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Looking for tips on how to start a college essay? Read on to learn the best ways to start an essay with examples.
College application essays can be some of the most intimidating parts of the college admissions process. You may even find yourself wondering how to start a college essay. But don’t panic. This is your chance to show your personality amid a sea of other applicants.
More than all of your other application materials, your essay should be unique and personal. It is about you and is your chance to show who you are to colleges beyond the numbers. You will have your grades and educational background, but the essay is your chance to give admissions officers a taste of the personality behind them.
No matter the topic, most successful essays tell a personal story about the applicant and why they would be a good candidate for admittance. Knowing how to start a college essay will make your whole experience much easier. Our guide will cover the purpose of your college essays, how to start off an essay, and best practices for crafting winning essays.
Your college essay intro should include three key features: the opening hook, a description of some event or experience you want to explain, and a clear set up for your story. All of these parts are vital to your essay’s success, but let’s take a closer look at the important steps to beginning an essay.
If you know anything about storytelling, you know the importance of a great hook. All the best books have a dynamite opening or even first word to make people want to read more. The college essay is no different; you’re just telling a story about yourself.
Another thing you need to know is who your audience is going to be – a college admissions officer. Now, think a little about their experience. Take Harvard, for instance. Their most recent class intake was only 2,000 out of more than 40,000 total applications.
This means that admissions officers have to sift through tens of thousands of applications to find the few exceptional candidates they want to accept. If you want to be one of them, you must stand out. The most important place to do that is in your essay’s opening.
Of course, the very first line is only a part of your essay opening. Your opening paragraph needs three things:
Your pivot will usually take the form of a thesis statement, where you set out the point you will make with your essay. This doesn’t necessarily mean you spoil the whole thing; you are just setting up the thing you’re going to say later.
From your opening paragraph, your reader should be engaged, aware of the story or content you are going to describe, and aware of the broad point you will try to make with your essay in relation to the prompt question.
Before we look at some real-life examples of successful college application essays, a last piece of advice is to not start writing your essay at the beginning.
As we know by now, your opening plays a key role in setting up the rest of your essay. This opening must be a carefully thought-out experience or story that will introduce the point you are trying to make. Amazing opener will not work if it doesn’t connect to your actual essay.
First, the best thing to do is figure out what point you want to make or story you wish to tell. Then, write that out before writing your opening. You will have a much better idea of what you need it to do and can craft that incredible line to seize your reader’s attention.
There are many ways to go about beginning an essay, and choosing something unexpected may help you stand out from other applicants! Here are some interesting ways to start essays that will help you grab the reader’s attention right away.
Starting with a vivid description can be an excellent opener to seize your reader’s attention:
Example: “Brown, crumpled leaves were heaped in the corners of the small room as I walked in, and it smelt of woodsmoke.”
This example of a bold opening instantly creates an image in the mind. The reader can easily begin to see themselves in the setting as the writer engages their senses — both sight with “brown, crumpled, small” and smell with “woodsmoke.”
This creates an interesting sensory experience for your reader and helps grab their attention right from the beginning of your essay.
You can try to create very unusual or disturbing imagery to really grab your reader’s attention, but be careful. Remember that reading the college essay is a subjective experience. If you disgust or upset your admissions officer, they might be less likely to accept you.
Begin by setting up questions your essay will answer. This “mystery” method ignites the reader’s sense of curiosity, which will motivate them to keep reading.
Example: “The knife was on the countertop. It shouldn’t have been there.”
This example leaves the reader full of questions. “Who’s knife?”, “why shouldn’t it be there?” These are questions the essay will answer later on. It can be confusing and intriguing – they don’t know what’s going on and want to read on to understand.
This method can be very effective for opening your college essay. It creates mystery and poses questions — just make sure you answer each of those questions throughout the essay. Your goal is to intrigue the reader, not leave them feeling puzzled!
