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Chemistry Personal Statement Examples

What is a chemistry personal statement?

Writing a personal statement for chemistry is a chance to sell yourself to the admissions tutors and show them why you would make a great candidate.

It’s a place to describe your skills and strengths, as well as your career plans and ambitions for the future.

You are allowed up to 4000 characters to explain why you are applying for a sociology degree, so you need to make sure your statement is as good as possible to stand out from the crowd.

How do I write a good chemistry personal statement?

Great chemistry personal statements always use evidence to support their claims.

You need to convince admissions tutors that you’re a good match for the programme, so if you claim to be committed or inquisitive, then use examples from your life to back it up.

To write a successful chemistry personal statement you need to start early, brainstorm some ideas, and then begin your first draft.

This will then need to be carefully revised and edited before asking family and friends for feedback. Incorporate their comments and suggestions, and see how it is improved before asking them to look at it again.

Read through our chemistry personal statement examples to give you an idea of what makes a good chemistry statement.

Make sure you proofread your statement for grammar and spelling before sending it off, and if you feel you need a little extra help, take a look at our personal statement editing services .

What should I include in my chemistry personal statement?

Many students choose to start their statement by picking a specific aspect of chemistry and explaining why they enjoy it.

Admissions tutors want candidates that are as passionate about the subject as they are.

As well as your motivations for studying chemistry, think about your hobbies and extracurricular activities too. What skills have you learned from these and how will these help you in your chemistry degree?

Talk about any work experience placements you have completed, e.g. shadowing a lab technician or someone in a hospital. What did you take away from this experience? Do you feel you have all the necessary personal traits and qualities that make a good chemistry student?

Your wider reading is also important, so it's worth mentioning anything you've read recently that you found interesting and why. Generally, admissions tutors like students who express their views and opinions, and can back them up with evidence.

For more help and advice on what to write in your chemistry personal statement, please see:

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321 Interesting Chemistry Topics & Writing Tips

Chemistry studies matter and what it’s made of. It tells us how substances change and what properties they have. Chemistry seeks to answer questions such as: What is the Universe made of? How do elements react with each other?

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Read our article to dive deeper into this intricate subject. What is more, we’ve prepared a list of 300 exciting chemistry-related topics. You can choose between organic, nuclear chemistry, biochemistry, and other branches. Our interesting topics in chemistry will make your studies more enjoyable!

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🔝 Top 10 Interesting Chemistry Topics

✅ Branches of Chemistry
✍️ Writing Tips

⭐ Top 10 Chemistry Essay Topics

🔬 General Chemistry Topics
🧑🥼 Chemistry Project Topics
🤔 Advanced Chemistry
🦠 Biochemistry
🧬 Organic Chemistry
♻️ Green Chemistry
⚗️ Inorganic Chemistry
⚛️ Nuclear Chemistry
🧮 Analytical Chemistry
🧪 Physical Chemistry

🔍 References

Biochemistry in nursing
Crystalloids vs. colloids
The purpose of dilutions
Principles of electrochemistry
Why is stoichiometry so difficult?
Are there alternative periodic tables?
The polarity of bonds classification
How is nuclear chemistry used?
The importance of Lewis electron dot structure
Endothermic reactions vs. exothermic reactions

✅ Main Branches of Chemistry

Chemistry is a broad subject that uses various methods of study. Because of this, scientists divide it into five main branches. These are organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, and biochemistry . Let’s investigate them:

Organic chemistry examines life. It seeks to understand the molecular structure and behavior of living beings.
Inorganic chemistry focuses on materials rather than living beings. Chemists of this field aim to advance technology.

Physical chemists examine the atomic level of matter. This branch uses physics to study the processes in chemical systems.
Analytical chemists investigate what matter consists of. They look for new analyzing procedures and ways to enhance existing ones.
Biochemistry studies the fundamental biological systems. It improves our understanding of essential medical issues.

Now that we’ve sorted out chemistry basics, we can examine how to write about it. Whether you’re in high school or already in college, the following guide will help you compose an excellent chemistry paper!

✍️ Tips on How to Write a Chemistry Paper

Each subject has its own rules when it comes to writing papers. In chemistry, the organization is the key. That’s why the first step is to have your lab notes in order. Keep your notebook neat and tidy, and you will see that writing becomes much more manageable.

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On top of that, it’s good to have an idea of what an excellent paper should be like. There are three major points you should keep in mind: objectives, style, and structure.

Objectives. Your goal is to identify and convey valuable information. If you want to share it with others, it should be presented as credible scientific work.
Introduction. Say what your paper will be about.
Methods. Present the methods and materials you use.
Results. Describe what you observed during the experiment.
Discussion. Analyze the results and summarize the relevance of your study.
Style. Grammatically correct writing is a must. Your style should be formal, concise, and clear. Use the right tense: write your methods and results in the past. For general truths, you can switch to the present.

Finally, don’t forget that for any type of writing, the right topic is crucial. For inspiration, check out our excellent chemistry paper topics!

The history of neurochemistry
Astrochemistry vs. astrophysics
Is radiochemistry a dying field?
Pros and cons of being a biochemist
New concepts of chemical engineering
What makes quantum chemistry difficult?
The importance of agricultural chemistry
The impact of WW2 on computational chemistry
Ernest Rutherford’s contribution to nuclear chemistry
Computer chemistry vs. computational chemistry

🔬 General Chemistry Topics to Write About

Chemistry surrounds us in our everyday life. Have you ever seen moldy bread or boiling water? That’s chemistry in action. Have a look at these 30 easy topics for an introduction into chemistry:

What happens to your body when it lacks vitamins ?
How does acid rain form?
Understanding pheromones: how do they affect humans?
Explain what atoms are made of.
Ionic and covalent compounds: a comparison.
How do you solve stoichiometry problems?
Give an overview of the states of matter.
A delicate balance: how do chemicals in our brains create moods?
Describe the noble gas configuration.
Marie Curie and her extraordinary legacy.
An introduction into acids and bases .
Write about hydrologic cycles.
What happens when a substance oxidizes?
Explain substitution reactions.
Compare the Bohr model with the plum-pudding and the Saturnian models.
How does a Geiger counter work?
Describe the significance of Rutherford’s gold foil experiment.
How Michael Faraday forever changed the scientific landscape.
What does Prout’s hypothesis state?
The history of european alchemy.
What are the periodic trends?
Explain how to analyze amino acids using protein hydrolysis.
What do catalysts do?
Everything about lab safety.
The radium craze of the early 20th century.
How does substance abuse impact your body?
Why is it essential to study chemistry in high school?
Reaction rates: how do we define them?
Before chemistry: ancient philosophy of things changing.
Examine how radioactive decay occurs.

🧑🥼 Chemistry Projects Topics for Science Fair

Experiments are, without a doubt, the most fun part of chemistry. It’s exciting to watch colorful substances fizzle and bubble. If you need ideas for your next project, look no further. Just make sure to follow safety rules!

Discover what determines the color changes when iodine and starch react.
Find out how to make photosynthesis visible.
Try to synthesize Aspirin.
Develop film and explain how you did it.
Fiddle a wire through an ice cube without drilling holes.
Assess the quality of water and find out what contaminates it.

Extract plant oil and study its properties.
Observe what happens if you dye wool with different colors.
Learn how to make a solution change color.
Determine the amount of caffeine in various sorts of tea.
How do you produce biogas or liquid from organic waste?
Analyze the contents of your toothpaste . Can you find any health hazards?
Make a water filter from scratch.
Why does lemon juice stop apples from browning?
Make a safe smoke bomb.
Document the process of growing crystals .
Identify the pollutants in the air around you.
What makes a flame change color?
Biometric technologies: how do they work?
Study invisible ink. What makes it disappear?
Wine: how do its chemical compounds relate to its taste?
Emulsions: how to make and break them.
Compare the effectiveness of different vegetable oils in biodiesel manufacturing.
Assess the residue of pesticides in vegetables from various markets.
Measure the density of soft drinks . How does sugar affect it?
Conductivity: what types of solutions are the best electrical conduits?
Food and science: how much energy do nuts and chips produce when burned?
Analyze your hair and check for nutrients.
Examine what soap needs to foam properly.
Change a penny’s color to gold.

🤔 Advanced Chemistry Topics for an Essay

Once you’ve mastered chemistry’s fundamental concepts, you’re ready for the advanced part. Here, you will explore topics such as kinetics, equilibrium, and thermodynamics. Consult our list for 30 interesting advanced chemistry topics:

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Polymers : what do we use them for?
How do spectroscopes work?
What chemical information can we find in meteorites?
Spectroscopy and its many applications.
Schrödinger’s Cat: what did it reveal about radioactive decay?
Examine the properties of imino-disaccharides.
The importance of carbohydrate-protein interactions in immunology.
CRISPR: how does it work?
Compare the types of noncovalent bonding.
Investigate how molecular recognition can be produced synthetically.
Describe the impact of nanotechnology.
How does nanoscience change our lives?
What does Le Châtelier’s principle state?
CBD: what advantages does it have?
What causes a chemical process to result in equilibrium?
Compare the types of equilibrium .
BPA : how toxic is it?
Behavior of ideal vs. non-ideal gases.
Magnetism and coordination compounds.
The principles of molecular orbital theory.
Why do certain compounds not exist?
How does water recycling work?
Cloud seeding: when is it useful?
What causes the weather to change?
Why do some plants rely on photosynthesis more than others?
Describe the properties of hydrogen.
Explain the connection between collision theory and concentration.
How do the ab initio methods work?
Chemistry and the brain: impact of neurotransmitters.
Examine the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia.

🦠 Biochemistry Topics to Research

Have you ever wondered what chemical processes happen inside living organisms? Here’s an example: when we breathe, we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Biochemistry combines biology and chemistry to find out how life works on a molecular level. It’s a life science that deals with the cells, proteins, and lipids that form the core of every being. Clinical research highly benefits from biochemical knowledge.

Explain enzyme inhibitors and their mechanisms.
What are the benefits of epigenetics?
Enzyme activity: how can you regulate it?

Understanding the role of lipase in pathophysiological processes.
The chemical processes behind metabolism.
Amino acids: industrial applications.
Consequences of a protein deficiency.
Dietary supplements : help or hazard?
How does the Citric Acid Cycle work?
Glycolysis : how does it convert glucose?
How do solutes move through biological membranes?
Explain the sodium-potassium pump.
Describe networks and alliances of the biotechnology industry.
How does the body react to chlorine exposure?
Cells gone rogue: the origins of cancer .
Investigate the functions of hormones.
How can we develop new vaccines?
Discuss the ethics of stem cell research .
The legacy of Dolly the sheep.
SCNT: process and applications.
What are the chemical compounds of blood ?
How do you treat hemophilia?
The development of prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes.
Discuss the cloning of a DNA fragment and Southern blotting.
How does oxidative phosphorylation synthesize ATP?
Compare the three types of crystallography.
Copying DNA: the principles of PCR.
How does recombination repair work?
What causes redoximorphic features in various soils?
Obtaining protein structures with x-ray crystallography.

🧬 Organic Chemistry Topics for Papers

Organic chemistry serves as the foundation for biochemistry. It is centered on carbon, which is essential to life. Carbon often bonds with other elements as well as itself. That’s what makes it the basis for all organic structures.

Describe the properties of a chiral molecule.
Atmospheric chemistry: methods and observations.
Write about antioxidant potency of polyphenol-rich beverages.
Enantiomers and the Fischer projection practice.
Investigate possible relationships between stereoisomers.
What are the benefits of chemoenzymatic synthesis?
Explore the history of vitalism.
The production of chemicals using carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions.
Hydrocarbon : types and reactions.
Examine the four essential types of organic compounds.
How do free-radical reactions work?
Pathogens: infection cycle and disinfection methods.
Give examples of esters in everyday life.
How do you turn alcohols into alkyl halides?
Mechanisms of aerosol formation.
Recent discoveries in molecular tuning.
Chemical warfare: the dark side of organic chemistry.
What makes a plant poisonous?
What makes aromatic compounds unreactive?
Phosgene: what makes it toxic?
Explain the mechanism of the Diels-Alder Reaction.
Alpha carbon reactions: when do aldol condensations occur?
How do you identify organic compounds using infrared spectroscopy ?
Bonds as springs: the mechanical molecular model.
Antibiotic resistance: causes and effects.
Identify factors that influence proton chemical shifts.
What does the electron dot structure show?
The properties and reactions of functional groups.
What defines a compound as aromatic?
How do you name amines?

♻️ Green Chemistry Topics to Write About

If you’re concerned with sustainability, green chemistry is your area of choice. It finds ways to make chemical products less harmful to the environment. Research is done at every stage, from the product’s design to its disposal.

How do you prevent pollution?
What do you do with toxic waste?
Discuss the twelve principles of green chemistry .
Source reduction: what are the most effective ways?
Biomimicry : is it the best way to sustainability?
Eco-friendly packaging and its issues.
Compare the effectiveness of various materials used in solar cells .
What are the advantages of molar efficiency?
Ionic liquids: are they the future of eco-friendly reagents?
The U.S. acid rain program: pros and cons.
How can the toxicity of paint be reduced?
Innovative ways to avoid pesticides in agriculture.
What are the types of bio-based renewable feedstocks?
Are bioplastics beneficial for the environment?
How do metathesis reactions help reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Computer chips: how do we make them more sustainable?
Alternative energies: making fuel from chicken feathers.
Is carbon capture effective?
Will cultivated meat become a green alternative to traditional farming?
How does the Plantrose process work?
Discuss the petroleum products problem in the U.S.
What are efficient ways to extract and use critical elements more
How efficient is artificial photosynthesis?
What are the best ways to remove carbon pollution?
Electrocatalysis as a way to generate and consume fuels.
Discuss the most pressing issues in green chemistry today.
How does LCA work?
What are efficient ways to extract and use critical elements more sustainably?
Recycling and recovery of plastic.
Describe the advantages of Levulinc Acid use.
How can we make nuclear energy more viable?

