essay for ba students

Sample Essays

The breadth of Georgetown’s core curriculum means that students are required to write for a wide variety of academic disciplines. Below, we provide some student samples that exhibit the key features the most popular genres. When reading through these essays, we recommend paying attention to their 

1. Structure (How many paragraphs are there? Does the author use headers?) 

2. Argument (Is the author pointing out a problem, and/or proposing a solution?) 

3. Content (Does the argument principally rely on facts, theory, or logic?) and 

4. Style (Does the writer use first person? What is the relationship with the audience?)

Philosophy Paper

• Singer on the Moral Status of Animals

Theology Paper

• Problem of God
• Jewish Civilization
• Sacred Space and Time
• Phenolphthalein in Alkaline Solution

History Paper

• World History

Literature Review

Comparative Analysis 

Policy Brief

• Vaccine Manufacturing

White Paper

Critical Analysis

• Ignatius Seminar

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• Knowledge Base
• College essay
• College Essay Examples | What Works and What Doesn’t

College Essay Examples | What Works and What Doesn't

Published on November 8, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on August 14, 2023.

One effective method for improving your college essay is to read example essays . Here are three sample essays, each with a bad and good version to help you improve your own essay.

Table of contents

Essay 1: sharing an identity or background through a montage, essay 2: overcoming a challenge, a sports injury narrative, essay 3: showing the influence of an important person or thing, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

This essay uses a montage structure to show snapshots of a student’s identity and background. The writer builds her essay around the theme of the five senses, sharing memories she associates with sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

In the weak rough draft, there is little connection between the individual anecdotes, and they do not robustly demonstrate the student’s qualities.

In the final version, the student uses an extended metaphor of a museum to create a strong connection among her stories, each showcasing a different part of her identity. She draws a specific personal insight from each memory and uses the stories to demonstrate her qualities and values.

How My Five Senses Record My Life

Throughout my life, I have kept a record of my life’s journey with my five senses. This collection of memories matters a great deal because I experience life every day through the lens of my identity.

“Chinese! Japanese!”

My classmate pulls one eye up and the other down.

“Look what my parents did to me!”

No matter how many times he repeats it, the other kids keep laughing. I focus my almond-shaped eyes on the ground, careful not to attract attention to my discomfort, anger, and shame. How could he say such a mean thing about me? What did I do to him? Joseph’s words would engrave themselves into my memory, making me question my appearance every time I saw my eyes in the mirror.

Soaking in overflowing bubble baths with Andrew Lloyd Webber belting from the boombox.

Listening to “Cell Block Tango” with my grandparents while eating filet mignon at a dine-in show in Ashland.

Singing “The Worst Pies in London” at a Korean karaoke club while laughing hysterically with my brother, who can do an eerily spot-on rendition of Sweeney Todd.

Taking car rides with Mom in the Toyota Sequoia as we compete to hit the high note in “Think of Me” from The Phantom of the Opera . Neither of us stands a chance!

The sweet scent of vegetables, Chinese noodles, and sushi wafts through the room as we sit around the table. My grandma presents a good-smelling mixture of international cuisine for our Thanksgiving feast. My favorite is the Chinese food that she cooks. Only the family prayer stands between me and the chance to indulge in these delicious morsels, comforting me with their familiar savory scents.

I rinse a faded plastic plate decorated by my younger sister at the Waterworks Art Center. I wear yellow rubber gloves to protect my hands at Mom’s insistence, but I can still feel the warm water that offers a bit of comfort as I finish the task at hand. The crusted casserole dish with stubborn remnants from my dad’s five-layer lasagna requires extra effort, so I fill it with Dawn and scalding water, setting it aside to soak. I actually don’t mind this daily chore.

I taste sweat on my upper lip as I fight to continue pedaling on a stationary bike. Ava’s next to me and tells me to go up a level. We’re biking buddies, dieting buddies, and Saturday morning carbo-load buddies. After the bike display hits 30 minutes, we do a five-minute cool down, drink Gatorade, and put our legs up to rest.

My five senses are always gathering new memories of my identity. I’m excited to expand my collection.

Word count: 455

College essay checklist

Topic and structure

• I’ve selected a topic that’s meaningful to me.
• My essay reveals something different from the rest of my application.
• I have a clear and well-structured narrative.
• I’ve concluded with an insight or a creative ending.

Writing style and tone

• I’ve crafted an introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.
• I’ve written my essay in a way that shows instead of tells.
• I’ve used appropriate style and tone for a college essay.
• I’ve used specific, vivid personal stories that would be hard to replicate.
• I’ve demonstrated my positive traits and values in my essay.
• My essay is focused on me, not another person or thing.
• I’ve included self-reflection and insight in my essay.
• I’ve respected the word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

Making Sense of My Identity

Welcome to The Rose Arimoto Museum. You are about to enter the “Making Sense of My Identity” collection. Allow me to guide you through select exhibits, carefully curated memories from Rose’s sensory experiences.

First, the Sight Exhibit.

“Chinese! Japanese!”

“Look what my parents did to me!”

No matter how many times he repeats it, the other kids keep laughing. I focus my almond-shaped eyes on the ground, careful not to attract attention as my lip trembles and palms sweat. Joseph couldn’t have known how his words would engrave themselves into my memory, making me question my appearance every time I saw my eyes in the mirror.

Ten years later, these same eyes now fixate on an InDesign layout sheet, searching for grammar errors while my friend Selena proofreads our feature piece on racial discrimination in our hometown. As we’re the school newspaper editors, our journalism teacher Ms. Riley allows us to stay until midnight to meet tomorrow’s deadline. She commends our work ethic, which for me is fueled by writing一my new weapon of choice.

Next, you’ll encounter the Sound Exhibit.

Still, the world is my Broadway as I find my voice on stage.

Just below, enter the Smell Exhibit.

While I help my Pau Pau prepare dinner, she divulges her recipe for cha siu bau, with its soft, pillowy white exterior hiding the fragrant filling of braised barbecue pork inside. The sweet scent of candied yams, fun see , and Spam musubi wafts through the room as we gather around our Thankgsiving feast. After our family prayer, we indulge in these delicious morsels until our bellies say stop. These savory scents of my family’s cultural heritage linger long after I’ve finished the last bite.

Next up, the Touch Exhibit.

I rinse a handmade mug that I had painstakingly molded and painted in ceramics class. I wear yellow rubber gloves to protect my hands at Mom’s insistence, but I can still feel the warm water that offers a bit of comfort as I finish the task at hand. The crusted casserole dish with stubborn remnants from my dad’s five-layer lasagna requires extra effort, so I fill it with Dawn and scalding water, setting it aside to soak. For a few fleeting moments, as I continue my nightly chore, the pressure of my weekend job, tomorrow’s calculus exam, and next week’s track meet are washed away.

Finally, we end with the Taste Exhibit.

My legs fight to keep pace with the stationary bike as the salty taste of sweat seeps into corners of my mouth. Ava challenges me to take it up a level. We always train together一even keeping each other accountable on our strict protein diet of chicken breasts, broccoli, and Muscle Milk. We occasionally splurge on Saturday mornings after interval training, relishing the decadence of everything bagels smeared with raspberry walnut cream cheese. But this is Wednesday, so I push myself. I know that once the digital display hits 30:00, we’ll allow our legs to relax into a five-minute cool down, followed by the fiery tang of Fruit Punch Gatorade to rehydrate.

Thank you for your attention. This completes our tour. I invite you to rejoin us for next fall’s College Experience collection, which will exhibit Rose’s continual search for identity and learning.

Word count: 649

• I’ve crafted an essay introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

This essay uses a narrative structure to recount how a student overcame a challenge, specifically a sports injury. Since this topic is often overused, the essay requires vivid description, a memorable introduction and conclusion , and interesting insight.

The weak rough draft contains an interesting narrative, insight, and vivid imagery, but it has an overly formal tone that distracts the reader from the story. The student’s use of elaborate vocabulary in every sentence makes the essay sound inauthentic and stilted.

The final essay uses a more natural, conversational tone and chooses words that are vivid and specific without being pretentious. This allows the reader to focus on the narrative and appreciate the student’s unique insight.

One fateful evening some months ago, a defensive linebacker mauled me, his 212 pounds indisputably alighting upon my ankle. Ergo, an abhorrent cracking of calcified tissue. At first light the next day, I awoke cognizant of a new paradigm—one sans football—promulgated by a stabbing sensation that would continue to haunt me every morning of this semester.

