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cassyapper · 3 years

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loving you may mean losing you but i dont mind (jotakak playlist)

dont talk to me about the title of this thing im embarrassed enough

anyway but okay so!!!! very excited to share this!!!! this has been in the works since september but my picky ass finally found an adequate amount of songs so here it is!!!!!! my jotakak playlist (:

special thanks to my lovely and wonderful friend jade for helping me finish this this thing <3

track list nd why i picked the songs that i did under the break!

1. the predatory wasp of the palisades is out to get us! by sufjan stevens i chose this song because it’s all about internalized homophobia and being in love with your best friend as a kid which RLLY resonates w jotakak imo. esp cause in the song, stevens’ friend ends up leaving abruptly, leaving stevens to wonder about what couldve blossomed if they had stuck together and worked through the difficulties together, which JOTARO....THAT IS JOTARO-CORE esp cause kak also “leaves” (dies). so this song was a v obvious choice for me and in fact this song is what inspired me to create this playlist in the first place

2. we are beautiful, we are doomed by los campesinos! this song is abt being in love with someone but you both have ur issues so it’s kind of a mess. considering jotaro and kakyoin’s (to point it quite frankly) trauma and the fact that both of them do jack shit to try and cope with it healthily, this song DEFINITELY fits them. esp cause this song mentions physical fighting and the imagery that goes with it (”he got his teeth fixed/im gonna break them”, “i’ve got a fist on fire”, etc) and the entirety of the bridge/last verse rlly gives me these two’s vibes so! ya (:

3. love love love by of monsters and men this song is the singer feeling like shes completely unworthy of being loved by this important person in her life, particularly because she has NO idea how to show affection and love the (for lack of better word) “acceptable” way, or any way at all really. this REALLY has jotaro vibes cause he is one repressed motherfucker and as we see the entirety of his story, jotaro is full of love he loves so much it’s just he has no idea how to properly express it cause he’s scared essentially. but that didn’t stop people from loving him, in this case, that being kakyoin. hhhhHHh

4. ribs by lorde this song is about being scared of growing up but due to the lyrics being written the way they are, i kinda spin the interpretation of it to be the fear jotaro and kakyoin had on the crusade to egypt, as they were the youngest and didnt know if they’d make it back and everything is just incredibly overwhelming there is so much going on all the time those 50 days. i can do a full analysis on why but that would be kinda long LMAO. for now let’s leave it at they have a very Unique fear of growing up but it still fits with the lyrics. particularly the last bit of the song with the “youre the only friend i need” verses,,,makes me think of these two...

5. can i call you tonight? by dayglow i interpret this song to be about trying to figure out what, exactly, your feelings are for this very specific and important person in your life. since jotaro and kakyoin r both repressed and also suckers of internalized homophobia, i think they fit that theme very well. particularly with the whole “i feel like we’re close, but maybe we’re not actually? what are we?” theme going on in the lyrics, this whole song makes me think of jotaro and kakyoin figuring out their intense and sudden (cause again only 50 days but also, those 50 days had So Much going on) feelings for each other. also the “now i’m no longer alone” line in the chorus HHHHHHH that’s them

6. la la la love song by toshinobu kubota ft naomi campbell SO I KNOW THIS SONG IS KINDA JUST FLUFF but we need some light-hearted moments in this thing hjgg;. ALSO toshinobu kubota is canonically jotaro’s favorite musician so i wanted to reference that and this was my fav love song of his that i’ve found so far so (: also the “you are my shining star” line,,,heh

7. truce by twenty one pilots so this song is very soft. it’s about tending to wounds and taking a moment before continuing to push on. it makes me think abt jotaro and kakyoin taking care of each other on the journey (for example the lovers arc/n’doul fight). also the whole “stay alive, stay alive for me/you will die, but now your life is free/take pride in what is sure to die” makes me go fucking nuts that is. that fits these two to a T fuck