⚗️ Inorganic Chemistry Topics for a Paper

Metals and minerals are parts of inorganic chemistry. Scientists in this field want to understand the behavior and properties of inorganic compounds. Practical uses include the manufacturing of fertilizers, adhesives, and coatings.

What are the types of nucleosynthesis?
In which ways are chemicals able to bond?
How does molecular symmetry predict the chemical properties of a molecule?
Vibrational spectroscopy: what is it used for?
Discuss the importance of inorganic compounds in biochemistry.
The history of atomic theory : an overview.
Hematite: matter and mineral.
The peculiarities of hydrogen bonds and polarity.
What are the uses of point groups in inorganic chemistry?
Determine the factors that impact Brønsted-Lowry acidity.
How does HSAB explain reaction mechanisms ?
What is lattice energy, and how can you measure it?
How do you use coordination compounds as catalysts?
Red Ferrosols: soil management issues.
Examine the drawbacks of the crystal field theory.
Define the selection rules for vibrational transitions.
What is the most effective way to grow synthetic diamonds?
How do you use the angular overlap model?
Explain ligand effects.
The magnetic properties of transition metal oxides.
Gold: how does it serve medicine?
The use of chemistry in jewelry manufacturing.
How does the chemical structure of a gemstone determine its color?
Alexandrite: what makes it so unique?
How do ligand substitution reactions work?
Determine the properties of the light types.
What are the fundamental laws of photochemistry?
What causes phosphorescence?
Alloys: what are their benefits?
The history of brass and its usage.

⚛️ Nuclear Chemistry Topics for an Essay

You’ve probably been x-rayed before. It means you’ve been exposed to radiation. Nuclear chemistry seeks to understand radioactivity-related processes. One of atomic science’s most critical problems is the disposal of radioactive waste.

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How do you calculate an element’s half-life?
Compare the three different types of radiation.
What are the common uses of radioactive elements?
How do we know that a nucleus is stable?
Fukushima and Chernobyl disasters: a comparison.
How do elements transmute in the process of nuclear fission?
Cold fusion: will it ever be possible?
Radiation: how does it harm biological systems?
Describe the types of decay.
Nuclear waste: reprocessing, disposal, and transportation.
How is nuclear chemistry used in medicine?
Ways to destroy toxic organic compounds using irradiation.
Interactions between water and radioactive elements.
How are chemosensors used in radiation chemistry?
What are the biological applications of radiochemistry?
The nuclear fuel cycle: managing the disposal of nuclear fuel.
Discuss reactive hazards in the chemical industry.
Compare the efficiency of different extraction methods.
Fission products and surfaces: what happens when 9TcO2 gets in contact with steel?
Isotopic chemistry: what distinguishes it from nuclear chemistry?
Explore the history of NMR.
Henri Becquerel and the discovery of radioactivity.
The relevance of hydrogen in nuclear fusion.
What causes radioactivity?
The adverse effects of ionizing vs. non-ionizing radiation.
Why are some people skeptical about the term “ nuclear ?”
The Big Bang : how did it create the Universe as we know it?
Discuss the unsuccessful efforts in nuclear arms control.
How does radiocarbon dating work?
Mass spectrometry: ionization techniques.

🧮 Analytical Chemistry Topics for Essays

The matter comes in all forms and shapes. It can be a compound or a single element. If you want to know how matter is structured, analytical chemistry has the answer. Scientists of this branch ensure that our food and other products are safe to consume.

How does activation analysis work?
Why is analytical chemistry important for the environment?
How do you find iron in a mixture of metals?
What are the ways to measure the amount of a specific substance in a compound?

Identifying hazardous substances in cheese.
A simple way to separate chemical compounds: gas chromatography .
Aspirin vs. Ibuprofen: comparing the chemical mechanisms of pain relievers.
Genetically modified foods and their impact on human health.
Food allergies : where do they come from?
The best techniques for quantitative chemical analysis.
What are the standard techniques to measure the endpoint of a titration?
Mass-based analysis: gravimetric analysis.
How do you neutralize WVO?
Drug safety approach in administration and nursing.
Describe the three types of electroanalytical methods.
How do you measure temperature using a calorimeter?
Understanding thermodynamics : the Carnot cycle.
The process of analyzing salt.
How do you identify the shelf life of a medicine?
Ways to find adulterants in drugs.
Compare the healthiness of bottled water based on its chemical compounds.
How can you test cholesterol in blood samples?
Examine how analytical chemistry is used in forensic science .
What are the advantages of spectrochemical methods?
How do you detect pesticides using immunoassays?
Miniaturization: how does it advance analytical chemistry?
Capillary Liquid Chromatography: an overview.
Immunochemistry: applications in environmental analysis .
The development of analytical technology in the past 20 years.
Explain how to determine PAH sources in soil.

🧪 Physical Chemistry Topics for Papers

Is chemistry not enough for you? Try combining it with physics! For physical chemists, it is crucial to understand how molecules and atoms act. They use various models to study the structure and behavior of these tiny particles.

Explain how to determine an atom’s electron configuration.
Describe the structure of an atom.
Isotopes: why do they exist?
What is the Time-of-Flight principle?
How do you calculate the mass of an atom?
Define successive ionization energies.
What are the gas laws?
Equation of state: ideal vs. real gases.
Explain why the Earth is considered a closed thermodynamic system.
What is the Avogadro constant?
The difference between empirical and molecular formulae.
Calculating percentage yields: balanced equations.
How do intermolecular forces affect the melting point of a substance?
What are the four types of crystal structures?
Define the types of forces that exist between molecules.
Explain how to relate the melting point and conductivity of a substance to their type of structure.
What is fire in terms of chemistry and thermodynamics?
Reasons why molecules with polar bonds might not have a permanent dipole.
How do internal combustion engines work?
Endothermic or exothermic? Determining enthalpy change.
What are the applications of Hess’s law?
Explain the use of mean bond enthalpy.
When does a collision not cause a reaction?
How does temperature affect the reaction rate ?
How do catalysts work?
Describe what Born-Haber cycles are used for.
Explore the history of thermochemistry .
Give examples of quasi-static processes.
The study of chaos: calculating entropy.
When is a reaction reversible?

We hope that you found a topic you like. Now good luck with your essay!

Chemistry Extended Essay Topics: 30+ Ideas to Get You Started

by Antony W

September 2, 2022

Have you searched for the best IB Chemistry Extended Essay topics but you haven’t found any that’s useful for further investigation?

Or maybe you don’t know how to choose a topic for the subject and you need guidance?

Continue reading this guide to learn more.

What is an Extended Essay in Chemistry?

An extended essay in chemistry gives you the chance to study a specific area of our environment's components.

Within a more broad set of research standards, the essay should highlight a particular chemical aspect.

The result of the study should be a logical and organized piece of writing that effectively tackles a certain subject or research question and reaches a specific, and ideally personal, conclusion.

Chemistry Extended Essay Writing Help

Are you struggling with topic selection for your Chemistry EE? Or maybe you have no idea how to start your preliminary research to develop your research issue?

You can contact Help for Assessment right now for professional help.

If you’re asking yourself who can write my Extended Essay for me , you can be sure that our platform has the writing team that you’re looking for. We can help you with IB Chemistry EE topic selection, conduct preliminary research, develop a relevant research issue, and get the writing done.

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve run out of time or your grasp of Chemistry is weak.

We connect you with professional writers with experience in the subject, so you never have to worry about quality and relevance of the work you get from us.

Take advantage of this writing service, and let us help you score top grades in your Chemistry EE.

How to Choose Chemistry Extended Essay Topics

Below are some points that will help you to choose the best Chemistry extended essay topics:

1. Pick a Topic Focused on Chemistry

It is essential that the emphasis of the extended essay be on chemistry, and not on another subject.

Chemistry is the study of the composition, classification, and change of substances.

Therefore, a long essay in chemistry should include chemical principles and theory and underline the core character of chemistry, which is the study of matter and its transformations.

2. Pick a Topic for Which You Can Provide a Chemistry-based Approach

Although the same evaluation criteria apply to all extended essays, the topic chosen for a chemistry extended essay must provide a different chemistry-based approach.

Whereas you can handle a topic from several perspectives, you have to treat everything from a chemical standpoint.

For instance, if registered as a chemistry extended essay, a biochemistry extended essay will be evaluated based on its chemical content, not its biological content.

3. Pay Attention to the Assessment Criteria

The topic's breadth and accompanying research should allow for the consideration of all criteria.

An excellent subject is one in which the single research question is focused and may be adequately addressed within the word limit.

Perhaps the most crucial component is your ability to provide an in-depth analysis of the issue.

Broad or complex survey topics (such as investigations into health problems caused by water pollution, chemotherapy for cancer treatment, or the use of spectroscopy for chemical analysis) will not allow you to discuss opposing ideas and theories or produce an in-depth personal analysis within the word limit.

4. Avoid Topics that Raise Safety Concerns

Some topics may not be acceptable for examination due to safety concerns.

You should not experiment using poisonous or hazardous chemicals, carcinogenic compounds, or radioactive materials, for instance, unless suitable safety equipment and competent supervision are available.

5. Avoid Topics Whose Outcomes are Already Documented in Textbooks

Other topics may not be appropriate since the outcome is well documented in standard textbooks and the student may not be able to demonstrate personal involvement.

Example: a study of the interactions of alkali metals with water, which is previously covered in the curriculum.

However, you must use caution when determining if a topic is appropriate; for instance, the study of the allotropes of carbon may have been considered trivial in the past, but this is no longer the case.

IB Chemistry Extended Essay Topic Ideas

The following are some Chemistry Extended Essay topic ideas that you can start exploring right away – or just use for inspiration.

How does the flower come into being?
Why do plants grow while submerged in water?
The influence that shifts in climate have on the reproductive processes of plants
Sugar and cocaine are both very addictive.
Why do some individuals consume more food but still manage to seem thin?
What causes the pollen tube to develop, and how does pollination take place in isolated areas?
The several kinds of eucalyptus trees
The impact that rising temperatures are having on plant life.
What is the one item that is absolutely necessary for the development of plants?
The process of photosynthesis that takes place in the absence of sunlight
The connection between the brain and the rest of the body The health and safety regulations regarding the preservation of cow milk for commercial purposes
What distinguishes plants that grow in water from those that grow on land?
The effectiveness of pollination by different species
The possibility that medications used to treat pain and other similar substances might be harmful to the human brain.
How can plants be used as a kind of treatment?
Is it feasible for plants growing in the same environment to act in a variety of ways?
What kind of an impact does a shift in habitat have on the touch-me-not plant?
The phases of development that occur in a fetus
Ultrasound's influence on the ratio of elimination to substitution yields in the reaction of halogenoalkanes with sodium hydroxide.
How does the equilibrium change when you replace hydrogen in ethanoic acid with groups that pull electrons and release them?
Diaper gel (sodium polyacrylate) absorbs liquids, but how much sodium chloride (as well as the solution's pH) depends on how much water is present.
A Green Chemistry approach is used to studying the synthesis of vanillyl alcohol from vanillin and sodium borohydride.
Raw milk's accessible calcium is studied in relation to the temperature at which it was heated, and lab-treated milk is compared to commercially-processed milk.
Thanaka powder and traditional sunscreens are compared for their thermal stability and photostability.
Analysis of catalase denaturation during the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide
Visible light absorption by 1,x-dihydroxyanthraquinone as a function of the location of the second hydroxyl group.
Temperature's impact on the fading kinetics of a photochromic dye was studied using spectrophotometry.

Final Thoughts

There are many IB Chemistry Extended Essay topics, but these ones should be good for a start, especially if you’re already struggling to find topics in the first place.

About the author

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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AP®︎/College Chemistry

Welcome to ap®︎/college chemistry, unit 1: atomic structure and properties, unit 2: molecular and ionic compound structure and properties, unit 3: intermolecular forces and properties, unit 4: chemical reactions, unit 5: kinetics, unit 6: thermodynamics, unit 7: equilibrium, unit 8: acids and bases, unit 9: applications of thermodynamics.

CHEM101: General Chemistry I

Course introduction.

Time: 36 hours
College Credit Recommended ($25 Proctor Fee) -->
Free Certificate

Course Syllabus

First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.

Unit 1: Matter and Measurements

Chemistry is the study of matter and how we can change matter chemically and physically. What is matter? Matter is everything around us that has mass and volume. Matter can be any phase - solid, liquid, or gas. In this unit, we explore the properties, phases, and how we measure matter. We review the standard units of measurement and how to report our measurements using significant figures.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

Unit 2: The Atom

The atom is the basic unit of matter and serves as our starting point for the study of chemistry. The atom is composed of the subatomic particles protons, neutrons, and electrons. Scientists have studied atoms for hundreds of years and have developed a number of different models to describe them, as experimental technology has improved and new discoveries have been made. Chemists currently use the quantum mechanical model of the atom. In this unit, we explore the structure and properties of atoms. We also study some of the basic tenets of quantum mechanics, and how quantum mechanics describes atomic structure. Finally, we learn about the structure and organization of the periodic table of the elements.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.