Take this example from a real-life, successful college application essay:
“I live alone — I always have since elementary school.” (Kevin Zevallos, Connecticut College)
This gives an unusual detail that immediately poses questions — why would a child be living alone? It compels the reader to keep reading to find out more.
You can start your essay with a direct question to your reader to stand out from other essays the admissions committee will read:
Example: “Does every life matter? Do you think so?”
This example poses a divisive philosophical question and then turns it directly on the reader, seemingly putting pressure on them to answer. This can be a risky manoeuvre but is also very effective. Breaking the fourth wall can be quite shocking!
Acknowledging your situation as a writer for your college essay — ”when I began this essay…” — is closely related to this method, but you should use it cautiously. If overdone, it can easily become banal. However, if you think you have a way to use it for a killer opener, it can have excellent results.
Using an anecdote or a short personal story can be an endearing way to begin your college essay. With this method, the writer shares an experience or an anecdote that highlights their strengths or unique perspective.
Example: “When I was five, I had a toy cat I dragged everywhere. We were inseparable! I begged my mom until I was 10 to get our first real cat, Luna, and my obsession with animal care began.”
The purpose of using an anecdote is introducing yourself and your core traits immediately. This example is excellent because the writer uses a personal story to lead into their interest in animal care, which in this case is relevant to their choice of degree.
If appropriate, you can start your essay with a humorous anecdote or a witty comment to set the tone for your essay. Only use this method if it’s true to your personality, as it’s easy for humor to not come across in an essay.
Example: “Managing to break free from my mother’s grasp, I charged. With arms flailing and chubby legs fluttering beneath me, I was the ferocious two year old rampaging through Costco on a Saturday morning. My mother’s eyes widened in horror as I jettisoned my churro; the cinnamon sugar rocket gracefully sliced its way through the air while I continued my spree.”
This example comes from Brittany Stinson’s famous Costco college essay that got her into five Ivy League schools. Using a funny story in your college essay is a risk, and should only be undertaken by strong writers with a good sense of humor. When done right, adding humor to your essay can equal a home run.
It’s crucial to make your essay true to you. You should avoid using famous quotes, or anything that didn’t directly come from your experience. To elaborate on essay introduction mistakes to avoid, we look to the great writer George Orwell. He had some excellent advice on making writing unique that you can implement in your college application.
With everything you write, ask yourself these questions:
These are all fantastic questions to ask yourself. If you can interrogate your drafts using this advice, you are sure to improve your college essay’s quality. If you don’t think that will be enough to guide you, Orwell also provided six “rules” — the are more guidelines than rules — that can provide more rigid advice:
Obviously, some of these rules can sound pretty outdated — who says barbarous anymore? — but don’t let that distract you from the solid advice. Orwell’s questions and rules basically break down to this: Of everything you write, ask what you are trying to achieve and why you are making each choice.
You want your writing to precisely express, as much as it can, your own thoughts and opinions, rather than trying to seem clever with big words or coasting by using worn-out phrases. Now, let’s take a look at some college essay introduction examples.
Let’s take a look at some college essay introduction examples that got people into college using the methods above.
“My father said I didn’t cry when I was born. Instead, I popped out of the womb with a furrowed brow, looking up at him almost accusatorially, as if to say “Who are you? What am I doing here? While I can’t speak to the biological accuracy of his story — How did I survive, then? How did I bring air into my lungs? — it’s certainly true that I feel like I came preprogrammed with the compulsion to ask questions.” - Marina, Harvard
This opening works for several reasons. First, its initial line gives us an unusual, personal factoid about this person that immediately poses questions about the person — why didn’t they cry, what does this suggest about them? — that draws in the reader.
Secondly, it’s pretty funny. The image of a frowning baby instantly puts your reader in a good mood, making it likely the reader will enjoy reading the essay and feel a connection to you.
Then, at its end, the essay gives a little hint of its meaning with the “compulsion to ask questions.” This is a fantastic move, going straight from the hilarity of an image as a baby to how it relates to the aspects of the applicant that are relevant to their college admission.
