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Nonfiction Books » Essays

The best essays: the 2021 pen/diamonstein-spielvogel award, recommended by adam gopnik.

WINNER OF the 2021 PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay

Had I Known: Collected Essays by Barbara Ehrenreich

Every year, the judges of the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay search out the best book of essays written in the past year and draw attention to the author's entire body of work. Here, Adam Gopnik , writer, journalist and PEN essay prize judge, emphasizes the role of the essay in bearing witness and explains why the five collections that reached the 2021 shortlist are, in their different ways, so important.

Interview by Benedict King

Unfinished Business: Notes of a Chronic Re-Reader by Vivian Gornick

Nature Matrix: New and Selected Essays by Robert Michael Pyle

Terroir: Love, Out of Place by Natasha Sajé

Maybe the People Would be the Times by Luc Sante

Longreads Best of 2020: Essays

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All through December, we’re featuring Longreads’ Best of 2020. This year, our editors picked and featured hundreds of beautifully written and poignant essays published on the web. Because of the wide range of writing across many topics and themes, it was a challenge to sift through them all over the past several weeks to compile a definitive Best of Essays list. As I shortlisted stories, I realized there could be many different versions of this list, but, in the end, these eight reads really spoke to me.

If you like these, you can  sign up to receive our weekly email every Friday .

Mississippi: A Poem, in Days (Kiese Makeba Laymon, Vanity Fair )

Kiese Makeba Laymon was on a book tour when the pandemic hit in the U.S. In this stunner of a piece that unfolds over 14 days, the author writes on fear, racism, death, and home amid a moment of awakening. We follow along on the journey, from event to event in Ohio and West Virginia, with Laymon’s observations and thoughts interspersed with daily COVID-19 death counts and the latest words or orders from Donald Trump and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves. It’s a powerful meditation, one that will stop you in your tracks.

We are awakened, I want to believe. 75 miles from the armed confederate statue in Oxford, Emmett Till’s childish body was destroyed. 70 miles from that armed confederate statue, Fannie Lou Hamer was nearly beaten to death. 160 miles from that armed confederate statue, Medgar Evers was murdered as he enters his home. 80 miles from that armed confederate statue, Martin Luther King was murdered in Memphis. It took way too much Black death to get here. I am wandering around the spiritual consequences of materially progressing at the expense of Black death. I want to be courageous. I wonder, though, when courage becomes contagious—when courage is credentialized, subsidized, and incentivized—if it is still courage at all. Today, as I prepare to push send, and I lather my hands in sanitizer, it feels a bit too much like cowardice. Maybe I’ll wait to send tomorrow. Maybe I won’t send at all. The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors, a group of white men, unanimously vote to keep the armed confederate monument in the middle of Oxford, the town where I live, teach, and write. Humiliation, agony, and death, are what I feel. It could all be so much worse, is what the worst of white folks want us to recite.

Molly (Blake Butler, The Volta )

December’s special issue of The Volta is dedicated to the late poet Molly Brodak, and Brodak’s husband, Blake Butler, writes an incredibly moving essay to remember and honor her. In “Molly,” he weaves an intimate portrait of his late wife — and the details, textures, and expanse of their relationship –with so much love and care. Grab a tissue before sitting down to read it.

Making her laugh made me feel alive, like I’d really accomplished something. She wanted to laugh, I think, despite a widening parcel in her telling her that laughter in a world like ours was for fools. When I think the sound of it now, it reminds me of a bird trapped in a ballroom, looking for anywhere to land.

But there was always something still there underneath that, shredding its pasture—parts of her so dark and displaced I cannot find them anywhere touching the rest of how she was. The story, like all stories, holds no true shape. And that’s exactly what it wants—the pain—it wants more blank to feed the pain with, to fill the space up. It wants us all.

Then, in her poem, “Horse and Cart,” one of the last she ever wrote: “I can’t even imagine a horse / anymore. / That we sat on their spines / and yanked their mouths around.” The gears of her mind, as she grew tired, wore down even these good times, seeking further ways to break them up, send her away.

I Cry for the Mountains: A Legacy Lost (Dave Daley, Chico Enterprise-Record )

California experienced another unprecedented wildfire season this year; a number of fire complexes burned throughout the state, including the massive North Complex Fire that started in August and burned in Northern California’s Plumas and Butte counties. Rancher Dave Daley offers a devastating account of the destruction of his family’s cattle range in Plumas National Forest, and a passionate plea to legislators and regulators to ultimately listen to the land and the locals when it comes to forest management. Daley originally posted this account on Facebook; his followers recommended that the Chico Enterprise-Record  reprint it for a wider audience.

I cry for the forest, the trees and streams, and the horrible deaths suffered by the wildlife and our cattle. The suffering was unimaginable. When you find groups of cows and their baby calves tumbled in a ravine trying to escape, burned almost beyond recognition or a fawn and small calf side by side as if hoping to protect one another, you try not to wretch. You only pray death was swift. Worse, in searing memory, cows with their hooves, udder and even legs burned off still alive who had to be euthanized. A doe lying in the ashes with three fawns, not all hers I bet. And you are glad they can stand and move, even with a limp, because you really cannot imagine any more death today.

For those of you on the right blaming the left and California, these are National Forest lands that are “managed” by the feds. They have failed miserably over the past 50 years. Smokey the Bear was the cruelest joke ever played on the western landscape, a decades long campaign to prevent forest fires has resulted in mega-fires of a scope we’ve never seen. Thanks, Smokey.

I get frustrated with experts and consultants who drive by and “know just what to do.” For 35 years I have attended conferences, given presentations and listened. What I have learned is solutions are local and specific. What happens in one watershed in Plumas or Butte County may be entirely different in the Lassen National Forest just next door. But experts of all kinds are glad to tell you how to do it. “Let’s prescribe graze, use virtual fences, change your timing, change your genetics.” Prescribe graze the forest and canyons? Yea. Right. They don’t know what they don’t know but they will take the honorarium anyway and have a great dinner on your dime. The locals and land rarely benefit.

How My Mother and I Became Chinese Propaganda (Jiayang Fa n , The New Yorker )

Jiayang Fan pens a masterful piece of personal history, on her mother and their relationship, identity, family, propaganda and social media, and chronic illness (her mother has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS) . Fan recounts her struggle to help her mother get hospital care during New York’s COVID-19 crisis, all while going viral and facing threats on social media, calling her a criminal and a traitor to China. She tells a complicated and very personal story, one of loyalty and love, with strength and eloquence.

My mother has always knelt at the altar of  mianzi , an aspiration of which A.L.S. makes a spectacular mockery. You may think it’s embarrassing to slur your speech and limp, but wait until you are being spoon-fed and pushed around in a wheelchair—all of which will seem trivial once you can no longer wash or wipe yourself. The progress of the disease is a forced march toward the vanishing point of  mianzi . When my mother was first given her diagnosis, she became obsessed with the idea of why—why her, why now, and, above all, why an illness that would subject her to the kind of public humiliation she feared more than death itself. When she could still operate her first-generation iPad, my mother gave me a contact list of everyone she was still in touch with in China, and told me that, except for her siblings, no one must know of her affliction. Such self-imposed isolation seemed like madness to me, but she preferred to cut friends out of her life rather than admit to the indignity of her compromised state. Her body’s insurrection, my mother believes, is her punishment for her prideful strivings in America.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I had read that a virus is neither dead nor alive, and replicates only in the shelter of a host organism. I began to think of “Jiayang Fan” as viral not in a social-media sense but in a biological one; the calamitous state of the world and certain random mutations in the story had made it unexpectedly contagious. My original posts had served their purpose; now they were serving the purposes of others. I had unwittingly bred a potent piece of propaganda.

The Promise That Tested My Parents Until the End (Christopher Solomon, GQ )

Don’t you ever put me in one of those places,  she said. Don’t put  me  in one of those places,  my father replied.

Christopher Solomon’s parents made a pledge to one another. But what did that actually look like over time, especially when his father became sick? What does unconditional love and devotion look like in our own lives? Solomon writes an honest and heartbreaking essay on love, aging, and marriage — in sickness and in health.

In time what was imperceptible in him became noticeable, and then what was noticeable became something worse. The landscape of my father changed, the coastline eroded. There was less of him, until the old map of my father no longer fit the man before us. It has been 20 years now since he was diagnosed, and sometimes it is hard to remember a time that he was not sick. His speech became a gargle of consonants. The dementia took most of his mind. His body curled in on itself—shrinking, reducing, as if he were becoming an infant again. Despite this, for years he still played the piano, every day, and nearly as well as ever—the mysteryland of the brain permitting this freedom even as body, and mind, crumbled around him. My mother would sing along from the kitchen, as she always had. And then one day, after I arrive home, my mother sounds more concerned than usual.  He has stopped playing the piano,  she says. This seems to worry her more than anything else.

Finally, exhausted, she relents. She drives to visit a nearby nursing home. Afterward she cries in the parking lot. She cries for what she sees there. She cries at the prospect of breaking the Promise. She cries because even though almost nothing remains of her husband—even though he is the cause of her sleepless nights and her tendinitis and her bruises and her anger—in 55 years she rarely has been apart from him. She loves even the scrap of him that remains. He is half of the story they share, of the red VW Beetle and the sunstruck Italian patios and the singalongs and the three towheaded children. As long as he is here, their story, however unlikely, is not yet over. She cries because the end of him is the end of a possibility. And I think, not for the first time, how little I still know about love.

Kamala Harris, Mass Incarceration and Me (Reginald Dwayne Betts, The New York Times Magazine )

“The prosecutor’s job, unlike the defense attorney’s or judge’s, is to do justice. What does that mean when you are asked by some to dole out retribution measured in years served, but blamed by others for the damage incarceration can do?” In this nuanced reported essay about mass incarceration in the U.S., Reginald Dwayne Betts reveals “our contradictory impulses” around crime, punishment, and the justice system. And he knows these impulses well, as both a felon and a son to a woman who was raped by a Black man.

But I know that on the other end of our prison sentences was always someone weeping. During the middle of Harris’s presidential campaign, a friend referred me to a woman with a story about Senator Harris that she felt I needed to hear. Years ago, this woman’s sister had been missing for days, and the police had done little. Happenstance gave this woman an audience with then-Attorney General Harris. A coordinated multicity search followed. The sister had been murdered; her body was found in a ravine. The woman told me that “Kamala understands the politics of victimization as well as anyone who has been in the system, which is that this kind of case — a 50-year-old Black woman gone missing or found dead — ordinarily does not get any resources put toward it.” They caught the man who murdered her sister, and he was sentenced to 131 years. I think about the man who assaulted my mother, a serial rapist, because his case makes me struggle with questions of violence and vengeance and justice. And I stop thinking about it. I am inconsistent. I want my friends out, but I know there is no one who can convince me that this man shouldn’t spend the rest of his life in prison.

Safe at Home in Los Angeles (Lynell George, High Country News )

Lynell George’s beautiful read exemplifies what I love about writing on place and home. A native of Los Angeles, George builds and shapes a complex L.A. in her piece: a “city of contradictions,” an elusive, ever-shifting place “built on either impermanence or illusion.” It’s a sensory and richly textured portrait of a vast place, looking at Los Angeles through a sort of kaleidoscope lens of gentrification, nature, and the pandemic lockdown.

Los Angeles has long been a contested domain — both as territory (from the Indigenous Tongva onward) and as emblem. Boosters, speculators and swindlers have had their way not just with the land but with the very image of Los Angeles. The city grew, like an opportunistic vine. It couldn’t just  be . It had to be bigger than life, better than perfect. Even within my lifetime, popular culture has conjured a vision of Los Angeles that is sleight-of-hand, a trick of light, brutally at odds with the lived experience. Los Angeles, by its sprawling nature, absolutely resists oversimplification. This, despite its frustrations, irritants and absurdities, is precisely why I remain here.

Those stories of place, the Los Angeles of my childhood and adolescence and young adulthood — the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s — couldn’t be told until we began to tell them. Until we steadied and raised our voices. Until we made our way through gatekeepers, and most significantly until we were of age and of mind to turn our attention to a shifting definition of the West (or  El Norte ), one that included stories of migration and immigration, of protest, of underemployment, of struggle, and of love and resilience despite disappointment, and in the ways in which we tend to the physical environment, to conserve against drought or be mindful of energy use and emissions. We must tend to the region’s various topographies in narrative. It’s imperative. Or they will be lost. As a chronicler, my responsibility is to try and tell an honest story. True to its roots. Even now, even in this quiet moment in the city, we must remember its cacophony, its music.

My Mustache, My Self (Wesley Morris, The New York Times Magazine )

This essay from Wesley Morris on growing a mustache during the pandemic is about so much more than quarantine-grown facial hair — it’s a brilliant and vulnerable piece on masculinity and race, one in which Morris reflects on becoming himself and considers and celebrates his Blackness.

The mustache had certainly conjoined me to a past I was flattered to be associated with, however superficially. But there were implications. During the later stages of the movement, a mustached man opened himself up to charges of white appeasement and Uncle Tom-ism. Not because of the mustache, obviously, but because of the approach of the sort of person who would choose to wear one. Such a person might not have been considered radical enough, down enough, Black enough. The civil rights mustache was strategically tolerant. It didn’t advocate burning anything down. It ran for office — and sometimes it won. It was establishmentarian, compromising and eventually, come the infernos at the close of the 1960s, it fell out of fashion, in part because it felt out of step with the urgency of the moment.

The Black-power salute is not a casual gesture. It’s weaponry. You aim that arm and fire. I aimed mine in solidarity — with white people instead of at a system they personify. And that didn’t feel quite right. But how would I know? I had never done a Black-power salute. It always seemed like more Blackness than I’ve needed, maybe more than I had. I’m not Black-power Black. I’ve always been milder, more apprehensive than that. I was practically born with a mustache.

Cheri Lucas Rowlands

Cheri has been an editor at Longreads since 2014. She's currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. More by Cheri Lucas Rowlands

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16 Strong College Essay Examples from Top Schools

What’s Covered:

• Common App Essays
• Why This College Essays
• Why This Major Essays
• Extracurricular Essays
• Overcoming Challenges Essays
• Community Service Essays
• Diversity Essays
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• Where to Get Feedback on Your Essays

Most high school students don’t get a lot of experience with creative writing, so the college essay can be especially daunting. Reading examples of successful essays, however, can help you understand what admissions officers are looking for.

In this post, we’ll share 16 college essay examples of many different topics. Most of the essay prompts fall into 8 different archetypes, and you can approach each prompt under that archetype in a similar way. We’ve grouped these examples by archetype so you can better structure your approach to college essays.

If you’re looking for school-specific guides, check out our 2022-2023 essay breakdowns .

Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Note: the essays are titled in this post for navigation purposes, but they were not originally titled. We also include the original prompt where possible.

The Common App essay goes to all of the schools on your list, unless those schools use a separate application platform. Because of this, it’s the most important essay in your portfolio, and likely the longest essay you’ll need to write (you get up to 650 words). 

The goal of this essay is to share a glimpse into who you are, what matters to you, and what you hope to achieve. It’s a chance to share your story. 

Learn more about how to write the Common App essay in our complete guide.

The Multiple Meanings of Point

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. (250-650 words)

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger. 

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual. 

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous. 

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée, while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.   

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers. 

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet. 

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable. 

The first obvious strength of this essay is the introduction—it is interesting and snappy and uses enough technical language that we want to figure out what the student is discussing. When writing introductions, students tend to walk the line between intriguing and confusing. It is important that your essay ends up on the intentionally intriguing side of that line—like this student does! We are a little confused at first, but by then introducing the idea of “sparring,” the student grounds their essay.

People often advise young writers to “show, not tell.” This student takes that advice a step further and makes the reader do a bit of work to figure out what they are telling us. Nowhere in this essay does it say “After years of Taekwondo, I made the difficult decision to switch over to ballet.” Rather, the student says “It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers.” How powerful! 

After a lot of emotional language and imagery, this student finishes off their essay with very valuable (and necessary!) reflection. They show admissions officers that they are more than just a good writer—they are a mature and self-aware individual who would be beneficial to a college campus. Self-awareness comes through with statements like “surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become” and maturity can be seen through the student’s discussion of values: “honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet.”

Sparking Self-Awareness

Prompt: 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? (250-650 words)

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire. 

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family. 

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt. 

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame. 

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him. 

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses. 

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

First things first, this Common App essay is well-written. This student is definitely showing the admissions officers her ability to articulate her points beautifully and creatively. It starts with vivid images like that of the “rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free.” And because the prose is flowery (and beautiful!), the writer can get away with metaphors like “I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms” that might sound cheesy without the clear command of the English language that the writer quickly establishes.

In addition to being well-written, this essay is thematically cohesive. It begins with the simple introduction “Fire!” and ends with the following image: “When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.” This full-circle approach leaves readers satisfied and impressed.

While dialogue often comes off as cliche or trite, this student effectively incorporates her family members saying “Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” This is achieved through the apt use of the verb “taunted” to characterize the questioning and through the question’s thematic connection to the earlier image of the student as a rustic princess. Similarly, rhetorical questions can feel randomly placed in essays, but this student’s inclusion of the questions “Was I so dainty?” and “Was I that incapable?” feel perfectly justified after she establishes that she was pondering her failure.

Quite simply, this essay shows how quality writing can make a simple story outstandingly compelling. 

Why This College?

“Why This College?” is one of the most common essay prompts, likely because schools want to understand whether you’d be a good fit and how you’d use their resources.

This essay is one of the more straightforward ones you’ll write for college applications, but you still can and should allow your voice to shine through.

Learn more about how to write the “Why This College?” essay in our guide.

Prompt: How will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying (650 words).

Sister Simone Roach, a theorist of nursing ethics, said, “caring is the human mode of being.” I have long been inspired by Sister Roach’s Five C’s of Caring: commitment, conscience, competence, compassion, and confidence. Penn both embraces and fosters these values through a rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum and unmatched access to service and volunteer opportunities.

COMMITMENT. Reading through the activities that Penn Quakers devote their time to (in addition to academics!) felt like drinking from a firehose in the best possible way. As a prospective nursing student with interests outside of my major, I value this level of flexibility. I plan to leverage Penn’s liberal arts curriculum to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges LGBT people face, especially regarding healthcare access. Through courses like “Interactional Processes with LGBT Individuals” and volunteering at the Mazzoni Center for outreach, I hope to learn how to better support the Penn LGBT community as well as my family and friends, including my cousin, who came out as trans last year.

CONSCIENCE. As one of the first people in my family to attend a four-year university, I wanted a school that promoted a sense of moral responsibility among its students. At Penn, professors challenge their students to question and recreate their own set of morals by sparking thought- provoking, open-minded discussions. I can imagine myself advocating for universal healthcare in courses such as “Health Care Reform & Future of American Health System” and debating its merits with my peers. Studying in an environment where students confidently voice their opinions – conservative or liberal – will push me to question and strengthen my value system.

COMPETENCE. Two aspects that drew my attention to Penn’s BSN program were its high-quality research opportunities and hands-on nursing projects. Through its Office of Nursing Research, Penn connects students to faculty members who share similar research interests. As I volunteered at a nursing home in high school, I hope to work with Dr. Carthon to improve the quality of care for senior citizens. Seniors, especially minorities, face serious barriers to healthcare that I want to resolve. Additionally, Penn’s unique use of simulations to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application impressed me. Using computerized manikins that mimic human responses, classes in Penn’s nursing program allow students to apply their emergency medical skills in a mass casualty simulation and monitor their actions afterward through a video system. Participating in this activity will help me identify my strengths and areas for improvement regarding crisis management and medical care in a controlled yet realistic setting. Research opportunities and simulations will develop my skills even before I interact with patients.

COMPASSION. I value giving back through community service, and I have a particular interest in Penn’s Community Champions and Nursing Students For Sexual & Reproductive Health (NSRH). As a four-year volunteer health educator, I hope to continue this work as a Community Champions member. I am excited to collaborate with medical students to teach fourth and fifth graders in the city about cardiology or lead a chair dance class for the elders at the LIFE Center. Furthermore, as a feminist who firmly believes in women’s abortion rights, I’d like to join NSRH in order to advocate for women’s health on campus. At Penn, I can work with like-minded people to make a meaningful difference.

CONFIDENCE. All of the Quakers that I have met possess one defining trait: confidence. Each student summarized their experiences at Penn as challenging but fulfilling. Although I expect my coursework to push me, from my conversations with current Quakers I know it will help me to be far more effective in my career.