It’s been an exceedingly taxing semester not being able to engage in football, but I am nonetheless excelling in school. That twist of fate never would have come to pass if I hadn’t broken my ankle. I still limp down the halls at school, but I’m feeling less maudlin these days. My friends don’t steer clear anymore, and I have a lot more of them. My teachers, emboldened by my newfound interest in learning, continually invite me to learn more and do my best. Football is still on hold, but I feel like I’m finally playing a game that matters.

Five months ago, right after my ill-fated injury, my friends’ demeanor became icy and remote, although I couldn’t fathom why. My teachers, in contrast, beckoned me close and invited me on a new learning journey. But despite their indubitably kind advances, even they recoiled when I drew near.

A few weeks later, I started to change my attitude vis-à-vis my newfound situation and determined to put my energy toward productive ends (i.e., homework). I wasn’t enamored with school. I never had been. Nevertheless, I didn’t abhor it either. I just preferred football.

My true turn of fate came when I started studying more and participating in class. I started to enjoy history class, and I grew interested in reading more. I discovered a volume of poems written by a fellow adventurer on the road of life, and I loved it. I ravenously devoured everything in the writer’s oeuvre .

As the weeks flitted past, I found myself spending my time with a group of people who were quite different from me. They participated in theater and played instruments in marching band. They raised their hands in class when the teacher posed a question. Because of their auspicious influence, I started raising my hand too. I am no longer vapid, and I now have something to say.

I am certain that your school would benefit from my miraculous academic transformation, and I entreat you to consider my application to your fine institution. Accepting me to your university would be an unequivocally righteous decision.

Word count: 408

• I’ve chosen a college essay topic that’s meaningful to me.
• I’ve respected the essay word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

As I step out of bed, the pain shoots through my foot and up my leg like it has every morning since “the game.” That night, a defensive linebacker tackled me, his 212 pounds landing decidedly on my ankle. I heard the sound before I felt it. The next morning, I awoke to a new reality—one without football—announced by a stabbing sensation that would continue to haunt me every morning of this semester.

My broken ankle broke my spirit.

My friends steered clear of me as I hobbled down the halls at school. My teachers tried to find the delicate balance between giving me space and offering me help. I was as unsure how to deal with myself as they were.

In time, I figured out how to redirect some of my frustration, anger, and pent-up energy toward my studies. I had never not liked school, but I had never really liked it either. In my mind, football practice was my real-life classroom, where I could learn all I ever needed to know.

Then there was that day in Mrs. Brady’s history class. We sang a ridiculous-sounding mnemonic song to memorize all the Chinese dynasties from Shang to Qing. I mumbled the words at first, but I got caught up in the middle of the laughter and began singing along. Starting that day, I began browsing YouTube videos about history, curious to learn more. I had started learning something new, and, to my surprise, I liked it.

With my afternoons free from burpees and scrimmages, I dared to crack open a few more of my books to see what was in them. That’s when my English poetry book, Paint Me Like I Am , caught my attention. It was full of poems written by students my age from WritersCorps. I couldn’t get enough.

I wasn’t the only one who was taken with the poems. Previously, I’d only been vaguely aware of Christina as one of the weird kids I avoided. Crammed in the margins of her high-top Chuck Taylors were scribbled lines of her own poetry and infinite doodles. Beyond her punk rock persona was a sensitive artist, puppy-lover, and environmental activist that a wide receiver like me would have never noticed before.

With Christina, I started making friends with people who once would have been invisible to me: drama geeks, teachers’ pets, band nerds. Most were college bound but not to play a sport. They were smart and talented, and they cared about people and politics and all sorts of issues that I hadn’t considered before. Strangely, they also seemed to care about me.

I still limp down the halls at school, but I don’t seem to mind as much these days. My friends don’t steer clear anymore, and I have a lot more of them. My teachers, excited by my newfound interest in learning, continually invite me to learn more and do my best. Football is still on hold, but I feel like I’m finally playing a game that matters.

My broken ankle broke my spirit. Then, it broke my ignorance.

Word count: 512

This essay uses a narrative structure to show how a pet positively influenced the student’s values and character.

In the weak draft, the student doesn’t focus on himself, instead delving into too much detail about his dog’s positive traits and his grandma’s illness. The essay’s structure is meandering, with tangents and details that don’t communicate any specific insight.

In the improved version, the student keeps the focus on himself, not his pet. He chooses the most relevant stories to demonstrate specific qualities, and the structure more clearly builds up to an insightful conclusion.

Man’s Best Friend

I desperately wanted a cat. I begged my parents for one, but once again, my sisters overruled me, so we drove up the Thompson Valley Canyon from Loveland to Estes Park to meet our newest family member. My sisters had already hatched their master plan, complete with a Finding Nemo blanket to entice the pups. The blanket was a hit with all of them, except for one—the one who walked over and sat in my lap. That was the day that Francisco became a Villanova.

Maybe I should say he was mine because I got stuck with all the chores. As expected, my dog-loving sisters were nowhere to be found! My mom was “extra” with all the doggy gear. Cisco even had to wear these silly little puppy shoes outside so that when he came back in, he wouldn’t get the carpets dirty. If it was raining, my mother insisted I dress Cisco in a ridiculous yellow raincoat, but, in my opinion, it was an unnecessary source of humiliation for poor Cisco. It didn’t take long for Cisco to decide that his outerwear could be used as toys in a game of Keep Away. As soon as I took off one of his shoes, he would run away with it, hiding under the bed where I couldn’t reach him. But, he seemed to appreciate his ensemble more when we had to walk through snowdrifts to get his job done.

When my abuela was dying from cancer, we went in the middle of the night to see her before she passed. I was sad and scared. But, my dad let me take Cisco in the car, so Cisco cuddled with me and made me feel much better. It’s like he could read my mind. Once we arrived at the hospital, the fluorescent lighting made the entire scene seem unreal, as if I was watching the scene unfold through someone else’s eyes. My grandma lay calmly on her bed, smiling at us even through her last moments of pain. I disliked seeing the tubes and machines hooked up to her. It was unnatural to see her like this一it was so unlike the way I usually saw her beautiful in her flowery dress, whistling a Billie Holiday tune and baking snickerdoodle cookies in the kitchen. The hospital didn’t usually allow dogs, but they made a special exception to respect my grandma’s last wishes that the whole family be together. Cisco remained at the foot of the bed, intently watching abuela with a silence that seemed more effective at communicating comfort and compassion than the rest of us who attempted to offer up words of comfort that just seemed hollow and insincere. It was then that I truly appreciated Cisco’s empathy for others.

As I accompanied my dad to pick up our dry cleaner’s from Ms. Chapman, a family friend asked, “How’s Cisco?” before even asking about my sisters or me. Cisco is the Villanova family mascot, a Goldendoodle better recognized by strangers throughout Loveland than the individual members of my family.

On our summer trip to Boyd Lake State Park, we stayed at the Cottonwood campground for a breathtaking view of the lake. Cisco was allowed to come, but we had to keep him on a leash at all times. After a satisfying meal of fish, our entire family walked along the beach. Cisco and I led the way while my mom and sisters shuffled behind. Cisco always stopped and refused to move, looking back to make sure the others were still following. Once satisfied that everyone was together, he would turn back around and continue prancing with his golden boy curly locks waving in the chilly wind.

On the beach, Cisco “accidentally” got let off his leash and went running maniacally around the sand, unfettered and free. His pure joy as he raced through the sand made me forget about my AP Chem exam or my student council responsibilities. He brings a smile not only to my family members but everyone around him.

Cisco won’t live forever, but without words, he has impressed upon me life lessons of responsibility, compassion, loyalty, and joy. I can’t imagine life without him.

Word count: 701

I quickly figured out that as “the chosen one,” I had been enlisted by Cisco to oversee all aspects of his “business.” I learned to put on Cisco’s doggie shoes to keep the carpet clean before taking him out一no matter the weather. Soon after, Cisco decided that his shoes could be used as toys in a game of Keep Away. As soon as I removed one of his shoes, he would run away with it, hiding under the bed where I couldn’t reach him. But, he seemed to appreciate his footwear more after I’d gear him up and we’d tread through the snow for his daily walks.