In this next example of a Princeton University application, the applicant creates a provoking twist to draw in the reader:
“People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is…uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable”
This is an extremely effective opening. Its vague opening line immediately creates mystery and poses questions, drawing in the reader. Then, the benign questions are a setup for the vitriolic “you terrorist,” making it yet more shocking and upsetting.
I mentioned before how you might want to avoid this, but here is an example of where it works. The applicant sets up their argument on uncomfortable truths using clever writing techniques and their real-world experiences.
Here are our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about crafting a stellar college essay introduction.
Admissions officers process tens of thousands of applications every year, so you need to stand out, and the best place to do that is by seizing your reader’s attention at the very beginning.
If you feel like you don’t have a stirring, emotive experience to write about, you can still write a compelling essay. Think about which points you want to emphasise in your response to the prompt and try to find out the reasons behind your decisions.
Why do you hold those beliefs? Why do you have that skill? Then piece together that evidence into a convincing argument that makes your point clear to your reader.
The first thing you include in your college essay depends on the topic. However, no matter what topic your essay is about, you should be able to grab the reader’s attention right away and set up the story of your paper. The “who, what, when and where,” should be clear within the first 5 sentences.
Our personal statement (or other essays discussing your personal life) should start by introducing key factors of who you are that are relevant to the essay. Remember, college essays are the place for colleges to get to know you!
Just make sure not to include too much irrelevant background information and focus on the story of how you became interested in the college/degree you are applying for.
There’s a whole lot of information included here that can be pretty overwhelming. And while this may not have alleviated your tensions, it should teach you how to start a college essay.
The most important thing is this: If you can authentically talk about yourself, you’ve already made the best contribution to your college essay possible. Colleges are interested in who you are and not so much in your ability to learn writing techniques online.
That said, if you’re looking for ways to express yourself and stand out among other applicants, the tips listed here can help. Good luck!
Looking for tips on how to start a college essay? Read on to learn the best ways to start an essay with examples.
College application essays can be some of the most intimidating parts of the college admissions process. You may even find yourself wondering how to start a college essay. But don’t panic. This is your chance to show your personality amid a sea of other applicants.
More than all of your other application materials, your essay should be unique and personal. It is about you and is your chance to show who you are to colleges beyond the numbers. You will have your grades and educational background, but the essay is your chance to give admissions officers a taste of the personality behind them.
No matter the topic, most successful essays tell a personal story about the applicant and why they would be a good candidate for admittance. Knowing how to start a college essay will make your whole experience much easier. Our guide will cover the purpose of your college essays, how to start off an essay, and best practices for crafting winning essays.
Your college essay intro should include three key features: the opening hook, a description of some event or experience you want to explain, and a clear set up for your story. All of these parts are vital to your essay’s success, but let’s take a closer look at the important steps to beginning an essay.
If you know anything about storytelling, you know the importance of a great hook. All the best books have a dynamite opening or even first word to make people want to read more. The college essay is no different; you’re just telling a story about yourself.
Another thing you need to know is who your audience is going to be – a college admissions officer. Now, think a little about their experience. Take Harvard, for instance. Their most recent class intake was only 2,000 out of more than 40,000 total applications.
This means that admissions officers have to sift through tens of thousands of applications to find the few exceptional candidates they want to accept. If you want to be one of them, you must stand out. The most important place to do that is in your essay’s opening.
Of course, the very first line is only a part of your essay opening. Your opening paragraph needs three things:
Your pivot will usually take the form of a thesis statement, where you set out the point you will make with your essay. This doesn’t necessarily mean you spoil the whole thing; you are just setting up the thing you’re going to say later.
From your opening paragraph, your reader should be engaged, aware of the story or content you are going to describe, and aware of the broad point you will try to make with your essay in relation to the prompt question.