8. this side of paradise by coyote theory this song has big “two lonely people are in love with each other for the first time” vibes and OHHHHHHHHHH THAT’S JOTAKAK.... there are a lot of little lines that make me specifically think abt these two, such as “love so strong it makes me feel weak” (jotaro-core...), “if you’re lonely come be lonely with me”, “i’ll be yours if you’ll be mine” (wanting some security while ur in love for the first time is common but especially for these two i think it works spectacularly) but yea this song as a whole is just...ohhh them. theyre in lvoe HK;FNJFL

9. i saw you in a dream by the japanese house EVERY. SINGLE. LINE. OF THIS SONG IS POST-EGYPT JOTARO. EVERY SINGLE LINE. and the ghost the singer talks about seeing? they hadnt changed at all? they were such a pretty vision, a perfect hallucination? BRUH... just listen i could do a whole analysis on this song it all just fits jotaro mourning kakyoin throughout the years so so so so well it makes me feel nuts holy shit i just. literally every line. every line fits i am not joking. i cried when i first heard this song LMAO

10. video games by the young professionals SO LMAO obviously kakyoin’s epic gamer moves are being referenced but beyond that i interpret this song to just be the fun parts of being in love esp when ur young (backed up with the “kissing in the blue dark” and the “watching all our friends fall” lines). also the chorus just makes me want to cry cause just, happy jotakak moments PLEASE. “the world was built for two only worth living if somebody is loving you, and baby now you do” THEYRE NOT ALONE ANYMORE THEY FOUDN EACH OTHER IM GONAN WAILLLLLLL oh my god. im nuts theynkjNJKNJF also “i heard that you like the bad girls” please. these two shitty teenagers

11. ikanaide by sohta ft. yuki kaai this song is abt not wanting someone u love to leave u cause youll miss them obviously but also ur scared of how the time will change you and if it’ll make you unrecognizable eventually. big post-egypt jotaro vibes 😔 especially cause one part of the chorus translates to “i shouldnt cry, i shouldnt cry, but the truth is i want to say dont go” and im jus like OHHHHH NO IT’S JOTARO FINDING OUT KAKYOIN DIED jkfnNKJFNJDhkld

12. therefore you and me by eve ALRIGHT. god this song is one hell of a doozy. i interpret this song to mean being sincerely in love but youre in the wrong place/wrong time. considering the uh Whole Situation in part 3 there were definitely better times to fall in love for these two. jotaro and kakyoin try to be happy w the moments they do have (i think the second verse in particular adds to this sentiment what with the selfish ghosts part) but they want a better environment understandably so theyre also just kinda ignoring things until they can properly care for a relationship. but well...who knows if theyll live to make it to that better environment ):

13. mayonaka no door/stay with me by miki matsubara this song is a v sweet sentiment abt like “it’s not just heat of the moment!! i do care about u a lot!!” and asking the person u have feelings for to stick around. big kakyoin and jotaro vibes as it would be easy to call what they have a fling considering how relatively short of a timeframe they had but i genuinely think their relationship was deeper than just that and this song nicely reflects such. “jotaro and i will share a room cause we’re both students” fuckin head ass

14. a thousand years by sting oh sting.... so since sting is kakyoin’s favorite musician canonically i had to add one of his songs here as well but beyond just that i do think this song fits them!! it kinda gives me big “if not in this life, then the next” vibes which is a big uhhh thing for jotakak. they may be doomed to tragedy but the moments they have together make the tragedy worth enduring ironically i feel like this song is mostly from jotaro’s pov considering i dont think he ever completely got over kakyoin and this song def has that kinda sentiment but hey it fits them...

15. mr loverman by ricky montgomery SO FUNNY STORY i actually REALLY. REALLY didnt wanna add this song at first cause i felt it wouldve been...idk too cliche? i guess? and i was ALL kinds of picky when choosing songs for this playlist HOWEVER. eventually i relistened to it and read the lyrics while thinking specifically abt jotakak and it actually rlly does fit quite well KJDFN; another jotaro mourning song ): it’s not just the chorus tho the whole song fits jotaro immediately post-egypt but also i feel like some time around part 4 this sentiment would come back to him cause Yknow. Gays In Morioh and the mess of his family life back in america. it just aches for him cause while he’s happy josuke is happy he wishes he couldve had that for him and kakyoin too but yea jus ... them