The Five C’s of Caring are important heuristics for nursing, but they also provide insight into how I want to approach my time in college. I am eager to engage with these principles both as a nurse and as a Penn Quaker, and I can’t wait to start.

This prompt from Penn asks students to tailor their answer to their specific field of study. One great thing that this student does is identify their undergraduate school early, by mentioning “Sister Simone Roach, a theorist of nursing ethics.” You don’t want readers confused or searching through other parts of your application to figure out your major.

With a longer essay like this, it is important to establish structure. Some students organize their essay in a narrative form, using an anecdote from their past or predicting their future at a school. This student uses Roach’s 5 C’s of Caring as a framing device that organizes their essay around values. This works well!

While this essay occasionally loses voice, there are distinct moments where the student’s personality shines through. We see this with phrases like “felt like drinking from a fire hose in the best possible way” and “All of the Quakers that I have met possess one defining trait: confidence.” It is important to show off your personality to make your essay stand out. 

Finally, this student does a great job of referencing specific resources about Penn. It’s clear that they have done their research (they’ve even talked to current Quakers). They have dreams and ambitions that can only exist at Penn.

Prompt: What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

Coin collector and swimmer. Hungarian and Romanian. Critical and creative thinker. I was drawn to Yale because they don’t limit one’s mind with “or” but rather embrace unison with “and.” 

Wandering through the Beinecke Library, I prepare for my multidisciplinary Energy Studies capstone about the correlation between hedonism and climate change, making it my goal to find implications in environmental sociology. Under the tutelage of Assistant Professor Arielle Baskin-Sommers, I explore the emotional deficits of depression, utilizing neuroimaging to scrutinize my favorite branch of psychology: human perception. At Walden Peer Counseling, I integrate my peer support and active listening skills to foster an empathetic environment for the Yale community. Combining my interests in psychological and environmental studies is why I’m proud to be a Bulldog. 

This answer to the “Why This College” question is great because 1) the student shows their excitement about attending Yale 2) we learn the ways in which attending Yale will help them achieve their goals and 3) we learn their interests and identities.

In this response, you can find a prime example of the “Image of the Future” approach, as the student flashes forward and envisions their life at Yale, using present tense (“I explore,” “I integrate,” “I’m proud”). This approach is valuable if you are trying to emphasize your dedication to a specific school. Readers get the feeling that this student is constantly imagining themselves on campus—it feels like Yale really matters to them.

Starting this image with the Beinecke Library is great because the Beinecke Library only exists at Yale. It is important to tailor “Why This College” responses to each specific school. This student references a program of study, a professor, and an extracurricular that only exist at Yale. Additionally, they connect these unique resources to their interests—psychological and environmental studies.

Finally, we learn about the student (independent of academics) through this response. By the end of their 125 words, we know their hobbies, ethnicities, and social desires, in addition to their academic interests. It can be hard to tackle a 125-word response, but this student shows that it’s possible.

Why This Major?

The goal of this prompt is to understand how you came to be interested in your major and what you plan to do with it. For competitive programs like engineering, this essay helps admissions officers distinguish students who have a genuine passion and are most likely to succeed in the program. This is another more straightforward essay, but you do have a bit more freedom to include relevant anecdotes.

Learn more about how to write the “Why This Major?” essay in our guide.

Why Duke Engineering

Prompt: If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as a first year applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke (250 words).

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 prompt calls for a complex answer. Students must explain both why they want to study engineering and why Duke is the best place for them to study engineering.

This student begins with a nice hook—a simple anecdote about a simple present with profound consequences. They do not fluff up their anecdote with flowery images or emotionally-loaded language; it is what it is, and it is compelling and sweet. As their response continues, they express a particular interest in problem-solving. They position problem-solving as a fundamental part of their interest in engineering (and a fundamental part of their fascination with their childhood toy). This helps readers to learn about the student!

Problem-solving is also the avenue by which they introduce Duke’s resources—DUhatch, The Foundry, and Duke’s Bass Connections program. It is important to notice that the student explains how these resources can help them achieve their future goals—it is not enough to simply identify the resources!

This response is interesting and focused. It clearly answers the prompt, and it feels honest and authentic.

Why Georgia Tech CompSci

Prompt: Why do you want to study your chosen major specifically at Georgia Tech? (300 words max)

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 for 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.

With a “Why This Major” essay, you want to avoid using all of your words to tell a story. That being said, stories are a great way to show your personality and make your essay stand out. This student’s story takes up only their first 21 words, but it positions the student as fun and funny and provides an endearing image of cats and pizzas—who doesn’t love cats and pizzas? There are other moments when the student’s personality shines through also, like the Spiderman reference.

While this pop culture reference adds color, it also is important for what the student is getting at: their passion. They want to go into computer science to address the issues of security and equity that are on the industry’s mind, and they acknowledge these concerns with their comments about “scarily-specific ads” and their statement that “the need to ensure digital equality has skyrocketed.” This student is self-aware and aware of the state of the industry. This aptitude will be appealing for admissions officers.

The conversation around “threads” is essential for this student’s response because the prompt asks specifically about the major at Georgia Tech and it is the only thing they reference that is specific to Georgia Tech. Threads are great, but this student would have benefitted from expanding on other opportunities specific to Georgia Tech later in the essay, instead of simply inserting “innumerable opportunities.”

Overall, this student shows personality, passion, and aptitude—precisely what admissions officers want to see!

Extracurricular Essay

You’re asked to describe your activities on the Common App, but chances are, you have at least one extracurricular that’s impacted you in a way you can’t explain in 150 characters.

This essay archetype allows you to share how your most important activity shaped you and how you might use those lessons learned in the future. You are definitely welcome to share anecdotes and use a narrative approach, but remember to include some reflection. A common mistake students make is to only describe the activity without sharing how it impacted them.

Learn more about how to write the Extracurricular Essay in our guide.

A Dedicated Musician

My fingers raced across the keys, rapidly striking one after another. My body swayed with the music as my hands raced across the piano. Crashing onto the final chord, it was over as quickly as it had begun. My shoulders relaxed and I couldn’t help but break into a satisfied grin. I had just played the Moonlight Sonata’s third movement, a longtime dream of mine. 

Four short months ago, though, I had considered it impossible. The piece’s tempo was impossibly fast, its notes stretching between each end of the piano, forcing me to reach farther than I had ever dared. It was 17 pages of the most fragile and intricate melodies I had ever encountered. 

But that summer, I found myself ready to take on the challenge. With the end of the school year, I was released from my commitment to practicing for band and solo performances. I was now free to determine my own musical path: either succeed in learning the piece, or let it defeat me for the third summer in a row. 

Over those few months, I spent countless hours practicing the same notes until they burned a permanent place in my memory, creating a soundtrack for even my dreams. Some would say I’ve mastered the piece, but as a musician I know better. Now that I can play it, I am eager to take the next step and add in layers of musicality and expression to make the once-impossible piece even more beautiful.

In this response, the student uses their extracurricular, piano, as a way to emphasize their positive qualities. At the beginning, readers are invited on a journey with the student where we feel their struggle, their intensity, and ultimately their satisfaction. With this descriptive image, we form a valuable connection with the student.

Then, we get to learn about what makes this student special: their dedication and work ethic. The fact that this student describes their desire to be productive during the summer shows an intensity that is appealing to admissions officers. Additionally, the growth mindset that this student emphasizes in their conclusion is appealing to admissions officers.

The Extracurricular Essay can be seen as an opportunity to characterize yourself. This student clearly identified their positive qualities, then used the Extracurricular Essay as a way to articulate them.

A Complicated Relationship with the School Newspaper

My school’s newspaper and I have a typical love-hate relationship; some days I want nothing more than to pass two hours writing and formatting articles, while on others the mere thought of student journalism makes me shiver. Still, as we’re entering our fourth year together, you could consider us relatively stable. We’ve learned to accept each other’s differences; at this point I’ve become comfortable spending an entire Friday night preparing for an upcoming issue, and I hardly even notice the snail-like speed of our computers. I’ve even benefitted from the polygamous nature of our relationship—with twelve other editors, there’s a lot of cooperation involved. Perverse as it may be, from that teamwork I’ve both gained some of my closest friends and improved my organizational and time-management skills. And though leaving it in the hands of new editors next year will be difficult, I know our time together has only better prepared me for future relationships.

This response is great. It’s cute and endearing and, importantly, tells readers a lot about the student who wrote it. Framing this essay in the context of a “love-hate relationship,” then supplementing with comments like “We’ve learned to accept each other’s differences” allows this student to advertise their maturity in a unique and engaging way. 

While Extracurricular Essays can be a place to show how you’ve grown within an activity, they can also be a place to show how you’ve grown through an activity. At the end of this essay, readers think that this student is mature and enjoyable, and we think that their experience with the school newspaper helped make them that way.

Participating in Democracy

Prompt: Research shows that an ability to learn from experiences outside the classroom correlates with success in college. What was your greatest learning experience over the past 4 years that took place outside of the traditional classroom? (250 words) 

The cool, white halls of the Rayburn House office building contrasted with the bustling energy of interns entertaining tourists, staffers rushing to cover committee meetings, and my fellow conference attendees separating to meet with our respective congresspeople. Through civics and US history classes, I had learned about our government, but simply hearing the legislative process outlined didn’t prepare me to navigate it. It was my first political conference, and, after learning about congressional mechanics during breakout sessions, I was lobbying my representative about an upcoming vote crucial to the US-Middle East relationship. As the daughter of Iranian immigrants, my whole life had led me to the moment when I could speak on behalf of the family members who had not emigrated with my parents.

As I sat down with my congresswoman’s chief of staff, I truly felt like a participant in democracy; I was exercising my right to be heard as a young American. Through this educational conference, I developed a plan of action to raise my voice. When I returned home, I signed up to volunteer with the state chapter of the Democratic Party. I sponsored letter-writing campaigns, canvassed for local elections, and even pursued an internship with a state senate campaign. I know that I don’t need to be old enough to vote to effect change. Most importantly, I also know that I want to study government—I want to make a difference for my communities in the United States and the Middle East throughout my career. 

While this prompt is about extracurricular activities, it specifically references the idea that the extracurricular should support the curricular. It is focused on experiential learning for future career success. This student wants to study government, so they chose to describe an experience of hands-on learning within their field—an apt choice!

As this student discusses their extracurricular experience, they also clue readers into their future goals—they want to help Middle Eastern communities. Admissions officers love when students mention concrete plans with a solid foundation. Here, the foundation comes from this student’s ethnicity. With lines like “my whole life had led me to the moment when I could speak on behalf of the family members who had not emigrated with my parents,” the student assures admissions officers of their emotional connection to their future field.

The strength of this essay comes from its connections. It connects the student’s extracurricular activity to their studies and connects theirs studies to their personal history.

Overcoming Challenges

You’re going to face a lot of setbacks in college, so admissions officers want to make you’re you have the resilience and resolve to overcome them. This essay is your chance to be vulnerable and connect to admissions officers on an emotional level.

Learn more about how to write the Overcoming Challenges Essay in our guide.

The Student Becomes the Master

”Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one. 

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we competed with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

This essay is great because it has a strong introduction and conclusion. The introduction is notably suspenseful and draws readers into the story. Because we know it is a college essay, we can assume that the student is one of the competitors, but at the same time, this introduction feels intentionally ambiguous as if the writer could be a competitor, a coach, a sibling of a competitor, or anyone else in the situation.

As we continue reading the essay, we learn that the writer is, in fact, the competitor. Readers also learn a lot about the student’s values as we hear their thoughts: “I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was.” Ultimately, the conflict and inner and outer turmoil is resolved through the “Same, but Different” ending technique as the student places themself in the same environment that we saw in the intro, but experiencing it differently due to their actions throughout the narrative. This is a very compelling strategy!

Growing Sensitivity to Struggles

Prompt: The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? (650 words)

“You ruined my life!” After months of quiet anger, my brother finally confronted me. To my shame, I had been appallingly ignorant of his pain.

Despite being twins, Max and I are profoundly different. Having intellectual interests from a young age that, well, interested very few of my peers, I often felt out of step in comparison with my highly-social brother. Everything appeared to come effortlessly for Max and, while we share an extremely tight bond, his frequent time away with friends left me feeling more and more alone as we grew older.

When my parents learned about The Green Academy, we hoped it would be an opportunity for me to find not only an academically challenging environment, but also – perhaps more importantly – a community. This meant transferring the family from Drumfield to Kingston. And while there was concern about Max, we all believed that given his sociable nature, moving would be far less impactful on him than staying put might be on me.

As it turned out, Green Academy was everything I’d hoped for. I was ecstatic to discover a group of students with whom I shared interests and could truly engage. Preoccupied with new friends and a rigorous course load, I failed to notice that the tables had turned. Max, lost in the fray and grappling with how to make connections in his enormous new high school, had become withdrawn and lonely. It took me until Christmas time – and a massive argument – to recognize how difficult the transition had been for my brother, let alone that he blamed me for it.

Through my own journey of searching for academic peers, in addition to coming out as gay when I was 12, I had developed deep empathy for those who had trouble fitting in. It was a pain I knew well and could easily relate to. Yet after Max’s outburst, my first response was to protest that our parents – not I – had chosen to move us here. In my heart, though, I knew that regardless of who had made the decision, we ended up in Kingston for my benefit. I was ashamed that, while I saw myself as genuinely compassionate, I had been oblivious to the heartache of the person closest to me. I could no longer ignore it – and I didn’t want to.

We stayed up half the night talking, and the conversation took an unexpected turn. Max opened up and shared that it wasn’t just about the move. He told me how challenging school had always been for him, due to his dyslexia, and that the ever-present comparison to me had only deepened his pain.

We had been in parallel battles the whole time and, yet, I only saw that Max was in distress once he experienced problems with which I directly identified. I’d long thought Max had it so easy – all because he had friends. The truth was, he didn’t need to experience my personal brand of sorrow in order for me to relate – he had felt plenty of his own.

My failure to recognize Max’s suffering brought home for me the profound universality and diversity of personal struggle; everyone has insecurities, everyone has woes, and everyone – most certainly – has pain. I am acutely grateful for the conversations he and I shared around all of this, because I believe our relationship has been fundamentally strengthened by a deeper understanding of one another. Further, this experience has reinforced the value of constantly striving for deeper sensitivity to the hidden struggles of those around me. I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story.

Here you can find a prime example that you don’t have to have fabulous imagery or flowery prose to write a successful essay. You just have to be clear and say something that matters. This essay is simple and beautiful. It almost feels like having a conversation with a friend and learning that they are an even better person than you already thought they were.

Through this narrative, readers learn a lot about the writer—where they’re from, what their family life is like, what their challenges were as a kid, and even their sexuality. We also learn a lot about their values—notably, the value they place on awareness, improvement, and consideration of others. Though they never explicitly state it (which is great because it is still crystal clear!), this student’s ending of “I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story” shows that they are constantly striving for improvement and finding lessons anywhere they can get them in life.

Community Service/Impact on the Community

Colleges want students who will positively impact the campus community and go on to make change in the world after they graduate. This essay is similar to the Extracurricular Essay, but you need to focus on a situation where you impacted others. 

Learn more about how to write the Community Service Essay in our guide.

Academic Signing Day

Prompt: What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

The scent of eucalyptus caressed my nose in a gentle breeze. Spring had arrived. Senior class activities were here. As a sophomore, I noticed a difference between athletic and academic seniors at my high school; one received recognition while the other received silence. I wanted to create an event celebrating students academically-committed to four-years, community colleges, trades schools, and military programs. This event was Academic Signing Day.

The leadership label, “Events Coordinator,” felt heavy on my introverted mind. I usually was setting up for rallies and spirit weeks, being overlooked around the exuberant nature of my peers. 

I knew a change of mind was needed; I designed flyers, painted posters, presented powerpoints, created student-led committees, and practiced countless hours for my introductory speech. Each committee would play a vital role on event day: one dedicated to refreshments, another to technology, and one for decorations. The fourth-month planning was a laborious joy, but I was still fearful of being in the spotlight. Being acknowledged by hundreds of people was new to me.     

The day was here. Parents filled the stands of the multi-purpose room. The atmosphere was tense; I could feel the angst building in my throat, worried about the impression I would leave. Applause followed each of the 400 students as they walked to their college table, indicating my time to speak. 

I walked up to the stand, hands clammy, expression tranquil, my words echoing to the audience. I thought my speech would be met by the sounds of crickets; instead, smiles lit up the stands, realizing my voice shone through my actions. I was finally coming out of my shell. The floor was met by confetti as I was met by the sincerity of staff, students, and parents, solidifying the event for years to come. 

Academic students were no longer overshadowed. Their accomplishments were equally recognized to their athletic counterparts. The school culture of athletics over academics was no longer imbalanced. Now, every time I smell eucalyptus, it is a friendly reminder that on Academic Signing Day, not only were academic students in the spotlight but so was my voice.

This essay answers the prompt nicely because the student describes a contribution with a lasting legacy. Academic Signing Day will affect this high school in the future and it affected this student’s self-development—an idea summed up nicely with their last phrase “not only were academic students in the spotlight but so was my voice.”

With Community Service essays, students sometimes take small contributions and stretch them. And, oftentimes, the stretch is very obvious. Here, the student shows us that Academic Signing Day actually mattered by mentioning four months of planning and hundreds of students and parents. They also make their involvement in Academic Signing Day clear—it was their idea and they were in charge, and that’s why they gave the introductory speech.

Use this response as an example of the type of focused contribution that makes for a convincing Community Service Essay.

Climate Change Rally

Prompt: What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? (technically not community service, but the response works)

Let’s fast-forward time. Strides were made toward racial equality. Healthcare is accessible to all; however, one issue remains. Our aquatic ecosystems are parched with dead coral from ocean acidification. Climate change has prevailed.

Rewind to the present day.

My activism skills are how I express my concerns for the environment. Whether I play on sandy beaches or rest under forest treetops, nature offers me an escape from the haste of the world. When my body is met by trash in the ocean or my nose is met by harmful pollutants, Earth’s pain becomes my own. 

Substituting coffee grinds as fertilizer, using bamboo straws, starting my sustainable garden, my individual actions needed to reach a larger scale. I often found performative activism to be ineffective when communicating climate concerns. My days of reposting awareness graphics on social media never filled the ambition I had left to put my activism skills to greater use. I decided to share my ecocentric worldview with a coalition of environmentalists and host a climate change rally outside my high school.

Meetings were scheduled where I informed students about the unseen impact they have on the oceans and local habitual communities. My fingers were cramped from all the constant typing and investigating of micro causes of the Pacific Waste Patch, creating reusable flyers, displaying steps people could take from home in reducing their carbon footprint. I aided my fellow environmentalists in translating these flyers into other languages, repeating this process hourly, for five days, up until rally day.  

It was 7:00 AM. The faces of 100 students were shouting, “The climate is changing, why can’t we?” I proudly walked on the dewy grass, grabbing the microphone, repeating those same words. The rally not only taught me efficient methods of communication but it echoed my environmental activism to the masses. The City of Corona would be the first of many cities to see my activism, as more rallies were planned for various parts of SoCal. My once unfulfilled ambition was fueled by my tangible activism, understanding that it takes more than one person to make an environmental impact.

Like with the last example, this student describes a focused event with a lasting legacy. That’s a perfect place to start! By the end of this essay, we have an image of the cause of this student’s passion and the effect of this student’s passion. There are no unanswered questions.

This student supplements their focused topic with engaging and exciting writing to make for an easy-to-read and enjoyable essay. One of the largest strengths of this response is its pace. From the very beginning, we are invited to “fast-forward” and “rewind” with the writer. Then, after we center ourselves in real-time, this writer keeps their quick pace with sentences like “Substituting coffee grounds as fertilizer, using bamboo straws, starting my sustainable garden, my individual actions needed to reach a larger scale.” Community Service essays run the risk of turning boring, but this unique pacing keeps things interesting.

Having a diverse class provides a richness of different perspectives and encourages open-mindedness among the student body. The Diversity Essay is also somewhat similar to the Extracurricular and Community Service Essays, but it focuses more on what you might bring to the campus community because of your unique experiences or identities.

Learn more about how to write the Diversity Essay in our guide.

A Story of a Young Skater

​​“Everyone follow me!” I smiled at five wide-eyed skaters before pushing off into a spiral. I glanced behind me hopefully, only to see my students standing frozen like statues, the fear in their eyes as clear as the ice they swayed on. “Come on!” I said encouragingly, but the only response I elicited was the slow shake of their heads. My first day as a Learn-to-Skate coach was not going as planned. 