One morning, it was 7:15 a.m., and Alejandro was late again to pick me up. “Cisco, you don’t think he overslept again, do you?” Cisco barked, as if saying, “Of course he did!” A text message would never do, so I called his dad, even if it was going to get him in trouble. There was no use in both of us getting another tardy during our first-period class, especially since I was ready on time after taking Cisco for his morning outing. Alejandro was mad at me but not too much. He knew I had helped him out, even if he had to endure his dad’s lecture on punctuality.

Another early morning, I heard my sister yell, “Mom! Where are my good ballet flats? I can’t find them anywhere!” I hesitated and then confessed, “I moved them.” She shrieked at me in disbelief, but I continued, “I put them in your closet, so Cisco wouldn’t chew them up.” More disbelief. However, this time, there was silence instead of shrieking.

Last spring, Cisco and I were fast asleep when the phone rang at midnight. Abuela would not make it through the night after a long year of chemo, but she was in Pueblo, almost three hours away. Sitting next to me for that long car ride on I-25 in pitch-black darkness, Cisco knew exactly what I needed and snuggled right next to me as I petted his coat in a rhythm while tears streamed down my face. The hospital didn’t usually allow dogs, but they made a special exception to respect my grandma’s last wishes that the whole family be together. Cisco remained sitting at the foot of the hospital bed, intently watching abuela with a silence that communicated more comfort than our hollow words. Since then, whenever I sense someone is upset, I sit in silence with them or listen to their words, just like Cisco did.

The other day, one of my friends told me, “You’re a strange one, Josue. You’re not like everybody else but in a good way.” I didn’t know what he meant at first. “You know, you’re super responsible and grown-up. You look out for us instead of yourself. Nobody else does that.” I was a bit surprised because I wasn’t trying to do anything different. I was just being me. But then I realized who had taught me: a fluffy little puppy who I had wished was a cat! I didn’t choose Cisco, but he certainly chose me and, unexpectedly, became my teacher, mentor, and friend.

Word count: 617

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

There are no set rules for how to structure a college application essay , but these are two common structures that work:

• A montage structure, a series of vignettes with a common theme.
• A narrative structure, a single story that shows your personal growth or how you overcame a challenge.

Avoid the five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in high school.

Though admissions officers are interested in hearing your story, they’re also interested in how you tell it. An exceptionally written essay will differentiate you from other applicants, meaning that admissions officers will spend more time reading it.

You can use literary devices to catch your reader’s attention and enrich your storytelling; however, focus on using just a few devices well, rather than trying to use as many as possible.

Most importantly, your essay should be about you , not another person or thing. An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability.

Your essay shouldn’t be a résumé of your experiences but instead should tell a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding message, flow, tone, style , and clarity. Then, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

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• Short English Essay

English Essay

Are you intimidated about writing interesting essays? Well, there are some basic rules on how to write an essay so as to express one’s side of the argument, experiences, stories, etc. The word ‘essay’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘exagium’, meaning the ‘presentation of a case.’ Essay writing in English is basically making a case for the validity of a particular point of view, analysis, interpretation, or set of facts or procedures pertaining to the essay topics. Correct selection, critical evaluation, organization, and presentation of these facts are key to engrossing essay writing.

Certain essay writing topics in English may be tough but it is not rocket science. Proper chronology and expressive writing can help the writer draw the readers’ attention to a great extent.

Main Types of English Essays

Depending on what the writer wants to convey to his reader, essays can be classified into the following types:

Narrative Essays: Here the writer narrates a real-life incident on a story in the first person. The purpose is to make the reader feel present in the scenario described by the writer.

Descriptive Essays: The writer here describes a memory, a place, an object, or an event such as to evoke the senses of the reader. The idea is to give the reader the essence of the emotion felt by the writer.

Expository Essays: These essays are completely based on facts, statistics, examples, etc that the writer has acquired through extensive study and research. They are mainly thesis and have sub-types like contrast essays, cause and effect essays, etc.

Persuasive Essays: These essays not only present facts but also persuade the reader to agree with the writer’s point of view. These are more like written debates where the writer’s arguments hold the cornerstone.

In order to write a simple essay in English, one needs to follow the following format:

English Essay Format

Introduction

Synopsis of the Topic

Attention-grabbing 

Four to Six Lines

Chronological Lists of Arguments

Systematic Flow

One Paragraph or more

Rephrasing the main Topic and Subtopics

Global Statement or Call to Action

Best Essay Topics

Importance of Family

A Visit to a Historical Monument

Life after a Pandemic Breakout

Importance of Mangroves

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Phones

India- A Land of Diversity

Effects of Technological Development on the Environment

Importance of the Health Sector in the Progress of the Country

Practice more with versatile vocabulary to ace English essay writing.

Essays can be described as a writer which combines authors on argument in a number of various ways. An essay was first to be written by Michael Montaigne who was a French writer who prepared an informal write-up and named that it as an "attempt' . Essay is a French word that means "to try" or "attempt". Essays can be broadly classified into formal and informal.

Formal essays are generally written for series purposes, it is quite dignified, and logical organizations and lengths are kept in mind while writing these types of formal essays.

Informal essays include personal elements which include self-regulation, individual taste, and experiences. It can also involve write-ups that are confidential humerus and depicts a graceful style. Informal sums up a huge type of essay which includes rambling structures and unconventional or Novelty of the theme.

Essays are used in a wide range of applications which includes literary criticism, political manifestos, arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, memorandums, and reflections of the author.

There is three force that makes an essay exist:

The essays can be personal and autobiographical. This type of essay includes some personal details such as the experiences noted by the authors. This simply uses their own way and makes themselves the protagonist to keep their point of view.

The second one is the objective, factual and concrete types of essay. These essays are also personal but are indirect. The author doesn't use himself or herself in order to give a point of view. The author usually uses a particular situation as different peoples who are troubled or are helped by a particular fact objective.

The abstract-universal is the third type of essay. These essays are not at all personal. They are mostly research-oriented. This essay includes things which are not at all related to any type of memory, objective, fact.

Essays include a huge range of types and forms which includes the following bulleted forms:

Cause and Effect:

This format generally discusses a particular problem, the causes, and the effects, also suggestions and includes a proper well-researched write-up.

Classification and Division:

This type of essay sums up the classification and divisions of particular objects and detailed information about those classifications.

Compare and Contrast:

As the name suggests these forms compare two objects with each other and give detailed information about their contrasting characters and criteria.

Narrative types of Essays:

Most of the time these essays are about a story narration or a historical moment. It also includes some autobiographical histories or any type of narration.

Argumentative Types of Essays:

These are truly the author's own suggestions and arguments on the basis of some social or economic issues.

Exposition:

This includes the social evils or any type of negative instances that have been encountered for a long time.

Descriptive:

As the name depicts itself this type of essay is quite a good description of a particular topic.

These are types that include philosophy.

Exemplification

And other logical structures

Essay Topic List

In general, the variety of English essay topics are:

Schools, Examinations

Personalities we come across

Festivals, Functions, and Events

Daily Incidents, Scenes, and Journeys

Relationships

About Myself

Visits/Monuments/Cities

Sports, Health and Fitness

Environmental and Social Awareness

Science and Technologies

National Essays

Current Affairs

Essay on Proverbs

Educational and Moral value Essays

Some Simple Essay Topics Pertaining to School Level Current Essay Topics are:-

A Scene in the Examination Hall

Annual Day Function

My Ambition in Life

My Favorite City

A Journey to a Hill Station/ Beach

Where There is a Will There's a Way

My Role Model

Autobiographies

Biography of a Leader

Right to Education

Some Essay Topics For College Students are:

How does “fake news” change Political and Social Life?

Socio-economic impact of a Global Pandemic

Communism vs. Capitalism

Effects of Technological Development on Mankind

Importance of Health Sector 

During exams, brainstorming a few minutes to frame the chronological idea of arguments can save you from a haphazard representation of the topic. As the proverb goes, “a stitch in time saves nine”, prior practice and through proofing can do wonders in your English essay. 

Points To Remember While Writing Essays:

Do proper research about the topic you are going to write which should include advantages disadvantages and even includes the wrong statement about the particular topic

Your introduction part should be effective.

Essays are considered to be informative. So try not to repeat the lines again and again while writing the body parts. For instance, you should not repeat the sentences in the conclusion part which you have already mentioned in your body or in the introduction part.

Make well-oriented paragraphs with different views and statements.

Even if your write-up has some contrast or conflict involving itself, do not forget to mention them too.

A well oriented essay includes a good introduction a well-written body which further includes advantages and disadvantages points to note your own suggestions except and finally the conclusion part where you update the things about the topic. While writing about some conflicting topics try to note down the positive impact that has been created around.