Before we look at some real-life examples of successful college application essays, a last piece of advice is to not start writing your essay at the beginning.
As we know by now, your opening plays a key role in setting up the rest of your essay. This opening must be a carefully thought-out experience or story that will introduce the point you are trying to make. Amazing opener will not work if it doesn’t connect to your actual essay.
First, the best thing to do is figure out what point you want to make or story you wish to tell. Then, write that out before writing your opening. You will have a much better idea of what you need it to do and can craft that incredible line to seize your reader’s attention.
There are many ways to go about beginning an essay, and choosing something unexpected may help you stand out from other applicants! Here are some interesting ways to start essays that will help you grab the reader’s attention right away.
Starting with a vivid description can be an excellent opener to seize your reader’s attention:
Example: “Brown, crumpled leaves were heaped in the corners of the small room as I walked in, and it smelt of woodsmoke.”
This example of a bold opening instantly creates an image in the mind. The reader can easily begin to see themselves in the setting as the writer engages their senses — both sight with “brown, crumpled, small” and smell with “woodsmoke.”
This creates an interesting sensory experience for your reader and helps grab their attention right from the beginning of your essay.
You can try to create very unusual or disturbing imagery to really grab your reader’s attention, but be careful. Remember that reading the college essay is a subjective experience. If you disgust or upset your admissions officer, they might be less likely to accept you.
Begin by setting up questions your essay will answer. This “mystery” method ignites the reader’s sense of curiosity, which will motivate them to keep reading.
Example: “The knife was on the countertop. It shouldn’t have been there.”
This example leaves the reader full of questions. “Who’s knife?”, “why shouldn’t it be there?” These are questions the essay will answer later on. It can be confusing and intriguing – they don’t know what’s going on and want to read on to understand.
This method can be very effective for opening your college essay. It creates mystery and poses questions — just make sure you answer each of those questions throughout the essay. Your goal is to intrigue the reader, not leave them feeling puzzled!
Take this example from a real-life, successful college application essay:
“I live alone — I always have since elementary school.” (Kevin Zevallos, Connecticut College)
This gives an unusual detail that immediately poses questions — why would a child be living alone? It compels the reader to keep reading to find out more.
You can start your essay with a direct question to your reader to stand out from other essays the admissions committee will read:
Example: “Does every life matter? Do you think so?”
This example poses a divisive philosophical question and then turns it directly on the reader, seemingly putting pressure on them to answer. This can be a risky manoeuvre but is also very effective. Breaking the fourth wall can be quite shocking!
Acknowledging your situation as a writer for your college essay — ”when I began this essay…” — is closely related to this method, but you should use it cautiously. If overdone, it can easily become banal. However, if you think you have a way to use it for a killer opener, it can have excellent results.
Using an anecdote or a short personal story can be an endearing way to begin your college essay. With this method, the writer shares an experience or an anecdote that highlights their strengths or unique perspective.
Example: “When I was five, I had a toy cat I dragged everywhere. We were inseparable! I begged my mom until I was 10 to get our first real cat, Luna, and my obsession with animal care began.”
The purpose of using an anecdote is introducing yourself and your core traits immediately. This example is excellent because the writer uses a personal story to lead into their interest in animal care, which in this case is relevant to their choice of degree.
If appropriate, you can start your essay with a humorous anecdote or a witty comment to set the tone for your essay. Only use this method if it’s true to your personality, as it’s easy for humor to not come across in an essay.
Example: “Managing to break free from my mother’s grasp, I charged. With arms flailing and chubby legs fluttering beneath me, I was the ferocious two year old rampaging through Costco on a Saturday morning. My mother’s eyes widened in horror as I jettisoned my churro; the cinnamon sugar rocket gracefully sliced its way through the air while I continued my spree.”
This example comes from Brittany Stinson’s famous Costco college essay that got her into five Ivy League schools. Using a funny story in your college essay is a risk, and should only be undertaken by strong writers with a good sense of humor. When done right, adding humor to your essay can equal a home run.