Unit 3: Bonding

Bonds are connections between atoms. A solid grasp of valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory will help you understand how elements that differ by one or two atomic numbers behave. According to VSEPR theory, the number of electrons an element has corresponds with its chemical properties. For example, sodium differs from neon and potassium by one atomic number, but it resembles potassium, not neon. Sodium and potassium both have one valence electron, which explains their similar properties, while neon is a stable element with eight valence electrons. We use VSEPR to predict the three-dimensional structure, or geometry, of molecules.

Unit 4: Chemical Formulas and Equations

Chemists need to write out formulas and equations to solve chemistry problems. It is important that chemists have a common set of rules for writing formulas and equations so they can communicate with other scientists. In this unit, we begin to name and write formulas for compounds, and learn how to write and balance chemical equations. Equations enable us to describe chemistry topics in mathematical terms and predict the outcomes of reactions. For example, what volume of steam is created if we turn one kilogram of ice into pure steam, at 200 degrees Celsius and sea-level air pressure? We can calculate the precise answer when we write the reaction out in the form of an equation!

Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.

Unit 5: States of Matter

In this unit, we explore how matter behaves in terms of the three main phases of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. We investigate gases first because their properties are described by well-defined equations. Next, we study phase changes, which we describe in terms of a graph known as a phase diagram. We finish this unit with an exploration of the properties of solids.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 7 hours.

Unit 6: Thermochemistry and Thermodynamics

In this unit, we study thermodynamics and thermochemistry. Thermodynamics is the study of heat transfer. Thermochemistry is specifically the study of heat transfer in chemical reactions. We were introduced to thermodynamics in Unit 5 when we learned about the energy associated with phase changes. Thermodynamics and thermochemistry allow us to predict whether a reaction will produce heat, such as the burning of a candlewick, or if a reaction will require heat to proceed, such as the reaction that occurs inside a disposable cold pack. In this unit we also learn about Gibbs Free Energy, which tells us whether a reaction is spontaneous, meaning the reaction will occur without external "help".

Completing this unit should take you approximately 6 hours.

Unit 7: Acid-Base and Oxidation-Reduction Reactions

In this unit, we study two important types of chemical reactions: acid-base and oxidation-reduction. We will discuss how these types of reactions occur in all aspects of science and in everyday life. We will also review the properties of acids and bases and introduce two acid-base definitions: Arrhenius and Brønsted-Lowry. We will perform pH calculations and learn how to use the pH scale to identify acidic and alkaline solutions. Then, we will discuss oxidation and reduction, also known as electron transfer reactions. We will also learn how to write and balance equations for oxidation-reduction reactions and introduce some common oxidizing and reducing agents.

Unit 8: Nuclear Chemistry

Finally, we'll examine the processes of nuclear decay, nuclear fusion, and nuclear fission. Unlike all other types of chemical reactions, which involve electrons, nuclear reactions involve the nucleus of the atom. In this unit we discuss different types of nuclear decay, learn how to write equations that describe nuclear reactions, review the concept of half-life in the context of radioactive decay, and learn how we use nuclear fission to generate electric energy.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.

Study Guide

This study guide will help you get ready for the final exam. It discusses the key topics in each unit, walks through the learning outcomes, and lists important vocabulary. It is not meant to replace the course materials!

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Certificate Final Exam

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Saylor Direct Credit

Take this exam if you want to earn college credit for this course . This course is eligible for college credit through Saylor Academy's Saylor Direct Credit Program .

The Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam requires a proctoring fee of $5 . To pass this course and earn a Credly Badge and official transcript , you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on the Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam. Your grade for this exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again a maximum of 3 times , with a 14-day waiting period between each attempt.

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College Chemistry Topics

Important Concepts in General Chemistry

Chemical Laws

Periodic Table

Projects & Experiments
Scientific Method
Biochemistry
Physical Chemistry
Medical Chemistry
Chemistry In Everyday Life
Famous Chemists
Activities for Kids
Abbreviations & Acronyms
Weather & Climate
Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

College chemistry is a comprehensive overview of general chemistry topics, plus usually a little organic chemistry and biochemistry. This is an index of college chemistry topics which you can use to help study college chemistry or to get an idea of what to expect if you're thinking about taking college chem.

Units & Measurement

Chemistry is a science that relies on experimentation, which often involves taking measurements and performing calculations based on those measurements. This means it is important to be familiar with the units of measurement and ways of converting between different units. If you're having trouble with these topics, you may want to review basic algebra. While units and measurement are the first part of a chemistry course, they are used in every aspect of the science and must be mastered.

Significant Figures
Scientific Notation
Calculate the Mean
Metric Units
Metric Conversions - Unit Cancelling
Temperature Conversions
Pressure Conversions
Gram - Mole Conversions

Atomic & Molecular Structure

Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons form the nucleus of the atom, with electrons moving around this core. The study of atomic structure involves understanding the composition of atoms, isotopes, and ions. Understanding the atom doesn't require a lot of math, but it's important to know how atoms are constructed and interact because it forms the basis of chemical reactions.

Basic Model of the Atom
Bohr Model of the Atom
Molecules & Moles
Introduction to Molecular Geometry
Quantum Numbers & Electron Orbitals

The periodic table is a systematic way of arranging the chemical elements. The elements exhibit periodic properties that can be used to predict their characteristics, including the likelihood they will form compounds and participate in chemical reactions. There's no need to memorize the periodic table, but a chemistry student needs to know how to use it to obtain information.

What Is an Element?
List of Elements
Periodic Table of the Elements
Introduction to the Periodic Table
Trends in the Periodic Table
Periodic Table Study Guide

Chemical Bonding

Atoms and molecules join together through ionic and covalent bonding. Related topics include electronegativity, oxidation numbers, and Lewis electron dot structures.

Types of Chemical Bonds
Electronegativity
Element Valences
Lewis Structures or Electron Dot Structures

Electrochemistry

Electrochemistry primarily is concerned with oxidation-reduction reactions or redox reactions. These reactions produce ions and may be harnessed to produce electrodes and batteries. Electrochemistry is used to predict whether or not a reaction will occur and in which direction electrons will flow.

Oxidation Numbers
Balancing Redox Reactions
Nersnt Equation
Electrochemical Cells

Equations & Stoichiometry

It's important to learn how to balance equations and about the factors that affect the rate and yield of chemical reactions.

How to Balance Equations
Factors that Affect Rate of Reaction
Law of Multiple Proportions
Limiting Reactant & Theoretical Yield
Chemical Reaction Orders

Solutions & Mixtures

Part of General Chemistry is learning how to calculation concentration and about different types of solutions and mixtures. This category includes topics such as colloids, suspensions, and dilutions.

Solutions, Suspensions, Colloids & Dispersions
How to Calculate Concentration
Dilutions from Stock Solutions
Solubility Rules
Boiling Point Elevation
Freezing Point Depression

Acids, Bases and pH

Acids, bases and pH are concepts that apply to aqueous solutions (solutions in water). pH refers to the hydrogen ion concentration or ability of a species to donate/accept protons or electrons. Acids and bases reflect the relative availability of hydrogen ions or proton/electron donors or acceptors. Acid-base reactions are extremely important in living cells and industrial processes.

Acid-Base Definitions
Important Acids & Bases
Quick pH Review
Strong & Weak Acids and Bases
Salt Formation

Thermochemistry/Physical Chemistry

Thermochemistry is the area of general chemistry that relates to thermodynamics. It is sometimes called Physical Chemistry. Thermochemistry involves the concepts of entropy, enthalpy, Gibbs free energy, standard state conditions, and energy diagrams. It also includes the study of temperature, calorimetry, endothermic reactions, and exothermic reactions.

Laws of Thermochemistry
Standard State Conditions
Absolute Zero
Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions
Calorimetry & Heat Flow
Heats of Formation

Organic Chemistry & Biochemistry

Organic carbon compounds are especially important to study because these are the compounds associated with life. Biochemistry looks at different types of biomolecules and how organisms build and use them. Organic chemistry is a broader discipline which includes the study of chemicals that can be made from organic molecules.

Elements in the Human Body
Photosynthesis
Carbon Cycle
Monomers & Polymers
Protein & Polypeptide Structure
Carbohydrates
Amino Acids
General Chemistry Topics
Overview of High School Chemistry Topics
Chemistry 101 - Introduction & Index of Topics
Topics Typically Covered in Grade 11 Chemistry
Teach Yourself Chemistry Today
A to Z Chemistry Dictionary
Chemistry Vocabulary Terms You Should Know
AP Chemistry Course and Exam Topics
Types of Chemical Reactions
Periodicity Definition in Chemistry
Clickable Periodic Table of the Elements
Overview of the Branches of Chemistry
A List of Common General Chemistry Problems
The 5 Main Branches of Chemistry
What Is the Atomic Number?
What Is a Chemical Reaction?

Chemistry - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

Chemistry is the scientific discipline involved with elements and compounds composed of atoms, molecules, and ions. Essays could explore notable discoveries in chemistry, its sub-disciplines, or its applications in daily life. The interrelation between chemistry and other scientific disciplines or contemporary challenges in chemistry could also be discussed. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Chemistry you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Neuroscience of Addictions – Brain Chemistry in Action

Prescription stimulants belong to Schedule II drugs as per the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classification. They are highly abused because they are easily accessible. This leads to the emergence of substance abuse disorder. Drug abuse denotes using prescription stimulants or any other drug for reasons other than the intended one. Non-medical use of prescription stimulants increases annually and now ranks second after marijuana among other illicit drugs. Sedative-hypnotics are drugs used to sustain sleep (Schmiedl et al., 2014). Additionally, they […]

Neuroscience and Brian Chemistry of Addictions

Introduction Stimulants are either natural, refined or synthetic. They can be legal or illegal. Stimulants are drugs which can increase mental alertness, inflate physical energy, influences brain chemicals (cause excitement) and brings about euphoria. They stimulate the central nervous system. Some of the medicinal stimulants include amphetamines and methylphenidate, and they are mostly prescribed to both kids and adults diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sedative/hypnotic drugs are commonly called depressants. They slow down brain activity. Some of the sedative/hypnotic […]

What is Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is the process that transforms organisms from light energy into chemical energy. In order for photosynthesis to take place, it needs these three things: Water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight. As humans, in order to live plants, must take in gases. Plants are known as ""autotrophs, which means organisms that can make their own food. The process of photosynthesis was created and developed Jan Ingenhousz, a British physician and scientist. Joseph Priestley was another scientist who contributed to the discovery […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

Effect of Exercise on the Rate of Respiration and the Heart Rate

How does increase the number of jumping jacks affect the rate of respiration and the heart rate per minute in teenagers aged 17-18? Background Information: Different types of activity will have a different effect on the rate of respiration as well as the heart rate because of certain factors. These include the level of intensity and difficulty of the exercise, as well as determining whether it is an aerobic or anaerobic activity. Aerobic respiration requires the presence of oxygen. (Haldane, […]

Photosynthesis Vs. Cellular Respiration the Major Processess in a Global Balance

There are two key processes that occur in nature to obtain energy, they are photosynthesis and cellular respiration. The derivative of the word photosynthesis is the process in which energy of sunlight is converted by plants to store chemical energy in carbohydrate bonds. Photosynthesis is known to be performed by plants, as is cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is organisms obtaining energy from a conversation that releases energy when oxygen is present. These two processes work together hand in hand as […]

Should Fracking be Allowed in the US?