Essays play an important role in a wide variety of ranges. It is used in academic fields, non-literary fields, magazines, newspapers, and filmmaking too. The documentations not only help in proper knowledge but also provide access to knowledge and wide expressional views of people. Sometimes it is of a particular person, but most of the time, it acts as a representative of a particular group of people.  In today's generation, essays are most appropriately considered as more about research and truth. It helps a writer to reach a large number of people with one's view or sometimes a group of people's view.

FAQs on Short English Essay

1. What is an Essay?

An essay is a form of writing where the writer shares his or her experience, ideas, observations, and arguments about an incident, person, people, or issue.

2. How to write an engrossing Essay?

The basic steps to write an interesting essay are:

Brainstorm to generate multiple potential ideas

Write down every idea you think of

Include variations in vocabulary

Proofread your essay thoroughly

Practice more to make it perfect

3. What are some of the important current Essay Topics?

A current essay topics list looks something like this:

Environmental Awareness

Renewable Energy

Socio-economic effects of a Global Pandemic

Effect of Technology on Young Minds 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Urban vs. Rural Lifestyle

Multi Topic essay for BA English

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What is a ‘multi topic essay’?

A multi topic essay is one that contains many ideas about different topics of similar kind. In university level examinations, the candidates have almost always to write a general essay on a topic that is an issue. Since the issues are of general kind, affecting the public on a large scale, their causes, effects and remedies are also similar. Therefore, they can be covered in a multi topic essay. It is for this reason that we have prepared a multi topic essay for BA English students.

Why is a ‘multi topic essay for BA English’ examinations important for students in Pakistan?

General essay is one of the key questions for the students appearing in BA/BSc examinations of various universities of not only Punjab but also of other provinces of Pakistan. There are a large number of topics for a general essay on which a candidate has to express his views. But considering our socio-economic conditions, a large number of students cannot find time to prepare essays on all the expected topics. As a result, there remains a chance of their missing an important part worth at least 25 marks. In such situations a multi topic essay for BA examinations may prove of great help.

Precautions

A multi topic essay is a highly recommended item for the students with little time for preparation. But the candidate must apply it with great caution. There is many a multi topic essay for BA English, but it does not ensure success because of similarity of content. The examiners are shrewd enough to trace out if it were a multi topic essay. It is going to have a negative impression of your overall paper. Write something different that the examiner may not apprehend as formula.

What we offer as a ‘multi topic essay for BA Part II English’ examinations to ensure your success

For the students appearing for BA English examinations,  we have given below a general multi topic essay for BA English. This multi topic essay is in pdf format. It is going to help students a lot. At the same time, we suggest that the student should try to make some additions to the content of this general essay so that his own views on the given topic may find a proper space in the essay.

If you ever have any problem in the use of articles , litraza provides you the solution.

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Important English Essay Topics For BA, BSc Exams List

Table of Contents

Important English Essay Topics for BA, BSc Exams List is available here for all those who are going to attempt the annual examination. These essay topics are the same for private and regular candidates. Also for those students who are going to attempt BA, BSc examinations annually or supplementary. So if you are also among those candidates who are going to attempt English papers then you are here on the right way to get the list of important essay lists. Candidates, there are a huge number of essays that lies in the BA, BSc syllabus but according to the board paper point of view, there are almost 15 to 20 essays that are more important. Here on this page, we will provide you with the list and the most important essays are bold. Well, you are suggested to read these all essays as these are very important to increase your English vocabulary. Essays also increase your general knowledge.

No Matter you are appearing in the annual exams for BA or BSC English is a Compulsory Subject for all students from all over Pakistan whether it is Punjab University, Sargodha University, Faisalabad University, Karachi University, Peshawar University, Gujrat University or any other University of Pakistan. The down complete list of Important English Essay Topics For BA and BSc are prepared while taking consideration from the expert paper makers of bachelor exams. So students if you need to get good passing marks in the annual examination then you need to prepare all these Essay Topics which are given below on this page.

Important Essay Topics For BA English

• English Essay on the Role of Women in Society
• English Essay on Pollution
• English Essay on The Best Day of My Life
• English Essay on Education
• English Essay on The Main problems facing Pakistan
• English Essay on Benefits of Having a Sea Port
• English Essay on Cities
• English Essay on My Favorite Hero in History
• English Essay on My First Day of School
• English Essay on Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
• English Essay on Allama Iqbal
• English Essay on Music Addiction
• English Essay on Unity of Muslims of the World
• English Essay on Social Evils in Pakistan
• English Essay on The effects of World War II on Pakistan and the World
• English Essay on Science and Arts
• English Essay on Corruption
• English Essay on Load Shedding
• English Essay on Overpopulation
• English Essay on Dengue Fever
• English Essay on Terrorism
• English Essay on Democracy
• English Essay on Energy Crisis in Pakistan
• English Essay on Life in a Big City
• English Essay on the Importance of Science

So these are all the Important English Essay Topics for BA, BSc Exams List. You are suggested to learn all these essays so that if this time the authority changes the topic then you should be able to write any essay by your own vocabulary.

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As a Professional career consultant, I am dedicated to providing educational services to students through ilm.com.pk. My primary objective is to provide all educational news to the students on time.

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BA English Essay on Multi Topic

• Lawlessness
• Regionalism
• Tax Evasion
• Sectarianism
• Unemployment
• Energy Crisis
• Rising Prices
• Social Crisis
• Provincialism
• Self-Reliance
• Accountability
• Drug Addiction
• Social Problems
• Black Marketing
• Economic Crisis
• Mass Illiteracy
• Over-Population
• Traffic Problems
• Drug Trafficking
• Economical Crisis
• Economic Injustice
• Economical Problems
• Political Instability
• Environmental Pollution
• Injustice & Inequality
• Introduction
• Evil impacts and complications of __________.
• It breeds social, economical, political and moral problems
• Causes of __________.
• Remedies of __________.

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ADP/BA/B.Sc English Multi-Essays Topics

ADP/BA/B.Sc English Multi-Essays Topics; A complete list of important English subject topics for BA, B.Sc. has been prepared while also considering the expert paper makers of Bachelor Examinations. So students, if you need to get good passing marks in the annual exam, you need to prepare all the essays that are given at the bottom of this page.

Get PDF at the end

• USES AND ABUSES OF SCIENCE
• SCIENCE IN THE SERVICE OF MAN
• MARVELS OF SCIENCE
• SCIENCE, AND HUMAN COMFORT
• SCIENCE AND RELIGION
• SCIENCE AND ISLAM
• WONDERS OF MODERN SCIENCE
• VALUE OF SCIENCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE
• TECHNOLOGY IS THE KEY TO SOCIAL CHANGE
• SCIENCE AND WAR
• IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
• INTERNET ADDICTION OR USES AND ABUSES OF INTERNET
• MEDIA IN PAKISTAN
• THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
• IMPORTANCE OF NEWSPAPER
• IMPORTANCE OF ADVERTISING
• PROGRESS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY –A NEED OF THE HOUR
• THE AGE OF MACHINES
• SCIENCE THE CAUSE OF HUMAN SUFFERING
• SCIENCE IN THE SERVICE OF HUMANITY
• MODERN TECHNOLOGY
• SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• Important English Essay Topics For BA, BSc Exams List
• Important Essay Topics For BA English
• English Essay on Role of Women in Society
• English Essay on Pollution
• English Essay on The best day of my Life
• English Essay on Education
• English Essay on The Main problems facing Pakistan
• English Essay on Benefits of having a Sea Port
• English Essay on Cities
• English Essay on My Favorite Hero in History
• English Essay on My First Day of School
• English Essay on Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
• English Essay on Allama Iqbal
• English Essay on Music Addiction
• English Essay on Unity of Muslims of the World
• English Essay on Social Evils in Pakistan
• English Essay on The effects of World War II on Pakistan and the World
• English Essay on Science and Arts
• English Essay on Corruption
• English Essay on Load shedding
• English Essay on Overpopulation
• English Essay on Dengue Fever
• English Essay on Terrorism
• English Essay on Democracy
• English Essay on Energy Crisis in Pakistan
• English Essay on Life in a Big City
• English Essay on Importance of Science

It doesn’t matter if you are appearing for the annual ADP/BA or BSc examinations, English is a compulsory subject for all students from all over Pakistan, be it Punjab University, Sargodha University, Faisalabad University, Karachi University, University of Peshawar, Gujarat University, or the other universities of Pakistan.

