](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_freshman_application/my_college_essay.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/the_freshman_application/my_college_essay.shtml)</p>
<p><strong><em>Thanks!</em></strong></p>
<p>^^ Not trying to be pompous or anything, but having read a lot of those essays, a lot of them are NOT good at all aside from grammar.</p>
<p>I really see very little creativity or passion in a lot of them. Though the ones that do have it, are simply amazing.</p>
<p>UVA gives some pretty good advice</p>
<p>I agree that not all the essays are fabulous, but I think it’s equally valuable to see what “doesnt work” as it is to see what does.</p>
<p>A few years ago The Crimson published a book of successful Harvard applicant essays with discussion of approaches and reasons why they were succesful. You can probably buy it online</p>
<p>^I’ve read the book, and one of the comforting things about it, is that while some of the essays are fabulous, most of them are just pretty good. I think it’s rare for an essay to make an application, but of course you don’t want to write a really terrible one.</p>
<p>Thanks!!! I’m learning so much that I didn’t know that I know! Now I just need to get my D to read these…</p>
<p>Tufts has quite a few on their website. Also sample answers to supplemental questions.</p>
<p>The “50 essays that worked” book of Harvard essays is nice because it has very nice critiques of the essays, analyzing what was good about them and what could have been better (yes, even the Harvard essays that worked could have been improved upon). </p>
<p>Harry Bauld’s book is excellent.</p>
<p>I hope essays do count a lot- my D has some good ones.</p>