16. you by petit biscuit an instrumental?? in a ship playlist?? yes that’s right much like mr loverman i was hesitant to put this song in cause it’s harder to justify since i dont rlly know much abt music (and not to b controversial but interpreting lyrics and interpreting music r two different things) however i really think the vibes of this song fit jotakak. it’s got a somber melody but the keys of the piano are high which im taking to mean “light in the dark” which. jotaro and kakyoin (along w the rest of the crusaders) were each other’s lights in the dark. also the ending samples a conference/lecture talking about space flight and like. star platinum. space symbolism. jotaro. yeah

17. saturn by sleeping at last MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. this song is all about losing someone very close and important to you, but reflecting on the good they brought into your life rather than the pain of losing them. this song also has HEAVY space imagery which stardust crusaders is absolutely chalk fucking full of so also it’s a very philosophical song and considering that jotaro and kakyoin are both Nerds and both got a nice view of the stars/space in the desert with each other, im sure they had conversations similar to the one highlighted in the song. i think it’s a good note to end the playlist on cause kakyoin is dead and jotaro is the survivor but it’s not a mourning song so much as jotaro taking the love he had for kakyoin and pushing forward with it allll th way into part 6

but yeah that’s the tracklist! i might add or take away a song or two but this is mostly it (: hope yall enjoy!

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brightlycoloredteacups · 6 years

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Beef Stew

Series: A Season for Revenge

Summary: It seems like working on the Winter Soldier Program is bad for one’s health. You tend to come down with a bad case of death.

Warnings: General violent imagery. Mentions of rape. Under-aged drinking.

Tag list: @charliexowrite @persephone-is-here-omg @salimahbicharara-comun @curvybihufflepuff

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INGREDIENTS

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound beef stewing meat, trimmed and cut into inch cubes

5 teaspoons vegetable oil/margarine

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

3 ½ cups beef broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 teaspoons salt

PREPARATION

1. Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more oil as needed between batches.

2. Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.

3. Cover and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the onions and carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Add broth or water if the stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle among 4 bowls and serve.

When Bucky cooks, the room is silent. No chatter, no music, silence. Normally, he cooks so he has something else to concentrate one while keeping his auditory skills sharp. This time, it’s different. He wants to remember. Being very careful to sift through the fog of his mind, he knows he isn’t ready to face some memories just yet. Today, he’s once again focusing on face and number. They’re coming at him with ease.

As he remembers, he takes a break from chopping vegetables to write them down. Most of the people on the list he knows are already dead. But, in the end, there’s more than enough to satisfy him. It’s a long list of handlers mainly, but then there are those that worked on his arm, and the higher ups that called the shots. Nothing was too trivial for him. The list keeps getting longer until he stops at twenty-five names, most of them without faces. He can’t recall them so easily any longer.

Well, that takes care of one aspect of his problem. The other? How is he going to find them? Unfortunately, HYDRA didn’t rank technological knowhow among the top list of skills he needed. He places the carrots in the pot and stirs the vegetables. They aren’t sizzling yet, but at least the butter has melted.

He was sure there was someone he could enlist for help. There were a bunch of skeevy people all around the world today he could easily intimidate. Or, he thinks, putting stock in the pot, I could just ask my neighbor. He adds fresh herbs to the pot, sinking them with the spoon.

Blaire Valentine was a runaway. A teenager, no more than fifteen, she seemed to be doing well for herself, despite the rough streets of New Orleans. If anyone knew where he could get some help, it would be her.

Bucky adds the browned meat into the pot and stirs. He turns the heat down and covers the pot, then gathers all the utensils and cleans up. Blaire had been his neighbor for nearly three years. And while they weren’t exactly chatty, Bucky knew her well enough to invite her over for dinner. He’d done it on multiple occasions.

He finishes his dishes and checks his fridge to make sure he has something to drink. Shutting it, he strides over to Blaire’s apartment and bangs on the door. He always amazed at how quietly she can move. He doesn’t here her rustle around inside at all. She wrenches open the door, face angry. “Look asshole-” she stops when she sees it’s him. Her face immediately breaks out into a grin. “Hey, Bucks Bunny! What’s up?”