Key English subjects for BA, BSc exam lists are available here for all those who are trying to take the annual exam. These articles are the same for private and regular candidates. Also for students who are trying to take ADP, BA, and BSc exams annually or supplement. So if you are one of the candidates who are going to try the English papers then you are on the right path here to get the list of important subject lists.

There are a large number of subjects in the ADP, BA, B.Sc. curriculum but according to the board’s paper approach, there are about 15 to 20 important subjects. Here we have provided you all the lists and the most important articles are bold. Well, you are advised to read all these articles as they are very important to enhance your English vocabulary. Articles also add to your general knowledge.

An article that is easy to understand and written in simple language is preferred and you can save more numbers in this article. So here are the major subject titles available for BA English, the most anticipated and expected subjects for the annual or supplementary, regular or private candidates of BA, BSc examinations.

English Multi-Essays Topics of Science and Technology

All in One English Essay on Science and Technology Related Topics For All English Exams Like;

Introduction • A revolution in the field of ——– • Interlinking of the whole world

• Access to countless information • The best solution to eliminate the poverty

Misuses and disadvantages • Source of obscenity and vulgarity • Destruction of values

Suggestion • Use ———– for the betterment of humanity • Avoid wrong use of———-

Introduction This is an age of science, technology, and machines. Science, technology, and modern machines have brought a great revolution in all the fields of our life. The impossibilities have been achieved through science and technology. No miracles have been happening daily. The face of the earth has changed. The whole world has changed into a global village. Scientists have invented so many wonderful machines that now we feel proud to be human.

has become a part and parcel of our daily life. After the second world war, great progress has been made in the field of .

A revolution in the field of ——– We have invented the radio, color television, the computer, tape recorders, etc, for our entertainment. Scientists have invented the best means of transport and communication. We have cars, buses, bikes, airplanes, trains, and ships, etc, for traveling. We illuminate our houses with electricity. We use electric irons, stoves, refrigerators, electric fans, etc, in our houses.

Advantages Our agriculture, forestry, fisheries have also developed by________. We have new types of plows, manure, seeds pesticides, and fertilizers, which are increasing our output. We have made tremendous progress in the field of medicine and surgery with the help of . Many diseases are wiped out and the most terrible diseases are brought under control. In energy sector the role of_______ is very prominent.The best solution to eliminate the poverty can be used to eliminate poverty, to clean slums, to increase production in fields as well as factories, and other constructive purposes. The march is on and the sky is the limit. In short, the wonders of __ are so many, that they cannot be counted. In the time to come, there will be more wonders. They will leave the past wonders far behind.

Misuse and disadvantages It has several disadvantages too. It produced unemployment, inflation, class distinction, and a materialistic approach. Human labour has been replaced by machines. The rich gained much and the poor were exploited. An endless class battle started. Strikes and lockouts became very common.

Destruction of values The application of _ in the social fields also produced highly questionable results. The introduction of machinery gave a new tempo to man’s life. He became materialistic. The life of man has become mechanical and artificial. Man has been deprived of moral qualities such as contentment, sacrifice, honesty, and patience. Despite all progress, man is still confronted with poverty, ignorance, hunger, and disease.

By the use of___________ man has made this world a dangerous place to live on. Modern inventions have made war more deadly, more destructive, and more extensive. Man has invented weapons of mass destruction, such as missiles, the atom bomb, hydrogen bomb, nitrogen bomb, cobalt bomb, chemical and poisonous gases, which can destroy the whole world in no time.

These machines have completely changed the concept of war__________ has given wider and international colour to the wars. In the past, wars were limited to battlefields. But the modern war brings ruin and devastation not only to armies also to poor civilians. A war between two nations spread like wildfire throughout the world. Every sphere of life is affected.

Use for the betterment of humanity It is supposed that all religions are against_______ . But Islam is not against science, technology, and modern machines. In fact, it lays stress upon the use of it, for the betterment of humanity. But Islam is against the wrong use of __ . Our religion Islam has laid great stress on the acquisition of knowledge.The Holy Prophet [PBUH] has urged the Muslims to get knowledge even if they have to go to China. He said, ” The ink of a scholar is more sacred than the blood of a martyr”. According to Islam the whole universe and its contents have been created for man. But the use of these things is up to us. We can use it for both constructive and destructive purposes.

As a conclusion, we can say that __ is a double-edged weapon and we shall use it for useful purposes as Islam has taught us.

Fill the blanks with your desired topic.

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10 Winning Scholarship Essay Examples From Real Students

Make your application shine.

Writing a scholarship essay can be intimidating. The competition is fierce and the stakes are high, so students are bound to feel the pressure. It may be helpful, therefore, to look at essays that were successful. What did those students do to impress the committee? These scholarship essay examples will give you a better idea of how to make an application shine! 

Tips for Writing a Scholarship Essay

We’ve put together a whole guide for how to write a scholarship essay , so if you haven’t read it already, definitely give it a look! In addition, here are some quick tips to help students get started. 

Carefully read the rules

The last thing you need is to be disqualified from winning a scholarship because you didn’t do the right thing. 

Start early

Don’t wait until the last minute to start researching and applying for scholarships. Give yourself plenty of time to work through the process. 

Get to know the provider

Think of the scholarship provider as your target audience. You want to tailor your essay to impress them, so do your research. What kinds of candidates are they looking for? What causes do they support? Dig deep for the information you need!

Think about who you are, what you want to say, and how to appeal to the scholarship committee. Write everything down and then choose the best ideas. 

The scholarship committee will be reviewing many applications. How can you make yours unforgettable? Highlight your strongest assets, share hard lessons if they showcase your growth as a person and/or student, and be honest. Never lie in a scholarship essay!

Be professional

Consider this the most important academic paper you’ve ever written. Don’t use slang or casual language. Submit a properly formatted essay that’s been well-edited and proofread by multiple people.

One last tip

Don’t reuse scholarship essays! Yes, it’s time-consuming, but students need to put the same effort into every application. Use the same process and it will get faster and easier every time!

Scholarship Essay Examples

Afc visionary scholarship essay by nicole kuznetsov.

Award Amount: $5,000

Essay prompt: Why do you want to go to college? Why is it important to you?

Why it was successful: The  beauty of this essay is that it’s well-organized and simple. Nicole Kuznetsov chose to outline her story by using chronology and provided a clean, concise story following a linear path.

North Coast Section Foundation Scholarship Essay by Christine Fung

Award Amount: $1,000

Why it was successful: Christine Fung masterfully shared how her upbringing instilled strong values, a love for education, and a passion for medicine .

The Bill Browning Scholarship Essay by Gabby DeMott

Award Amount: $10,000

Essay prompt: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Why it was successful: Gabby DeMott shared her experiences with personal growth and overcoming fears in Germany. She also appealed to the very human feeling of wanting to belong in a way that was inspiring. 

Life Happens Scholarship Essay by Emily Trader

Award Amount: $15,000

Essay prompt: How has the death of a parent or guardian impacted your life financially and emotionally? Be sure to describe how the loss of your parent/guardian impacted your college plans, and explain how the lack of adequate (or any) life insurance coverage has impacted your family’s financial situation.

Why it was successful: Emily Trader fully addressed the prompt in honest, beautiful detail. She knew her audience and tailored her essay to appeal to them while telling her compelling story. 

Change a Life Foundation Scholarship Essay by Isabella Mendez-Figueroa

Essay prompt: Please explain how your experience volunteering and participating in community service has shaped your perspective on humanity. Elaborate on how these experiences have influenced your future ambitions and career choice.

Why it was successful: Isabella Mendez-Figueroa shared an empowering story about her parents overcoming financial adversity so that she and her sister could be the first in their family to go to college. 

Giva Scholarship Essay by Joseph Lee

Essay prompt: Who is (or what makes) a good doctor?

Why it was successful: Joseph Lee offered a captivating , personal story that was essentially a list of things that make someone a good doctor without it feeling boring or calculated. 

New York University College of Arts and Science Scholarship by Ana

Award amount: $39,500 

Essay prompt: Explain something that made a big impact in your life.

Why it was successful: Ana discussed how early experiences w ith learning difficult things has contributed to her passion for teaching and supporting students. 

The Fund for Education Abroad Rainbow Scholarship Essay  by Steven Fisher

Award amount: $7,500

Essay prompt: The Fund for Education Abroad is committed to diversifying education abroad by providing funding to students who are typically under-represented in study abroad. Please describe how you and/or your plans for study abroad could be viewed as under-represented.

