Fiske Real College Essays That Work

Top College Essays That Show You What Works

1. Take the stress out of writing your essays!

Top College Essays That Show You What Works

1. Take the stress out of writing your essays!
Every fall, thousands of aspiring students just like you spend hours staring at a computer screen, searching for a clever opening line or life-changing experience. It doesn't have to be that hard--we'll help you push past writer's block and find a topic that works for you!

2. Let your unique, authentic personality shine through!
The best essays come from high school students who stand out by being themselves. We'll teach you how to showcase yourself--and all the depth, with, charm, and quirkiness you bring to your daily life.

3. Submit an essay that will get you in!
College admissions experts Edward B. Fiske and Bruce G. Hammond give you all the advice you need for an essay that will open the door to the college of your choice. You'll find effective examples from real applicants--of all skill levels--and learn how to successfully bring your essay from initial draft to final submission.

Real essays on these topics and more:

• ?Athletics
• ?The Arts
• ?Racial and Cultural Differences
• ?Humor
• ?Family
• ?Personal Growth
• ?Travel

Every fall, thousands of aspiring students just like you spend hours staring at a computer screen, searching for a clever opening line or life-changing experience. It doesn't have to be that hard--we'll help you push past writer's block and find a topic that works for you!

2. Let your personality shine through!
A good essay does not need to be a literary masterpiece or a scholarly treatise worthy of James Joyce. The best essays come from high school students just being themselves. We'll teach you how to showcase yourself--and all the depth, with, charm, and quirkiness you bring to your daily life.

3. Submit an essay that will get you in!
College admissions experts Edward B. Fiske and Bruce G. Hammond give you all the advice you need for an essay that will open the door to the college of your choice. You'll find effective examples from real applicants--of all skill levels--and learn how to successfully bring your essay from initial draft to final submission.

Real essays on these topics and more:

-Athletics
-The Arts
-Racial and Cultural Differences
-Humor
-Family
-Personal Growth
-Travel

Edward B. Fiske is the founder and editor of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. A former Education Editor of the New York Times, Fiske is known around the world for his award-winning writing on topics ranging from trends in American higher education to school reform in Southeast Asia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The guide was established in 1982 when, covering higher education for the Times, Fiske sensed the need for a publication that would help students and parents navigate the increasingly complex college admissions scene. The guide, an annual publication, immediately became a standard part of college admissions literature and it is now the country's best-selling college guide.

Fiske has teamed up with his wife, Helen F. Ladd, a professor at Duke University, on several major international research projects regarding the development of education in various countries. Together, they are co-editors of the Handbook of Research in Education Finance and Policy, the official handbook of the American Education Finance Association. Fiske's journalistic travels have taken him to more than 60 countries on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development, UNESCO and the Asia Society.

Born in Philadelphia, Fiske graduated from Wesleyan University summa cum laude, and received master's degrees in theology from Princeton Theological Seminary and in political science from Columbia University. He is a regular contributor to the International Herald-Tribune. In addition to the New York Times, his articles and book reviews have appeared in Atlantic Monthly, Chronicle of Higher Education, Los Angeles Times, and other national publications.

A resident of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Fiske serves on a number of boards of non-profit organizations working for access to college and international understanding. He is also a founding member of the board of the Central Park School for Children, a charter school in Durham.

Bruce G. Hammond was editor in chief of The Insider's Guide to the Colleges and was managing editor of four editions of The Fiske Guide to Colleges. He is the author of Discounts and Deals at the Nation's 360 Best Colleges and is the school and college expert at Parent Soup, a division of iVillage.com.