Should fracking be allowed in the US? Fracking is the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas. Fracking has many benefits to but it also has some environmental concerns as well. Fracking has a low chance of it going bad but the when it does go wrong it is a disaster. It affects many of its surroundings and has many chemicals that are […]

Characterization of Melba Beals

Rosa Parks once proclaimed, I would like to be known as a person who is concerned about freedom and equality and justice and prosperity for all people. These same ideas could be spoken about Melba Pattillo Beals, a black girl who lived in Little Rock, Arkansas, an extremely segregated town. She was chosen as one of The Little Rock Nine to integrate Central High School and help the town evolve with freedom and equality. She eventually understands that this is […]

Development of Science in 17th and 18th Century

Science is defined as intellectual and practical actives that involve systematic organization of knowledge obtained through observations and experiment. 17th and 18th centuries are periods where we see human being conducting thorough scientific research which has seen been tested and proven real. It is also through these sessions that technological changes were significantly observed ranging from Revolution of Ideas, a discovery of new machines, widespread of scientific knowledge through learning institutions, improvement in speed work and Institutionalization of well discussed […]

Process of Photosynthesis

Presentation Photosynthesis, process by which green plants and certain different living beings utilize the vitality of light to change over carbon dioxide and water into the basic sugar glucose. In this manner, photosynthesis gives the fundamental vitality source to basically all life forms. A critical result of photosynthesis is oxygen, on which most living beings depend. Photosynthesis happens in green plants, ocean growth, green growth, and certain microscopic organisms. These living beings are veritable sugar plants, creating a huge number […]

Idea of Photosynthesis by Jan Ingenhousz

To begin, the idea of photosynthesis was created by, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, ""A Dutch scientist, Jan Ingenhousz. (Ingenhousz 1.) He was born in the Netherlands on December 8, 1730. Ingenhousz, is most known for his discovery of photosynthesis. According, to Encyclopedia Britannica, ""Ingenhousz discovered that light is necessary for photosynthesis, only the green parts of the plant perform photosynthesis, and all living parts of the plant can potentially damage the air."" (Ingenhousz 1.) Photosynthesis occurs in two steps inside […]

Air Pollution Scrubber

Introduction Air pollution in urban areas has become an issue affecting human health to a degree unprecedented in human history. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently prioritized the reduction of air pollution, citing: An estimated 4.2 million premature deaths globally are linked to ambient air pollution, mainly from heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections in children. Worldwide ambient air pollution accounts for: 29% of all deaths and disease from lung cancer. (World Health […]

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Using Various Plants Leaves

Abstract In the present experimental work, a rapid and simple method was applied for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using different types of medicinal plants, viz. Sphagneticola trilobata, Catharanthus roseus, Azadirachta indica, and Dalbergia sissoo. The aqueous leaf extracts of these plants were used as both the reducing agent and the capping agent for silver nanoparticles synthesis. The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The UV-Visible spectrophotometer showed surface plasmon absorbance peaks in the range […]

Exploring the Intricacies of Genetics through DNA

Introduction The hereditary molecule that is tasked with carrying genetic instructions that are used in all living things in development, growth, reproduction and functioning is referred to as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA molecules consist of two strands which are bipolar and are mostly coiled near to one another to form a spiral. This strands are referred to as polynucleotides simply because they are made of small units known as nucleotides. The information of the DNA is stored in this nucleotides. […]

Photosynthesis and Energy

Energy is very important and plays a substantial role in life itself, but where does energy come from, and how does energy work? Of course, the answer is simple: photosynthesis. With this reading, you will learn what photosynthesis is, how it works, the energy it creates, and how energy is stored and used. Finally, you will learn about different types of energy and the benefits those energy sources have. The process of photosynthesis begins when a plant receives carbon dioxide […]

The Unsustainability of Fracking

Over the last ten years, America has experienced an energy revolution. Energy consumption has never been higher and the majority of this consumption is supplied by fossil fuels such as coal and oil or natural gas. In order to compensate the high energy demand, most conventional natural resources in the United States have been exhausted. Therefore, prices of natural gas and other fossil fuels are continuing to rise. In an attempt to increase oil and gas production and lower prices, […]

How to Relieve Global Warming by Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

Introduction 'US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on a report by his own government warning of devastating effects from climate change.' (BBC News,26 November 2018) Several months ago, Donald Trump claims that the America exit 'Paris Agreement' because he think Global Warming is the lie of the scientists. Does he is true? The tables below show: 'On the Linearity of Local and Regional Temperature Changes from 1.5°C to 2°C of Global Warming.' Fig. 1. 30% rise in atmospheric CO2 […]

Environmental Heavy Metals on Diabetes Mellitus Type II

ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEAVY METALS ON DIABETES MELLITUS (TYPE II) AMONG TANNERY WORKERS IN VELLORE DISTRICT 1.0. INTRODUCTION Health is a vital aspect of life, determined by controlled lifestyle activities. These include cleanliness, appropriate nutrition, hygiene, and the overall environment. Disruptions in any of these factors can lead to ill-health. Independent or combined changes in lifestyle, genetic traits, heredity, and environment may result in a life-threatening disorder or metabolic syndrome called diabetes. Diabetes mellitus has undergone a notable […]

Characterization and Utilization of Bio-char

1.1 Municipal Sewage Sludge (MSS) Sludge consists of various elements such as waste, organic and inorganic compounds, which are disposed into the atmosphere and are harmful to it. Sludge contains different pollutants and solid waste, including heavy metals, large organic solids, calcium, magnesium, metal sulphides, heavy metal organic complexes, precipitated soaps and detergents, biomass, and precipitated phosphates. Methods of sludge treatment involve stabilization and dewatering residue. Various types of unit processes and operations are used for the management of the […]

Long-Term Affects of Wastewater in Disposal Sites from Fracking

Overview This article discusses a study done at Penn state into the long-term affects of wastewater in disposal sites from fracking. In 2011, water and sediment downstream of fracking disposal sites was discovered to still contain unsafe levels of some chemicals, despite the water being treated, and had become radioactive. This had contaminated drinking water and aquatic life in the river, causing die-off of some present species. Due to this discovery, fracking wastewater was no longer treated and released back […]

Characterization and Application of Protease Enzyme from Oceanobacillus Iheyensis KB7

RESULTS Molecular identification of bacteria The 16S rRNA gene of the Oceanobacillus iheyensis strain was amplified using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with the help of 16S rRNA Universal primers. The 16S rRNA gene sequences were submitted to the BANK it and the ID number is (O. iheyensis _ MF192763). The Phylogenetic relationship was obtained using neighbor joining by pair wise comparison among the 16S rRNA gene sequence of selected isolate with species. The dendrogram was constructed for their Phylogenetic relationship […]

Characterization Testing and Applications of Composite Materials

Composite materials, as the name indicates, is a combination of at least two different materials combined together in a unit that has various properties. Namely, if a composite material is made out of different materials, then each material will keep its specific and unique properties- and this is what makes composite materials versatile and applicable for various engineering projects. Composite materials can have their strength increased if they are additionally reinforced with particulates or fibers. Particulates reinforcement is not the […]

X-Ray Diffraction Characterization

X-ray diffraction (X-RD) technique has been ever adapted to recognize structural properties of materials and to get information like crystal structure/phase, lattice parameters, crystallite size, orientation of single crystals, preferred orientation of polycrystals, defects, strains and so on. The technique has found to be employed to study the thin films, bulk and nanomaterials [50]. Principle of X-Ray Diffraction According to the Bragg’s law, diffraction occurs when light is scattered by a periodic array with long-range order, producing constructive interference at […]

Electrochamical Characterization of Bovine Serum Albumin on Phenoli Coated Nickel Titanium

Blood-material interactions are critical for the performance and biocompatibility of biomedical devices, implanted in thousands of patients every day. When an implant is introduced into the body, both protein adsorption and the activation of complement proteins occur [1-3]. A series of interactions happen [4], where firstly, water molecules reach the surface of the implant and build a water shell around it on a timescale that is of the order of nanoseconds. The interaction of the water molecules with the surface […]

Characterization of Amyloid Fibrils and Protective Effects of Silibinin

Amyloid fibrils are abnormal, fibrous protein deposits that grow on the outer membrane of the cells. They are insoluble and do not function to provide structural support or motility in humans. Amyloids are known to show major impact on diseases like Alzheimer’s and type II diabetes which progress over a period of time and are associated with high mortality (1). There are no effective treatments known for amyloid-related diseases, therefore, searching for compounds that can effectively inhibit the formation of […]

What do you Know about Fracking?

What do you know about fracking? Some oppose it and some think it is our solution for a better economy. Companies are trying to make it more popular for the economy, and for their company. In this essay, you will learn more about fracking and what it does. So, what is hydraulic fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing is also known as fracking. Fracking in a process in which oil and gas companies drill in to the ground. The drilling done is to […]

Large-Area Synthesis of Graphene Films Transfer Process

Recently, much attention has turned to the structural and electronic properties of carbon-based materials. At present, especially, graphene is the hottest topics in condensed-matter physics and materials science. This is because graphene has not only unusual properties regarding extreme mechanical strength, thermal conductivity and 2-diemensional films, but also peculiar electronic characteristics such as Dirac-particles with a linear dispersion, transport energy gap and simply absorption coefficient of lights (Geim & Novoselov, 2007; Nair et al., 2008). These unique properties mean it […]

Applications of Large Scale Graphene

Graphene for nanoelectronics Graphene shows a glaring ambipolar electric field effect such that charge carriers can be tuned continuously between electrons to holes. Single layer graphene atop a thermally grown SiO2 layer on a highly doped Si substrate may serve as a prototype of a field effect transistor. Under this configuration SiO2 serves as an insulating layer, so a back-gate voltage can be applied to vary carrier concentration (figure 11b). Early graphene FET devices demonstrated by Novoselov exhibited dopant concentrations […]

Transmission Electron Microscopy Techniques

In this study, the researchers cultured 42GPA9 and HeLa cells on the cover slide for one day and transfected with Cx43-GFP. The researchers applied high-resolution microscopy to study the cells. Also, they used computer software to study the cells. The JEM-2100 Transmission Electron Microscope is a machine that provides the solution for a broad are of problems in the area of biological sciences, materials, and Nano electronics. The JEM-2100 is precisely very simple to use as it has a system […]

Air Quality and Climate Change Research

Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles, such as car emissions and dust, and gases mixed in the air. It has many critical effects on a country as it may affect people’s health by causing severe asthma and heart disease. The principal cause of air pollution is the high emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) which results from the burning of sulfur that contains fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. Kuwait is extremely dependent on oil production thus that’s […]

A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for HER2 Breast Cancer by Nanoparticles Combined with Macrophages

Abstract:In recent years, the cell membrane bionic nanoparticles as a new drug delivery system is widely used in small molecule drugs, vaccines and targeted delivery of macromolecular drugs, because of its inherited the specific receptors on the cell membrane and membrane proteins can be used to implement specific targeted delivery, and the tumor showed a good treatment effect on the disease such as model, this topic with a huge bite cell membrane of the role of tumor capture, chemical modification, […]

How to Write Essay About Chemistry

Chemistry, transcending the bounds of a mere topic, emerges as a comprehensive subject deeply rooted in the STEM field, where its intricate and often abstract concepts can pose substantial challenges to understanding. Students regularly encounter complex chemistry homework assignments that test their grasp of the subject, leading to difficulties that can be overwhelming. Recognizing these academic hurdles, PapersOwl extends its scope beyond the realm of essay writing to provide specialized assistance in chemistry homework . Our service is tailored to demystify the complexities of chemical reactions, molecular structures, and theoretical concepts, offering students the support and guidance they need. By leveraging our expertise, students can navigate the challenging aspects of chemistry with greater ease and confidence, ensuring they not only complete their homework but also deepen their understanding of this fundamental scientific discipline.

Composing an essay on chemistry requires a blend of scientific knowledge, analytical skills, and the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the process of writing a chemistry essay:

Understanding the Essay Topic

Begin by clearly understanding the specific aspect of chemistry you are tasked with exploring. Chemistry is a broad field that encompasses organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, and biochemistry. Determine the focus of your essay, whether it's discussing a chemical reaction, exploring a chemical theory, analyzing a laboratory experiment, or examining the impact of a chemical discovery.

Conducting Comprehensive Research

In-depth research forms the backbone of a good chemistry essay. Utilize credible sources such as scientific journals, chemistry textbooks, and authoritative online resources. Pay close attention to recent research findings, experiments, and theoretical developments in the field. Take detailed notes on relevant chemical processes, reactions, formulas, and experiments that align with your topic.

Developing a Clear Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement should succinctly present the main argument or objective of your essay. In chemistry, this could be an assertion about a chemical principle, the importance of a discovery, or the implications of a particular research finding. Ensure that your thesis is focused, specific, and directly related to the chemistry topic you are discussing.

Planning Your Essay Structure

Organize your essay in a logical and coherent manner. Start with an introduction that sets the context for your topic and presents your thesis statement. In the body, divide your main arguments or points into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific aspect supported by scientific evidence. Conclude by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis in light of the discussion.

Writing the Essay

Use clear and precise language, and explain chemical terms and concepts for clarity. Chemistry essays often involve detailed descriptions of processes and reactions, so it's important to be accurate and thorough. Present your arguments logically, supported by data, experiments, and theoretical explanations. Be analytical and critical, particularly when discussing the implications or applications of chemical principles.

Incorporating Scientific Data and Examples

Chemistry essays may include scientific data, chemical formulas, and graphical representations. Ensure that all such elements are accurately presented and relevant to your argument. Use examples and case studies to illustrate your points, and explain how they support your thesis.

Citing Your Sources

Proper citation is crucial, especially when referring to experimental data, chemical properties, or theories developed by others. Use an appropriate citation style (like ACS, APA, or MLA) and consistently cite all your sources, including figures and diagrams.

Editing and Proofreading

Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and logical flow of ideas. Check for accuracy in your chemical descriptions and ensure that your analysis is thorough. Proofread for grammar, spelling, and formatting issues. It's often helpful to have someone else read your essay, as they might catch errors or unclear sections you missed.

Writing an essay about chemistry involves understanding complex scientific concepts and effectively communicating them in a structured and insightful manner. By thoroughly researching your topic, organizing your essay logically, and presenting your arguments with precision and clarity, you can create a compelling chemistry essay that showcases your understanding and insights into this fascinating field.

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Essay Samples on Chemistry

Organic chemistry and its societal issues: animal care products.

Animal care develops and provides pharmacological animal health services and products to assist veterinary profession. Under animal welfare is animal care. Animals have welfare needs and pet owners must supply the needs of their pets most especially when it comes to their health, which is...

Animal Welfare

How Shemistry Influenced the History and Presentation of Art

Chemistry is everywhere in our life. Of course, chemistry is also closely related to art. There are many forms of art, such as oil painting, gouache, watercolor and so on. These painting forms are inseparable from products such as pigments and watercolors, which are based...

Art History

Analytical Chemistry: Three Methods of Compound Determination

Analytical chemistry is the science of determining what matter is and how it exists through instruments and techniques which separate, identify and quantify matter, overall determining the structure of the compound. There are three techniques that can be used to determine a compound. These techniques...