But amid my frustration, I was struck by how much my students reminded me of myself as a young skater. At seven, I had been fascinated by Olympic performers who executed thrilling high jumps and dizzying spins with apparent ease, and I dreamed to one day do the same. My first few months on skates, however, sent these hopes crashing down: my attempts at slaloms and toe-loops were shadowed by a stubborn fear of falling, which even the helmet, elbow pads, and two pairs of mittens I had armed myself with couldn’t mitigate. Nonetheless, my coach remained unfailingly optimistic, motivating me through my worst spills and teaching me to find opportunities in failures. With his encouragement, I learned to push aside my fears and attack each jump with calm and confidence; it’s the hope that I can help others do the same that now inspires me to coach.

I remember the day a frustrated staff member directed Oliver, a particularly hesitant young skater, toward me, hoping that my patience and steady encouragement might help him improve. Having stood in Oliver’s skates not much earlier myself, I completely empathized with his worries but also saw within him the potential to overcome his fears and succeed. 

To alleviate his anxiety, I held Oliver’s hand as we inched around the rink, cheering him on at every turn. I soon found though, that this only increased his fear of gliding on his own, so I changed my approach, making lessons as exciting as possible in hopes that he would catch the skating bug and take off. In the weeks that followed, we held relay races, played “freeze-skate” and “ice-potato”, and raced through obstacle courses; gradually, with each slip and subsequent success, his fear began to abate. I watched Oliver’s eyes widen in excitement with every skill he learned, and not long after, he earned his first skating badge. Together we celebrated this milestone, his ecstasy fueling my excitement and his pride mirroring my own. At that moment, I was both teacher and student, his progress instilling in me the importance of patience and a positive attitude. 

It’s been more than ten years since I bundled up and stepped onto the ice for the first time. Since then, my tolerance for the cold has remained stubbornly low, but the rest of me has certainly changed. In sharing my passion for skating, I have found a wonderful community of eager athletes, loving parents, and dedicated coaches from whom I have learned invaluable lessons and wisdom. My fellow staffers have been with me, both as friends and colleagues, and the relationships I’ve formed have given me far more poise, confidence, and appreciation for others. Likewise, my relationships with parents have given me an even greater gratitude for the role they play: no one goes to the rink without a parent behind the wheel! 

Since that first lesson, I have mentored dozens of children, and over the years, witnessed tentative steps transform into powerful glides and tears give way to delighted grins. What I have shared with my students has been among the greatest joys of my life, something I will cherish forever. It’s funny: when I began skating, what pushed me through the early morning practices was the prospect of winning an Olympic medal. Now, what excites me is the chance to work with my students, to help them grow, and to give back to the sport that has brought me so much happiness. 

This response is a great example of how Diversity doesn’t have to mean race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, age, or ability. Diversity can mean whatever you want it to mean—whatever unique experience(s) you have to bring to the table!

A major strength of this essay comes in its narrative organization. When reading this first paragraph, we feel for the young skaters and understand their fear—skating sounds scary! Then, because the writer sets us up to feel this empathy, the transition to the second paragraph where the student describes their empathy for the young skaters is particularly powerful. It’s like we are all in it together! The student’s empathy for the young skaters also serves as an outstanding, seamless transition to the applicant discussing their personal journey with skating: “I was struck by how much my students reminded me of myself as a young skater.”

This essay positions the applicant as a grounded and caring individual. They are caring towards the young skaters—changing their teaching style to try to help the young skaters and feeling the young skaters’ emotions with them—but they are also appreciative to those who helped them as they reference their fellow staffers and parents. This shows great maturity—a favorable quality in the eyes of an admissions officer.

At the end of the essay, we know a lot about this student and are convinced that they would be a good addition to a college campus!

Finding Community in the Rainforest

Prompt: Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had to help us understand you better—perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background—we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke (250 words).

I never understood the power of community until I left home to join seven strangers in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Although we flew in from distant corners of the U.S., we shared a common purpose: immersing ourselves in our passion for protecting the natural world.

Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns. My classmates debated the feasibility of Trump’s wall, not the deteriorating state of our planet. Contrastingly, these seven strangers delighted in bird-watching, brightened at the mention of medicinal tree sap, and understood why I once ran across a four-lane highway to retrieve discarded beer cans. Their histories barely resembled mine, yet our values aligned intimately. We did not hesitate to joke about bullet ants, gush about the versatility of tree bark, or discuss the destructive consequences of materialism. Together, we let our inner tree huggers run free.

In the short life of our little community, we did what we thought was impossible. By feeding on each other’s infectious tenacity, we cultivated an atmosphere that deepened our commitment to our values and empowered us to speak out on behalf of the environment. After a week of stimulating conversations and introspective revelations about engaging people from our hometowns in environmental advocacy, we developed a shared determination to devote our lives to this cause.

As we shared a goodbye hug, my new friend whispered, “The world needs saving. Someone’s gotta do it.” For the first time, I believed that someone could be me.

This response is so wholesome and relatable. We all have things that we just need to geek out over and this student expresses the joy that came when they found a community where they could geek out about the environment. Passion is fundamental to university life and should find its way into successful applications.

Like the last response, this essay finds strength in the fact that readers feel for the student. We get a little bit of backstory about where they come from and how they felt silenced—“Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns”—, so it’s easy to feel joy for them when they get set free.

This student displays clear values: community, ecoconsciousness, dedication, and compassion. An admissions officer who reads Diversity essays is looking for students with strong values and a desire to contribute to a university community—sounds like this student!  

Political/Global Issues

Colleges want to build engaged citizens, and the Political/Global Issues Essay allows them to better understand what you care about and whether your values align with theirs. In this essay, you’re most commonly asked to describe an issue, why you care about it, and what you’ve done or hope to do to address it. 

Learn more about how to write the Political/Global Issues Essay in our guide.

Note: this prompt is not a typical political/global issues essay, but the essay itself would be a strong response to a political/global issues prompt.

Fighting Violence Against Women

Prompt: Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation, title and author at the beginning of your essay. (250-650 words)

“One of the great challenges of our time is that the disparities we face today have more complex causes and point less straightforwardly to solutions.” 

– Omar Wasow, assistant professor of politics, Princeton University. This quote is taken from Professor Wasow’s January 2014 speech at the Martin Luther King Day celebration at Princeton University. 

The air is crisp and cool, nipping at my ears as I walk under a curtain of darkness that drapes over the sky, starless. It is a Friday night in downtown Corpus Christi, a rare moment of peace in my home city filled with the laughter of strangers and colorful lights of street vendors. But I cannot focus. 

My feet stride quickly down the sidewalk, my hand grasps on to the pepper spray my parents gifted me for my sixteenth birthday. My eyes ignore the surrounding city life, focusing instead on a pair of tall figures walking in my direction. I mentally ask myself if they turned with me on the last street corner. I do not remember, so I pick up the pace again. All the while, my mind runs over stories of young women being assaulted, kidnapped, and raped on the street. I remember my mother’s voice reminding me to keep my chin up, back straight, eyes and ears alert. 

At a young age, I learned that harassment is a part of daily life for women. I fell victim to period-shaming when I was thirteen, received my first catcall when I was fourteen, and was nonconsensually grabbed by a man soliciting on the street when I was fifteen. For women, assault does not just happen to us— its gory details leave an imprint in our lives, infecting the way we perceive the world. And while movements such as the Women’s March and #MeToo have given victims of sexual violence a voice, harassment still manifests itself in the lives of millions of women across the nation. Symbolic gestures are important in spreading awareness but, upon learning that a surprising number of men are oblivious to the frequent harassment that women experience, I now realize that addressing this complex issue requires a deeper level of activism within our local communities. 

Frustrated with incessant cases of harassment against women, I understood at sixteen years old that change necessitates action. During my junior year, I became an intern with a judge whose campaign for office focused on a need for domestic violence reform. This experience enabled me to engage in constructive dialogue with middle and high school students on how to prevent domestic violence. As I listened to young men uneasily admit their ignorance and young women bravely share their experiences in an effort to spread awareness, I learned that breaking down systems of inequity requires changing an entire culture. I once believed that the problem of harassment would dissipate after politicians and celebrities denounce inappropriate behavior to their global audience. But today, I see that effecting large-scale change comes from the “small” lessons we teach at home and in schools. Concerning women’s empowerment, the effects of Hollywood activism do not trickle down enough. Activism must also trickle up and it depends on our willingness to fight complacency. 

Finding the solution to the long-lasting problem of violence against women is a work-in-progress, but it is a process that is persistently moving. In my life, for every uncomfortable conversation that I bridge, I make the world a bit more sensitive to the unspoken struggle that it is to be a woman. I am no longer passively waiting for others to let me live in a world where I can stand alone under the expanse of darkness on a city street, utterly alone and at peace. I, too, deserve the night sky.

As this student addresses an important social issue, she makes the reasons for her passion clear—personal experiences. Because she begins with an extended anecdote, readers are able to feel connected to the student and become invested in what she has to say.

Additionally, through her powerful ending—“I, too, deserve the night sky”—which connects back to her beginning— “as I walk under a curtain of darkness that drapes over the sky”—this student illustrates a mastery of language. Her engagement with other writing techniques that further her argument, like the emphasis on time—“gifted to me for my sixteenth birthday,” “when I was thirteen,” “when I was fourteen,” etc.—also illustrates her mastery of language.

While this student proves herself a good writer, she also positions herself as motivated and ambitious. She turns her passions into action and fights for them. That is just what admissions officers want to see in a Political/Global issues essay!

Where to Get Feedback on Your College Essays

Once you’ve written your college essays, you’ll want to get feedback on them. Since these essays are important to your chances of acceptance, you should prepare to go through several rounds of edits. 

Not sure who to ask for feedback? That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review resource. You can get comments from another student going through the process and also edit other students’ essays to improve your own writing. 

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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The 13 Best College Essay Tips to Craft a Stellar Application

College Essays

In many ways, the most labor-intensive part of your college application process is the essay. It’s not just about forwarding transcripts or entering a list of extracurricular activities—you have to craft something personal and compelling to show the admissions committee who you are beyond your resume.

In this article, we’ll go over our 13 best tips for writing college essays. We’ll give tips for every step of the process including planning, writing, and editing your essay, as well as some quick and easy tips to boost any essays you already have written! With these college essay tips, you’ll be that much closer to the best admissions essay ever!

5 Tips for College Essay Planning

Doing a good job planning makes the college essay process that much easier. These five college essay tips will help you get started and pave the way for a great final product.

#1: Make a Plan of Attack for Your Essays

The first thing you’ll need to do is identify all the essays you’ll need to write and their deadlines. It may help you to make a spreadsheet with the essay guidelines for each school, the word count, the prompts, the due date, and any special instructions. This will help you figure out:

How many essays you’ll need to write, and how long those essays need to be.

Whether you can reuse any essays: In general, you can reuse essays for prompts that are about your life, broadly similar in theme, and have a similar word count. You probably can’t reuse essays that are very specific to the college, like “Why This College” essays .

Which essay you should write first: You’ll probably want to start first on the essay with the earliest application deadline. Alternatively, if you have plenty of time or the deadlines are close together, you could start with the longest essay (which will take the most time) or the essay that will be used for the most schools (like a Common Application essay). Do what you feel most comfortable with.

With all this information gathered, you’ll be able to make a plan of attack for your essays and make sure nothing gets lost in the application shuffle. (In fact, I actually advise keeping track of all necessary components of your application in a spreadsheet for the same reason).

#2: Start Early

You want to start writing way before the deadline. If possible, give yourself at least two months, and maybe even more time if you can. This will make sure that you have enough time to adequately plan your essay, draft it, and edit it.  

And, of course, the more essays you have to write, the earlier you should start!

#3: Choose the Right Topic

Choosing the right topic has two facets: first, choosing the right prompt (if there’s a choice) and second, choosing the right topic to write about for that prompt.

The Right Prompt

If there’s a choice of prompts, you may want to actually start by brainstorming the specific topic or thing in your life that you want to write about, and then reverse-engineer back to the most appropriate prompt. Most college essay prompts are pretty vague, so a broad range of topics and issues can be applied.

You can also use prompts to help you brainstorm if you’re having a hard time figuring out what to write about. Think about the prompt that seems most appealing to you at first. What intrigues you about it? What do you think you could communicate about yourself through that question?

Here’s some tailored guidance on some of the most common college essay prompt types . And if you’re writing a Common Application essay, here’s advice on how to choose the right Common App prompt for you .

The Right Topic

When you’re trying to choose something about your life to write about, consider the following:

What are you excited to write about? A good college essay can be about a wide variety of topics, but it should show that you’re passionate about something. This could be anything from a hobby you have to your favorite book or even your most beloved stuffed animal, just so long as you can make it memorable and positive. Also, your writing will be a lot better if you are writing about something you care about and are interested in!

Whatever you write about should be primarily about you. You should be the focal point. Even if you’re writing about someone who has influenced you, for example, you need to relate it back to yourself. What does this tell admission officers about you?

What makes you stand out? This should be something that goes beyond what’s in the rest of your application. Your test scores and GPA are already there. What really shows something unique about you?

Choose a topic you can be honest about . If you’re not being genuine, it will end up coming through in your writing. So don’t write about how much your membership in Youth Group meant to you if you only went to make your mom happy and you actually didn’t care that much.

In general, you should avoid topics that are overly controversial, like things that are politically charged, doing things that are illegal, or anything involving graphic descriptions of any bodily function. So if you’re going to write about recovering from hip surgery, probably leave out the gory details of you being constipated and your oozy scars.

Check out our 35 brainstorming techniques for college essays for even more help coming up with a topic!

If you’re really stumped, consider asking your friends and family what they think could be good topics. They may help you figure out something memorable and interesting. But also, don’t feel like you have to write about a topic just because someone else thinks it would be great. You need to be genuinely interested in what you’re writing about to write an engaging essay!

#4: Decide on Your Approach

In general, there are two main approaches you might take to write your essay. It might primarily take a narrative format, or it might take a thematic format.

In a narrative format, you’ll be relating a particular anecdote or experience and what it means to you. In a thematic format, you’ll present a particular theme—say, your love of parakeets or your secret talent for balancing books on your head—and expound on that theme in a descriptive way to reveal more about you and your personality.

Sometimes your approach will be determined by the prompt or topic that you choose. For example, if a prompt says to relate a particular event or anecdote, you’ll probably use a narrative approach. By contrast, if you want to write about how your favorite book changed your life, that will probably be a thematic essay.

#5: Write an Outline

Doing a little bit of outlining before you put fingertips to keyboard to write your essay is always a good idea. You don’t necessarily need to make a super-detailed plan before you starting writing, but a general idea of where you are going and the points you want to make will be very helpful when you start drafting. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending a lot of time staring at a blank Word document.

Yes, good, very detailed essay plan. 

4 Top College Essay Writing Tips

Here are four tips for writing college essays and making sure your work  stands out in a good way:

#6: Use Specific Details

The more details you use, the more your writing will come alive. Try to use words that are vivid and specific, instead of ones that are vague like “nice,” “good,” and so on. This will really flesh out the scene and help the reader picture what’s going on.

So take something like this:

One of my biggest accomplishments in life was teaching my little brother to ride a bicycle. I encouraged him to keep going when he fell down. Now he’s a great cyclist!

To something more like this:

One of my biggest accomplishments in life was teaching my eight-year-old brother to ride the racy red bicycle he got for his birthday. He wanted to give up when he took a tumble and skidded across the sidewalk. But while I bandaged up his knees with Batman band-aids, I convinced him to give it another try. I told him to think about how he would be able to bike all around the neighborhood exploring. Now I smile whenever I see him zooming down our street—wearing his helmet, of course!

See the difference? Wouldn’t you rather read the second one?

#7: Be Genuine

It’s important to get beyond the superficial in your personal statement. You should be writing about something that’s genuinely important or significant to you, so try to get beyond the surface. Instead of writing vague platitudes about how you really like the violin but it’s hard, really get at the meat: did you ever think about quitting? What’s frustrated you the most? What really keeps you going?

This means you shouldn’t try to write about things where it’s too painful to be honest. So if your parents got a divorce last year, it may be too raw to write about, which is perfectly fine. If, however, they got divorced when you were 5 and you can honestly reflect on how it changed your life, go for it.

Of course, you want to be honest in a reasonable and appropriate way. If you overshare, it will make it seem like you have bad judgment or don’t understand social norms—not good impressions to give the admissions committee. So probably don’t write about how much you despise your mother and think she is evil since she had an affair with your school librarian. It’s fine to feel how you feel, but there are some things that are a little too charged to write in your college essay.

#8: Be Unique, but Not Bizarre

You definitely want your writing to set you apart—but you want it to set you apart in a good way. This means you want high-quality writing about unique experiences and qualities you bring to the table that aren’t covered elsewhere in your application.

This does not mean you should get really avant-garde with your essay formatting. Don’t send in a piece of art instead of an essay, or make a video, or write a poem instead of an essay, unless those things are explicitly allowed.

Similarly, while your essay doesn’t have to be 100% deadly serious in tone, you should be careful with humor. This doesn’t mean absolutely no jokes or tongue-in-cheek moments or that your essay should read like an 18th-century book of sermons. But if your essay relies too much on humor, you’ve got a lot riding on whether or not the person reading your essay “gets” it. They may well be annoyed. So deploy humor carefully and selectively.

#9: Avoid Cliches and Platitudes

The more cliches you use in your writing, the more boring and less insightful your essay will be. Cliches are phrases that are so overused that they are essentially meaningless, and they are likely to make any reader roll their eyes. Phrases like “a dime a dozen,” “outside the box,” “cold as ice,” “dirt cheap,” “flash in the pan,” and so on are frequently deployed in conversation because they convey a common idea quickly. But you don’t want your essay to be common, so avoid cliches. Try to think about how you can communicate the same idea in a more specific and interesting way.

Here’s a list of over 600 cliches . But for the most part, you won’t need a list; you’ll know something is a cliche because you will have heard it a million times already.

You should also avoid platitudes or sweeping generalizations about life. These are statements that are so broad and far-reaching as to be both obvious and completely uninsightful.

So avoid making statements like “And that’s how I learned that hard work pays off,” or “There’s no ‘I’ in team.” You may think you sound sage or wise, but the truth is, platitudes are going to sound immature and poorly-formed to the reader. Similarly, don’t say things that sound like they could come from an inspirational quote account on Instagram. (See, ahem, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take,” “Shoot for the moon,” and so on.)

How do you avoid the platitude problem? Try to keep what you’re saying specific to you. So instead of saying “And that’s how I learned that hard work pays off,” try, “This experience helped me to realize that when I put concentrated effort into something that’s important to me, I can accomplish it even when there are roadblocks.” Keep the focus on what you can and will do in your own life.

Avoid  trite sayings like this one.

2 Tips for Editing Your College Essay

You may think that once you’ve gotten a draft done that you’re good to go. Not so! Editing is one of the most important parts of writing the best college essay possible, and here are two essential college essay tips for editing.

Tip #10: Ask for Help

It’s always wise to get another set of eyes on your college essays. In fact, several sets of eyes is even better! Other people can help you make sure your essay flows, you have enough detail, that everything is relevant, and that you sound as engaging and interesting as you really are! They can also help you catch typos and other minor errors—although you’ll want to double and triple-check for that yourself before submitting.

Here’s advice on how to ask for help with all parts of the college essay process , including editing.

Tip #11: Be Prepared to Cut a Lot

Brace yourself for cutting up your initial draft into tiny little ribbons and rearranging the remaining pieces Frankenstein-style. A first draft is really just a starting place to get your ideas down before you revamp the entire thing into a more streamlined, better organized, highly polished version. So you have to be ready to let go of pieces of your essay, no matter how much you love a particular turn of phrase or analogy. The ultimate goal is to turn the rough stone of your first draft into a polished and clear piece of writing—and that’s going to take a lot of chipping and sanding!

2 Final Tips for College Essay Success

Here are two quick but essential college essay tips you can implement easily.

Tip #12: Have a Standout First Sentence

One thing you can do to give any essay a boost is to make sure that your first sentence is attention-grabbing. If you can pique the interest of the admissions counselor right away, you’ll help keep their attention throughout your essay.

Here’s our guide to getting that perfect first sentence!