Why it was successful: Steven Fisher’s powerful essay   connected his realizations about his own sexual identity with embracing the beautiful diversity found all around the world. 

Women’s World Banking Founder’s Scholarship Essay by Rosaisha Ozoria

Essay prompt: Write about your hopes for the future of women and girls worldwide.

Why it was successful: Rosaisha Ozoria   focused on a very specific topic , financial literacy for Hispanic women, and emphasized its importance and relevance to her own life. 

The Millennium Gates Last Dollar Scholarship Essay by Famyrah Lafortune

Award amount: $3,500

Essay prompt: Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” —Nelson Mandela Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way.

Why it was successful: Famyrah Lafortune starts with a strong statement about ending racial inequality and then details the steps she’ll take to make it happen. 

Do you have any great scholarship essay examples? Share them below!

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships, want more suggestions be sure to subscribe to our newsletters ..

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Senior Essay, Honors and Awards

The Senior Essay (or “BA Essay”) is one of the requirements for students admitted to the Intensive Major. Standard majors and Philosophy and Allied Fields majors may also apply to write an essay. Note that all majors will be required to meet with the Assistant to the Director of Undergraduate Studies Tyler Zimmer at the end of their third year to review their program of study and discuss the possibility of writing the senior essay. All preliminary questions should be addressed to Prof. Zimmer as well.

Click here to view detailed information about the Senior Essay . 

Students writing a BA essay will have the supervision of two departmental faculty: the preceptor of the Senior Seminar, as well as the primary faculty advisor to the project. Students may write their senior essay on any topic in philosophy they choose, provided they can secure the agreement of a departmental faculty member to supervise their work. In recent years, topics have included omniscience and free will, the expression of emotion in music, Aristotle's ethics, the nature of coercion, Wittgenstein's legacy, the idea of authenticity, the philosophy of Michel Foucault, the role of context in shaping linguistic meaning, Kierkegaard on irony, and dualism about the mental. The BA essay should be between 15 and 30 pages long.

The Senior Seminar serves as a forum in which BA essay writers gather for presentation and mutual criticism of their work in progress. The course, under the supervision of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and graduate student preceptors, meets the entire academic year. Participation in all three quarters is required for all senior essay writers.

Academic Honors and Awards

Special Departmental Honors: The requirements for Honors include a 3.25 GPA in Philosophy courses, an "A" on the BA Essay, and, in addition, the recommendation of both the BA thesis advisor and the second reader. This  recommendation must then be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS), the Department Chair, as well as the Master of the Humanities Division of the College.  Please contact the DUS for further details. 

The Departmental Essay Prize: In 2022-23, Kaidi Pan won the Departmental Essay Prize. In 2021-22,  Liana Raguso won the Departmental Essay Prize. No award was given in 2020-21. In previous years, t wo awards were given to the best essay each year in practical and theoretical philosophy. In 2019-20, Madeleine L. Norman and Eleanor Wachtel (practical) and Indigo Stelian (theoretical) won awards. In 2018-19, Caroline Wall (practical) and Cal Fawell (theoretical) won awards.

The Manley Thompson Book Prize: Every student who writes a Senior Essay and receives departmental honors will receive a book chosen by faculty with whom they have worked.

Important English Essay Topics For BA, BSc, B.Com Exams

Important English essay topics for BA, BSc, B.Com exams are written here below for all those candidates who are going to attempt the graduation exams 2015. So if you are also among those candidates who are going to attempt annual or supply exams 2015 of BA, BSC, B. Com and worried about the preparation for English paper. You are informed that you have explored the right page to prepare your English Essays. Students as you are all well familiar about English that this is one of the most important and taught subject on graduation level.  So here we are providing you Important English Essay topics for graduation for paper point of view.

English Essays are drawing in English B paper containing on twenty marks and only those candidates can write a good enough essay who have a perfect command on vocabulary and can know to make self writing. There are some other important features to write a perfect essay, like avoid tenses mistake and also use one sentence once. Make out lines before writing your essay and don’t use heading during essay writing as your outlines are your heading. Just write essay in a paragraph forms in which you will discuss all of your outlines separately. So make your grip in your vocabulary and see the list of Important English essay topics for graduation.

Important English Essay Topics For BA, BSc, B.Com Exams 

List of Important English essay topics for BA, BSc, B.Com exams

• Social Evils in Pakistan
• The effects of World War II on Pakistan and the World
• Science and Arts
• Load shedding
• E Overpopulation
• Dengue Feverite Hero in History
• My First Day of School
• Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah
• Allama Iqbal
• Music Addiction
• Unity of Muslims of the World
• Energy Crisis in Pakistan
• Life in a Big City
• Importance of Science
• The best day of my Life
• The Main problems facing Pakistan
• Benefits of having a Sea Port

So this is all the list of “Important English essay topics for BA, BSc, B.Com exams’’. You are suggested to just go through all the above written essay and learn vocabulary so that you can make self writing.

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What is Atlas Shrugged?

The astounding story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did.

Tremendous in scope, breathtaking in its suspense, Atlas Shrugged is unlike any other book you have ever read. It is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder—and rebirth—of man’s spirit.

How It Works

Every three months there is a new seasonal entry round, with its own unique essay prompt. You may compete in any or all of these entry rounds.

The top three essays from each season will be awarded a cash prize. The first-place essay from each season will advance to compete for the annual grand prize.

The first-place essay from each season will be eligible to contend for the annual first-place title, with the opportunity to secure a grand prize of $25,000.

Challenging Essay Topics

Each entry round features a unique topic designed to provoke a deeper understanding of the book’s central themes and characters.

Essays must be written in English only and be between 800 and 1,600 words in length.

Questions? Write to us at [email protected] .

• Summer Prompt
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• Winter Prompt

The essay prompt for our fall entry period has not yet been determined. We will post it here as soon it’s available.

The essay prompt for our winter entry period has not yet been determined. We will post it here as soon it’s available.

Grand Prize

Master our grading standards.

Essays are judged on whether the student is able to justify and argue for his or her view, not on whether the Institute agrees with the view the student expresses. 

Our graders look for writing that is clear, articulate, and logically organized.  Essays should stay on topic, address all parts of the selected prompt, and interrelate the ideas and events in the novel. 

Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged .

Organization

Understanding, contest timeline, discover the power of atlas shrugged.

Atlas Shrugged  is a mystery novel like no other. You enter a world where scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors are inexplicably vanishing—where the world is crumbling.

And what you discover, by the end, is an uplifting vision of life, an inspiring cast of heroes, and a challenging new way to think about life’s most important issues.

Learn more and request a free digital copy of the book today.

Learn from Past Winners

Curious to know what makes for a winning essay in the Atlas Shrugged   contest? Check out some of the essays written by our most recent grand-prize winners. 

To varying degrees, they all display an excellent grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged .

Click here to see the full list of 2022 contest winners.

Jacob Fisher

Graduate Student

Stanford University

Stanford, California

United States

Mariah Williams

Regis University

Denver, Colorado

Nathaniel Shippee

University of Illinois

Chicago, Illinois

Samuel Weaver

St. John’s College

Annapolis, Maryland

Patrick Mayles

Graduate student

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Christina Jeong

College Student

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Improve Your Writing Skills

Other than endorsing perfect punctuation and grammar in English, the Ayn Rand Institute offers no advice or feedback for essays submitted to its contests. However, we do recommend the following resources as ways to improve the content of your essays.

The Atlas Project

Writing: a mini-course.

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Atlas Shrugged is a mystery novel like no other. You enter a world where scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and inventors are inexplicably vanishing—where the world is crumbling.

What you discover, by the end, is an uplifting vision of life, an inspiring cast of heroes, and a challenging new way to think about life’s most important issues.

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Essay on Computer and its Uses for School Students and Children

500+ words essay on computer.

In this essay on computer, we are going to discuss some useful things about computers. The modern-day computer has become an important part of our daily life. Also, their usage has increased much fold during the last decade. Nowadays, they use the computer in every office whether private or government. Mankind is using computers for over many decades now. Also, they are used in many fields like agriculture, designing, machinery making, defense and many more. Above all, they have revolutionized the whole world.

History of Computers

It is very difficult to find the exact origin of computers. But according to some experts computer exists at the time of world war-II. Also, at that time they were used for keeping data. But, it was for only government use and not for public use. Above all, in the beginning, the computer was a very large and heavy machine.