“Dinner?” He says, jerking his head back towards his own apartment. “Sure.” She says, walking out, shutting the door behind her. She doesn’t bother to lock it. No one does in this place.

Blaire makes herself at home, plopping on one of his dining chairs. Whipping out her phone, she begins to amuse herself. As usual, Bucky studies Blaire intently. He can’t help it. Fifteen years old and a kingpin for the underbelly of New Orleans. He’s created an entire backstory for her. Most of it is probably wildly inaccurate, but it was something to occupy his mind with. Bucky likes her because it’s easy to be alone. She doesn’t feel the need to fill space with small talk. She doesn’t try to get to know you, she just sits there, quiet, amusing herself.

“I need a favor.” Bucky asks. He yanks two bottles of beer out of the fridge and hands one to her. He sits heavily in his seat opposite her. “What can I do you for Buckaroo?” She says, popping her bottle open, not bothering to look up from her phone. “I need some information.” This stops her texting. Looking at him with one pierced eyebrow raised, she smirks. “Information one what?”

“The Winter Soldier.” Her brows knit together. “You been talking to Old Joey?” She says, amused. “You know you can’t trust him, alcohol’s gone and fried his brain.” She taps her temple. Bucky doesn’t crack a smile. “Wow, shit, ok, you’re serious. What specifically about this guy do you need?”

“Everything you can get. Anything that’s tied in with this guy, I want it.” Blaire regards him for a few moments before returning to her phone. “When’s dinner gonna be done?” She asks. He gets up and checks the pot. The rich smell of stew fills the room in what seems like mere seconds. “About another hour and a half.” She downs her beer and gets up. “Give me about thirty and I’ll see what I can find.” She tells him, walking out of the room. He nods, good, this is good. He’s getting somewhere at the very least.

Even though she’s only fifteen, Blaire has been through enough to last her a life time. The beginning of her life story is one bad cliché after another. Her father, a pimp, knocked up her mother, his prostitute. Nine months later, and she was born. For the first six years of life, Blaire didn’t even realize she had parents. Her mother was gone half the time, and her father bounced the moment he found out Blaire was a girl.

Another ten years and Blaire was on the streets trying to help her mother with her addictions. Stealing bottles of booze, dealing drugs to kids at school. One fine day, when Blaire had grown up enough, her mother decided it was high time Blaire got into the family business. Bringing some friends over, a mother just watched as her daughter cried for help getting away from four strange men. That night, Blaire skipped town and never looked back.

To make sure she’d never get taken advantage of again, she honed her body into one for strength. It was easy to kick ass when no one expected it from you. She settled in New Orleans when it was painfully obvious no one cared that she was some street rat, as long as they got their drugs on time.

Blaire’s best kept secret was how good she was with computers. She’s hacked into nearly every ‘secure’ network she can, just for fun. Gathering information on this Winter Soldier guy, was surprisingly a piece of cake. The information was all over the internet. Encrypted files she didn’t bother looking at before she unencrypted them. Her hardware was top notch, stolen from a supply truck just a few months ago. Chopped and put back together. Untraceable.

If she knew what she was dealing with she probably would’ve paid closer attention. She grabs the drive the downloaded files are on and heads back to Bucky’s, letting herself in. He’s standing in the middle of the room, arms cross, face in full frown. He doesn’t acknowledge her. She doesn’t mind. She knew the thousand-yard stare of soldiers well enough to know not to bother him. If he wanted her help, he’d ask.

“Did you get the files?” She waves the drive in the air and puts it on his side of the table, then goes back to playing Angry Bird on her phone.

It’s an hour of complete silence after that. Bucky, standing in the middle of his crappy ass kitchen, Blaire, in her chair. He’s placing a plate in front of her when he freezes. “Bucky, I’m not going to eat out of your hand.” Blaire says, looking up at him. He’s looking intensely at the window, his eyes travel back to her, back to the red dot sitting securely between her eyes.

Before Bucky can grab her, she throws herself away from him. Just in time too. The shot misses her by centimeters. “Fuck!” She calls out, diving for Bucky’s door. Bucky heads the opposite way for his bug out bag.