Tip #13: Triple-check for Typos and Errors

The most important quick thing you can do for your essay is to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. It will make your essay look sloppy and unfinished, and that’s the last thing you want! College admissions officers expect a polished product, and there’s nothing less polished than misspelled words and comma splices.

13 College Essay Tips: Key Takeaways for a Great College Essay

To recap, here’s our 13 tips for the best college essay ever:

College Essay Planning Tips:

• Create a plan of attack for all of your essays so you can keep track of everything.
• Start early—at least two months before the due date, if not more.
• Choose the right prompt and topic for you.
• Decide between a narrative or a thematic approach to the topic.
• Outline before you start writing!

College Essay Writing Tips:

• Use vivid, specific details.
• Be genuine—get beyond the superficial.
• Be unique, but not bizarre.
• Avoid cliches and platitudes; they are boring and unimaginative.

College Essay Editing Tips:

• Get other people to look at your essay.
• Be prepared to change, cut, and rearrange a lot!

Final Tips for College Essays:

• Make sure your first sentence is stellar.
• Triple check for typos and grammatical errors!

What’s Next?

You’ve read our tips for success—now see 10 college essay mistakes to avoid .

Looking for some college essay examples? See 133 essay examples and expert analysis here , along with 11 more places to find great college essay examples .  

Check out our complete guides to ApplyTexas essays , UC Personal Insight questions , and the Common Application essay !

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Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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10 Examples of Great College Essays (With Links)

The ticket to your dream college can be a piece of paper – your college essay. Picture yourself walking the halls of your ideal school, surrounded by opportunities and a bright future. Want to ensure your essay stands out? Dive into this guide. Beyond grades and test scores, the college decision process is influenced by recommendations, achievements, and extracurriculars. However, your college essay can be the ace up your sleeve. Explore the best essays of all time , and delve into how to craft your own . This list spotlights exemplary essays that unlocked the doors of top institutions. Discover what makes them shine, and let them guide your narrative. Need even more insights? Consider College Essay Essentials , a comprehensive resource packed with 24 standout essays.

10 Best Examples Of College Essays:

1. four examples of standout college application essays (2017 edition), 2. five examples of college application essays (2018 edition).

Once again, the team from the NY Times selected the best college admission essays from high school students. Out of over 300 submitted pieces of work, only these five were ultimately cut. Read them and see why.

3. 147 College Essays That Worked

The essays from this list are not your usual literary masterpieces, but they did the job and  allowed students to get access to some great universities such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, or Harvard. Read just a couple of them to fill your inspiration tank.

4. Eight Exceptional Essays From The Hamilton College

Here you can find some  nice examples of eight essays of successful applicants to Hamilton College. They were selected by Hamilton Alumni Review Magazine and showcased with the permission of students from various backgrounds.

5. A Single Sample College Application Essay (With Critique)

6. numerous essays that worked at the johns hopkins university.

Every year, the admissions committee selects some of the best and most creative essays that allow students to get enrolled in the university. As stated on the page, the most important thing about creating your statement is originality and the ability to share your own story uniquely. Demonstrating your precocious thought process matters the most. The best thing about these lists is that below each essay, you can find the actual comments from the admission committee. For example: We liked Stephen’s essay because it catches your attention right away and continues to show critical thinking, initiative, and problem-solving. His personality comes through as he naturally conveys humor. Through his anecdotes from growing up, we got a sense of how he might approach his studies here at Hopkins.”

7. Essays That Worked At Tufts University

Here’s another edition of examples that ultimately helped to enroll the students in the University. This list is great because it comes with videos, where the members of the admissions committee discuss different aspects of each essay and what made them so great.

8. Three Examples of Top College Essays

Writing a college essay may seem like a scary task, especially if you still don’t know where are you going to apply. You need to check some examples of inventive statements just to get a feel of what is expected. Then you can make up your mind and base your work on your unique circumstances.

9. An Essay Which Got The Student Into 14 Colleges (including Harvard and Princeton)

10. bonus: notes from top college officials about what makes a successful application essay.

This is not an example, but it’s still worth a read, as it will enable you to see essays from the admission officer’s perspective. Follow their suggestions and you can’t go wrong. I hope you enjoyed this list and that you’ve gained some valuable information from it. Applying for college and writing your essay is always stressful but hopefully, now you’re prepared. Please let me know about your struggles in the comments section below.

Rafal Reyzer

Hey there, welcome to my blog! I'm a full-time entrepreneur building two companies, a digital marketer, and a content creator with 10+ years of experience. I started RafalReyzer.com to provide you with great tools and strategies you can use to become a proficient digital marketer and achieve freedom through online creativity. My site is a one-stop shop for digital marketers, and content enthusiasts who want to be independent, earn more money, and create beautiful things. Explore my journey here , and don't miss out on my AI Marketing Mastery online course.

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• Knowledge Base

The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

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The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion

Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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Best Essay Writing Service Reviews

Find the best essay writing service according to your writing needs by reading our deep-dive, unbiased reviews. We’ve tested dozens of essay writing companies and collected 500+ students’ reviews to keep you away from scams.

The ever-growing number of untrustworthy writing services makes it harder to find a legitimate writing company. If you want to be on the safe side while purchasing essays online, you have to be able to make informed decisions. BetterWritingServices.com is your reliable source of best essay writing service reviews, rankings and insights.

We’ve put together a number of informative guides, essay writing tips and advice to keep you informed and up-to-date on any changes in the industry. Read our reviews, write your own, help other students make better choices!

The Top 8 Popular Essay Writing Companies

1. paperhelp review — most versatile.

PaperHelp is one of the pioneers among essay writing services. It has been incorporated in early 2008 and has a proven track record of writing academic papers of any difficulty for students from all around the world.

• Price from: $10 per page
• Deadline: 3 hours
• Money Back Guarantee
• Free Revisions

Paper Help is your best bet if you are looking for a proficient and reliable online paper writing company. It guarantees 100% anonymity, plagiarism-free papers, and a timely delivery period of just 3 hours. Seasoned writers ensure an individualized writing approach to all your papers and essays.

Also, they have a money-back guarantee in case you are not satisfied with the quality of delivery. However, this is rarely the case as over 105,000 students use the writing service and report to be happy. This is a legit company that is well worth to reside at first position of our rating.

Read our full PaperHelp review to learn more.

2. EssayPro Review — Best Choice of Writers

EssayPro is a unique writing platform that allows you to browse hundreds of writers’ profiles, view their track record, academic qualifications, and reviews. Choosing a suitable freelance writer for your task is fast and convenient.

• Price from: $11 per page
• Deadline: 6 hours

EssayPro lets you communicate with an essay writer of your choice and negotiate a price for your order. The customer support is always ready to come in handy anytime you need their help. With free previews and revisions that allow you to select a writer with a writing style that suits you, this affordable writing service will enable you to pay when you have approved received parts of your paper.

It offers a free plagiarism report to ensure that your document is completely original. You’ll surely want to try out this essay & research paper writing service if you desire to make college life more comfortable.

Read our full EssayPro review to learn more.

3. SpeedyPaper Review — Best Reputation

SpeedyPaper is known for its spotless reputation and strong online presence. Thousands of students report that the service delivers high-quality papers on time at a reasonable price.

• Price from: $9 per page

SpeedyPaper is one of the best paper writing services available online, with writers sourced from experts who offer a wide range of writing services from well thought out essays to academic research papers and exceptional dissertations. Everything you write is also wholly confidential as originality and uniqueness are ensured for all its projects.

Not to mention that they offer their writing services at affordable prices depending on the nature of work demanded, and also provide a free 10-day period to request edits after the contract date. 89% of clients have claimed significantly improved grades after using this writing service.

Read our full SpeedyPaper review to learn more.

4. ExpertWriting Review — Good Value

ExpertWriting is among best college essay writing services in terms of the value you get for money. By hiring a writer on ExpertWriting to write your essay, you get a person who is directly qualified in a subject of your paper.

With excellent writing, fast turnaround, and top-notch customer service, ExpertWriting ranks above most essay writing websites as the students’ favorite. With highly skilled and trained experts, this affordable writing service ensures high-quality custom essays even with minimal time requirements.

Not only do seasoned experts look at your essays and research papers, but they also have trained editors who review every project to ensure that all experts deliver consistent results. They give room for you to share your feedback and always keep you in charge.

Read our full ExpertWriting review to learn more.

5. GradeMiners Review — Best For Urgent Essays

GradeMiners is one of the fastest essay writing services on the market. Here you can have your essay written in as short as one or three hours at any time of day or night. Tight deadlines are not a challenge for this company.

• Price from: $14 per page
• Deadline: 1 hour

With over 3,500 seasoned experts and 10-year experience in the writing business, GradeMiners.com is among the top writing services if you need any writing help with your essays or research papers. From math and chemistry to English literature and almost any academic discipline, you can be sure that there is an expert that can take care of your needs.

Also, 97% of assignments are delivered on schedule, and there is also a money-back guarantee if you are sure that an essay writer did not follow your order details. About 9 out of 10 clients who use this service report higher grades.

Read our full GradeMiners review to learn more.

6. EssayBox Review — Best Customer Service

EssayBox is a reputable writing service that writes papers across more than 50 academic disciplines at any academic level, be it a a high school essay or a master’s thesis.

• Price from: $12 per page

Students who use this college paper writing service attest to it being among the best writing services available with zero cases of complaints or dissatisfaction. They deliver expert level custom essays of the highest quality, and you can always expect to have your essays delivered on time.

High-quality papers are available at affordable prices. There is also a strict confidentiality policy, meaning that all private information and payment details are kept secure. With this research paper writing service, you effectively save time, which you could use for other productive activities.

Read our full EssayBox review to learn more.

7. JustDoMyEssay Review — Best For Complex Assignments

JustDoMyEssay is a great option if you have a very important paper due. The company is known for their writers’ exemplary diligence and excellence in completing all types of academic papers.

• Price from: $17,5 per page

With a thorough and extensive selection process for its experts and group of writers, JustDoMyEssay.com guarantees high-quality custom orders sure to meet your needs and improve your grades.

Among the top-ranked writing services, JustDoMyEssay.com provides the following guarantees to its clients: safety and confidentiality of orders and payment details, quality of orders, timeliness of deliveries, and reliability. This research paper service also provides you with a sample of past works for free to measure their top authors’ expertise before deciding.

Read our full JustDoMyEssay review to learn more.

8. WiseEssays Review — Most Customer-Centric

WiseEssays is generous when it comes to discounts. The company provides wide range of writing services and deals with most writing tasks a student can have. This is a good option if you’re on a tight budget and not looking for an urgent service.

For fair prices and significant discounts, WiseEssays.com recruits highly trained and seasoned professionals and experts to guarantee high-quality essays delivered on time. They also boast secure payment methods, money-back guarantees, and a qualified support crew that will leave you utterly satisfied. Authorship is guaranteed as the work becomes your exclusive property as the owner, and you reserve the discretion to use it however you wish.

According to stats from 2017, about 91% of clients who have used this college essay writing service have come back to place orders, so you can be sure that you will be getting papers of the highest possible standards.

Read our full WiseEssays review to learn more.

So Which Essay Writing Service Is the Best?

There are many reliable writing services out there, and it’s really difficult to select the single best company. All custom writing services have their pros and cons, so naming the best writing service will inevitably reflect somebody’s subjective opinion.

You have to read reviews, compare, and choose what is best for you. It doesn’t mean, however, that certain companies don’t deserve a highlight when talking about the most professional writing services. We have analyzed and reviewed dozens of writing companies to create a list of top 8 ones that deserve your attention.

Some services are great in terms of quality but quite expensive, so it’s difficult to recommend them to everybody. There are also services that offer affordable prices but hire low-skilled writers and provide subpar essays. You can find reviews of different academic writing services on our website.

But if we had to single out the single best writing service, it would be PaperHelp . This company manages to provide well-written essays at average prices, and the papers are always delivered on time. It has a great reputation online and is backed by years of experience.

Are Essay Writing Services Safe?

Yes, using an essay writing website is completely safe, as long as you are using a legit company to do your work. However, you should be aware of some risks associated with hiring a writing service. There are many scammers and services that provide low-quality papers, so you shouldn’t use any writing services without doing some research first. Students always share their reviews online, and we recommend that you read them before making a choice.

If you don’t read essay writing service reviews first, you may:

• buy a resold paper that someone has already handed in;
• end up wasting your money on a useless paper written by an unprofessional writer;
• get a well-written, yet plagiarized essay and face disciplinary action;
• be denied a refund and even blackmailed if you demand your money back and decide to complain .

You should only use reliable websites that work with writers who are actually familiar with their subject. In this case, you won’t risk anything when ordering your papers online. There are a lot of companies that write high-quality essays and do their best to exceed their customers’ expectations.

What Criteria Do the Best Writing Services Meet?

The writing services of exceptional quality can be recognized by particular features of excellence and credibility. Below you can find some key characteristics of a reliable service.

✅ Strong Online Presence

The credibility of a company is largely defined by reviews. Needless to say, top essay writing services have lots of reviews and constructive feedback for their services from independent reviewers. A well-deserved reputation on the web adds value to the trustworthiness of a service. If you can’t find any reviews about the website online, it’s better to avoid it.

✅ Transparent Terms & Conditions

Legitimate essay writing services have transparent terms and conditions. This is one of the first things we look at when writing an essay writing service review. Reliable companies provide easy access to the policies on their website. Terms and conditions must be detailed, clear, and easy to read. If you can’t find policies on the web, it’s not recommended to use the service.

Note that the company cannot be responsible for something that was not officially guaranteed. Hence, it’s important to find some time and go through the policy if it’s available on the website. You should invest a little time to check the regulations in order to learn about your rights as a user. 

✅ Ease of Use

The website of a decent writing service must be user-friendly. Proper platforms run fast and look reliable. The ordering process can’t be interrupted by a website’s crash, so all its features work smoothly. One of the main indicators of a good writing service is a secure connection.

✅ Reliable Customer Support

Responsive customer support is a key characteristic of an outstanding writing service. In case something goes wrong, there must be someone who can help out a client. In the best-case scenario, customer support is available 24/7 via instant live chat and phone. What’s more, the assistance is delivered by a real customer support agent, not a bot. A trustworthy company can provide continuous help to users.

✅ Fair Price

Credible agencies offer services for affordable but not too cheap prices. Reasonable prices for a high-quality paper written by professionals start from around $10 (ESL writers) and $20 for ENL writers. Regular customers can get discounts for multiple orders, so it motivates them to come back. 

✅ Sample Papers

While this is not mandatory, it is nice to have an option to check some writing samples before placing an order. Top writing services typically offer paper samples. Essay examples allow website visitors to see the level of writing completed by a company. Once a potential customer knows what work quality to expect from a writer, they can decide whether it suits them or not. 

✅ Error-Free Website Copy

While this may seem obvious, some students usually overlook this thing or put a blind eye on it. Any type of writing mistakes is unacceptable for essay services. If there is something like grammar errors or typos inside of the text published on the website, it means that the agency lacks a good editing team. Reliable companies always offer excellent web content on their website.

These are the most important features that must be considered before choosing an essay writing company. It’s essential to check the points described above before making an order at a writing agency.

How Do We Choose the Best Essay Writing Services for our Users?

As we’ve mentioned above, not all writing services are reliable. Therefore, we do the necessary research before writing an essay writing service review and recommending a writing company to our readers.

Not only do we make sure that the services presented on our website are legit, but we also evaluate all the companies based on several important factors. When we select writing services, we make sure that they meet the following criteria:

• Good writing services ensure effective communication between writers and customers;
• Reliable writing services write papers based on in-depth research;
• When dealing with reliable websites, you can edit and proofread your drafts;
• Credible paper writing companies provide papers formatted according to the necessary citation styles;
• These companies also provide structurally and grammatically correct papers;
• The papers are 100% original, with no plagiarism or unattributed content;
• Reliable services also provide 24/7 customer support and do their best to resolve any issues.

What Factors do We Take Into Account When Reviewing Essay Writing Companies?

We pay attention to existing essay writing service reviews, fact-check their policies, evaluate the ease of ordering process, check for discounts, examine paper quality and customer service. Let’s consider each of these factors in detail.

🔍 Online Reputation

This is one of the most important factors that we consider when evaluating essay writing companies. The first thing we do is check a company’s online reputation to determine whether or not students consider it reliable. If a company has been around for a while, the chances are that there’s a lot of customer feedback available online. At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that some writing services publish fake positive reviews in an attempt to save their reputation.

Best essay writing service reviews are unbiased, that’s why we only consider reviews from well-known and reliable review platforms like TrustPilot, SiteJabber and BBB (Better Business Bureau). Why? Because we want to be a reliable review source for you.

We analyze different independent review platforms because we know that the reviews companies publish on their websites cannot be trusted. Most often, such reviews are fake. For instance, many websites have reviews with photos and names of customers, while students always want to remain anonymous when buying their papers, for obvious reasons.

It’s also easy to spot fake writing service reviews because they all are positive. Companies that don’t receive positive feedback on third-party review platforms often decide to display positive feedback on their websites. However, even the best companies have some unsatisfied customers. Therefore, if all the feedback that you see is positive, it’s probably fake.

🔍 Revision and Money Back Policy

Another important factor that we consider when evaluating writing services is the guarantees they offer. Most companies offer free revisions and a money-back guarantee. However, both revision and money-back policies can be quite sketchy and complicated. When you make an order on some website for the first time, you should know the details of their revision policy and money-back guarantee because getting your money back might be not as easy as it seems.

For instance, you may not be able to get a 100% refund so you will only receive partial compensation. Some companies don’t even have a clear set of rules that would determine in what cases customers are eligible for a refund.

For example, each particular case can be considered by the quality assurance team so they will decide whether or not you can get your money back. Sometimes, customers may also be unable to get a refund if they’ve already requested a revision. Therefore, we analyze all the rules and make sure to inform our readers about the possible pitfalls.

🔍 Ordering Process

When evaluating writing services, it’s also important to take into account the ordering process: how simple it is, how quickly customers can place an order, and what the whole process looks like. Best paper writing services have all the necessary information and provide quick customer support so that the ordering process is intuitive and fast. Customers may also be able to get notifications while their papers are being written. We also make sure to check the payment options available on the website.

🔍 Pricing and Discounts

We provide information about writing services’ pricing policies with screenshots from websites. However, we recommend that you also check the websites because the prices might change. We also find information about available discounts and coupons. Quite often, writing services offer discounts for new customers. Some companies may also bombard you with discounts and promo codes if you try to close the website.

🔍 Paper Quality

Paper quality is something that most essay writing service reviews never mention. But obviously, this is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing writing services. Therefore, we test the quality of writing by placing a simple order and analyzing the result. First of all, we check the overall structure of the paper and make sure that the writer created a proper introduction, body, and conclusion. We also assess the research basis of the paper and check whether all the arguments are supported by evidence or not.

Some services hire native English speakers, while others work with ESL writers. Sometimes, you can also request an ENL writer for an additional fee. At the same time, if papers are written by an ENL writer, it’s also important to make sure that they actually know their subjects.

🔍 Customer Support

Sometimes, good customer support service can make a big difference even when dealing with unreliable services. If you’re unsatisfied with the quality of papers, timely help from support representatives might enable you to get a revision, choose another writer, or even get your money back. Good writing services usually have a live chat on the website so that customers can contact the support service 24/7 and get the necessary assistance.

How to Find Genuine Essay Writing Service Reviews?

There are quite a few red flags that may indicate that the reviews you read are either fake or paid. These tips will help you filter out some genuine reviews from the fake ones.

❗ Check the Date

A surge in the total number of reviews during a very short time frame may be a sign of fraud. If a lot of reviews appear in a few weeks or days and then there’s nothing else for months, the chances are that they are all fake. However, there might be some exceptions. For example, during finals, or on Black Friday when people make more purchases.

❗ Don’t Rely on One-Sided Opinions

If a review offers only positive or negative judgments, be careful with it. Take a closer look at what it says because it might not be true. Make your own research on ‘balanced’ reviews. Consumers must always find both pros and cons in any product, so one-sided reviews filled with nothing but extreme admiration or total hatred look quite suspicious.

It might be better to sort out the reviews with an average rate as they are typically more objective than others. Usually, such reviews are more honest and insightful because they show both positive and negative aspects of the services provided. It is easier to notice real trends by comparing positive and negative feedback.