Chemical Reaction

Medicinal Chemistry: The Importance of Building Blocks

Organic building blocks are organic molecules which are well-furnished, the basic components for organic synthesis. They are used for bottom-up modular assembly of molecular architectures such as supra-molecular complexes, metal-organic frameworks, organic molecular constructs, and nanoparticles. In medicinal chemistry, they are selected for the use...

The Current State-of-the-Arts of Redox Chemistry

Introduction to electrochemistry and photochemistry Nowadays, redox chemistry is becoming more and more prevalent in our daily society. From OLED technology to medicinal treatment advances, the science behind these breakthroughs is becoming fundamental in how we view our world, and how we innovate for the...

Periodic Table

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Best topics on Chemistry

1. Organic Chemistry and Its Societal Issues: Animal Care Products

2. How Shemistry Influenced the History and Presentation of Art

3. Analytical Chemistry: Three Methods of Compound Determination

4. Medicinal Chemistry: The Importance of Building Blocks

5. The Current State-of-the-Arts of Redox Chemistry

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How To Write Chemistry Essay

Table of Contents

Chemistry Essay Writing Guide

Outline example
Tips on introduction writing
Tips on body paragraph writing
Tips on conclusion writing

Science has helped the world to decipher and answer some of the hardest questions about the universe and our bodies as well. Currently, researchers are conducting different studies on various scientific topics, and the expectation is that more knowledge will be generated. However, when asked to write analytical reports, research papers, or lab reports, some scientists find themselves struggling to express their ideas on paper. Chemistry students, for example, help to solve some of the most difficult problems that the world faces today. However, when asked to write a chemistry essay, some students find it difficult to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and in a coherent manner. Chemistry papers need to have a main point or argument or simply be specific in what it is trying to discuss or decipher. Students should hence ensure that their essay is specific and narrow, not as general as some of the others.

Chemistry papers are written for different reasons. Some are written to help explain or expound on a concept, others are written to communicate some results while there are some that are solely written for purposes of explaining the processes involved in research. If written as a research paper, a chemistry essay should articulate and make use of the basic scientific structures and formats of writing chemistry essays. Students should hence be conversant with different scientific formats like APA, MLA, and Harvard mainly for referencing purposes. Scientific papers such as chemistry essays follow specific formats and must be cited unless otherwise stated by the instructor.

Outline for a chemistry essay

Writing a chemistry essay outline is essential because it gifts one with a focused guide to completing the paper. In an outline, writers are expected to include their main point as well as some of the supporting arguments that they will include in the body of their essay. Chemistry essay outlining is similar to what is done in other essays and should hence be an easy task. If, for example, students have been asked to write an essay about the element silicon, the outline for such an essay would be as shown below:

Introduction

Background information about silicon.
Briefly, mention its importance in the mainstream world.
The basic structure of silicon as an element. Some of its attributes should also be included.
The role of silicon in construction and architecture.
The use of silicon in the automobile industry.
Reiterate the role of silicon in society today.
Provide a summary of the main points, for example, the main uses of silicon.
Finalize by mentioning how much silicon is a part of people’s lives today.

Writing an Introduction

Writing a chemistry essay introduction can be challenging regardless of how much research one has done.

Below are some introduction writing tips:

Include factual information in the introduction.
Provide background data regarding the topic under study. Include information that will make the essay comprehensible.
Always look for an angle and be consistent in addressing it.
Have a non-ambiguous thesis statement that is direct and clearly outlines the author’s stance.

Writing a Body

The body of a chemistry paper or essay needs to support the writer’s arguments or provide details of an experiment or an investigation.

Below are some tips to help writers deliver quality papers:

Ensure that each paragraph has a topic sentence. A topic sentence bears the main point or argument presented in a paragraph.
The other sentences should offer support to the topic sentence. Writers should not drift away from the main argument that a paragraph presents.
Consistency throughout the paragraph should be enhanced.
Writers should sufficiently reference their work. In-text citations should always be included throughout the article.
Each paragraph should have five to six sentences like other essays and in these, students should ensure that they exhaustively explain their topic.
Transition words, for example, firstly, secondly, additionally, subsequently, etc. should be used to indicate to the readers that the writer is on a different point.

Writing a Conclusion

How to conclude a chemistry essay is a challenge mainly because chemistry essays do not abide by the same rules for writing conclusions. On many occasions, students are expected to assess their hypothesis and determine its accuracy or draw any conclusions from the data that they gathered. However, if the essay did not involve any investigation or study, one can just include a summary of the main points and then relate the topic to what is happening in society today.

Sources for Essay Choice

Online sources are often preferred by students because they are easily accessible and offer simple and straightforward choices. While it is not against any law or rule to source essays online, teachers often advise students to situate what they learn in class to the activities in society. The latter offers one with choices that are audience friendly and that directly resonate with daily life. It also helps people to apply the knowledge they acquired from class to society’s day-to-day problems. However, if one wants to use online sources, below is a good example of a website that can offer one some credible essay choices.

Finalizing Essay

Students are often advised always to begin with a draft before they write a final copy. Having a draft is important and gifts one with the chance of making changes to their essay whenever they feel the need to. The chemistry essay draft will indeed come in handy and gift students with the chance of revising their work. Revisions are important. Once the essay is completed or the draft is completed, it is always necessary to review it and make any changes or corrections before submitting it. Revision and proofreading are necessary and help to ensure that an essay is consistent in focus and is free of any grammatical errors.

"Last Two Summers"

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Be More Specific : In several areas of this essay, the author could be more specific to be more engaging. Rather than saying "the research happening in the labs" they could specify what types of research they witnessed. Rather than saying "these experiences were pivotal to my passion for the sciences," they could specify how these experiences gave them a new appreciation and for what areas of science in particular.

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FREE College Chemistry Practice Tests

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College chemistry covers a range of advanced topics, including atomic and molecular science, chemical reactions, states of matter, and thermodynamics. Whether you’re studying to meet core requirements or to complete your major, it’s important to ensure you have a firm grasp of college chemistry concepts. Though integrating chemistry concepts into one’s knowledge base can seem difficult, there are dozens of college chemistry practice tests available from Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools to assist you. The free college chemistry practice tests can help you brush up on your skills and identify any weaknesses you may have. When you use the free college chemistry practice resources from Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools, you’ll have the opportunity to reinforce the concepts you’re learning in your college chemistry course. The chemistry practice tests offer a free, convenient way to review all of the relevant topics. The Learning Tools for college chemistry include practice tests covering introductory college chemistry topics and a variety of short quizzes about atoms, elements, and electrons. The practice tests also cover molecules, intermolecular and intramolecular forces, bonds, polarity, and water properties. You can also boost your knowledge of laboratory techniques and analysis. Other college chemistry sample questions will challenge you on pH, equilibrium, stoichiometric calculations, thermochemistry, and many other concepts. After you have reviewed using the concept-specific practice questions, you might want to try a longer, more general college chemistry practice test. The comprehensive college chemistry practice problem sets have varying degrees of difficulty. In the problem sets, you will encounter different types of questions at random, which will test your ability to think on your feet and help to prepare you for future exams. You may find you are able to grasp the materials and conceptualize the problems more effectively with regular practice. One way to gauge your progress is by tracking the time it takes you to complete a set of college chemistry example questions. You don’t have to hurry through; take as much time as you need to think through each question. The time it takes you to complete each question and the entire college chemistry practice test are provided in the comprehensive feedback provided at the end of the test. There’s also a detailed summary, performance charts, and explanations to answers that you can use for studying. Personalizing a college chemistry study plan can be very helpful when working to increase your proficiency. All of your scores and results can be shared on social media. Students, peers, and friends can work in groups and motivate one another. The chemistry practice tests offer a free, convenient way to review all of the relevant topics. Becoming more comfortable with the material and the study process helps build confidence, which is an absolute must for future success in college chemistry. Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools gives you free resources for college chemistry review that are built on a solid foundation. When you use the online college chemistry Learning Tools, you’re able to easily and conveniently reinforce the concepts you’re learning in class.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, getting college essay help: important do's and don’ts.

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

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Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
Tell you what to say and how to say it
Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

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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Why I Majored in Chemistry

Jacob al-husseini ’22.

If you were to tell me in 10th grade that I would be a chemistry major once in college, I would’ve laughed in disbelief. As an aspiring pre-med, I was only fascinated with the marvels of the human body that could be understood and, most importantly, seen with the naked eye. The molecular level of medicine was never something that grabbed my attention, and for that reason, the chemistry was exclusively an obligation. I was lucky enough to be able to enroll in Chemistry 51 at Pomona, one of the unique courses which allows you to fulfill the year-long chemistry requirement in only one semester. You can guess why I enrolled. Nonetheless, being a student under one of the department’s most impressive members, Professor Malkiat Johal, I was quickly fascinated by intricacies of the applications of physical chemistry to the world of drug design as well as the ability to look at biological problems through the lens of a physical chemist. Luckily for me, Chemistry 51 was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Pomona’s Chemistry Department had to offer.

After only several classes, I was eager to get behind the scenes of Pomona’s research, and luckily, Professor Johal was more than helpful in allowing me to explore what the department had to offer. I joined the Johal Lab as soon as I could, looking over the shoulders of two seniors working with polyelectrolyte systems, learning everything I could in hopes of coming up with a project of my own. I was finally able to see the complexities of the theory put into practical and purposeful use, and I couldn’t have been more excited to see where I could take things next. I spent the next semester and summer researching how water influences the ability for drug binding within the body, coming to understand potential limitations that exist in the world of drug delivery with hopes to facilitate improvement for all recipients. In this process, I was able to collaborate with another member of the department, Professor Cynthia Selassie, who was instrumental in the development of the QSAR, one of Pomona’s most notable contributions to the scientific community. Not only did I see the theories put into practice, but I facilitated an increase in the overall understanding of the scientific world that will eventually impact and improve peoples’ lives. To me, that was where I was hooked. To be a freshman in college who believes that they have the power to help people is the most empowering aspect of research in the sciences and one that has kept me enthralled since the beginning.

This year, I am lucky enough to continue pursuing research in the Johal Lab. Most recently, teaming up with a pediatric neurosurgeon out of USC to design and implement aptamer conjugated nanoparticles for targeted tumor treatments of non-operable pediatric tumors and to ensure that resected tumor margins are free of residual cancer cells. We are in the process of developing a cancer treatment method that will not even require the use of a scalpel, which can be applied to make sure there is no cancer cell left anywhere in a child.

Overall, the chemistry department is as hard as it is rewarding, and I am beyond honored to have the privilege of being inspired and supported by my mentors and my peers every day I walk into Seaver. We are encouraged to try, fail, and, most importantly, learn the process of what it means to seek and discover. As a student who has only begun their second year, I’ve had experiences that are, for the most part, unheard of for undergraduates, which is a massive testament to Pomona’s desire to facilitate real-world learning. With a little over two years left, I am excited for what is in store, and I know that no matter where I go and what I do, Pomona will have my back.

Kate Aris ’22

I came to Pomona as a pre-med student intending to major in neuroscience since I want to become a neurosurgeon. I enrolled in the standard general chemistry and genetics courses for a pre-med student and could feel myself gravitating to the Chemistry Department, specifically Professor Fred Grieman. I was interested in the global warming project he assigned to us as first years and felt I learned more in that project than I ever would have imagined. I continued on the pre-med track and even took Intro to Neuro which I honestly loved so much. I kept in touch with Professor Grieman even though he was only my professor for first semester first year. I remember Professor Grieman would always tease me about not being a chemistry major. One day in his office we were talking about my future courses at Pomona as well as what opportunities I should seek out in terms of getting to medical school. He once again asked jokingly when I was going to declare my chemistry major and that afternoon, I finally gave in. Professor Grieman is now my advisor and I have also completed physical chemistry with him. So in all honesty, the people in the department are the main reason I am a chemistry major. I love my chem courses and find them to be so stimulating but my Professors and peers are the best I could ever ask for.

I do not think there is a department on campus more welcoming, caring and intellectually stimulating than chemistry. The professors go above and beyond to make me as a student feel like I can achieve anything. They are so supportive not only in our classes but also in lab, research as well as finding opportunities outside of Pomona. Additionally, my fellow chemistry majors are like a family. There is such a sense of camaraderie, collaboration and mentorship within the department. My best friend is a chemistry major in the year above and he has been so supportive and always guides me in the right direction. I think people understand that chemistry is quite a difficult major. The department requires the maximum number of courses and many of the classes are not easy. But I think that is exactly what makes the major so rewarding. Our lab curriculum is also incredible. I love how hands-on our experience in the lab is and how many skills I have acquired already. We also have the Robins Lecture series which is just an incredible opportunity for undergraduates to get to hear talks from renowned chemists and even have the chance to eat lunch with these scientists like I did!

I will be working with Professor Nicholas Ball in his lab this current semester to do an independent research project that hopefully will transition into my thesis. COVID threw a wrench in my research plans as I was hoping to get started a little bit earlier but Professor Ball was so welcoming into his lab group and I am excited to get started.

I have had the best experiences with my mentors for classes so it even inspired me to become a mentor for classes I have already completed. I think this just speaks to the fact that everyone wants everyone to succeed in the department. We all challenge one another but at the end of the day we are also each other’s biggest cheerleaders and teammates. I am also a student-athlete who is on the track team and I feel my professors and coaches have worked with me and together to make sure I can have the best of both worlds whether it be running to practice a little late coming from lab or being flexible meeting with me based on practice schedules.