It’s strange for Blaire to be in the midst of a shootout after so long. It’s nice to know she can remain calm and think clearly after all this time. Get your bag, she tells herself. Don’t stop for anything, just get your bag. She does, without little issue. Gathering a few other things, she’s out her bedroom window in seconds, crawling down the fire escape. Safe house next, she thinks. She knows the back-alley route by heart.

Just as she’s making her last drop, she lands on someone. As they throw her off, she points her gun at them. “Blaire?”

“Bucky?” A shot whizzed between them. Blaire shoots blindly to her right, getting up and running for it. “This way!” She calls over her shoulder. Hopefully the old man can keep up.

#Bucky Barnes #Winter Soldier #Marvel Cinematic Universe #Bucky fic

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ourjusticeleague · 6 years

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To Warner Bros. We, the undersigned, petition to have Warner Bros. release the original Director’s Cut of Zack Snyder’s film, JUSTICE LEAGUE. Summary JUSTICE LEAGUE was released worldwide on November 17th 2017. Fans around the world gathered to see the culmination of a trilogy that Director Zack Snyder started in 2013. To the dismay of many, the film that was released by WB was NOT the film fans were expecting. After a heartbreaking family tragedy. Zack Snyder stepped down from the film and Joss Whedon was brought in to finish post-production. This was an understandable move at the time as fans were assured by Warner Bros. Pictures president Toby Emmerich that Whedon would follow the vision that Zack has set. “The directing is minimal and it has to adhere to the style and tone and the template that Zack set. We’re not introducing any new characters. It’s the same characters in some new scenes. The course has really been set by Zack” Only a few weeks after this statement, Joss Whedon fired Junkie XL as the composer of the Justice League score and hired Danny Elfman. This was once again, a red flag for fans. While Danny Elfman is nothing short of a legend in the industry, it was perplexing to make this change when Zack personally chose Junkie XL to score. Soon after, reports came that Zack Snyder had screened a cut of Justice League to WB before his departure and it was decided that some changes were required. While fans expected Whedon would add some of his style to the script, no one expected the overhaul that was ended up being done to Zack’s original film and Chris Terrio’s original script. A few weeks before the film released, fans were treated to another red flag when it was announced that Justice League was going to be under 2 hours, a mandate forced by WB on the film to appeal to a wider audience. Those familiar with the production of the film and the style of Zack Snyder found this troubling. Zack Snyder as a filmmaker is known for longer, grandiose epics that have a wider message speaking to our society. Justice League, which was originally supposed to be a Two-Part film, was reduced to one early in the script stage. Nonetheless, fans still expected a singular Justice League film to have the consistency of length of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. A two-hour film that has to juggle multiple goals did not seem realistic and now that the film has been released, this has been a near universal criticism. One would assume that WB learned from their mistakes when Batman v Superman was underserviced by it’s editing where many issues were solved in the Director's Cut. With Justice League having been officially released, the film has been met with the dismay of critics, fans and most importantly the alienation of it’s original fan base. What fans were treated to in Justice League was a Zack Snyder film only in name and not in quality. Much of the thematic thread of the previous entries was severed and Whedon’s influence on the script seemed to hold a greater impact than Terrio. This included ill-fitting innuendos between Wonder Woman and The Flash as well as a disrespectful use of Lois Lane, both characters who would have never been treated in such a fashion in Snyder’s original cut. Many of the heartfelt, character developing moments by Snyder were cut through jarring reshoots and troubling replacements. This can be seen specifically with the character of Superman. A scene of Clark recognizing Lois’ acceptance of his marriage proposal was replaced with a moment of Clark uncharacteristically feeling “itchy.” Superman seemed to have been completely shifted in Whedon’s reshoots. This is evidenced by the poorly done CGI to his mustache and 180 shift in personality. All this clearly evidences that most of Zack’s footage of Superman was reshot. This is a blatant change for the countless fans across the globe who personally connected with this Superman and his struggles. Zack’s Superman specifically connected with immigrants and marginalized groups. This was the most complex Superman ever put to screen and Whedon’s reshoots did him a disservice. There have been multiple quotes by Zack where he makes clear Superman is on a natural progression to become lighter. After all, this was the purpose of his trilogy since 2013’s Man of Steel. Fans were expecting a lighter and more optimistic Superman and were greeted with a grossly accelerated version of that Kal-El. We feel Zack Snyder’s footage and dialogue of Superman needs to be restored to keep a level of realistic growth. Leaked scenes have shown that the butchering of Snyder’s original cut threads through every cast member. Snyder’s Cybrog had a chunk of development erased which is quite disrespectful when you realize this was a rare moment to have a Person of Color as the heart of a multi-million-dollar blockbuster. Characters like Willem Dafoe’s Vulko and Kiersey Clemons’ Iris West were completely cut from the film that would have successfully developed and expanded the worlds of Aquaman and The Flash, making them more three-dimensional heroes rather than a rushed final product in the theatrical cut. Much of Snyder’s visually stunning imagery was trimmed to fit the mandated two hour run time like the ancient battle sequence and parts of Superman’s return. Finally, the change in score was a disappointing endeavor. To preface these comments, Danny Elfman’s work is great throughout his career. What was deemed troubling by the fan base was the lack of thematic consistency. Junkie XL planned to create themes for every member of the Justice League while implanting the work Hans Zimmer used in both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. As this is a growing universe, fans expect Hans’ iconic Superman score to be used for his return. They expected Junkie’s Batman theme and Hans’ Wonder Woman theme to be used regularly. While it would have been fine to pepper in original themes of Williams’ Superman, it shouldn’t have superseded Hans’ theme for Snyder’s Superman. All of this can be repaired by Warner Bros. by releasing a director’s cut that adheres to Zack Snyder’s original tone and vision, Chris Terrio’s script and Junkie XL’s tone. Recommendation As explained above, we, the undersigned, recommend that Warner Bros. released the Director’s Cut of Zack Snyder’s Justice League for home release. We request that Warner Bros. restores the cut scenes and original vision that Zack had for the film. Much like Richard Donner had a Director’s Cut of Superman II and Zack had a Director’s Cut of Batman v Superman, it is the responsibility of WB to right their wrongs and do good by their fans. This is simply a matter of integrity. Zack Snyder left the film that he put the better half of a decade working towards because of a tragedy. Fans were assured by Executives and Producers alike that Whedon’s addition will only be to service and complete Snyder’s vision and it ended up being a disrespectful overhaul in an attempt to pander to the widest audience. As the Box Office and critical reception has shown, pandering to the masses is not a sound strategy and the greatest stories are the ones told with conviction. Tens of thousands of fans have already signed and that number continues to grow. We implore WB to right this wrong and release Zack Snyder’s Director’s Cut