❗ Stay Away From Brandjacking

Probably you’ve seen the comments like ‘I’ve tried this thing, absolutely hated it, and decided to buy the [linking to the competitor’s product] and I just loved it! Purchase it here now with a 30% discount!”. Hopefully, nobody falls for this kind of reviews. Such reviews are a part of a link-building strategy because people usually leave them with a URL to their own website. Unfortunately, reviewers don’t realize that this horrible tactic leads to instant credibility loss and doesn’t drive sales. 

❗ Take Glowing Reviews With a Grain of Salt

If a review looks too good to be true, you should turn to a healthy skepticism. This is the best weapon against fake comments that might help you avoid poor-quality services. Note, that if a particular company has an extraordinarily high number of reviews compared to others in that category, it might mean that those essay writing service reviews are fake. Especially, if they are overwhelmingly positive. 

❗ Seek For Real Experience

The most helpful writing service reviews are those that are based on real experience. Try to find those comments that are likely to be written by people who regularly resort to essay writing help. Although it might be difficult because students are not always eager to share their opinions, it would be better to do this work and be sure that the service you are going to use is highly reliable. 

If you want to know the real truth about an essay writing company, you shouldn’t count only on comments. Instead, search for professional reviews written by people who order papers from different agencies and compare their quality. However, you shouldn’t blindly trust such review websites either. Please be aware that some essay writing companies create fake review platforms to trash their competitors and improve reputation of their own brands.

How To Spot a Fake Review Platform?

Writing services are aware of the fact that students check out essay writing service reviews when they want to buy papers online. Therefore, there’s no surprise that unreliable services try to mislead students by publishing fake positive reviews.

Sometimes, such companies create fake review platforms where affiliated writing services have the best ratings. Such review platforms may also spread misinformation about trusted writing services in an attempt to damage their reputation. Therefore, you should keep in mind that not all review platforms can be trusted.

Fake review platforms usually share some common features that might help you spot scammers. First of all, they usually don’t provide enough information about themselves. Their reviews are generic, with no specific details about particular orders. Besides, all the services except the affiliated ones have a very low rating. Quite often, all the reviews are posted from fake accounts that only have one review each.

How to Avoid Scammers?

It’s difficult to withstand the temptation to use a cheap writing service that promises to deliver the best papers on time. However, not everyone who makes sweet promises actually keeps them. If you want to find a nice writing service that will be safe to use, we recommend that you carefully consider the following details. This way, you’ll be able to avoid scammers. Here are the things you should look for when choosing a custom writing service.

• Look for affordable prices within a reasonable range. If prices are too low, the chances are that you won’t be able to purchase nice papers on such a website.
• Choose companies that have at least two years of experience in helping students with academic papers.
• Use companies that offer 24/7 support so that you can get all the necessary assistance.
• Choose services with a 3.5-star or higher rating. You should only consider reliable review platforms.
• Choose companies with clear revision and money-back policies.

Fortunately, if you’re reading this, it means that you’ve already found a reliable review source. We are always ready to help you choose a good service and avoid scammers.

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15 best essay writing services online: a review and comparison of the top paper writing sites in 2021.

Chicago, IL, March 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MagnoliaMediaNetwork announces the release of the review, “ Best Essay Writing Services in 2021 ”:

We’ve all been there, your deadline is looming when disaster strikes!

Your laptop gets stolen, your job distracts you, you fall behind… it happens.

If you need a high quality college, high school, or university essay quickly, why not try a top essay writing service?

Here we’ve evaluated some of the best essay writing services online based on 4 benchmarks: price, quality, writers, and customer support.

How the Essay Writing Services Were Evaluated

Price - Essay writing services tend to charge on a per-page basis that includes turnaround time, academic level, topic, and so on. In this review, sites that offered quality at great prices scored higher on this list.

Quality - It’s no secret that these essays will be handed in at schools, colleges, or even universities. Even if the student does rewrite the content in their own words, the quality of the original piece cannot be overlooked. That’s why this review took into consideration the quality of content provided when ranking the best essay writing services on the market.

Writers - Building on quality, the writers hired by the platform should be professional, experienced, and capable of handling any paper thrown at them. As such, this article carefully looked at how each platform screened writers and what methods were available for the customer to contact the writer.

Customer Support - Customers are bound to run into issues with any online service at some point. Therefore, this article made sure to look at how customer service on each site dealt with complaints, revisions, and any negative feedback.

The Best Essay Writing Sites in 2021

1. 99Papers - Best Essay Writing Service Overall

With an average trustpilot rating of 4.6 with 230 positive reviews, this is one of the most trustworthy and ethical writing services we have been able to find. The pricing starts at roughly $9 per page and goes up from there depending on length, etc.

99papers is also one of the few paper writing services that has a no-questions-asked money back guarantee. After using the site and talking to their support you can feel they are not looking to make a quick buck and are focused on building long term customer relationships to get repeat customers.

99Papers Positives

Competitive pricing

Handles all types of writing assignments

Flexible deadlines

Easy-to-use platform

Money-back guarantee

A 5% first-time discount adds to your savings and makes sure customers can afford their services without emptying their piggy bank. There is an on-site calculator to figure out your costs before you sign up and order a paper.

Plus, users can order essay writing, research papers, citations, and even dissertation projects, as well as other content projects they need to be completed by a pro. There is also a money-back guarantee. Customers just have to look on the website to find the requirements that have to be met to get their money back.

With the simple ordering process, users simply have to click on the particulars for their specific needs, and the order will reflect those requirements when the writer picks up the project. The company does pride itself on making sure your deadlines are met, guaranteeing you won't have to request an extension or turn your paper in late to your teacher.

2. Grademiners - Best for Fast Turnaround Times

Experience counts, and with this writing service, students are getting over ten years' worth of industry experience. Grademiners have been around for a while and, therefore, know how to provide quality papers.

Grademiners Positives

Simple, easy-to-understand pricing policy

100% money-back guarantee

Easy communication between staff, writers, and clients

Onsight calculator

Proofreading services available

Grademiners Drawbacks

Potentially expensive, especially with short deadlines

Discounts only for first-time buyers

The process is straightforward. Users simply need to provide details of what they want in their paper and use the online calculator to estimate the price. Grademiners vet their writers, making sure they pass a grammar test and a screening interview to guarantee your papers are handled by people who know their stuff.

Their pricing is competitive, and depending on the length, deadline, and other details, customers can pay as little as $16 a page. $8 per page if proofreading is all that's needed to make sure your paper is perfect.

This company also offers discounts, a money-back guarantee as well as 24/7 communication through different chat, e-mail, and other messaging options. Users can stay in constant contact with the company while waiting for a quick deadline to be met.

Finally, their online reputation is quite good, and the professional attitude helps make sure customers get treated as they should.

3. Essaybox - Best Writing Service for College Students & Graduates

The focus of this writing service is more for college students and graduate students. They work with clients worldwide and employ about 1800 writers, give or take a few, who live in different countries.

Essaybox Positives

Native English writers

Covers a wide range of subjects

Works with students up to Ph.D. level

Easy-to-use payment system

Writers occasionally miss deadlines

Expensive extras

Like every other writing service, their per-page costs are competitive, with the minimum price starting at $11.40. If you want plagiarism-free papers, customers may need to pay a little extra. Still, Essaybox's plagiarism detection will make sure students won't get in trouble.

This writing service also offers the same services as their competitors, including but not limited to a money-back guarantee, original work, 24 7 customer service, unlimited revisions, and so on.

There is also a first-time discount, but long-term clients can get other bonuses if the paper is long enough. Plus, they use native English speakers from Canada, America, the UK, and other western countries.

Their area of expertise covers a wide range of subjects making sure their company is ready to handle the needs of its many different clients. The maximum fee that customers can be charged should be around $60 per page, but that is for a Ph.D. level paper with a 3-hour deadline.

4. EssayFactory - Best Essay Writing Service for UK-Based Student

More for students who live in the United Kingdom than any other country, this writing service prides itself on its good customer service, often responding to early morning inquiries quickly.

EssayFactory Positives

Attractive website

Easy-to-use interface

Extensive range of subjects

Wide variety of services and extras

EssayFactory Drawbacks

Not all writers are professional

Money-back guarantee policy not clear

EssayFactory is also supposed to be a very ethical writing service as it maintains a strong "meeting the deadline" policy. This company also has a money-back guarantee policy, but it is a graduated guarantee depending on where the paper is currently at during the writing process.

If the paper has not been assigned, most likely, you will receive a 100% return on your money. But if the writer has started work on the paper, customers will receive between 50 to70% of their money back.

Along with the normal paper writing service, this company offers editing and proofreading services to make sure papers are given the best treatment before turning them in.

With an easy ordering process, customers should be able to get their assignment on the board within a few minutes. The cost is roughly 11 British Pounds per page if you put a 15-day deadline.

5. Essay-Company - Most Affordable Essay Writing Service

Some reviewers do not like this writing service and stated that the unprofessionalism overshadowed all the good aspects of this company. Other reviewers stated that this is a great writing service that comes through with its promises.

Good quality papers

On-time delivery

Looks after their clients

Negative reviews quickly addressed

VIP service available

Customer service not native English speakers

Some black SEO marketing tricks practiced

No matter which side of the fence you sit on, this is a good writing service to work with. Essay-company makes sure the assignments are all returned on time and at high-quality levels. Also, they do contact those negative review writers and talk to them about the service they received.

In addition to checking out those negative reviews, the company does offer a fair money-back guarantee as well as provide their clients with confidentiality. Like their competitors, this writing company also has a wide range of services it provides.

Their prices per page are said to be one of the lowest around, and an on-sight calculator helps users figure out their costs before they click that payment button. Then the paper is returned with high-quality content that should impress any professor.

The company's clear policies help the client know that nothing is being hidden from them when using this company for their writing needs.

Here are the runner ups that didn’t make the cut for the top 5: 6. Dissertation Guru 7. FinestEssay 8. Master of Papers 9. Need-Masterpapers 10. RoyalEssays 11. Skill-Roads 12. GhostWriterGesucht24 13. Akadem Ghostwriter

Essay Writing Service Tips

Use These Services With Caution While they are not illegal to use, you could be charged with cheating and potentially face expulsion if your school finds out. To use papers written by these companies, you should rewrite them in your own words before turning them in.

Use a Plagiarism Checker Make sure to use your own plagiarism checker, as the ones employed by these companies are not known to be the best in the world.

Keep an Eye Out for Fake Sites There are a lot of fake writing services on the internet. They may be clones of reputable ones and exist only to steal your credit card information.

Look Out for Non-Native English Writers Watch out for the writers, as not all of these writing services employ native English speakers. You have to double-check their work to make sure the writing makes sense.

Best Paper Writing Service: The Bottom Line As long as teachers and universities keep assigning research papers, essays, and so on, there will be essay writing sites that offer their services to students as a way of "keeping on top of deadlines." Though whether students should rely on these sites falls into a bit of a grey area, it's ultimately their choice whether they decide to work with a trusted essay writing platform.

The pricing may be high, but then you are paying for experience, knowledge, and convenience. When students simply do not have the time to do the research themselves, these writing services come to the rescue.

All you have to do is pick the best of the best to make sure your content is top quality.

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The Best Reviewed Essay Collections of 2020

Featuring zadie smith, helen macdonald, claudia rankine, samantha irby, and more.

Zadie Smith’s Intimations , Helen Macdonald’s Vesper Flights , Claudia Rankine’s Just Us , and Samantha Irby’s Wow, No Thank You all feature among the Best Reviewed Essay Collections of 2020.

Brought to you by Book Marks , Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.”

1. Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (Grove)

18 Rave • 3 Positive • 1 Mixed

Read Helen Macdonald on Sherlock Holmes, Ursula Le Guin, and hating On the Road  here

“A former historian of science, Macdonald is as captivated by the everyday (ants, bird’s nests) as she is by the extraordinary (glowworms, total solar eclipses), and her writing often closes the distance between the two … Always, the author pushes through the gloom to look beyond herself, beyond all people, to ‘rejoice in the complexity of things’ and to see what science has to show us: ‘that we are living in an exquisitely complicated world that is not all about us’ … The climate crisis shadows these essays. Macdonald is not, however, given to sounding dire, all-caps warnings … For all its elegiac sentences and gray moods, Vesper Flights  is a book of tremendous purpose. Throughout these essays, Macdonald revisits the idea that as a writer it is her responsibility to take stock of what’s happening to the natural world and to convey the value of the living things within it.”

–Jake Cline  ( The Washington Post )

2. Intimations by Zadie Smith (Penguin)

13 Rave • 7 Positive • 3 Mixed

Listen to Zadie Smith read from Intimations here

“Smith…is a spectacular essayist—even better, I’d say, than as a novelist … Smith…get[s] at something universal, the suspicion that has infiltrated our interactions even with those we want to think we know. This is the essential job of the essayist: to explore not our innocence but our complicity. I want to say this works because Smith doesn’t take herself too seriously, but that’s not accurate. More to the point, she is willing to expose the tangle of feelings the pandemic has provoked. And this may seem a small thing, but it’s essential: I never doubt her voice on the page … Her offhandedness, at first, feels out of step with a moment in which we are desperate to feel that whatever something we are trying to do matters. But it also describes that moment perfectly … Here we see the kind of devastating self-exposure that the essay, as a form, requires—the realization of how limited we are even in the best of times, and how bereft in the worst.”

–David L. Ulin  ( The Los Angeles Times )

3. Just Us: An American Conversation by Claudia Rankine (Graywolf)

11 Rave • 6 Positive • 5 Mixed

Read an excerpt from Just Us here

“ Just Us  is about intimacy. Rankine is making an appeal for real closeness. She’s advocating for candor as the pathway to achieving universal humanity and authentic love … Rankine is vulnerable, too. In ‘lemonade,’ an essay about how race and racism affect her interracial marriage, Rankine models the openness she hopes to inspire. ‘lemonade’ is hard to handle. It’s naked and confessional, deeply moving and, ultimately, inspirational … Just Us , as a book, is inventive … Claudia Rankine may be the most human human I’ve ever encountered. Her inner machinations and relentless questioning would exhaust most people. Her labor should be less necessary, of course.”

–Michael Kleber-Diggs  ( The Star Tribune )

4. Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong (One World)

7 Rave • 10 Positive • 2 Mixed

Listen to an interview with Cathy Park Hong here

“Hong’s metaphors are crafted with stinging care. To be Asian-American, she suggests, is to be tasked with making an injury inaccessible to the body that has been injured … I read Minor Feelings  in a fugue of enveloping recognition and distancing flinch … The question of lovability, and desirability, is freighted for Asian men and Asian women in very different ways—and Minor Feelings  serves as a case study in how a feminist point of view can both deepen an inquiry and widen its resonances to something like universality … Hong reframes the quandary of negotiating dominance and submission—of desiring dominance, of hating the terms of that dominance, of submitting in the hopes of achieving some facsimile of dominance anyway—as a capitalist dilemma … Hong is writing in agonized pursuit of a liberation that doesn’t look white—a new sound, a new affect, a new consciousness—and the result feels like what she was waiting for. Her book is a reminder that we can be, and maybe have to be, what others are waiting for, too.”

–Jia Tolentino  ( The New Yorker )

5. World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Milkweed Editions)

11 Rave • 3 Positive

Read an excerpt from World of Wonders here

“In beautifully illustrated essays, poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil writes of exotic flora and fauna and her family, and why they are all of one piece … In days of old, books about nature were often as treasured for their illustrations as they were for their words. World of Wonders,  American poet and teacher Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s prose ode to her muses in the natural world, is a throwback that way. Its words are beautiful, but its cover and interior illustrations by Fumi Mini Nakamura may well be what first moves you to pick it up in a bookstore or online … The book’s magic lies in Nezhukumatathil’s ability to blend personal and natural history, to compress into each brief essay the relationship between a biographical passage from her own family and the life trajectory of a particular plant or animal … Her kaleidoscopic observations pay off in these thoughtful, nuanced, surprise-filled essays.”

–Pamela Miller  ( The Star Tribune )

6. Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby (Vintage)

10 Rave • 3 Positive • 1 Mixed

Watch an interview with Samantha Irby here

“Haphazard and aimless as she claims to be, Samantha Irby’s Wow, No Thank You  is purposefully hilarious, real, and full of medicine for living with our culture’s contradictory messages. From relationship advice she wasn’t asked for to surrendering her cell phone as dinner etiquette, Irby is wholly unpretentious as she opines about the unspoken expectations of adulting. Her essays poke holes and luxuriate in the weirdness of modern society … If anyone whose life is being made into a television show could continue to keep it real for her blog reading fans, it’s Irby. She proves we can still trust her authenticity not just through her questionable taste in music and descriptions of incredibly bloody periods, but through her willingness to demystify what happens in any privileged room she finds herself in … Irby defines professional lingo and describes the mundane details of exclusive industries in anecdotes that are not only entertaining but powerfully demystifying. Irby’s closeness to financial and physical precariousness combined with her willingness to enter situations she feels unprepared for make us loyal to her—she again proves herself to be a trustworthy and admirable narrator who readers will hold fast to through anything at all.”

–Molly Thornton  ( Lambda Literary )

7. Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency by Olivia Laing (W. W. Norton & Company)

5 Rave • 10 Positive • 3 Mixed • 1 Pan

“Yes, you’re in for a treat … There are few voices that we can reliably read widely these days, but I would read Laing writing about proverbial paint drying (the collection is in fact quite paint-heavy), just as soon as I would read her write about the Grenfell Tower fire, The Fire This Time , or a refugee’s experience in England, The Abandoned Person’s Tale , all of which are included in Funny Weather … Laing’s knowledge of her subjects is encyclopaedic, her awe is infectious, and her critical eye is reminiscent of the critic and author James Wood … She is to the art world what David Attenborough is to nature: a worthy guide with both a macro and micro vision, fluent in her chosen tongue and always full of empathy and awe.”

–Mia Colleran  ( The Irish Times )

8. Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America by Laila Lalami (Pantheon)

6 Rave • 7 Positive • 1 Mixed • 2 Pan

“A] searing look at the struggle for all Americans to achieve liberty and equality. Lalami eloquently tacks between her experiences as an immigrant to this country and the history of U.S. attempts to exclude different categories of people from the full benefits of citizenship … Lalami offers a fresh perspective on the double consciousness of the immigrant … Conditional citizenship is still conferred on people of color, women, immigrants, religious minorities, even those living in poverty, and Lalami’s insight in showing the subtle and overt ways discrimination operates in so many facets of life is one of this book’s major strengths.”

–Rachel Newcomb  ( The Washington Post )

9. This is One Way to Dance by Sejal Shah (University of Georgia Press)

7 Rave • 2 Positive 

Watch an interview with Sejal Shah here

“Shah brings important, refreshing, and depressing observations about what it means to have dark skin and an ‘exotic’ name, when the only country you’ve ever lived in is America … The essays in this slim volume are engaging and thought-provoking … The essays are well-crafted with varying forms that should inspire and enlighten other essayists … A particularly delightful chapter is the last, called ‘Voice Texting with My Mother,’ which is, in fact, written in texts … Shah’s thoughts on heritage and belonging are important and interesting.”

–Martha Anne Toll  ( NPR )

10. Having and Being Had by Eula Biss (Riverhead)

5 Rave • 4 Positive • 4 Mixed

Read Eula Biss on the anticapitalist origins of Monopoly here

“… enthralling … Her allusive blend of autobiography and criticism may remind some of The Argonauts  by Maggie Nelson, a friend whose name pops up in the text alongside those of other artists and intellectuals who have influenced her work. And yet, line for line, her epigrammatic style perhaps most recalls that of Emily Dickinson in its radical compression of images and ideas into a few chiseled lines … Biss wears her erudition lightly … she’s really funny, with a barbed but understated wit … Keenly aware of her privilege as a white, well-educated woman who has benefited from a wide network of family and friends, Biss has written a book that is, in effect, the opposite of capitalism in its willingness to acknowledge that everything she’s accomplished rests on the labor of others.”

–Ann Levin  ( Associated Press )

The Book Marks System: RAVE = 5 points • POSITIVE = 3 points • MIXED = 1 point • PAN = -5 points

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More From Forbes

Let’s use ai for bigger things—instead of writing our blogs.

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Let's use technology to solve humanity’s real pressing problems.

Long before smartphones and binge watching came along, daily life was different. Very different . Survival was a constant struggle against the elements, predators, and horrific challenges such as famine and pestilence. It was a time when moving a massive stone for shelter construction or transporting a bountiful carcass to eat required sheer brute force, countless hours, and sometimes the collective effort of an entire tribe. Such backbreaking labor seemed an inescapable part of existence—until one fateful day when a brilliant spark of ingenuity changed it all.