Working of a Computer 

The computer runs on a three-step cycle namely input, process, and output. Also, the computer follows this cycle in every process it was asked to do. In simple words, the process can be explained in this way. The data which we feed into the computer is input, the work CPU do is process and the result which the computer give is output.

Components and Types of Computer

The simple computer basically consists of CPU, monitor, mouse, and keyboard . Also, there are hundreds of other computer parts that can be attached to it. These other parts include a printer, laser pen, scanner , etc.

The computer is categorized into many different types like supercomputers, mainframes, personal computers (desktop), PDAs, laptop, etc. The mobile phone is also a type of computer because it fulfills all the criteria of being a computer.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Uses of Computer in Various Fields

As the usage of computer increased it became a necessity for almost every field to use computers for their operations. Also, they have made working and sorting things easier. Below we are mentioning some of the important fields that use a computer in their daily operation.

Medical Field

They use computers to diagnose diseases, run tests and for finding the cure for deadly diseases . Also, they are able to find a cure for many diseases because of computers.

Whether it’s scientific research, space research or any social research computers help in all of them. Also, due to them, we are able to keep a check on the environment , space, and society. Space research helped us to explore the galaxies. While scientific research has helped us to locate resources and various other useful resources from the earth.

For any country, his defence is most important for the safety and security of its people. Also, computer in this field helps the country’s security agencies to detect a threat which can be harmful in the future. Above all the defense industry use them to keep surveillance on our enemy.

Threats from a Computer

Computers have become a necessity also, they have become a threat too. This is due to hackers who steal your private data and leak them on internet. Also, anyone can access this data. Apart from that, there are other threats like viruses, spams, bug and many other problems.

The computer is a very important machine that has become a useful part of our life. Also, the computers have twin-faces on one side it’s a boon and on the other side, it’s a bane. Its uses completely depend upon you. Apart from that, a day in the future will come when human civilization won’t be able to survive without computers as we depend on them too much. Till now it is a great discovery of mankind that has helped in saving thousands and millions of lives.

Frequently Asked Questions on Computer

Q.1  What is a computer?

A.1 A computer is an electronic device or machine that makes our work easier. Also, they help us in many ways.

Q.2 Mention various fields where computers are used?

A.2  Computers are majorly used in defense, medicine, and for research purposes.

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First-Year Application Process

Application timeline.

We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2024.

St. Thomas offers two admissions types – Early Action (EA) and Regular Decision (RD). Both are free and completely non-binding, so you don't have to commit to St. Thomas until May 1.

• November 1 – Early Action Deadline
• January 15 – Regular Decision Deadline
• After January 15 – Applications reviewed on a rolling basis

What are we looking for?

There's no single thing we look for in an application. Each is evaluated holistically with your academic, extracurricular and personal achievements all considered.

We encourage students to provide a variety of details in their applications, including your academic records and insight into the experiences that have made you who you are.

Overall, the goal of our admissions process is to identify students who will succeed in the classroom while also contributing to our university and the broader community in diverse and meaningful ways.

How to Apply

Apply online (for free) using the Common App or our application for First-time, First-year Students:

• Start a New Application
• Continue Existing Application
• Contact Admissions

Does this sound like you?

To give you a sense about what successful applicants look like, here are some facts about our most recent first-year class:

• Middle 50 percent high school GPA: 3.4-3.9
• Middle 50 percent ACT: 24-29
• Middle 50 percent SAT: 1120-1360

Note: St. Thomas is a test optional school and students are not required to submit ACT or SAT test scores as part of their application. See our test optional policy for guidance on whether or not to submit your scores.

Parts of the Application

Transcript(s), test scores, essay questions, letters of recommendation, transcript(s) (required).

We require high school transcripts be sent to us before your application can be reviewed. This transcript must include your entire set of high school grades and courses to date.

We will accept unofficial transcripts for your application. You may submit an unofficial transcript by downloading it from your school system and sending it to [email protected] or your admissions counselor .

If you've attended multiple high schools – and your entire record isn't included on the transcript of your current high school – you're required to submit an official transcript from your previous high school(s) as well.

If you've taken college classes before, we recommend you submit official college transcripts as well – though this IS NOT required.

Students who are admitted and enroll: Please note that an OFFICIAL transcript will be required prior to starting classes at St. Thomas. This official transcript will need to be sent directly from your school and include your graduation date.

Impacts from COVID-19 We know that COVID-19 may have affected the way your school awards grades. We encourage you to share your story when applying for admission. Let us know how COVID-19 impacted your learning and grades/GPA.

Test Scores (Optional)

St. Thomas is a test optional school, which means that students are not required to submit ACT or SAT test scores as part of their application.

Our test optional page has more information about this policy and offers guidance about whether or not to submit your scores. Please contact your admissions counselor if you have any questions.

If you do choose to submit your test scores, you can self-report your highest composite and subject scores for the ACT and/or SAT on the application. Your scores DO NOT need to be officially sent to us during the application process.

Essay Questions (Recommended)

Though you aren't technically required to answer our essay questions, we highly recommend that you do – especially if you apply without test scores.*

Responses to these questions are used to understand the demographics of our applicant pool and may also be used for other limited purposes after an admission decision (for example, communication about student clubs or organizations that may be of interest) Your information regarding gender, pronouns, race and ethnicity will not be visible to the admissions committee and are not considered during the University of St. Thomas application review.

Below are the current essay prompts. You can choose to write about them or to submit a different personal essay of your choosing. We want to learn a little about you as a person, so please submit an essay that will help us do that.

• Discuss a meaningful contribution you have made through involvement in school, church, community activities or family responsibilities.
• Describe an event, a person or an educational experience that has had a major impact on your life and why.
• Share additional information about your personal story that would be beneficial to the application review process. What do you want the readers to know about you apart from courses and academic credentials?
• Provide an explanation of your transcript record. Is there anything on your transcript that you would like to share more information about with the admissions committee?

We recommend that your essay be one to two pages long.

We also ask a second essay question about your experience with diversity and inclusion. This essay is also optional, but will give you a chance to reflect and speak from your heart.

* If you're applying without a standardized test, we strongly recommend submitting both essays to provide a more well-rounded understanding of your experience.

Letters of Recommendation (Recommended)

Though it's not required, we suggest that you submit one or two letters of recommendation from teachers or other people in your life who can help us get to know you better as we review your application.

Recommenders can email letters to [email protected] or your admissions counselor .

Duke MQM Student Blog

Mastering the art of interviewing before my job search.

At the end of the day, it’s not about saying the right thing during an interview, it’s about how you communicate and how you put yourself out there to grow as a person and continue learning.

Published April 8, 2024

Going from an interviewer to an interviewee is an overwhelming experience. While once I stood aiding in the decision of potential students and their future at Fuqua, I now stand on the opposite side, where my future is being decided at a company.

My experience as an MQM admissions ambassador is one that I am very grateful for. Not only have I had the opportunity to work with potential students and aid them in their process, but I’ve also had the opportunity to interview them. Whenever I start my interviews with prospective students, I always tell them to consider this as a conversation between us where we (MQM) get a chance to see if they are a good fit for us and if we are a good fit for them. Essentially, just checking if the puzzle fits. 

Establishing the Tone of an Interview

As I am job hunting and interviewing with companies, I’ve realized that I have to go into the interviews with the same mindset. Not every company that I interview for will be my top choice, and I might not be their top choice either. What I’ve learned is that the interview is exactly for that reason—to figure out if we fit.

As an interviewee, you want to utilize the time you are given at the end to ask your interviewer meaningful questions. Questions should show that you have done your research on the company, are further interested in the opportunities that the company can provide for you, and that you would like to be actively involved.

When I am conducting an admissions interview , I am the most engaged with the prospective students who don’t mind showing their personality and how hard they work, but not necessarily bragging or sounding too generic. I realized if this is what I am curious to learn about others, then when I’m being interviewed, that same curiosity is probably also there for my interviewer.

Learning About Others Teaches Me About Myself

I tend to ask this question when interviewing others, “Why Fuqua?” I like this question because it shows me how much research they have done on this school and their interest. It also helps me see what actually makes a school/company stand out to others. Then, I can compare their answer to my criteria in a company, opening up my mind to new priorities or possibilities I hadn’t considered before. Before becoming an admissions ambassador, my criteria for potential jobs were really limited—I just wanted a job. However, as I’m searching for my close-to-perfect fit, my priorities have evolved. 