#justice league #zack snyder #petition #Superman #Batman #Wonder woman #Aquaman #Flash #Cyborg

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transparentjellyfishdeer-blog · 6 years

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101 College Essay Examples for 13 Schools Expert Analysis

SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

101 College Essay Examples for 13 Schools + Expert Analysis

The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I’ll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 13 different schools. Finally, I’ll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 125 full essays and essay excerpts, this article will be a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You’ll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author’s present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author’s world, and for how it connects to the author’s emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don’t take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don’t want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don’t bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

Enchanted Prince Stan decided to stay away from any frog-kissing princesses to retain his unique perspective on ruling as an amphibian.

Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you’re in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

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Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these (plus some essay excerpts!).

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. 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.

2. 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?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

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

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Carleton College

Connecticut College

Hamilton College

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Universal Application, both of which Johns Hopkins accepts.

Tufts University

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

7 Common Application essays from applicants admitted to Stanford, Duke, Connecticut College, NYU, Carleton College, Washington University, and the University of Pennsylvania

2 Common Application essays (1st essay, 2nd essay) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a smaller collection of essays that are college-specific, plus 22 essay excerpts that will add fuel to your essay-writing fire.

Smith College

Tufts University

Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example #1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

“Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?”

“Why me?” I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window’s seal like I’d seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I’d been in this type of situation before. In fact, I’d been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. “The water’s on fire! Clear a hole!” he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I’m still unconvinced about that particular lesson’s practicality, my Dad’s overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don’t sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don’t expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: “How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?”