I’m speaking of the wheel, of course.

This simple invention revolutionized life. No longer did people have to drag their burdens across rough terrain. They could harness the wheel’s power to ease their toil. From the carts of ancient civilizations to the high-speed bullet trains and combustion engine cars of today, the wheel continues to be an essential part of humanity’s journey. It solves a burning problem.

And as the saying goes: “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

Of course, business owners know all too well that every great innovation begins with a burning problem to solve. The printing press, for instance, emerged to address the laborious and time-consuming task of replicating texts by hand. Before its invention, manuscripts had to be meticulously copied by scribes, a process prone to errors and limited by the scribe’s speed—and accuracy.

Later, the typewriter expedited the writing process, making the time-consuming act of handwriting a relic of the past. The typewriter also introduced uniformity, speed, and efficiency to the creation of documents, drastically reducing the effort required to pump out written content.

Word processors supercharged such productivity. Suddenly, everyone from schoolchildren to famous authors became comfortable using computers to write, edit, and share written works. And finally, today, sophisticated chatbots and AI-driven text-generation tools are once more transforming the writing landscape, offering content-creation capabilities.

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Undoubtedly, AI has already wildly shifted how we approach tech. More than just the latest buzzword, artificial intelligence enjoys new developments daily.

But are these the developments we need? Not really.

Our current uses of AI invariably lean toward the mundane , streamlining banal tasks with remarkable efficiency. (Example: Are today’s non-stone moving humans really so lazy that we require Netflix to recommend our next movie, Amazon to tell us which book to read?) Other typical AI uses seem just as needless, such as composing personalized wedding toasts and penning greeting cards for loved ones.

But are these the burning problems that were keeping us up at night? (When you were a kid dreaming of the ecstatic future, did you envision technology that would enable you to write up a month’s worth of socials? I sure hope not!)

If we stop to really think about it, artificial intelligence is replacing the wrong labors—particularly creativity. To put it bluntly, today’s AI does not fit the tradition of “necessity breeds innovation.”

Instead it’s solving pseudo problems.

This isn’t some Luddite rant. It’s a rallying cry for course correction. There are compelling AI applications worthy of exploring. One that comes to mind is translation. Imagine if language barriers were obsolete . It’s possible. After all, AI excels at taking large data sets and interpreting them quickly, making real-time, accurate translation possible.

Another transformative example is improved medical diagnoses. Instead of relying solely on doctors’ limited cognitive abilities, AI can predict conditions in ways humans simply cannot, connecting dots in mind-boggling ways. These applications have the potential to better our world—not to mention save more lives.

And if I could be selfish for just a moment here, I would love to see someone create an AI-powered massage robot. Just imagine if your AI-masseuse could learn how to give you a better deep tissue massage every time you use it. That would be the perfect holiday gift—unless your AI-masseuse turns on you, Westworld style.

For now, my criticism targets the limited thinking around AI.

Take self-driving cars. They are a roundabout solution to our transit crisis. In a country plagued by massive infrastructure issues, AI-piloted vehicles represent a Band-Aid fix—too little, too late. Instead, we could harness AI’s problem-solving prowess to design the flying cars we were promised in Back to the Future Part II . And while we are at it, AI could also knock out some hoverboards. (Just imagine your children’s commute years from now when they can fly to work. I can safely tell you my flight playlist will involve hits from Huey Lewis and the News.)

Looking forward, as we contemplate emerging tech like AI, we must ask ourselves: What are the core problems that need solving? Are we focusing too much on short-term gains and quick fixes, neglecting the bigger picture? And how can we leverage AI to create long-term solutions to address big, thorny challenges—like our decaying infrastructure?

Returning to the wheel and the idea technology is meant to solve real problems—not to infantilize us—it’s past time we demand tomorrow’s innovators turn their attention to things that matter. What we don’t need is more dehumanizing innovations that make us dumber, less creative, and more isolated. Instead, let’s dream bigger dreams, imagining ways AI can help humanity make the next great leap forward.

At the very least, let’s get going on those AI-masseuses, okay?

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Make Lists, Not War

The meta-lists website, best essays of all time – ranked.

A reader suggested I create a meta-list of the best essays of all time, so I did.  I found over 12 best essays lists and several essay anthologies and combined the essays into one meta-list.  The meta-list below includes every essay that was on at least two of the original source lists. They are organized by rank, that is, with the essays on the most lists at the top. To see the same list organized chronologically, go HERE .

Note 1:  Some of the essays are actually chapters from books.  In such cases, I have identified the source book.

Note 2: Some of the essays are book-length, such as Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own .  One book listed as an essay by two listers – Fernando Pessoa’s The Book of Disquiet – is also regularly categorized as a work of fiction.

On 11 lists James Baldwin – Notes of a Native Son (1955)

On 6 lists George Orwell – Shooting an Elephant (1936) E.B. White – Once More to the Lake (1941) Joan Didion – Goodbye To All That (1968)

On 5 lists Joan Didion – On Keeping A Notebook (1968) Annie Dillard – Total Eclipse (1982) Jo Ann Beard – The Fourth State of Matter (1996) David Foster Wallace – A Supposedly Fun Thing I Will Never Do Again (1996)

On 4 lists William Hazlitt – On the Pleasure of Hating (1823) Ralph Waldo Emerson – Self-Reliance (1841) Virginia Woolf – A Room of One’s Own (1928) Virginia Woolf – The Death of a Moth (1942) George Orwell – Such, Such Were the Joys (1952) Joan Didion – In Bed (1968) Amy Tan – Mother Tongue (1991) David Foster Wallace – Consider The Lobster (2005)

On 3 lists Jonathan Swift – A Modest Proposal  (1729) Virginia Woolf – Street Haunting: A London Adventure (1930) John McPhee – The Search for Marvin Gardens (1972) Joan Didion – The White Album (1968-1978) Eudora Welty – The Little Store (1978) Phillip Lopate – Against Joie de Vivre (1989)

On 2 lists Sei Shonagon – Hateful Things (from The Pillow Book ) (1002) Yoshida Kenko – Essays in Idleness (1332) Michel de Montaigne – On Some Verses of Virgil (1580) Robert Burton – Anatomy of Melancholy (1621) John Milton – Areopagitica  (1644) William Hazlitt – On Going a Journey (1822) Charles Lamb – The Superannuated Man (1823) Henry David Thoreau – Civil Disobedience (1849) Henry David Thoreau – Where I Lived, and What I Lived For (from  Walden ) (1854) Henry David Thoreau – Economy (from  Walden ) (1854) Henry David Thoreau – Walking (1861) Robert Louis Stevenson – The Lantern-Bearers (1888) Zora Neale Hurston – How It Feels to Be Colored Me (1928) George Orwell – A Hanging (1931) Junichiro Tanizaki – In Praise of Shadows (1933) Fernando Pessoa – The Book of Disquiet (1935) James Agee and Walker Evans – Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1941) Simone Weil – On Human Personality (1943) M.F.K. Fisher – The Flaw (1943) Vladimir Nabokov – Speak, Memory (1951, revised 1966) Mary McCarthy – Artists in Uniform: A Story (1953) E.B. White – Goodbye to Forty-Eighth Street (1957) Martin Luther King, Jr. – Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963) Joseph Mitchell – Joe Gould’s Secret (1964) Susan Sontag – Against Interpretation (1966) Edward Hoagland – The Courage of Turtles (1970) Annie Dillard – Seeing (from  Pilgrim at Tinker Creek ) (1974) Maxine Hong Kingston – No Name Woman (from The Woman Warrior ) (1976) Roland Barthes – Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography (1982) Annie Dillard – Living Like Weasels (1982) Gloria E. Anzaldúa – How to Tame a Wild Tongue (1987) Italo Calvino – Exactitude (1988) Richard Rodriguez – Late Victorians (1990) David Wojnarowicz – Being Queer in America: A Journal of Disintegration (1991) Seymour Krim – To My Brothers & Sisters in the Failure Business (1991) Anne Carson – The Anthropology of Water (1995) Susan Sontag – Regarding the Pain of Others (2003) Etel Adnan – In the Heart of the Heart of Another Country (2005) Paul LaFarge – Destroy All Monsters (2006) Brian Doyle – Joyas Voladoras (2012)

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Vote for Your 10 Best Books of the 21st Century

By The New York Times Books Staff

More than 500 writers and notable book lovers — including James Patterson and Junot Díaz, Rebecca Roanhorse and Roxane Gay — have shared their picks for the best books of the 21st century , and now it’s your turn.

In the space below, please name up to 10 titles that you consider to be the best of this century. Each book must have been published in the United States, in English, after Jan. 1, 2000. We have compiled all 3,228 of our best and notable books since 2000 on one handy page, but you aren’t limited to those books. Translations, children’s books, poetry — they are all OK.

We’ll tabulate the votes and offer our readers’ list of favorites later on. Thank you for participating.

Submit your choices here.

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Ieee spectrum, follow ieee spectrum, support ieee spectrum, enjoy more free content and benefits by creating an account, saving articles to read later requires an ieee spectrum account, the institute content is only available for members, downloading full pdf issues is exclusive for ieee members, downloading this e-book is exclusive for ieee members, access to spectrum 's digital edition is exclusive for ieee members, following topics is a feature exclusive for ieee members, adding your response to an article requires an ieee spectrum account, create an account to access more content and features on ieee spectrum , including the ability to save articles to read later, download spectrum collections, and participate in conversations with readers and editors. for more exclusive content and features, consider joining ieee ., join the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences and get access to all of spectrum’s articles, archives, pdf downloads, and other benefits. learn more about ieee →, join the world’s largest professional organization devoted to engineering and applied sciences and get access to this e-book plus all of ieee spectrum’s articles, archives, pdf downloads, and other benefits. learn more about ieee →, access thousands of articles — completely free, create an account and get exclusive content and features: save articles, download collections, and talk to tech insiders — all free for full access and benefits, join ieee as a paying member., how good is chatgpt at coding, really, study finds that while ai can be great, it also struggles due to training limitations.

This article is part of our exclusive IEEE Journal Watch series in partnership with IEEE Xplore.

Programmers have spent decades writing code for AI models , and now, in a full circle moment, AI is being used to write code. But how does an AI code generator compare to a human programmer?

A study published in the June issue of IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering evaluated the code produced by OpenAI’s ChatGPT in terms of functionality, complexity and security. The results show that ChatGPT has an extremely broad range of success when it comes to producing functional code—with a success rate ranging from anywhere as poor as 0.66 percent and as good as 89 percent—depending on the difficulty of the task, the programming language, and a number of other factors.

While in some cases the AI generator could produce better code than humans, the analysis also reveals some security concerns with AI-generated code.

Yutian Tang is a lecturer at the University of Glasgow who was involved in the study. He notes that AI-based code generation could provide some advantages in terms of enhancing productivity and automating software development tasks—but it’s important to understand the strengths and limitations of these models.

“By conducting a comprehensive analysis, we can uncover potential issues and limitations that arise in the ChatGPT-based code generation... [and] improve generation techniques,” Tang explains.

To explore these limitations in more detail, his team sought to test GPT-3.5’s ability to address 728 coding problems from the LeetCode testing platform in five programming languages: C, C++, Java, JavaScript, and Python .

“A reasonable hypothesis for why ChatGPT can do better with algorithm problems before 2021 is that these problems are frequently seen in the training dataset.” —Yutian Tang, University of Glasgow

Overall, ChatGPT was fairly good at solving problems in the different coding languages—but especially when attempting to solve coding problems that existed on LeetCode before 2021. For instance, it was able to produce functional code for easy, medium, and hard problems with success rates of about 89, 71, and 40 percent, respectively.

“However, when it comes to the algorithm problems after 2021, ChatGPT’s ability to generate functionally correct code is affected. It sometimes fails to understand the meaning of questions, even for easy level problems,” Tang notes.

For example, ChatGPT’s ability to produce functional code for “easy” coding problems dropped from 89 percent to 52 percent after 2021. And its ability to generate functional code for “hard” problems dropped from 40 percent to 0.66 percent after this time as well.

“A reasonable hypothesis for why ChatGPT can do better with algorithm problems before 2021 is that these problems are frequently seen in the training dataset,” Tang says.

Essentially, as coding evolves, ChatGPT has not been exposed yet to new problems and solutions. It lacks the critical thinking skills of a human and can only address problems it has previously encountered. This could explain why it is so much better at addressing older coding problems than newer ones.

“ChatGPT may generate incorrect code because it does not understand the meaning of algorithm problems.” —Yutian Tang, University of Glasgow

Interestingly, ChatGPT is able to generate code with smaller runtime and memory overheads than at least 50 percent of human solutions to the same LeetCode problems.

The researchers also explored the ability of ChatGPT to fix its own coding errors after receiving feedback from LeetCode. They randomly selected 50 coding scenarios where ChatGPT initially generated incorrect coding, either because it didn’t understand the content or problem at hand.

While ChatGPT was good at fixing compiling errors, it generally was not good at correcting its own mistakes.

“ChatGPT may generate incorrect code because it does not understand the meaning of algorithm problems, thus, this simple error feedback information is not enough,” Tang explains.

The researchers also found that ChatGPT-generated code did have a fair amount of vulnerabilities, such as a missing null test, but many of these were easily fixable. Their results also show that generated code in C was the most complex, followed by C++ and Python, which has a similar complexity to the human-written code.

Tangs says, based on these results, it’s important that developers using ChatGPT provide additional information to help ChatGPT better understand problems or avoid vulnerabilities.

“For example, when encountering more complex programming problems, developers can provide relevant knowledge as much as possible, and tell ChatGPT in the prompt which potential vulnerabilities to be aware of,” Tang says.

• What to Do When the Ghost in the Machine Is You ›
• How Coders Can Survive—and Thrive—in a ChatGPT World ›
• Coding Assistant - ChatGPT ›

Michelle Hampson is a freelance writer based in Halifax. She frequently contributes to Spectrum's Journal Watch coverage, which highlights newsworthy studies published in IEEE journals.

That's yesterday's news, try it with version 4o, it's free.

"struggles due to training limitations" isn't that EVERYONE's problem with EVERYTHING.

"I could be an awesome guitar playing, but I struggle due to training limitations."

"I could be a great Opera singer, but I struggle due to training limitations."

"I could be a great jockey, but I am 6'4"...." Ok, well maybe not everything.

ChatGPT sucks at coding because it's not an AI - it's a big ass word predictor.

I actually think the key here is writing good test suits to ensure AI does the right thing...

Here is the full argument: https://medium.com/@samuel.sperling/software-2-1-ai-is-coding-now-why-test-mastery-is-your-new-job-security-31a65e792f7f

Edith Clarke: Architect of Modern Power Distribution

Sea drones in the russia-ukraine war inspire new tactics, notice to membership, related stories, what to do when the ghost in the machine is you, chatgpt’s new upgrade teases ai’s multimodal future, chatgpt may be a better improviser than you.

ACC 2024 preview: Breaking down Florida State, Clemson and three new challengers

Thank goodness actual football is starting soon. No offense to the good folks of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but when lawsuits and countersuits are the primary storyline of your offseason , well, you haven't had a very enjoyable offseason. (I think there's an "Affidavits and Contracts Conference" joke in here somewhere, but I won't make it, even though there's almost nothing Atlantic about this place now.)

Everything about the ACC feels weird right now, from big football programs plotting to leave, to teams from Texas and California joining, to the simple existence of a conference with 17 teams and games like Stanford at Syracuse, Boston College at SMU and Cal at Wake Forest. The variation in schedule strengths -- Georgia Tech ranks 15th in projected SP+ SOS, five other teams rank in the top 40, and four others rank outside the top 70 -- makes this only loosely feel like a conference. But when the games actually start, we'll have a potentially stellar race on our hands all the same. Florida State and Clemson, the standout escape plotters (and winners of 12 of the past 13 ACC championships), start out in the front of the race, but five teams are projected between 19th and 32nd in SP+ and loom not far behind.

Let's preview the ACC!

Every week through the summer, Bill Connelly will preview another FBS conference exclusively for ESPN+, ultimately including all 134 FBS teams. The previews will include 2023 breakdowns, 2024 previews and team-by-team capsules. Here are the MAC , Conference USA , AAC , MWC and Sun Belt previews.

Jump to a section: 2024 projections | Best games Title contenders | Who's close? Hoping for 6-6

Last we saw Florida State, Mike Norvell's Seminoles were the victim of the College Football Playoff committee's worst-ever decision and laying the egg of all eggs in the Orange Bowl . It was unfortunate for any number of obvious reasons, but it also just distracted us from the fact that, in the period of just two years, Norvell had transformed the Seminoles from a listless mess to the class of the ACC. They won their first league title in nine years and, despite the Orange Bowl, enjoyed their best finish in SP+ in 10 years.

Elsewhere, Louisville secured its first ACC championship game appearance thanks to a 4-0 record in one-score finishes in conference games, but Jeff Brohm's Cardinals were among a large batch of similar teams. Including SMU -- which, like FSU, dealt with its own late-season QB injury issues -- seven current ACC teams finished between 23rd and 40th in SP+. And that doesn't include a Virginia Tech team that enjoyed a massive midseason turnaround. After starting the season 2-4 and ranking as low as 76th in SP+, Brent Pry's Hokies won five of their last seven, overachieved projections by an average of 14.7 points per game and charged to 46th. And now they rank in the nation's top five in returning production.

Meanwhile, the other new additions, Cal and Stanford, were basically West Coast Georgia Tech and West Coast Virginia.

2024 projections

While conference schedule strengths indeed vary dramatically, the average conference win totals set the table pretty nicely. FSU and Clemson are over 6.0, and five teams are between 5.1 and 5.6. If either the Seminoles or Tigers underachieve, any number of other contenders, from hot and experienced Virginia Tech to ultra-talented and perpetually disappointing Miami, could make a title run.

It's basically FSU and Clemson (combined: 51.3% chance of winning the ACC) versus the field. That's a little bit more aggressive than what ESPN's FPI has (45.5%) and quite a bit more confident than the ESPN BET odds that have more confidence in Miami and NC State, among others. But the general vibe here is set. Can FSU sufficiently hit the reset button after last year's awful ending? Can Clemson rebound as projected? Among the quintet of other challengers, who stands out?

Five best games of 2024

Here are the five conference games that feature (a) the highest combined SP+ ratings for both teams and (b) a projected scoring margin under 10 points.

Florida State at SMU (Sept. 28) . SMU wasn't exactly blessed with a set of dynamite home games in its first year as a power-conference team since 1995. Visits from Pitt, Boston College and California might not move the needle a ton, but this one's huge. It will tell us if Rhett Lashlee's Mustangs are indeed capable of making a run in their first ACC season.

Clemson at Florida State (Oct. 5) . Of the last 12 times these teams have met, the winner went on to win the ACC 11 times. Seems like this one's relatively big.

Miami at Louisville (Oct. 19) . Louisville has been blessed by a pretty light conference schedule; the Cardinals do play at Clemson, but they play only two other top-60 ACC opponents, and both have to visit the stadium formerly known as Papa John's: SMU in Week 6 and Miami in Week 8. This one could be an eliminator of sorts.

Florida State at Miami (Oct. 26) . What a streaky rivalry game this has been. Miami won nine of 11 showdowns from 1985-94, then FSU won five straight, then Miami won six straight, then FSU won 10 of 12, then Miami won four in a row, and now FSU has won three in a row.

Clemson at Virginia Tech (Nov. 9) . The last time a ranked Virginia Tech hosted a ranked opponent in front of a packed Lane Stadium was 2018 (No. 6 Notre Dame 45, No. 24 Tech 23). Obviously the Hokies have some work to do if they plan on being ranked in early November, but it's on the table. This one could be dynamite.

Conference title (and, therefore, CFP) contenders

Florida state seminoles.

Head coach : Mike Norvell (fifth year, 31-17 overall)

2024 projection : 12th in SP+, 9.3 average wins (6.2 in ACC)

It hasn't been boring. Mike Norvell's FSU tenure began with odd social media exchanges , an inexcusable and devastating last-second loss to an FCS team and 16 defeats in 28 games. But after a 34-28 loss to Clemson dropped the Seminoles to 4-3 midway through 2022, everything clicked. An improving defense turned into a top-20 unit, and an offense helmed by Jordan Travis averaged 42 points per game in the 2022 home stretch. FSU won six straight to finish 10-3, and after another round of great transfer acquisitions -- a trend under Norvell -- they won 13 more to start 2023. The turnaround was complete . All that was missing was a shot at the national title. That, of course, never came. When Travis got hurt late in the season, and the Seminoles' offense struggled (even while the defense began playing like the best in the country), the CFP committee used that as an excuse to give the final CFP spot to SEC champion Alabama .