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50 Best Colleges for Chemistry – 2024

April 8, 2024

One might expect to find only large research universities on a list of best colleges for chemistry majors, yet this is far from the case. While many big schools boast high-end laboratories and instructors, access to both can be limited for undergraduates, as graduate students often get first dibs. At many of the liberal arts schools listed below, such as Pomona, Bates, Haverford, and Carleton, the main focus is on teaching undergraduates and thus it is freshman chemistry students occupying the premier lab space, not doctoral students. All of the institutions on our list produce well-trained chemists who are welcomed by employers and top Master’s and Ph.D. programs alike.

As you work toward your bachelor’s degree in chemistry you’ll take coursework in general chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, calculus, physics, and more.

Methodology

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for Chemistry.

Best Colleges for Chemistry

Here’s a quick preview of the first chemistry institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) Harvard University

2) University of Chicago

3) Massachusetts Institute of Technology

4) California Institute of Technology

5) Yale University

6) Duke University

7) Washington University in St. Louis

8) Princeton University

9) Rice University

10) Emory University

All of the schools profiled below have stellar reputations in the field of chemistry and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the best chemistry colleges, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—the university’s:

Cost of Attendance
Acceptance Rate
Median SAT
Median ACT
Retention Rate
Graduation Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Academic Highlights: There are 50 undergraduate fields of study referred to as concentrations; many are interdisciplinary. Even with a graduate population of over 14,000 to cater to, undergraduate class sizes still tend to be small, with 42% of sections having single-digit enrollments and 71% being capped at nineteen. Economics, government, and computer science are the three most popular areas of concentration at Harvard. Biology, chemistry, physics, math, statistics, sociology, history, English, and psychology all sit atop most departmental ranking lists.

Professional Outcomes: The Crimson Class of 2022 saw 15% of students head directly into graduate/professional school. Of the graduates entering the world of work (virtually everyone else), 58% were entering either the consulting, finance, or technology field. Over 1,000 Harvard alumni presently work for Google and over 500 for Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs. Turning our attention to those moving on to graduate school, Harvard grads with at least a 3.5 GPA typically enjoy acceptance rates into medical school of 90% or greater.

Enrollment: 7,240
Cost of Attendance: $79,450
Median SAT: 1550
Median ACT: 35
Acceptance Rate: 3%
Retention Rate: 98%
Graduation Rate: 98%

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Academic Highlights: There are 53 majors at UChicago, but close to half of all degrees conferred are in four majors: economics, biology, mathematics, and political science, all of which have particularly sterling reputations. Economics alone is the selection of roughly one-fifth of the undergraduate population. Over 75% of undergrad sections have an enrollment of nineteen or fewer students, and undergraduate research opportunities are ubiquitous as 80% of students end up working in a research capacity alongside a faculty member.

Professional Outcomes: On commencement day, 99% of the Class of 2023 were employed or continuing their education. Business and financial services (30%) and STEM (12%) were the two sectors that scooped up the most graduates, but public policy and consulting were also well-represented. The most popular employers of recent grads include Google, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Bank of America, Citi, and Accenture. For those heading to grad school, the top seven destinations are Yale, Columbia, Penn, MIT, Stanford, UCLA, and Johns Hopkins.

Enrollment: 7,653 (undergraduate); 10,870 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $89,040
Median SAT: 1540
Acceptance Rate: 5%
Retention Rate: 99%
Graduation Rate: 96%

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates pursue one of 57 majors and 59 minors at this world-class research institution that continues to be one of the world’s most magnetic destinations for math and science geniuses. The student-to-faculty ratio is an astonishing 3-to-1, and over two-fifths of all class sections have single-digit enrollments, and 70% of courses contain fewer than twenty students. The highest numbers of degrees conferred in 2022 were in the following majors: engineering (31%), computer science and engineering (28%), mathematics (10%), and the physical sciences (7%).

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2023 saw 29% of its members enter the world of employment and 43% continue on their educational paths. The top employers included Accenture, Amazon, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Google, General Motors, the US Navy, Apple, Bain & Company, and McKinsey. The mean starting salary for an MIT bachelor’s degree holder was $95,000. The most frequently attended graduate schools are a who’s who of elite institutions including MIT itself, Stanford, Caltech, Harvard, and the University of Oxford.

Enrollment: 4,657
Cost of Attendance: $82,730
Acceptance Rate: 4%
Graduation Rate: 95%

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA

Academic Highlights: Across all divisions, there are 28 distinct majors. Possessing an absurdly favorable 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio, plenty of individualized attention is up for grabs. Class sizes are not quite as tiny as the student-to-faculty ratio might suggest, but 70% of courses enroll fewer than twenty students, and 28% enroll fewer than ten. Computer science is the most popular major, accounting for 38% of all degrees conferred. Engineering (30%), the physical sciences (20%), and mathematics (6%) also have strong representation.

Professional Outcomes: Caltech is a rare school that sees six-figure average starting salaries for its graduates; in 2022, the median figure was $120,000. Forty-three percent of recent grads went directly into the workforce and found homes at tech giants such as Google, Intel, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta. A healthy 46% of those receiving their diplomas in 2022 continued directly on the higher education path, immediately entering graduate school. Ninety-seven percent of these students were admitted to one of their top-choice schools.

Enrollment: 982
Cost of Attendance: $86,886
Median SAT: Test Blind
Median ACT: Test Blind
Graduation Rate: 94%

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Academic Highlights: Yale offers 80 majors, most of which require a one- to two-semester senior capstone experience. Undergraduate research is a staple, and over 70% of classes—of which there are over 2,000 to choose from—have an enrollment of fewer than 20 students, making Yale a perfect environment for teaching and learning. Among the top departments are biology, economics, global affairs, engineering, history, and computer science. The social sciences (26%), biology (11%), mathematics (8%), and computer science (8%) are the most popular areas of concentration.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduating, 73% of the Yale Class of 2022 had entered the world of employment and 18% matriculated into graduate programs. Hundreds of Yale alums can be found at each of the world’s top companies including Google, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, and Microsoft. The most common industries entered by the newly hired were finance (20%), research/education (16%), technology (14%), and consulting (12%). The mean starting salary for last year’s grads was $81,769 ($120k for CS majors). Nearly one-fifth of students immediately pursue graduate school.

Enrollment: 6,590 (undergraduate); 5,344 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $87,705

Duke University

Academic Highlights: The academic offerings at Duke include 53 majors, 52 minors, and 23 interdisciplinary certificates. Class sizes are on the small side—71% are nineteen or fewer, and almost one-quarter are less than ten. A stellar 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio helps keep classes so reasonable even while catering to five figures worth of graduate students. Computer Science is the most popular area of concentration (11%), followed by economics (10%), public policy (9%), biology (8%), and computer engineering (7%).

Professional Outcomes: At graduation, approximately 70% of Duke diploma-earners enter the world of work, 20% continue into graduate schools, and 2% start their own businesses. The industries that attract the largest percentage of Blue Devils are tech (21%), finance (15%), business (15%), healthcare (9%), and science/research (6%). Of the 20% headed into graduate school, a hefty 22% are attending medical school, 18% are in PhD programs, and 12% are entering law school. The med school acceptance rate is 85%, more than twice the national average.

Enrollment: 6,640
Cost of Attendance: $85,238
SAT Range: 1490-1570
ACT Range: 34-35
Acceptance Rate: 6%
Graduation Rate: 97%

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

Academic Highlights : WashU admits students into five schools, many of which offer nationally recognized programs: Arts & Sciences, the Olin School of Business, the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and the Art of Architecture programs housed within the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (13%), social sciences (13%), business (13%), biology (11%), and psychology (10%). 66% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and over one-quarter have single-digit enrollments. 65% double major or pursue a minor.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 sent 52% of grads into the workforce and 28% into graduate and professional schools. Companies employing the highest number of WashU grads feature sought-after employers such as Amazon, Bain, Boeing, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft. Of the employed members of the Class of 2022 who reported their starting salaries, 79% made more than $60k. The universities welcoming the largest number of Bears included the prestigious institutions of Caltech, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Stanford.

Enrollment: 8,132 (undergraduate); 8,880 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $83,760
Median SAT: 1530
Median ACT: 34
Acceptance Rate: 11%
Retention Rate: 96%
Graduation Rate: 93%

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

Academic Highlights: 39 majors are available at Princeton. Just under three-quarters of class sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer students, and 31% have fewer than ten students. Princeton is known for its commitment to undergraduate teaching, and students consistently rate professors as accessible and helpful. The Engineering Department is widely recognized as one of the country’s best, as is the School of Public and International Affairs.

Professional Highlights: Over 95% of a typical Tiger class finds their next destination within six months of graduating. Large numbers of recent grads flock to the fields of business and engineering, health/science, & tech. Companies presently employing hundreds of Tiger alumni include Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, IBM, and Meta. The average salary ranges from $40k (education, health care, or social services) to $100k (computer/mathematical positions). Between 15-20% of graduating Tigers head directly to graduate/professional school.

Enrollment: 5,604 (undergraduate); 3,238 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $86,700
Retention Rate: 97%

Rice University

Houston, TX

Academic Highlights : Rice offers more than 50 majors across six broad disciplines: engineering, architecture, music, social science, humanities, and natural science. Programs in biology, biochemistry, cognitive science, and music are incredibly strong, while the School of Architecture and the George R. Brown School of Engineering are among the highest-ranking schools in their disciplines. One-third of computer science majors are female, almost twice the national average. Class sizes are ideally small with 66% containing fewer than 20 students and a median class size of only fourteen.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 88% of Rice grads have found careers or a graduate school home. Companies that employ many recent grads include Deloitte, Capital One, JP Morgan Chase, Google, and Microsoft. Over one hundred alumni are also current employees of companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Amazon, Accenture, and Meta. Across all majors, the average starting salary is $73k. One-third of graduates move directly into graduate or professional school, with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, and Berkeley being the most popular destinations.

Enrollment: 4,494 (undergraduate); 4,178 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $78,278
Median SAT: 35
Acceptance Rate: 9%
Retention Rate: 94%

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Academic Highlights: This midsize university offers a diverse array of majors (80+) and minors (60+), and 30% of Emory students pursue more than one area of study. Over half of Emory’s student body works directly with a faculty member on academic research and 58% of courses have class sizes of under twenty students. Ultimately, the greatest number of students go on to earn degrees in the social sciences (15%), biology (14%), business (14%), health professions (12%), and mathematics (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduation, 66% of 2022 grads were already employed, and 96% had arrived at their next destination. The top employers of recent Emory grads include Deloitte, Epic, ScribeAmerica, Meta, Morgan Stanley, and Cloudmed. Graduates of the Goizueta Business School found strong starting salaries with an average of $81k. In the last few years, multiple Emory grads/alums received acceptance letters from the following top law schools like Columbia, Berkeley, and Georgetown. Med school acceptances included Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.

Enrollment: 7,101
Cost of Attendance: $83,702
Median SAT: 1500
Median ACT: 33
Retention Rate: 95%
Graduation Rate: 90%

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

Academic Highlights: Undergrads can study within one of seven colleges/schools, which all offer many small classes; 15% boast single-digit enrollment and 48% contain 19 or fewer students. The McIntire School of Commerce and the School of Engineering and Applied Science have glowing reputations. Other notable strengths include computer science, economics, and political philosophy, policy, and law. The most popular degree areas are liberal arts/general studies (22%), the social sciences (14%), engineering (11%), business/marketing (8%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their degree, 95% of the Class of 2022 immediately joined the workforce–with an average starting salary of $90k–or headed directly to graduate school. The most popular industries were internet & software, higher education, and management consulting. Capital One (85), Deloitte (46), Amazon (38), and Bain & Co. (26) scooped up the greatest number of 2022 grads. UVA itself was the most popular grad school destination followed by Columbia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Johns Hopkins.

Enrollment: 17,496 (undergraduate); 8,653 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $39,494-49,874 (in-state); $78,214-90,378 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1470
Acceptance Rate: 19%

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Academic Highlights: With 53 majors as well as 51 minors, JHU excels in everything from its bread-and-butter medical-related majors to international relations and dance. Boasting an enviable 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and with 78% of course sections possessing an enrollment under 20, face time with professors is a reality. Many departments carry a high level of clout, including biomedical engineering, chemistry, English, and international studies. Biology, neuroscience, and computer science, which happen to be the three most popular majors, can also be found at the top of the national rankings.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 saw 94% of graduates successfully land at their next destination within six months of exiting the university; 66% of graduates entered the world of employment and a robust 19% went directly to graduate/professional school. The median starting salary across all majors was $80,000 for the Class of 2022. JHU itself is the most popular choice for graduate school. The next most frequently attended institutions included Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and MIT.

Enrollment: 6,044
Cost of Attendance: $86,065
Acceptance Rate: 7%

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

Academic Highlights: The school’s 25 academic departments offer 36 majors and a number of concentrations rather than minors. An unparalleled 40% of courses have fewer than ten students enrolled; the median class size is 12 students. Programs in economics, English, history, math, and political science are especially renowned, and the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (26%), the physical sciences (10%), math and statistics (9%), psychology (9%), and computer science (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Among the Class of 2022, 92% were employed or continuing their educational journey within six months of graduating. Business and education typically attract the most students, with popular companies/organizations including Apple, Google, Goldman Sachs, The New York Times Co., the Peace Corps, and Teach for America. The median annual income for 2022 grads was $75,000. 75% pursue an advanced degree within five years of leaving Williams, with the most frequently attended graduate programs being Harvard, Columbia, and Yale.