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It’s family. It’s society. And often, it’s chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

I had never broken into a car before.

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

“Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?”

“Why me?” I thought.

It’s the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren’t going to get food or dinner; they’re going for “Texas BBQ.” The coat hanger comes from “a dumpster.” Stephen doesn’t just move the coat hanger—he “jiggles” it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn’t just uncomfortable or nervous; he “takes a few steps back”—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

Coat hangers: not just for crows' nests anymore! (Götz/Wikimedia)

Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I’d been in this type of situation before. In fact, I’d been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word “click.”

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

“Unpredictability and chaos” are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like “family of seven” and “siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing,” Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: “in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.”

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase “you know,” so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father’s strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn’t occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

"Mr. President? There's been an oil spill!" "Then I want our best elementary school students on it, STAT."

An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: “How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?”

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen’s life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad’s approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can’t control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like " twists and turns" and " don’t sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he " learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

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Example #2: By Bridget Collins, Tufts Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 608 words long)

I have always loved riding in cars. After a long day in first grade, I used to fall asleep to the engine purring in my mother's Honda Odyssey, even though it was only a 5-minute drive home. As I grew, and graduated into the shotgun seat, it became natural and enjoyable to look out the window. Seeing my world passing by through that smudged glass, I would daydream what I could do with it.

In elementary school, I already knew my career path: I was going to be Emperor of the World. While I sat in the car and watched the miles pass by, I developed the plan for my empire. I reasoned that, for the world to run smoothly, it would have to look presentable. I would assign people, aptly named Fixer-Uppers, to fix everything that needed fixing. That old man down the street with chipping paint on his house would have a fresh coat in no time. The boy who accidentally tossed his Frisbee onto the roof of the school would get it back. The big pothole on Elm Street that my mother managed to hit every single day on the way to school would be filled-in. It made perfect sense! All the people that didn't have a job could be Fixer-Uppers. I was like a ten-year-old FDR.

Seven years down the road, I still take a second glance at the sidewalk cracks and think of my Fixer-Uppers, but now I'm doing so from the driver's seat. As much as I would enjoy it, I now accept that I won't become Emperor of the World, and that the Fixer-Uppers will have to remain in my car ride imaginings. Or do they? I always pictured a Fixer-Upper as a smiling man in an orange T-Shirt. Maybe instead, a Fixer-Upper could be a tall girl with a deep love for Yankee Candles. Maybe it could be me.

Bridget the Fixer-Upper will be slightly different than the imaginary one who paints houses and fetches Frisbees. I was lucky enough to discover what I am passionate about when I was a freshman in high school. A self-admitted Phys. Ed. addict, I volunteered to help out with the Adapted PE class. On my first day, I learned that it was for developmentally-disabled students. To be honest, I was really nervous. I hadn't had too much interaction with special needs students before, and wasn't sure how to handle myself around them. Long story short, I got hooked. Three years have passed helping out in APE and eventually becoming a teacher in the Applied Behavior Analysis summer program. I love working with the students and watching them progress.

When senior year arrived, college meetings began, and my counselor asked me what I wanted to do for a career, I didn't say Emperor of the World. Instead, I told him I wanted to become a board-certified behavior analyst. A BCBA helps develop learning plans for students with autism and other disabilities. Basically, I would get to do what I love for the rest of my life. He laughed and told me that it was a nice change that a seventeen-year-old knew so specifically what she wanted to do. I smiled, thanked him, and left. But it occurred to me that, while my desired occupation was decided, my true goal in life was still to become a Fixer-Upper. So, maybe I'll be like Sue Storm and her alter-ego, the Invisible Woman. I'll do one thing during the day, then spend my off-hours helping people where I can. Instead of flying like Sue, though, I'll opt for a nice performance automobile. My childhood self would appreciate that.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

Bridget takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but her essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through https://www.the-essays.com/admission-essay of the strengths of her essay.