Being on the other side of the interview table before starting my job hunt has also taught me how to connect with my interviewer on a level that goes beyond just the words I say. One of the prospective students I interviewed as an admissions ambassador was not a native speaker. During the interview, his grammar was not perfect, but his emotions and how he communicated with me conveyed his journey and growth well.

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BA/MA Alana Motley wins 2024 Initiative on Cities Student Prize

• By: mavisjm
• April 9, 2024

The Economics Department is proud to announce that the Boston University Initiative on Cities has awarded the 2024 Initiative on Cities Student Prize to Alana Motley, a BA/MA student in Economics. This honor is awarded annually to an exceptional undergraduate scholar graduating with a minor in urban studies. The Initiative on Cities states: “ Congratulations ! Your passion for cities and urban issues is evident in your outstanding academic record and professional experience.”

For more on the Initiative on Cities, see here .

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Guest Essay

Elite College Admissions Have Turned Students Into Brands

By Sarah Bernstein

Ms. Bernstein is a playwright, a writing coach and an essayist in Brooklyn.

“I just can’t think of anything,” my student said.

After 10 years of teaching college essay writing, I was familiar with this reply. For some reason, when you’re asked to recount an important experience from your life, it is common to forget everything that has ever happened to you. It’s a long-form version of the anxiety that takes hold at a corporate retreat when you’re invited to say “one interesting thing about yourself,” and you suddenly believe that you are the most boring person in the entire world. Once during a version of this icebreaker, a man volunteered that he had only one kidney, and I remember feeling incredibly jealous of him.

I tried to jog this student’s memory. What about his love of music? Or his experience learning English? Or that time on a summer camping trip when he and his friends had nearly drowned? “I don’t know,” he said with a sigh. “That all seems kind of cliché.”

Applying to college has always been about standing out. When I teach college essay workshops and coach applicants one on one, I see my role as helping students to capture their voice and their way of processing the world, things that are, by definition, unique to each individual. Still, many of my students (and their parents) worry that as getting into college becomes increasingly competitive, this won’t be enough to set them apart.

Their anxiety is understandable. On Thursday, in a tradition known as “Ivy Day,” all eight Ivy League schools released their regular admission decisions. Top colleges often issue statements about how impressive (and competitive) their applicant pools were this cycle. The intention is to flatter accepted students and assuage rejected ones, but for those who have not yet applied to college, these statements reinforce the fear that there is an ever-expanding cohort of applicants with straight A’s and perfect SATs and harrowing camping trip stories all competing with one another for a vanishingly small number of spots.

This scarcity has led to a boom in the college consulting industry, now estimated to be a $2.9 billion business. In recent years, many of these advisers and companies have begun to promote the idea of personal branding — a way for teenagers to distinguish themselves by becoming as clear and memorable as a good tagline.

While this approach often leads to a strong application, students who brand themselves too early or too definitively risk missing out on the kind of exploration that will prepare them for adult life.

Like a corporate brand, the personal brand is meant to distill everything you stand for (honesty, integrity, high quality, low prices) into a cohesive identity that can be grasped at a glance. On its website, a college prep and advising company called Dallas Admissions explains the benefits of branding this way: “Each person is complex, yet admissions officers only have a small amount of time to spend learning about each prospective student. The smart student boils down key aspects of himself or herself into their personal ‘brand’ and sells that to the college admissions officer.”

Identifying the key aspects of yourself may seem like a lifelong project, but unfortunately, college applicants don’t have that kind of time. Online, there are dozens of lesson plans and seminars promising to walk students through the process of branding themselves in five to 10 easy steps. The majority begin with questions I would have found panic-inducing as a teenager, such as, “What is the story you want people to tell about you when you’re not in the room?”

Where I hoped others would describe me as “normal” or, in my wildest dreams, “cool,” today’s teenagers are expected to leave this exercise with labels like, Committed Athlete and Compassionate Leader or Environmentally Conscious Musician. Once students have a draft of their ideal self, they’re offered instructions for manifesting it (or at least, the appearance of it) in person and online. These range from common-sense tips (not posting illegal activity on social media) to more drastic recommendations (getting different friends).

It’s not just that these courses cut corners on self-discovery; it’s that they get the process backward. A personal brand is effective only if you can support it with action, so instead of finding their passion and values through experience, students are encouraged to select a passion as early as possible and then rack up the experience to substantiate it. Many college consultants suggest beginning to align your activities with your college ambitions by ninth grade, while the National Institute of Certified College Planners recommends students “talk with parents, guardians, and/or an academic adviser to create a clear plan for your education and career-related goals” in junior high.

The idea of a group of middle schoolers soberly mapping out their careers is both comical and depressing, but when I read student essays today, I can see that this advice is getting through. Over the past few years, I have been struck by how many high school seniors already have defined career goals as well as a C.V. of relevant extracurriculars to go with them. This widens the gap between wealthy students and those who lack the resources to secure a fancy research gig or start their own small business. (A shocking number of college applicants claim to have started a small business.) It also puts pressure on all students to define themselves at a moment when they are anxious to fit in and yet changing all the time.

In the world of branding, a word that appears again and again is “consistency.” If you are Charmin, that makes sense. People opening a roll of toilet paper do not want to be surprised. If you are a teenage human being, however, that is an unreasonable expectation. Changing one’s interests, opinions and presentation is a natural part of adolescence and an instructive one. I find that my students with scattershot résumés are often the most confident. They’re not afraid to push back against suggestions that ring false and will insist on revising their essay until it actually “feels like me.” On the other hand, many of my most accomplished students are so quick to accept feedback that I am wary of offering it, lest I become one more adult trying to shape them into an admission-worthy ideal.

I understand that for parents, prioritizing exploration can feel like a risky bet. Self-insight is hard to quantify and to communicate in a college application. When it comes to building a life, however, this kind of knowledge has more value than any accolade, and it cannot be generated through a brainstorming exercise in a six-step personal branding course online. To equip kids for the world, we need to provide them not just with opportunities for achievement, but with opportunities to fail, to learn, to wander and to change their minds.

In some ways, the college essay is a microcosm of modern adolescence. Depending on how you look at it, it’s either a forum for self-discovery or a high-stakes test you need to ace. I try to assure my students that it is the former. I tell them that it’s a chance to take stock of everything you’ve experienced and learned over the past 18 years and everything you have to offer as a result.

That can be a profound process. But to embark on it, students have to believe that colleges really want to see the person behind the brand. And they have to have the chance to know who that person is.

Sarah Bernstein is a playwright, a writing coach and an essayist.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Perry High School students win 2024 Perry Optimist essay contest

Perry Optimist Club handed out medals to the local essay contest winners during its meeting on Wednesday, April 3 at the Hotel Pattee.

Linda Andorf, who facilitated the contest, said DMACC VanKirk Career Academy's Linda Kaufman assigned a writing assignment to her Perry High School/DMACC students. The assignment was graded and was then judged anonymously by Perry Optimist Club members. This year, 32 essays were submitted and four places were awarded.

Erika Guardado won first place while Jennifer Ramos received second place. Mia Munoz and Kain Killmer tied for third place.

The prompt for this year’s contest was "Optimism: How it Connects Us."

Guardado’s essay has been sent to the district level. She will also receive a $500 scholarship during the senior awards assembly in May.

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Punjab Govt Invites Applications for Students Bikes 2024

The Punjab Government officially launched the project of Bike distribution to the students on easy installments. In the first phase, 20,000 bikes will be distributed among the students. 19,000 fuel bikes and one thousand e-bikes will be distributed. CM Punjab, Maryam Nawaz said that electric bikes were mandatory to reduce pollution; however, they were currently not suitable for their low mileage and incidents of battery theft. She said the government had decided to provide fuel-consuming bikes too along with electric bikes on easy installments.

“To reduce the burden on students, the down payment will be reduced to Rs20,000 and the monthly installment will also be less than Rs5,000,” said Maryam adding that the distribution of bikes would begin from May 2024. She also announced to introduce a separate scheme to give bikes to high achiever students.

The monthly installment of a petrol bike would be less than Rs5,000 per month and the installment of an e-bike would be less than Rs10,000 per month, the forum was told.

In villages, 70% quota was reserved for male students and 30% for female students. The application portal is open now, and the last date for submission of the application is April 29, 2024. The online application for bikes can be submitted at www.bikes.punjab.gov.pk

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