It was an unforgivable decision; it's also in the past, and the next act of Norvell's tenure will depend on how well his Seminoles leave that bitterness behind. In 2024, a relatively new Noles team will have a chance to repeat as ACC champs, and this time, with a 12-team CFP and five autobids for conference champs, it will be awfully hard for the committee to leave them out.

Continuity on the offensive line and in the secondary can be huge for a team, and FSU has quite a bit of both. For the former, three starters return -- including All-ACC left tackle Darius Washington -- and are joined by Florida's starting left guard ( Richie Leonard IV ) and one of a few Alabama transfers, guard Terrence Ferguson II .

Only one other offensive starter, tight end Kyle Morlock , returns. Oregon State and Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei and redshirt freshman Brock Glenn are battling for the starting QB position; slot receiver Ja'Khi Douglas is the only returning wideout who caught double-digit passes last year, and transfers Malik Benson (Bama) and Jalen Brown (LSU) join a huge batch of young blue-chippers like sophomore Hykeem Williams . At running back, big-play man Lawrance Toafili returns, but Norvell added both a big back (Bama's Roydell Williams ) and a water bug (Indiana's Jaylin Lucas , who was more dangerous in the passing game last year) for variety.

The FSU defense has improved for three consecutive years under coordinator Adam Fuller; anything more would be driven by a dynamite secondary. Corners Fentrell Cypress II and Azareye'h Thomas return, as does safety Shyheim Brown . However, the turnover in the front six is pretty extensive: Five of last year's top seven linemen, plus both starting linebackers, are gone. Fuller still has stars in end Patrick Payton , 318-pound tackle Joshua Farmer and possibly linebacker DJ Lundy , but it's probably not a surprise that FSU signed four line transfers.

My favorite player: DE Patrick Payton . Jared Verse was awesome. The Albany transfer lived up to every ounce of hype he received when he arrived in 2022, and he was picked 19th in the 2024 NFL draft .

I think Payton might be better?

The 254-pound Miami native made more havoc plays per snap than any defender in the country with 500-plus snaps and finished with more sacks, a higher pressure rate and more run stops than Verse. FSU is still blessed in the edge rusher department.

Clemson Tigers

Head coach : Dabo Swinney (16th full year, 170-43 overall)

2024 projection : 14th in SP+, 9.1 average wins (6.3 in ACC)

Over the last three seasons, Clemson's average SP+ rating is 14.4, the 15th best in FBS. The Tigers have gone 30-10 in that span, winning an ACC title. If you knew nothing about what Clemson did before 2021, Dabo Swinney's downright countercultural method of roster building -- and completely eschewing the potential of the transfer portal in the name of doubling down on culture and in-house development -- would seem rather charming. We are supposed to reward coaches for going about things differently and winning, right?

If you're reading this, however, you probably know about Clemson's history before 2021.

Clemson's 2023 team was solid. It was also the school's worst in 12 years. And Swinney refuses to fill holes like everyone else in his general recruiting stratosphere does: with transfers. He's signed two of them in six years; both were backup quarterbacks, and one had begun his career at Clemson.

Without transfers, Clemson has become far less nimble than other top-15ish schools when it comes to addressing weaknesses. Case in point: the offense. After averaging a No. 50 ranking in offensive SP+ in 2021-22, Swinney hired TCU's Garrett Riley as coordinator and handed the full-time reins to five-star sophomore Cade Klubnik . The Tigers ranked 51st in offensive SP+. Meanwhile, an inexperienced defense was still good, but it fell to 21st in defensive SP+, the worst in nine seasons.

This is a rubber-meeting-road season for Swinney and his methods. Now that he's let a new OC and quarterback get to know each other for a year, and now that he's allowed exciting young defenders to get their feet wet, it's time for both units to take solid steps forward in 2024. And they might, even if the season begins with an immediate setback against Georgia.

Klubnik, leading rusher Phil Mafah , tight end Jake Briningstool and slot man Tyler Brown return, as do seven of the nine linemen who started a game last season. The offense improved late in the season, too. Clemson desperately needs a boost in the big-play department -- their 3.5 gains per game of 20-plus yards ranked 109th nationally, and the only main receiver to average more than 11.5 yards per catch (a low bar) was Beaux Collins , who transferred to Notre Dame. The Tigers can control the ball with death-by-a-thousand-cuts efficiency, but big plays and easy points win big games.

The Tigers' defense has regressed in each of coordinator Wes Goodwin's first two seasons, but after some 2023 growing pains they might now have the most promising base of young talent in the country.

Everywhere you look, there's a thrilling sophomore -- defensive end T.J. Parker , tackle Peter Woods , corners Khalil Barnes and Avieon Terrell , linebacker Kobe McCloud . The pass rush didn't get home quite as much as it should have considering their 46% blitz rate (second-highest in the country), but the Tigers still ranked second in passing success rate allowed and sixth in raw QBR. But there were some breakdowns in an all-or-nothing run defense. That's not guaranteed to improve without leading tackler Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and four of last year's top five linemen, but it's hard to look at the defensive two-deep and not think, "Yeah, they're going to be fine."

My favorite player: CB Khalil Barnes . I'm a sucker for versatility. Barnes lined up as a cornerback 293 times last year, a safety 96 times and an inside or outside linebacker 114 times. He racked up all sorts of different disruption stats: five TFLs, two run stops, four pressures, one sack, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Oh yeah, and as a hellacious cover guy, he allowed a 37% completion rate while intercepting three passes and breaking up five more. Just imagine what he'll be capable of when he knows what he's doing!

A couple of breaks away from a run

Miami hurricanes.

Head coach : Mario Cristobal (third year, 12-13 overall)

2024 projection : 19th in SP+, 8.8 average wins (5.5 in ACC)

Mario Cristobal was the first coach to create anything respectable at Florida International. He brought Oregon a top-five finish and Rose Bowl title in 2019. He's done things. He's just not a 10 out of 10 on the Burden of Proof scale.

He's at least an 8 out of 10, though, right? Miami pushed out Manny Diaz after he went 15-8 in 2020-21 because it was time to bring Cristobal, one of The U's favorite sons, home to build a behemoth. He's proceeded to go 12-13 in two seasons. He inherited a top-25 offense (per SP+) and a top-15 quarterback in Tyler Van Dyke (per Total QBR), and both got demonstrably worse in the last two years. Cristobal recruits like gangbusters and makes logical coordinator hires, but his game-management decisions, often spectacularly conservative, can either make games closer than they should be or backfire in nuclear fashion .

It's possible that at some point you just recruit so well that it overcomes your shortcomings. Cristobal added 14 more four-star freshmen to the roster and made a splash in the transfer portal, bringing in Washington State quarterback Cam Ward, Oregon State running back Damien Martinez and a number of proven defenders.

No matter how conservative Cristobal's impulses might be, a backfield of Ward and Martinez is going to play flashy ball. Ward is a dangerous scrambler, with all that entails -- exciting, explosive plays (pro) and more sacks than you would prefer (con) -- while Martinez is simply one of the best tackle-breakers in college football. He's an old-school, high-kneed runner, and he joins a skill corps that already featured one of the country's safest possession receivers (slot man Xavier Restrepo ) and a potentially high-end big-play man in Jacolby George . The offensive line, painfully young last year, is more experienced, too, and has a potential star in sophomore tackle Francis Mauigoa . The only reason to think this offense won't be fantastic is the recent track record of the head coach.

Defensively, Miami's been decent but not elite under Lance Guidry (top-50 in defensive SP+ both years). In 2023, the Canes rendered opponents inefficient (25th in success rate allowed) but suffered too many glitches and allowed 32.4 points per game against five top-50 offenses.

Of the 15 defenders who saw at least 200 snaps, only five return, but Cristobal was aggressive in signing seven starters from other FBS teams, including Washington nickel Mishael Powell , Tennessee end Tyler Baron and tackles Simeon Barrow Jr . (Michigan State) and C.J. Clark (NC State). Getting sophomore tackle Rueben Bain Jr . (11 TFLs) and junior Akheem Mesidor (11.5 TFLs in 2022 before missing most of 2023 with injury) back up front is good news, too.

My favorite player: RB Damien Martinez . You just don't see many players that are both as physical and as explosive as Martinez.

Martinez touched the ball 17.1 times per game last season, forcing a missed tackle on nearly one-third of his touches and rushing for 10-plus yards more times (39) than he was stopped at or behind the line (33). He adds a level of nastiness that the Miami offense really needed.

SMU Mustangs

Head coach : Rhett Lashlee (third year, 18-9 overall)

2024 projection : 23rd in SP+, 9.1 average wins (5.6 in ACC)

It's hard not to like what Rhett Lashlee has done thus far at SMU.

SMU has enjoyed a top-25 offense (per SP+) for five straight years, but Lashlee's Mustangs enjoyed a huge 2023 season -- 11 wins, AAC championship, first top-25 SP+ finish 1984 -- in part because they discovered defense .

Under second-year coordinator Scott Symons, the Mustangs leaped from 115th to 39th in defensive SP+ with a sturdy run defense and a fierce but low-risk pass rush (translation: the defensive ends were awesome, and they didn't have to blitz). They return probably their best player at each level of the field -- defensive end Elijah Roberts , linebacker Ahmad Walker , safeties Jonathan McGill and Isaiah Nwokobia -- but with last year's top three defensive tackles gone and a likely fear of depth issues with the jump to the ACC, Lashlee loaded up with eight transfer linemen, all from power conferences, and while transfer ends felt redundant with the return of Roberts and other potential studs like Cameron Robertson and Isaiah Smith , size in the middle was a necessity. And I mean size : Mike Lockhart (WVU) made 8.5 TFLs at 317 pounds last year, and Anthony Booker Jr . (Arkansas) weighed in last year at 351. The other primary defensive concern was at corner, which Lashlee attempted to address with the addition of Deuce Harmon (Texas A&M).

SMU should immediately have some of the best quarterback and skill corps play in the ACC. Junior Preston Stone threw for 3,197 yards and 28 TDs, ranking seventh nationally in yards per dropback and 30th in Total QBR. Three of last year's starting linemen are gone (which prompted Lashlee to sign five OL transfers, all, again, from power conferences), but if the new-ish line holds up -- not a guarantee -- Stone should take full advantage of a skill corps that barely lost anyone. Backs Jaylan Knighton , LJ Johnson Jr . and Camar Wheaton return after combining for 1,731 rushing yards and 16 TDs, and seven receivers who caught between 24 and 42 passes, led by senior Jake Bailey , all return. They're joined by former blue-chippers Brashard Smith (Miami) and Ashton Cozart (Oregon), too.

SMU's starting 22 will be capable of winning lots of ACC games right out of the gate, but we'll see if Lashlee's depth-building efforts were enough. I'm guessing yes.

My favorite player: DE Elijah Roberts . Only seven pass rushers combined at least a 14% pressure rate with at least 11 sacks created (first pressures on plays that resulted in sacks) last season, a list that includes All-Americans Laiatu Latu and Jalen Green and second-round draft pick Chris Braswell. It also includes Roberts, who lined up everywhere on SMU's line, produced 10 sacks and pressured the QB at least four times in five different games. He's one of the best in the country.

Louisville Cardinals

Head coach : Jeff Brohm (second year, 10-4 overall)

2024 projection : 28th in SP+, 7.6 average wins (5.2 in ACC)

Jeff Brohm knows how to make a first impression. At Purdue in 2017, he inherited a team that had averaged 2.3 wins and a 93.5 average SP+ ranking over four years and immediately won seven games and brought them into the top 40. His tenure was up and down from there, but he bought immediate goodwill.

The Louisville native and Louisville grad returned home last season, and while the Cardinals' improvement wasn't quite as voracious -- Louisville won eight games the year before Brohm's arrival -- his first team still won 10 games and jumped to 34th in SP+. It took close wins and turnovers luck to get them into the ACC championship, and the Cardinals finished with three straight losses, but it was still a strong debut.

For better or worse, Brohm isn't sitting still. A year after bringing in 25 transfers, he brought in 28 more. (He actually brought in more than that, but a few left after spring ball.) The offense could feature as many as seven transfers in the starting lineup, including quarterback Tyler Shough (Texas Tech), running back Donald Chaney Jr . (Miami), receivers Caullin Lacy (South Alabama) and Ja'Corey Brooks (Alabama) and any of three tight ends and five linemen. Brohm is taking on some injury risk with Shough (who's played only 22 games in four years) and Chaney (27 games in four years), but I love the receiver additions. Brooks has yet to put together a nice, sustained effort, but he bordered on excellent in 2022, and Lacy was incredible in 2023 (1,316 yards, 3.1 per route). Brohm also took a flier on a Division II star, Tuskegee's Antonio Meeks, who averaged 17.3 yards per catch with five touchdowns last season.

The defense, which was decent but regressed a bit from 2022, welcomes 14 transfers as well, including cornerbacks Tahveon Nicholson (Illinois) and Corey Thornton (UCF), end Tramel Logan (USF) and tackle Jordan Guerad (FIU). Almost all of the defensive transfers, plus a majority of the offensive players, are seniors, meaning Brohm could be doing this all again next year. We'll see if you can build the culture you need to succeed long-term this way, but there's no time like the present in Louisville.

My favorite player: WR Caullin Lacy . You never fully know what to expect about a guy jumping to a better conference, but Lacy was absolutely dynamite in the Sun Belt last year. He's a master of turning short routes into intermediate gains -- he averaged 8.4 yards per catch on screens and 11.8 on shallow or hook routes -- but he also caught 11 of 19 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield. He topped 100 yards eight times last season, including an early stretch of seven games in a row. I will be floored if he doesn't thrive under Brohm.

NC State Wolfpack

Head coach : Dave Doeren (12th year, 81-58 overall)

2024 projection : 29th in SP+, 8.5 average wins (5.4 in ACC)

At the midway point of 2023, Dave Doeren's Wolfpack were 4-3 and 54th in SP+. They had beaten three pretty bad teams (UConn, Virginia and Marshall) by only 20 combined points, and they had lost to three top-40 teams by a combined 45. This seemed like the second-worst State team of the last decade.

After a bye week, however, the Pack upset Clemson, bolting to a 24-7 lead and holding on 24-17. From that point forward, they seemed like a completely different team. They won five straight to end the regular season, overachieving against SP+ projections by 16.1 points per game and walloping Miami, Wake Forest and North Carolina by at least 14 points each. A disappointing bowl performance against Kansas State deprived them of both a long-awaited 10-win season and an opportunity to cannibalize an anthropomorphic Pop-Tart (college football, everybody!). But that was one hell of a stretch run.

There are enough key pieces returning -- do-everything slot receiver Kevin Concepcion , four starting offensive linemen, cornerback Aydan White , veteran defensive coordinator Tony Gibson -- that the idea of Doeren and his Pack building off of November momentum isn't totally far-fetched. But both of last year's quarterbacks are gone, most of the skill corps outside of Concepcion is brand new, and while about half the defense is back, of the four defenders with at least six tackles for loss, three are gone, including a longtime star in linebacker Payton Wilson. They'll need some new disruptors. (Gibson usually finds them.)

Doeren did score some impressive transfer portal wins. Running back Jordan Waters (Duke) is the kind of efficiency back NC State has lacked (the Pack were 106th in rushing success rate last year), redshirt freshman receiver Noah Rogers (Ohio State) was a top-70 prospect, and landing center Zeke Correll (Notre Dame) was a possible coup. Doeren stocked up with six defensive back transfers as well, but the most important newcomer is Grayson McCall . The longtime Coastal Carolina QB has 10,005 career passing yards and 88 TDs, and if he's moved past the injuries that slowed him down in recent years -- his Total QBR through 2021 was an outstanding 81.9, but it was only 66.3 the last two seasons -- State's offense could have particularly high upside.

My favorite player: WR Kevin Concepcion . Get the ball to KC, one way or another. That was the goal of the 2023 NC State offense, and when it worked, the Pack thrived. The true freshman led the team with 71 catches, 839 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he also rushed 41 times for 320 yards. And when he produced at least 100 yards from scrimmage (ground or air), State went 6-0 and averaged 32.7 points per game. When he didn't: 3-4, 20.7 PPG. Maybe he'll have more help this year?

Virginia Tech Hokies

Head coach : Brent Pry (third year, 10-14 overall)

2024 projection : 32nd in SP+, 8.4 average wins (5.1 in ACC)

NC State might have won the official Late-Year Darling award, but Brent Pry's Hokies came close, surging from 76th in SP+ following a 2-4 start to finish with five wins in seven games and a No. 46 final ranking. And unlike the Pack, they return their starting quarterback ( Kyron Drones ) and, for that matter, just about everyone else. They rank fourth nationally in returning production, first on offense, and after six years outside the SP+ top 30, they'll have a chance to end that streak.

Tech's 2-4 start was beset by a directionless offense that averaged just 5.0 yards per play. But once Drones and RB Bhayshul Tuten, both transfers, got their sea legs, the Hokies were transformed. They averaged 34.7 points per game and 6.8 yards per play over the final seven games, and Drones heads into 2024 with Tuten, his entire offensive line and the receiving corps he was supposed to have all along. Last year's top receivers, Da'Quan Felton and Jaylin Lane , return, as do 2023 injury victims Ali Jennings III (a former ODU star) and tight end Nick Gallo .

The Hokies had one of the best pass defenses in the country last season, ranking fourth in sacks per dropback, 15th in passing success rate allowed and 23rd in QBR allowed. Ace pass rusher Antwaun Powell-Ryland (15 TFLs, 9.5 sacks) is back, and Pry added both one of the better pass-rushing defensive tackles in the country in 290-pound Duke transfer Aeneas Peebles (five sacks) and a speedy blitzer in Middle Tennessee's Sam Brumfield (22.9% pressure rate). Add in experienced corners Dorian Strong and Mansoor Delane and a dynamic nickel in Keonta Jenkins (12 TFLs), and there's no reason to think the pass defense will be any less effective. If there was a problem, it came in run defense, where Tech allowed quite a few gashes. Three of last year's top four tackles are gone, and while Peebles and two other tackle transfers could improve things in this regard, it's not a guarantee.

My favorite player: QB Kyron Drones . Drones overtook incumbent Grant Wells as starter early in the season, but he managed just a 44.0 Total QBR in the first four games of 2023, completing 55% of his passes with a 23% sack rate and just one TD pass.

The rest of the season: 60% completion rate, a 6% sack rate, 16 TDs, only two interceptions, 82.7 non-sack rushing yards per game and a 76.9 Total QBR. Coordinator Tyler Bowen figured him out, and he figured out ACC defenses. With Tuten enjoying a similar surge (3.9 yards per carry through seven games, 6.2 from there), Tech had one of the best backfields in the Eastern time zone by the end of the season.

Duke Blue Devils

Head coach : Manny Diaz (first year)

2024 projection : 47th in SP+, 6.7 average wins (3.3 in ACC)

A good hire can be transformative. When David Cutcliffe came aboard in 2008, Duke was maybe the worst power conference football job. Carl Franks and Ted Roof had combined to beat just 10 FBS opponents in nine seasons. The facilities were poor, the support poorer. It had been 48 years since Duke finished a year ranked or won a bowl game. Just dire stuff.

Over 14 seasons, Cutcliffe redefined what Duke was capable of. His Blue Devils won a division title and bowled six times in seven years. They fell off-course at the end of his tenure, but he raised the floor significantly, and in two years under Mike Elko, they went 9-4 and 8-5 (despite QB injuries), respectively.

In 2008, Duke probably wouldn't have attracted an Elko or a Manny Diaz. After a dramatic three seasons as Miami's head coach, Diaz spent the last two years as a masterful defensive coordinator at Penn State. Now he's returned to the ACC to take over a roster that, even with a solid amount of turnover, should still play at a top-50 or better level if the lines hold up. (Duke from 1991-2012: one top-50 performance.)