A Structure That’s Easy to Follow and Understand

The essay is arranged chronologically. Bridget starts each paragraph with a clear signpost of where we are in time:

Paragraph 1: “after a long day in first grade”

Paragraph 2: “in elementary school”

Paragraph 3: “seven years down the road”

Paragraph 4: “when I was a freshman in high school”

Paragraph 5: “when senior year arrived”

This keeps the reader oriented without being distracting or gimmicky.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

I would assign people, aptly named Fixer-Uppers, to fix everything that needed fixing. That old man down the street with chipping paint on his house would have a fresh coat in no time. The boy who accidentally tossed his Frisbee onto the roof of the school would get it back.

I wanted to become a board-certified behavior analyst. A BCBA helps develop learning plans for students with autism and other disabilities. Basically, I would get to do what I love for the rest of my life. …But it occurred to me that, while my desired occupation was decided, my true goal in life was still to become a Fixer-Upper.

What makes this essay fun to read is that Bridget takes a child’s idea of a world made better through quasi-magical helpers and turns it into a metaphor for the author’s future aspirations. It helps that the metaphor is a very clear one: people who work with students with disabilities are making the world better one abstract fix at a time, just like imaginary Fixer-Uppers would make the world better one concrete physical fix at a time.

Every childhood Fixer-Upper ever. Ask your parents to explain the back row to you. (JD Hancock/Flickr)

An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Bridget sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know her.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Bridget's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks her younger self’s grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

In elementary school, I already knew my career path: I was going to be Emperor of the World.

I was like a ten-year-old FDR.

Technique #2: invented terminology. The second technique is the way Bridget coins her own terms, carrying them through the whole essay. It would be easy enough to simply describe the people she imagined in childhood as helpers or assistants, and to simply say that as a child she wanted to rule the world. Instead, she invents the capitalized (and thus official-sounding) titles “Fixer-Upper” and “Emperor of the World,” making these childish conceits at once charming and iconic. What's also key is that the titles feed into the central metaphor of the essay, which keeps them from sounding like strange quirks that don’t go anywhere.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Bridget emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

The big pothole on Elm Street that my mother managed to hit every single day on the way to school would be filled-in. It made perfect sense! All the people that didn't have a job could be Fixer-Uppers.

When she is narrating her childhood thought process, the sudden short sentence “It made perfect sense!” (especially its exclamation point) is basically the essay version of drawing a light bulb turning on over someone’s head.

As much as I would enjoy it, I now accept that I won't become Emperor of the World, and that the Fixer-Uppers will have to remain in my car ride imaginings. Or do they?

Similarly, when the essay turns from her childhood imagination to her present-day aspirations, the turn is marked with “Or do they?”—a tiny and arresting half-sentence question.

Maybe instead, a Fixer-Upper could be a tall girl with a deep love for Yankee Candles. Maybe it could be me.

The first time when the comparison between magical fixer-upper’s and the future disability specialist is made is when Bridget turns her metaphor onto herself. The essay emphasizes the importance of the moment through repetition (two sentences structured similarly, both starting with the word “maybe”) and the use of a very short sentence: “Maybe it could be me.”

To be honest, I was really nervous. I hadn't had too much interaction with special needs students before, and wasn't sure how to handle myself around them. Long story short, I got hooked.

The last key moment that gets the small-sentence treatment is the emotional crux of the essay. As we watch Bridget go from nervously trying to help disabled students to falling in love with this specialty field, she undercuts the potential sappiness of the moment by relying on changed-up sentence length and slang: “Long story short, I got hooked.”

The best essays convey emotions just as clearly as this image.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Bridget's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Explain the car connection better. The essay begins and ends with Bridget's enjoying a car ride, but this doesn't seem to be related either to the Fixer-Upper idea or to her passion for working with special-needs students. It would be great to either connect this into the essay more, or to take it out altogether and create more space for something else.

Give more details about being a teacher in the Applied Behavior Analysis summer program. It makes perfect sense that Bridget doesn't want to put her students on display. It would take the focus off of her and possibly read as offensive or condescending. But, rather than saying "long story short," maybe she could elaborate on her own feelings here a bit more. What is it about this kind of teaching that she loves? What is she hoping to bring to the lives of her future clients?

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3 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?

Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?

Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?

Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it. Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

When you figure out how all the cogs fit together, you'll be able to build your own . um . whatever this is.

#2: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

#3: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

What’s Next?

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Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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