Personal growth & experience
Learning from mistakes, finding confidence, responsibility and changes in perspective.
Learning to Ask for Help
An illustrative reflective essay about a student who learns that independence can include seeking help, without giving up responsibility for their own work.
Living in the Present: When to Embrace the Moment
An argument that staying present is valuable when it supports attention, judgment, and meaningful action, but should be balanced with preparation and responsibility for the future.
Moving to a New School
An illustrative first-person narrative about how small, repeated choices can make a new school feel less unfamiliar.
A Place That Feels Like Home
An illustrative first-person descriptive essay shows how an ordinary kitchen can feel like home through repeated actions, sensory details, and a growing sense of belonging.
Life Lessons: Struggle Versus Success
An argument that difficulty often makes lessons urgent, but success can teach equally valuable lessons when people reflect on how it was achieved and whom it affects.
Long-Term Goals Versus Immediate Recognition
An argument that young people should prioritize meaningful, sustainable goals over fame, while learning to use public visibility as a tool for service rather than as a substitute for achievement.
Amanda Gorman on Optimism and Pessimism: When Is Hope Most Powerful?
An argumentative essay contending that optimism is strongest when it listens to pessimism’s evidence and limits, while explaining why hope can also become an excuse for inaction.
Can Living People Still Be Heroes?
An argument that living people can be heroes, provided heroism is judged by sustained, consequential service rather than fame or flawless character.
How Much Do Circumstances Determine Human Behavior? GRE Issue Essay
An argumentative essay weighs the powerful influence of social and material circumstances against human agency, using Japanese American incarceration during World War II and choices in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Society’s Heroes as Evidence of Its Ideals
An argument that public heroes reveal a society’s aspirations, but must be considered alongside the institutions and conduct that test those ideals.
Measuring Success by Personal Goals: Is Individual Achievement Enough?
An argument that self-defined goals are essential to meaningful success, but cannot be its only measure: responsibilities, unequal opportunities, and changing circumstances also matter.
Finding My Voice in a Class Discussion
An illustrative reflection on preparing for a class discussion, making an imperfect contribution, and learning that participation can begin with a thoughtful question rather than a perfect answer.