Lines are pretty much the only mystery. The defense, top-30 for two straight years, returns sturdy linebackers in Tre Freeman and Nick Morris Jr . and excellent DBs in safety Jaylen Stinson and corner Chandler Rivers . On offense, the skill corps features a strong running back in Jaquez Moore and one of the ACC's best receivers in Jordan Moore . Quarterback Riley Leonard transferred to Notre Dame, but sophomore Grayson Loftis posted Leonard-like numbers, and Texas transfer Maalik Murphy looked awfully good in the spring. Odds are solid that coordinator Jonathan Brewer's first Duke offense will have good QB play. (Brewer was Rhett Lashlee's QBs coach after the two worked under Diaz at Miami. Circle of life!)

The lines are getting a renovation, however. Seven offensive linemen started at least six games in 2023 and five are gone, along with three backups. Diaz signed seven 300-pounders up front, including UCLA's starting left tackle, Bruno Fina . On defense, four of the five linemen with 300-plus snaps are gone. Sophomore Wesley Williams is excellent, and it probably says something that Diaz only signed two transfers, but depth is an obvious question mark until otherwise noted.

My favorite player: WR Jordan Moore . Moore has been targeted 203 times over the last two seasons, and despite working with three different QBs in 2023, he averaged an excellent 2.1 yards per route run, 2.5 over the last five games of the regular season (in which he went for 446 yards). He's good at the short stuff, and on vertical and crossing routes, he caught 19 passes for 414 yards and three scores. He formed a great partnership with Loftis, and he will probably do the same with Murphy.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Head coach : Mack Brown (16th year, 107-73-1 overall, 38-27 in second stint)

2024 projection : 50th in SP+, 7.2 average wins (4.3 in ACC)

When Mack Brown was rehired at North Carolina at age 67, it was easy to see this as an all-or-nothing proposition. Either he catches fire quickly and turns around a program that had suddenly collapsed under Larry Fedora, or he flames out just as quickly, the game having passed him by.

Instead, in five years under Brown, UNC has been ... UNC. Removing the 2018 collapse season and looking at the 10 years before that and the five years under Brown, the Tar Heels have been basically the exact same.

With a quarterback change and lots of other turnover, it feels like Brown is starting over a bit in 2024. Either Conner Harrell or Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson will likely succeed No. 3 draft pick Drake Maye behind center; Harrell struggled in a small sample, while Johnson is a pretty known entity: Over parts of four seasons at LSU and A&M, he has a 61.1 Total QBR, equivalent to about 65th nationally. Harrell can run, which would add a different dynamic to Chip Lindsey's offense, but the offensive line is almost completely starting over -- five of last year's top six guys are gone.

Blue-chip tight end Jake Johnson followed brother Max to Chapel Hill, and three 40-catch guys ( J.J. Jones , slot Nate McCollum and tight end Bryson Nesbit ) do return. More importantly, four-star workhorse Omarion Hampton is back after rushing for 1,504 yards and 15 scores. He's the best tackle-breaker in the country, which could come in handy with a new line.

On defense, the Heels have averaged a 79.3 defensive SP+ ranking over the last three years, and Geoff Collins is Brown's third coordinator in four years. Experience isn't an issue: Including nickelback DeAndre Boykins ' 2022 stats (he was hurt in 2023), 16 defenders saw at least 300 snaps, and nine return, all juniors and seniors. Kaimon Rucker is one of the best edge rushers in the ACC, and end Desmond Evans , linebacker Power Echols , and DBs Marcus Allen , Boykins and Alijah Huzzie are all solid and physical. But everyone but Boykins was on last year's No. 78 defense, too.

My favorite player: RB Omarion Hampton . It's easy to start laughing watching Hampton run. Guys just bounce off of him. When I say he was the most difficult back in the country to tackle, I mean it in all italics . No one came close to his after-contact averages.

He ran out of gas at the end of the season, but he rushed for 234 yards against Appalachian State and ripped off a later six-game stretch averaging 7.0 yards per carry and 158.8 yards per game. He's phenomenal.

Just looking for a path to 6-6

California golden bears.

Head coach : Justin Wilcox (eighth year, 36-43 overall)

2024 projection : 52nd in SP+, 6.1 average wins (3.5 in ACC)

California fooled me about four different times last year. After going just 10-18 over the last three seasons, Justin Wilcox's Golden Bears boasted one of the nation's better running backs in the country ( Jaydn Ott ) and a solid bend-don't-break defense that forced loads of mistakes and turnovers. They began the season 3-2 but lost four games in a row while incredibly scoring 40, 14, 49 and 19 points. They needed to win their last three games to bowl for the first time in four years ... and did so, finishing with a 33-7 blowout at UCLA. Then they no-showed in the Independence Bowl, losing to Texas Tech by 20. It was basically a season that resembled Wilcox's rickety Cal tenure as a whole: up, down, up, down, etc.

In their good moments, however, they looked awfully interesting, and in Ott, big-play slot man Trond Grizzell and three big linemen, their best offensive players return. Wilcox also got super aggressive in the portal -- always tricky for a smart-kid school -- adding both stellar Group of 5 and FCS starters (North Texas quarterback Chandler Rogers , ODU running back Kadarius Calloway , NMSU receiver Jonathan Brady , FCS All- American lineman Rush Reimer ) and some unproven former blue-chippers like receiver Kyion Grayes (Ohio State). Between Rogers and sophomore Fernando Mendoza , a good QB should emerge. And Ott's awesome.

After four straight years in the defensive SP+ top 30, Cal's defense collapsed to 79th in 2022, then 84th in 2023. If you made a mistake, they punished it with a takeaway, but the Bears were horrifically inefficient (121st in success rate allowed). Turnovers were all they had. Seven starters return (eight including tackle Ethan Saunders , injured in 2023), and sophomore linebacker Cade Uluave is a potential star. (Corner Lu-Magia Hearns III is also good.) But if a defensive rebound comes, it will be because of FCS transfers like corner Marcus Harris (Idaho) and linebacker Liam Johnson (Princeton). A good offense might get better, but a sliding defense might not.

My favorite player: RB Jaydn Ott . A powerful runner with home run ability. He's great in short yardage, and he had more rushes of 10-plus yards (32) than losses (26). When he's on, nothing else matters -- when he averaged 6.0 or more yards per carry, Cal averaged 47.3 points per game. When he didn't, the Bears averaged 21.6.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Head coach : Brent Key (second full year, 11-10 overall)

2024 projection : 63rd in SP+, 4.2 average wins (2.3 in ACC)

Welcome back to the land of the living, Georgia Tech! After winning just 14 games in the four years after Paul Johnson's retirement, the Yellow Jackets became interesting again in 2023. Brent Key earned the full-time job after going 4-4 as interim coach in 2022, and while I was wary of that -- we sometimes overreact to small samples (and this small sample was still pretty mediocre) -- damned if Key didn't take full advantage of the opportunity. With Texas A&M transfer Haynes King serving as a lovely dual-threat quarterback (2,842 passing yards, 830 pre-sack rushing yards), the Yellow Jackets surged from 122nd to 50th in offensive SP+, and even with a problematic defense, Tech won seven games for the first time since 2018.

There's no reason to think the offense won't be even better in 2024. King is a delight, as is backfield mate and 1,000-yard rusher Jamal Haynes . Leading receiver Eric Singleton Jr . averaged a massive 2.4 yards per route as a freshman, too, and of the eight offensive linemen to start a game last year, five are back. Defense could still hold them back, but Key brought in nine transfers and, perhaps more importantly, a new defensive coordinator in Tyler Santucci. He was coordinator for Duke's top-25 defense last year, and he should get good safety play from juniors Clayton Powell-Lee and LaMiles Brooks . But even with a talent boost from the portal, it's hard to see enough difference-makers here.

The schedule is problematic. Tech plays two projected top-10 teams in nonconference play (Notre Dame, at Georgia) and seven teams projected 32nd or better. Even playing at a top-40 level, the Jackets would need some good breaks to bowl again.

My favorite player: QB Haynes King . A portal success story. After injuries and false starts at Texas A&M, King transferred to Georgia Tech and found a groove. He produced a Total QBR of at least 80 in six games (including four of the last six), and in those games the Yellow Jackets averaged 39.0 points per game and went 5-1. In the other games, they went 2-5 and averaged 24.3 points. Among 2024 starters, only Syracuse's Kyle McCord finished 2023 with a higher Total QBR rating.

Syracuse Orange

Head coach : Fran Brown (first year)

2024 projection : 64th in SP+, 6.2 average wins (3.4 in ACC)

Unlike most head coach hires, Fran Brown doesn't have much relevant coordinator experience from which we can glean his values and beliefs. What we do know is that he has spent most of the last decade working for three proven program builders: Matt Rhule (Temple/Baylor), Greg Schiano (Rutgers) and Kirby Smart (Georgia). At this point, Brown has a PhD in Culture and Player Development. That could come in handy in a job that is never going to feature top-15 recruiting classes.

Brown did add a few key former blue-chippers to the lineup through the transfer portal. Quarterback Kyle McCord (Ohio State) might not have been as good as recent Buckeyes quarterbacks, but you can do worse than a 66% completion rate and a 24-6 TD-INT ratio. McCord's receiving corps is big and physical, featuring last year's leading receiver (6-foot-3 Umari Hatcher ), 2022's leader (6-foot-5 WR/TE hybrid Oronde Gadsden II , injured last fall), Colorado State transfer Justus Ross-Simmons (also 6-foot-3) and versatile tight end Dan Villari , plus LeQuint Allen , a running back who also caught 38 passes. Coordinator Jeff Nixon was most recently an NFL position coach but also worked for Rhule. That likely means an emphasis on physicality, which could mean good things for Allen, Washington transfer Will Nixon and a line that returns four starters.

Thirteen defenders saw at least 300 snaps in 2023, but only six return. Linebacker Marlowe Wax (10 TFLs, four forced fumbles) is a star, as is former Texas A&M end Fadil Diggs (13.5 TFLs), who followed coordinator Elijah Robinson from College Station to upstate New York. Other transfer additions include 6-foot-4 Buffalo safety Devin Grant (five INTs) and, strangely, a former Syracuse star in safety Duce Chestnut , who spent last season at LSU. Depth at both tackle and cornerback could be issues, but as with the offense, this unit could be pretty successfully physical.

My favorite player: CB Duce Chestnut . Another portal success story of sorts. Because second-time transfers don't have to sit out a year anymore, we've seen some guys return to previous homes this offseason, an "As it turned out, this was the best place for me after all" acknowledgment of sorts. Chestnut's LSU experience was unamazing, but in two all-ACC years at Syracuse, he combined four interceptions and seven breakups with a safety-like seven tackles at or behind the line.

Boston College Eagles

Head coach : Bill O'Brien (first year)

2024 projection : 75th in SP+, 4.6 average wins (2.5 in ACC)

A surge, then a slow slide. No matter who has been Boston College's head coach, that's how things have gone for most of the last 50 years.

The surges haven't been quite as pronounced of late, though. The Eagles charged from the 70s to the teens in SP+ in the early 2000s, then from the 90s to the 40s in the early 2010s. But their last top-50 performance was six years ago, and they averaged just an 80.5 SP+ ranking in four years under Jeff Hafley.

BC replaced Hafley with a far more proven head coach in Bill O'Brien. The gruff Boston native won 15 games in two seasons at post-Paterno Penn State, then won four AFC South crowns in parts of seven seasons with the Houston Texans. He spent the last three seasons working with either Nick Saban or Bill Belichick.

O'Brien inherits a BC team that was excellent at running the ball, decent at stopping the run and terrible at both executing and stopping the forward pass. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos averaged 6.4 yards per (non-sack) carry and only 5.1 yards per dropback; he's one of the team's best playmakers, but O'Brien brought in the more pocket-based Grayson James (FIU) in case something more customary was required. The line is large and experienced, and the skill corps has decent speed with guys such as receivers Lewis Bond and Dino Tomlin and running backs Kye Robichaux and Treshaun Ward (Kansas State/Florida State).

BC hasn't fielded a top-40 defense, per SP+, since 2017. O'Brien brought in veteran coordinator Tim Lewis, who most recently coached in the XFL and USFL. He hasn't worked at the collegiate level since 1994, but he does inherit a veteran two-deep loaded mostly with juniors and seniors. Tackle Cam Horsley and end Donovan Ezeiruaku are strong run stoppers, though the pass rush was nonexistent, and O'Brien predictably brought in a trio of DB transfers, including Ohio State's Cameron Martinez and Ryan Turner .

My favorite player: RT Ozzy Trapilo . BC ranked third nationally in total blown block rate, eighth in stuff rate allowed and 24th in pressure rate allowed, and while the loss of both starting guards hurts, the Eagles have an anchor in Trapilo. The 6-foot-8 senior from Norwell, Mass., allowed just one sack and suffered only a 0.3% blown run block rate, as low as you'll ever see.

Virginia Cavaliers

Head coach : Tony Elliott (third year, 6-16 overall)

2024 projection : 77th in SP+, 4.1 average wins (2.5 in ACC)

A true freshman led the team in passing. The offensive line featured two freshmen and two sophomores. Twenty-one defenders started at least one game. The 2023 season felt like a second first year for head coach Tony Elliott, and maybe after the tragedy that ended the 2022 season , a fresh start was exactly what was required.

The season wasn't without some bright moments. The Cavaliers played eight teams that finished in the SP+ top 40 and upset a couple of them (UNC and Duke). Anthony Colandrea , the aforementioned freshman QB, was predictably inconsistent, but he's a fun, high-energy guy, and a week after both throwing for 314 yards and rushing for 109 (not including sacks) against Louisville, he led an upset of Duke. Elliott insisted that Colandrea and senior Tony Muskett are still battling for the starting job this spring, but it seemed like Colandrea won that battle last November. And in 2024, he'll no longer be protected by two freshman tackles. Leading receiver Malik Washington is gone, but senior Malachi Fields will be joined by transfers Chris Tyree (Notre Dame), Trell Harris (Kent State) and Andre Greene Jr . (North Carolina). The running game might still be dismal, but you can build around this passing game.

The defense, decent in 2022, fell apart amid constant injuries and shuffling. The Cavaliers prevented big plays but didn't force nearly enough field goals or turnovers to pull off a proper bend-don't-break routine. Most of the front six returns, including active linebackers James Jackson and Kamren Robinson and pass rusher Kam Butler . Safety Jonas Sanker gives veteran coordinator John Rudzinski at least one known quantity in the back, but four of last year's top five DBs are gone, and Elliott signed four DB transfers. It wouldn't be a surprise if the run defense improved with experience, but the pass defense is a major question mark.

My favorite player: DE Kam Butler . Butler is a modern college football story, in that he transferred midway through his career and has been playing forever. He was a freshman star at Miami (Ohio) in 2019 and made 32 tackles and 15 sacks in 30 career games before transferring. His first season at UVA was decent, and he was on the way toward another breakout -- 5.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks in just 199 snaps -- before a season-ending shoulder injury. If he's 100%, he's a potentially transformative star up front.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Head coach : Dave Clawson (11th year, 63-61 overall)

2024 projection : 78th in SP+, 4.7 average wins (2.4 in ACC)

Dave Clawson's head-coaching career has not been without setbacks. His Richmond Spiders slumped from 9-4 to 6-5 in 2006 before rebounding to win 11 games and reach the FCS semis. His second Bowling Green team returned just seven starters and cratered to 2-10 before improving for three straight years. Clawson has proven to be an incredible program builder; he's handled bumps pretty well too.

It sure felt like 2023 was more than a bump, though.

Wake plummeted to 4-8 and 96th in SP+. The offense vanished, averaging 12.5 points per game against top-50 opponents. There were no big plays and far too many turnovers. Quarterback Sam Hartman had left for Notre Dame, and the replacements weren't ready. (Then the chief replacement, Mitch Griffis , transferred too.)

Here's my best case for a Wake bounce-back, at least back toward bowl eligibility:

SP+ is obviously not convinced. We'll see.

My favorite player: DE Jasheen Davis . Davis ranked first on his team in TFLs (16), run stops (15), pressures (38), sacks (7.5) and fumble recoveries (2). Pointer, meanwhile, was second in most of those categories. As long as they're healthy, Wake's got one of the better defensive lines in the conference.

Pittsburgh Panthers

Head coach : Pat Narduzzi (10th year, 65-50 overall)

2024 projection : 81st in SP+, 4.6 average wins (2.5 in ACC)

Even by the standards of former defensive coordinators, Pat Narduzzi's relationship with offense has proven complex . Entering his 10th season as Pitt head coach, he recently hired offensive coordinator No. 6. He has, on two occasions, fielded top-10 offenses (per SP+) -- Matt Canada's 2016 offense, led by James Conner and an epic play-action game; and veteran Mark Whipple's Kenny Pickett-to-Jordan Addison attack in 2021. Both coordinators immediately left, however, and Pitt soon ranked in the triple digits each time.

Narduzzi again starts over in 2024, this time with 31-year-old former Western Carolina coordinator Kade Bell. In 2023, WCU's up-tempo attack averaged 38 points per game and 7.3 yards per play. His new task is to spruce up a Pitt offense that averaged 20.2 and 5.3, respectively.

Spring signs pointed to junior Nate Yarnell , who looked solid in two late starts, leading Alabama transfer Eli Holstein in the QB race. Most of last year's skill corps -- leading rusher Rodney Hammond Jr ., slot man Konata Mumpfield , tight end Gavin Bartholomew -- is back, and Narduzzi added a couple of transfers (RB Desmond Reid , WR Raphael "Poppi" Williams) who starred for Bell at WCU. The line returns six players who started at least once in 2023; in theory, experience is good, even if the line wasn't.

There's upheaval on defense, where the Panthers slipped to 59th in defensive SP+ last year, their worst ranking in five years, and only five of the 15 players with 300-plus snaps return (and one of them, DE Nate Temple , is out for the season). Narduzzi signed nine defensive transfers, including five linemen. There are star candidates in holdover ends Bam Brima and Jimmy Scott and transfers like linebacker Keye Thompson (Ohio), but Narduzzi heads into 2024 with a new offense and his least proven defense in years.

My favorite player: DE Jimmy Scott . Pitt doesn't have much in the "proven stars" department, so let's go with a small-sample all-star. As a redshirt freshman, Scott saw increased playing time in November and immediately started making plays. He ended up with 2.5 TFLs, four run stops and three pass pressures in just 102 snaps. Project that over a larger sample, and you've got a potential star. Pitt needs a few of them.

Stanford Cardinal

Head coach : Troy Taylor (second year, 3-9 overall)

2024 projection : 84th in SP+, 3.8 average wins (2.0 in ACC)

There are resets, and there are resets . Stanford slipped late in David Shaw's once-brilliant tenure, averaging an 86.3 SP+ ranking with just one winning season in four years. Then everyone left: Troy Taylor's first Stanford team ranked 130th in returning production.

It was a Year 0 situation if ever one existed. Stanford needed two tight wins to even reach 3-9. Both the offense and defense had random bright moments -- they scored 46 on Colorado and 33 on Washington and allowed 21 to Arizona and seven to Washington State. But they scored seven and 10, respectively, in the weeks after those good offensive games, and they allowed at least 40 points in six of their last eight games. Despite the dire season and awkward conference change, Taylor heads into his second season with the second-most returning production in the country.

Consistency is obviously needed, but it's not hard to see a fun offense forming around quarterback Ashton Daniels and 1,000-yard receiver Elic Ayomanor . That Daniels and backup QB Justin Lamson had by far the most carries on the team speaks to both unproven RBs and the occasional weirdness of a Taylor offense, but Daniels, Ayomanor and a line with last year's top seven returning -- including mostly error-free guard Trevor Mayberry -- are decent starting points.

On defense, 20 players recorded at least 100 snaps, and 15 return; tackle Anthony Franklin recorded 5.5 TFLs, linebacker Tristan Sinclair had nine run stops, and while corners Zahran Manley and Collin Wright suffered plenty of breakdowns, they also combined for seven TFLs, three INTs and 10 pass breakups. The cupboard isn't empty, in other words, but one has to hope that sheer continuity leads to improvement.

My favorite player: WR Elic Ayomanor . He was good all year, topping 100 yards three times and catching nine passes of at least 30 yards. But in a dramatic comeback win over Colorado, Ayomanor was basically as good as a receiver can be. He caught touchdowns of 97 and 60 yards, and somehow neither were his most impressive play of the evening.

Elic Ayomanor somehow grabs the touchdown and keeps both hands on the ball in overtime.

His final tally in Boulder: 13 catches, 294 yards, three touchdowns. Do that every week, and in the immortal words of Kenny Mayne, that'd be a record or something.