Enrollment: 2,152 (undergraduate); 53 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $81,160
Median SAT: 1520
Acceptance Rate: 8%

United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, MD

Academic Highlights: The Naval Academy has some of the top-ranked undergraduate engineering programs in the world with standout reputations in aerospace, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering. 26 different undergraduate programs are offered in a variety of disciplines, but at least 65% of each class must complete degrees in a STEM discipline in order to meet the highly technological needs of the Navy. Close to three-quarters of course sections will contain fewer than 20 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is a stellar 7:1.

Professional Outcomes: USNA midshipmen have a mandatory five-year military commitment upon graduating, so the vast majority immediately become ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Very few are cleared to enter graduate school directly after receiving their bachelor’s. However, upon entering civilian employment/life, alumni flock to companies that include Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and McKinsey and Co. They also enjoy some of the highest average salaries of any alumni group in the country.

Enrollment: 1,175
Cost of Attendance: $0
Median SAT: 1330
Median ACT: 30
Retention Rate: 87%
Graduation Rate: 86%

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

Academic Highlights: There are a combined 80+ undergraduate majors and 90 minors available across the six schools. Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with 36% containing single digits. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (21%), computer science (16%), mathematics (12%), business (10%), and visual and performing arts (9%).

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 66% of 2022 grads were employed, and 28% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, McKinsey, and Deloitte. With an average starting salary of $105,194, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally. Of those pursuing graduate education, around 20% typically enroll immediately in PhD programs.

Enrollment: 7,509
Cost of Attendance: $84,412
Graduation Rate: 92%

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Academic Highlights : Northwestern is home to six undergraduate schools, including Medill, which is widely regarded as one of the country’s best journalism schools. The McCormick School of Engineering also achieves top rankings, along with programs in economics, social policy, and theatre. The social sciences account for the greatest number of degrees conferred (19%), followed by communications/journalism (13%), and engineering (11%). 45% of classes have nine or fewer students enrolled; 78% have fewer than twenty enrollees. 57% of recent grads had the chance to conduct undergraduate research.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 69% of the Class of 2022 had found employment and 27% were in graduate school. The four most popular professional fields were consulting (18%), engineering (18%), business/finance (16%), and communications/marketing/media (13%). Employers included the BBC, NBC News, The Washington Post , NPR, Boeing, Google, IBM, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Northrop Grumman, and Goldman Sachs. Across all majors, the average starting salary was $73k. Of those headed straight to graduate school, engineering, medicine, and business were the three most popular areas of concentration.

Enrollment: 8,659 (undergraduate); 14,073 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $91,290

Cornell University

Academic Highlights: A diverse array of academic programs includes 80 majors and 120 minors spread across the university’s seven schools/colleges. Classes are a bit larger at Cornell than at many other elite institutions. Still, 55% of sections have fewer than 20 students. Most degrees conferred in 2022 were in computer science (17%), engineering (13%), business (13%), and biology (13%). The SC Johnson College of Business houses two undergraduate schools, both of which have phenomenal reputations.

Professional Outcomes: Breaking down the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Cornell, 68% entered the workforce, 28% entered graduate school, 1% pursued other endeavors such as travel or volunteer work, and the remaining 3% were still seeking employment six months after receiving their diplomas. The top sectors attracting campus-wide graduateswere financial services (18%), technology (17%), consulting (15%), and education (10%). Of the students from A&S going on to graduate school, 15% were pursuing JDs, 5% MDs, and 22% PhDs.

Enrollment: 15,735
Cost of Attendance: $88,150

Stanford University

Palo Alto, CA

Academic Highlights: Stanford has three undergraduate schools: the School of Humanities & Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences. 69% of classes have fewer than twenty students, and 34% have a single-digit enrollment. Programs in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, international relations, and economics are arguably the best anywhere. In terms of sheer volume, the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (17%), computer science (16%), engineering (15%), and interdisciplinary studies (13%).

Professional Outcomes: Stanford grads entering the working world flock to three major industries in equal distribution: business/finance/consulting/retail (19%); computer, IT (19%); and public policy and service, international affairs (19%). Among the companies employing the largest number of recent grads are Accenture, Apple, Bain, Cisco, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, Microsoft, and SpaceX. Other companies that employ hundreds of Cardinal alums include LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Airbnb. Starting salaries for Stanford grads are among the highest in the country.

Enrollment: 8,049 (undergraduate); 10,236 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $87,833

University of California, San Diego

San Diego, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 140+ undergraduate majors offered at UCSD, and all students join one of eight undergraduate colleges meant to forge flourishing communities within the larger university. Biology has the highest representation of all majors (19%) followed by engineering (12%), the social sciences (11%), and computer science (9%). UCSD’s computer science and engineering programs have stellar reputations in the corporate and tech communities, and programs in biology, economics, and political science are among the best anywhere.

Professional Outcomes: Employers of recent graduates included the Walt Disney Company, Tesla, NBC Universal, PwC, Northrop Grumman, and EY. More than 1,000 current Google employees are UC San Diego alumni, and Qualcomm, Amazon, and Apple all employ 500+ each. The median early career salary is $65,000 across all majors, placing the university in the top 10 public universities in the country. UCSD also fares well in measures of its return-on-investment potential.

Enrollment: 33,096 (undergraduate); 8,386 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $31,830 (in-state); $64,404 (out-of-state)
Acceptance Rate: 25%
Retention Rate: 93%
Graduation Rate: 88%

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 48 majors and minors to select from with the most popular being social sciences (23%), biology (13%), and computer science (12%). Majors in economics, international relations, chemistry, and mathematics receive especially high marks. More than 600 courses are on the menu at Pomona alone, but students can access any of the Claremont Consortium’s 2,700 courses. Pomona’s 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio leads to an average class size of only 15 students, and over 50% of the undergraduate population conduct research alongside a faculty member.

Professional Outcomes: 71% of the Class of 2022 were employed within six months of graduating. Overall, the largest number of alumni can be found at Google, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta. Recently, economics degree-earners have landed jobs at Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, or Accenture. Majors in the hard sciences frequently landed at top research laboratories and hospitals. Of the 21% of 2022 grads who were accepted directly into graduate school, the most frequently attended institutions included the University of Cambridge, Duke, Harvard, Caltech, UChicago, and Stanford.

Enrollment: 1,761
Cost of Attendance: $88,296

Haverford College

Haverford, PA

Academic Highlights: Haverford offers 31 majors, 32 minors, 12 concentrations, and eleven consortium programs—areas of study that can be pursued at partner campuses. The school’s 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and exclusive emphasis on undergraduate education lead to exceptionally intimate classes, 33% of which have fewer than 10 students, and 72% have fewer than 20. The most popular areas of study at Haverford include the social sciences (24%), biology (14%), psychology (11%), physical sciences (10%), computer science (9%), and mathematics (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after leaving Haverford, 63% of the Class of 2022 had found employment, 19% had enrolled in graduate school, and 9% were still job hunting. Employers hiring multiple recent Haverford grads include Epic, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, the National Institutes of Health, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Of the 19% of 2022 grads who elected to continue their education, the most commonly entered fields of study were STEM (51%) and medicine/health (15%).

Enrollment: 1,421
Cost of Attendance: $87,180
Median SAT: 1490
Acceptance Rate: 14%
Graduation Rate: 91%

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates can choose from 74 bachelor’s degree programs in a number of schools and colleges, the largest of which is the College of Arts & Sciences. 44% of classes have a student enrollment under 20. The social sciences (15%), biology (12%), media/journalism (9%), computer science (8%), and business (6%) are the areas in which the most degrees are conferred. The Kenan-Flager Business School is internationally renowned and requires separate admission. Other strong programs include those in chemistry, journalism, psychology, and political science.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after leaving Chapel Hill, 97% of 2022 grads had entered employment, military service, or graduate school. Among the for-profit companies that hire the most graduates are Wells Fargo, IBM, Cisco, Deloitte, EY, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs. In the nonprofit sector, a large number of alumni are employed by AmeriCorps, NIH, Teach for America, and the Peace Corps. The average starting salary is $70,619. 18% of 2022 grads enrolled directly in graduate/professional school.

Enrollment: 20,210 (undergraduate); 11,739 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $27,036 (in-state); $60,040 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1450
Median ACT: 32
Acceptance Rate: 17%

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

Academic Highlights: Dartmouth sports 60+ majors and a stunning breadth of course selections for an institution of its size. The learning environment at Dartmouth is extraordinarily intimate. Not only do 61% of course sections have under twenty students, but 18% have single-digit enrollments. The student-to-faculty ratio is an outstanding 7:1. Top programs offered by Big Green include biology, economics, neuroscience, and government. The social sciences are the most popular, accounting for 32% of degrees conferred, followed by computer science (10%), mathematics (9%), engineering (9%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: A great reputation along with a passionate alumni network that is 80,000 strong leads Dartmouth grads to successful transitions into graduate school and the world of work. Included in the top ten employers of Dartmouth grads are a number of investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bain & Company, Citibank, and Deutsche Bank. Right off the bat, 52% of graduates make more than $70,000 in salary. Those pursuing graduate degrees often flock to the likes of Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton.

Enrollment: 4,458
Cost of Attendance: $87,793

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

Academic Highlights: The college offers thirty traditional majors as well as additional subjects in which one can pursue a student-designed major. The average class size is a manageable 19 students, and 62% of courses have enrollments lower than that. There are no majors that undergrads flock to in overwhelming numbers, but the most popular are the social sciences (29%), psychology (14%), history (7%), and biology (6%). All of those popular departments also rank well nationally.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after moving their tassels to the left, 68% of the Class of 2021 (most recent stats available) were employed, 19% were in graduate school, and only 3% were still seeking full-time employment. Organizations employing more than one recent graduate include Fidelity Investments, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Massachusetts General Hospital, Deloitte, EY, PwC, Oracle, and Dell. Among those enrolled in graduate school, 14% were in law school, 14% were pursuing degrees in a health profession, and 6% were in PhD programs.

Enrollment: 3,233
Cost of Attendance: $78,600
Median SAT: 1360
Acceptance Rate: 36%

Columbia University

New York, NY

Academic Highlights: Columbia offers 100+ unique areas of undergraduate study as well as a number of pre-professional and accelerated graduate programs. Class sizes at Columbia are reasonably small and the student-to-faculty ratio is favorable; however, in 2022, it was revealed that the university had been submitting faulty data in this area. It is presently believed that 58% of undergraduate courses enroll 19 or fewer students. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (22%), computer science (15%), engineering (14%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Examining the most recent graduates from Columbia College and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science, 73% had found employment within six months, and 20% had entered graduate school. The median starting salary for graduates of Columbia College/Columbia Engineering is above $80,000. Many graduates get hired by the likes of Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Google, Citi, McKinsey, and Microsoft.

Enrollment: 8,832
Cost of Attendance: $89,587

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

Academic Highlights: There are 50+ departmental and interdisciplinary majors. Thirty-six percent of course sections have single-digit enrollments while 77% have 19 or fewer students. In addition, opportunities for participation in research with faculty members abound. Most programs possess sterling reputations, including chemistry, computer science, neuroscience, and political science, but the Department of Economics shines most brightly, leading many into PhD programs and high-profile careers. Economics, biology, and computer science are the most frequently conferred degrees.

Professional Outcomes : Six months after graduating, 97% of the Class of 2022 had achieved positive outcomes. Of the 76% of grads who were employed, 24% were working in the finance/consulting/business fields, 17% in education, 17% in internet and technology & engineering, and 15% in healthcare/life sciences. Top employers included JPMorgan Chase, Google, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Goldman Sachs. The average starting salary for one recent cohort was a solid $63k. Of the 20% of 2022 grads who directly entered an advanced degree program, common schools attended included Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Stanford, MIT, and Emory.

Enrollment: 2,447
Cost of Attendance: $84,240

Carleton College

Northfield, MN

Academic Highlights: Students work closely with their professors, and the college is routinely rated atop lists of best undergraduate teaching institutions. Small classes are the norm with the average being only sixteen students. It offers 33 majors, the most popular of which are within the disciplines of the social sciences (19%), the physical sciences (14%), biology (11%), computer science (11%), mathematics (10%), and psychology (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Target, Epic Systems, Google, Wells Fargo, and Amazon all employ large numbers of graduates. Carleton is a breeding ground for future scholars as a ridiculously high number of graduates go on to earn PhDs. In fact, by percentage, Carleton is one of the top five producers in the country of future PhDs. They produce an incredible number of doctoral degree holders in the areas of economics, math, political science, sociology, chemistry, physics, biology, and history.