It’s crucial to make your essay true to you. You should avoid using famous quotes, or anything that didn’t directly come from your experience. To elaborate on essay introduction mistakes to avoid, we look to the great writer George Orwell. He had some excellent advice on making writing unique that you can implement in your college application.
With everything you write, ask yourself these questions:
These are all fantastic questions to ask yourself. If you can interrogate your drafts using this advice, you are sure to improve your college essay’s quality. If you don’t think that will be enough to guide you, Orwell also provided six “rules” — the are more guidelines than rules — that can provide more rigid advice:
Obviously, some of these rules can sound pretty outdated — who says barbarous anymore? — but don’t let that distract you from the solid advice. Orwell’s questions and rules basically break down to this: Of everything you write, ask what you are trying to achieve and why you are making each choice.
You want your writing to precisely express, as much as it can, your own thoughts and opinions, rather than trying to seem clever with big words or coasting by using worn-out phrases. Now, let’s take a look at some college essay introduction examples.
Let’s take a look at some college essay introduction examples that got people into college using the methods above.
“My father said I didn’t cry when I was born. Instead, I popped out of the womb with a furrowed brow, looking up at him almost accusatorially, as if to say “Who are you? What am I doing here? While I can’t speak to the biological accuracy of his story — How did I survive, then? How did I bring air into my lungs? — it’s certainly true that I feel like I came preprogrammed with the compulsion to ask questions.” - Marina, Harvard
This opening works for several reasons. First, its initial line gives us an unusual, personal factoid about this person that immediately poses questions about the person — why didn’t they cry, what does this suggest about them? — that draws in the reader.
Secondly, it’s pretty funny. The image of a frowning baby instantly puts your reader in a good mood, making it likely the reader will enjoy reading the essay and feel a connection to you.
Then, at its end, the essay gives a little hint of its meaning with the “compulsion to ask questions.” This is a fantastic move, going straight from the hilarity of an image as a baby to how it relates to the aspects of the applicant that are relevant to their college admission.
In this next example of a Princeton University application, the applicant creates a provoking twist to draw in the reader:
“People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is…uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable”
This is an extremely effective opening. Its vague opening line immediately creates mystery and poses questions, drawing in the reader. Then, the benign questions are a setup for the vitriolic “you terrorist,” making it yet more shocking and upsetting.
I mentioned before how you might want to avoid this, but here is an example of where it works. The applicant sets up their argument on uncomfortable truths using clever writing techniques and their real-world experiences.
Here are our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about crafting a stellar college essay introduction.
Admissions officers process tens of thousands of applications every year, so you need to stand out, and the best place to do that is by seizing your reader’s attention at the very beginning.
If you feel like you don’t have a stirring, emotive experience to write about, you can still write a compelling essay. Think about which points you want to emphasise in your response to the prompt and try to find out the reasons behind your decisions.
Why do you hold those beliefs? Why do you have that skill? Then piece together that evidence into a convincing argument that makes your point clear to your reader.
The first thing you include in your college essay depends on the topic. However, no matter what topic your essay is about, you should be able to grab the reader’s attention right away and set up the story of your paper. The “who, what, when and where,” should be clear within the first 5 sentences.
Our personal statement (or other essays discussing your personal life) should start by introducing key factors of who you are that are relevant to the essay. Remember, college essays are the place for colleges to get to know you!
Just make sure not to include too much irrelevant background information and focus on the story of how you became interested in the college/degree you are applying for.
There’s a whole lot of information included here that can be pretty overwhelming. And while this may not have alleviated your tensions, it should teach you how to start a college essay.
The most important thing is this: If you can authentically talk about yourself, you’ve already made the best contribution to your college essay possible. Colleges are interested in who you are and not so much in your ability to learn writing techniques online.
That said, if you’re looking for ways to express yourself and stand out among other applicants, the tips listed here can help. Good luck!