Enrollment: 2,034
Cost of Attendance: $82,167

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

Academic Highlights: More than 150 undergraduate majors and minors are available across six schools: the College of Letters and Science, the College of Chemistry, the College of Engineering, the College of Environmental Design, the College of Natural Resources, and the Haas School of Business. Many departments have top international reputations including computer science, engineering, chemistry, English, psychology, and economics. 22% of sections contain nine or fewer students, and over 55% of students assist faculty with a research project or complete a research methods course.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 49% of Cal’s Class of 2022 had already secured employment, and 20% were headed to graduate school. Business is the most popular sector, attracting 62% of employed grads; next up are industrial (17%), education (8%), and nonprofit work (7%). The median starting salary was $86,459 across all majors. Thousands of alumni can be found in the offices of Google, Apple, and Meta, and 500+ Golden Bears are currently employed by Oracle, Amazon, and Microsoft. The school is the number one all-time producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

Enrollment: 32,831 (undergraduate); 12,914 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $48,574 (in-state); $82,774 (out-of-state)

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Academic Highlights : 90 distinct degrees are available across four schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Applied Science and Engineering, the College of Nursing, and the world-renowned Wharton School. The greatest number of students pursue degrees in business (19%), social sciences (14%), biology (11%), health sciences (9%), engineering (9%), and computer science (9%). The university boasts an exceptional 26% of courses with an enrollment under ten and 59% with an enrollment under twenty as well as multiple ways for undergrads to conduct research.

Professional Outcomes: 75% of Class of 2022 grads were employed within six months of graduating, and 18% were in graduate school. Finance attracted the highest percentage of grads (30%) followed by consulting (20%), technology (15%), and healthcare (10%). Employers hiring the greatest number of 2022 grads included JPMorgan, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey, Bain & Company, Meta, and Goldman Sachs. The median starting salary for all graduates is $80,000. For those continuing their educational journeys, the most popular move is to remain at Penn, followed by Columbia and Harvard.

Enrollment: 9,760 (undergraduate); 13,614 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $89,028

Bates College

Lewiston, ME

Academic Highlights: Thirty-four percent of courses at Bates have a single-digit enrollment, and 63% of classrooms contain nineteen or fewer students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1, and not a single graduate student is present to vacuum up professorial attention. Twenty-eight percent of all degrees earned at Bates are in the social sciences, and psychology (14%), biology (13%), and the physical sciences (7%) are next in popularity. Though strong across many disciplines, Bates boasts exemplary programs in political science, art, philosophy, economics, and psychology.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 99% of the Class of 2022 were either employed, enrolled in graduate school, or otherwise meaningfully engaged in a fellowship or internship. The most frequently entered fields were healthcare (17%), education (16%), finance/banking (14%), and technology (7%). Within ten years of graduation, approximately 13% of Bates graduates are in, or have completed, law school whereas 7% enroll in medical school.

Enrollment: 1,790
Cost of Attendance: $81,382
Median SAT: 1430

University of Wisconsin – Madison

Madison, WI

Academic Highlights: There are 230+ undergraduate majors offered across eight schools and colleges, including the top-ranked School of Business and College of Engineering as well as the College of Letters and Science, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the Schools of Nursing, Education, Pharmacy, and Human Ecology. Undergrads can expect a mix of large and small classes, with 44% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students. Business (18%), biology (12%), the social sciences (11%), and engineering (10%) are most popular.

Professional Outcomes: In a recent year, 46% of job-seeking grads graduated with an offer. Top employers included UW-Madison, Epic, Kohl’s, Oracle, Deloitte, and UW Health. Across all graduating years, companies employing 250+ alumni include Google, Target, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, PwC, Accenture, and Meta. 28% of recent grads enrolled directly in graduate/professional school; the majority stayed at UW–Madison while others headed to Columbia, Northwestern, and Carnegie Mellon. The university is the top producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

Enrollment: 37,230 (undergraduate); 12,656 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $28,916 (in-state); $58,912 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1440
Acceptance Rate: 49%
Graduation Rate: 89%

College of William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

Academic Highlights: Forty undergraduate programs are available and William & Mary has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Class sizes are rarely tiny seminars, but 44% do enroll fewer than twenty students, and only 9% contain more than fifty. Among the college’s most notable academic programs are (1) government and (2) international relations, both of which serve as pipelines to Washington, DC, employers. The Mason School of Business is highly regarded in the corporate world. The social sciences (20%) and biology (11%) are also popular.

Professional Outcomes: 52% of the most cohort joined the workforce, and 36% entered graduate school within six months of graduation. Over 500 employers snatched up at least one member of the Tribe. Companies hiring at least four 2020 grads included Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, KPMG, and Deloitte. Many of those opting for immediate entry into graduate school stayed at their alma mater and the next most frequented universities included Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Northwestern, and the University of Chicago.

Enrollment: 6,797
Cost of Attendance: $39,595 (In-State); $63,967 (Out-of-State)
Median SAT: 1460
Acceptance Rate: 33%

Davidson College

Davidson, NC

Academic Highlights: With its small size, the impressive part of the college is the exceptional quality of its offerings, not the breadth of them, as only 37 majors are available. The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1, which allows the college to ensure that 62% have fewer than twenty students and 24% have enrollments you can count on two hands. Overall, the average number of students per class is only 18. Top programs at Davidson include psychology, political science, chemistry, and English; biology is also quite popular, accounting for 12% of degrees conferred in 2022.

Professional Outcomes: Looking at the outcomes data for 2022 grads, 70% landed jobs within six months of graduation, 26% were enrolled in a graduate program, and 3% were still seeking employment. Of those who attended grad school, the highest number were in healthcare-related programs (including MDs), law school, and laboratory sciences. Significant numbers of students pursue advanced degrees at other Southern gems including Vanderbilt, Emory, Duke, Wake Forest, and UNC.

Enrollment: 1,927
Cost of Attendance: $76,450

Harvey Mudd College

Academic Highlights: While 62% of courses have an enrollment under 20, another 32% enroll between 20 and 39 students. Regardless, Mudd prides itself on offering graduate-level research opportunities and experiential learning to all undergrads. Only six majors are offered: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and physics. All are incredibly strong. Students also have the option to combine certain disciplines into what amounts to a double major.

Professional Outcomes: Seventy-two percent of the Class of 2022 planned on entering a job right after receiving their bachelor’s degree. The highest number of recent Harvey Mudd graduates are scooped up by the following companies (in order of representation): Meta, Microsoft, and Caltech. Graduates average an impressive $117,500 starting salary, a phenomenal number even when accounting for the preponderance of STEM majors. Many Harvey Mudd grads—20% in 2022—go directly into graduate school programs.

Enrollment: 906
Cost of Attendance: $89,115
Acceptance Rate: 13%

University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 90 undergraduate majors across three schools: the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, and the College of Creative Studies. The social sciences are the most popular area of study, accounting for 27% of the total degrees conferred. Biology (10%), math (9%), and psychology (9%) are next in popularity. The school has highly regarded programs in communication, computer science, engineering, physics, environmental science, and the performing arts. More than half of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 72% enroll 29 or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of earning their diplomas, 84% of grads had found employment. The most popular industries were science/research (16%), engineering/computer programming (14%), business (13%), finance/accounting (11%), and sales (10%). Top employers of recent grads include Google, EY, KPMG, Oracle, Amazon, IBM, and Adobe. Many alumni also can be found at Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Salesforce. Two years after graduating, UCSB alumni make an average salary of $55k; more than half make $100k by mid-career.

Enrollment: 23,460 (undergraduate); 2,961 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $41,289 (in-state); $73,863 (out-of-state)
Acceptance Rate: 28%
Retention Rate: 92%

Colby College

Waterville, ME

Academic Highlights: Offering 56 majors and 35 minors, Colby provides a classic liberal arts education with a high degree of flexibility and room for independent intellectual pursuits. A 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio is put to good instructional use as roughly two-thirds of courses have fewer than 19 students. Being a true liberal arts school, Colby has strengths across many disciplines, but biology, economics, and global studies draw especially high praise. These programs along with government and environmental science attract the highest number of students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 93% of the Class of 2022 had either obtained jobs or were enrolled full-time in a graduate program. Eighteen percent of graduates enter the financial industry and large numbers also start careers in education, with government/nonprofit, STEM, and healthcare next in popularity. The Medical school acceptance rate over the past five years is 68%, nearly double the national average.

Enrollment: 2,299
Cost of Attendance: $86,720
Average SAT: 1485
Average ACT: 33
Graduation Rate: 87%

Brown University

Providence, RI

Academic Highlights: Students must choose one of 80+ “concentration programs,” but there are no required courses. Class sizes tend to be small—68% have fewer than twenty students—and 35% are comprised of nine or fewer students. Biology, economics, computer science, mathematics, and engineering are among the most popular areas of concentration at Brown; however, it is hard to distinguish any one program, because Brown possesses outstanding offerings across so many disciplines.

Professional Outcomes: Soon after receiving their Brown diplomas, 69% of graduates enter the world of employment. Companies employing the greatest number of Brown alums include Google, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Morgan Stanley, Apple, McKinsey & Company, and Bain & Company. The Class of 2022 saw 27% of graduates go directly into graduate/professional school. Right out of undergrad, Brown students boasted an exceptional 81% admission rate to med school and an 81% admission rate to law school.

Enrollment: 7,639
Cost of Attendance: $84,828

University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN

Academic Highlights: There are 150 majors available across eight freshman-admitting undergraduate colleges. 65% of class sections enroll 29 or fewer students. The most commonly conferred degrees are in biology (13%), business & marketing (11%), engineering (10%), the social sciences (10%), computer science (9%), and psychology (8%). The College of Science and Engineering and the Carlson School of Management have strong national reputations, and the chemistry, economics, psychology, and political science departments are also well-regarded.

Professional Outcomes: The top seven companies snatching up the largest number of recent grads are all companies headquartered in the state of Minnesota: Medtronic, Target, 3M, United Health Group, US Bank, and Cargill. Google, Apple, and Meta all employ hundreds of Twin Cities alumni. The mean starting salary for recent grads was $50k. With 130 graduate programs in science, art, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and the humanities, the University of Minnesota retains many of its graduates as they pursue their next degrees.

Enrollment: 39,248 (undergraduate); 15,707 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $33,032-$35,632 (in-state); $54,446-$57,046
Median SAT: 1370
Median ACT: 29
Acceptance Rate: 75%
Retention Rate: 90%
Graduation Rate: 84%

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH

Academic Highlights: Sporting a 9:1 faculty-to-student ratio, the university does a nice job keeping classes on the small side, with 50% of course sections capped at nineteen and only 13% of courses having fifty students or more. The Weatherhead School of Management and the Case School of Engineering have stellar reputations within the worlds of employment and academia. Engineering is the most commonly conferred undergraduate degree at 27% followed by biology (15%), computer science (10%), and health professions (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Fifty-six percent of 2022 CWRU graduates head into the world of professional employment upon receiving their diplomas; only 3% were still looking for work six months after leaving the university. More than half of the Class of 2022 enjoyed a starting salary of at least $65,000. The employers of the greatest number of graduates included Accenture, Microsoft, Deloitte, and Google. In 2022, four or more grads were accepted to continue their studies at the likes of NYU, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, WashU, and the University of Michigan.

Enrollment: 6,017
Cost of Attendance: $88,516
Median SAT: 1480
Acceptance Rate: 27%

Smith College

Northampton, MA

Academic Highlights: Smith has 50 academic departments and programs. The social sciences are most popular, accounting for 21% of the degrees conferred, with programs in economics and government carrying very strong reputations. Next in line are biology (6%), computer science (5%), English (5%), data science (5%), and engineering science (5%); more than two-fifths of current students are majoring in a STEM field. 19% of undergraduate sections have single-digit enrollments, and 69% of total class sections enroll fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 97% of alumnae had found employment. More than 25 alumnae can be found at the US Department of State, Google, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Accenture, Fidelity Investments, Deloitte, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, and Amazon. Within two years of graduating, 40% of alumni had already entered a graduate program, and within ten years, 70% had earned or were working toward an advanced degree. Many Smith women rise to high ranks —twenty years after graduation, 18% of alumnae report holding a chief executive or other executive-level position.

Enrollment: 2,523 (undergraduate); 350 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $88,980
Acceptance Rate: 23%
Retention Rate: 91%

The University of Texas at Austin

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 150 majors, including those at the Cockrell School of Engineering, one of the most heralded undergraduate engineering schools around, and The McCombs School of Business, which dominates in the specialty areas of accounting and marketing. The computer science department is also top-ranked. In terms of degrees conferred, engineering is tied with biology (12%) followed by communication (11%), business (11%), and the social sciences (8%). The elite Plan II Honors Program is one of the best in the country.

Professional Outcomes: Within the College of Liberal Arts, six months after graduating, 68% of Longhorns are employed and 24% have entered graduate school. The for-profit sector attracts 65% of those employed while 19% enter public sector employment and 16% pursue jobs at a nonprofit. Major corporations that employ more than 500 UT Austin grads include Google, Meta, Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. Engineering majors took home a median income of $79k and business majors took home $70k.

Enrollment: 41,309 (undergraduate); 11,075 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $30,752-$34,174 (in-state); $61,180-$69,310 (out-of-state)
Acceptance Rate: 31%

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. The Warrington College of Business and the Wertheim College of Engineering are highly respected, so it’s no surprise that those two programs confer the greatest percentage of degrees—12% and 14%, respectively. Biology (11%), the social sciences (11%), and health professions (8%) are next in popularity. 53% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and 33% of students partake in an undergraduate research experience.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 66% of the Class of 2022 had already procured a first job. The top occupational areas were engineering (13%), health care (13%), computer science (5%), and marketing (4%). 200+ Gator alumni can be found at top corporations like Google, EY, Raymond James, Deloitte, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, and PwC. The average salary for all 2022 grads was $69k, with a high of $100k for computer science majors. Of those pursuing advanced degrees, a master’s degree was the most popular pursuit (63%) followed by law school (11%).

Enrollment: 34,552 (undergraduate); 20,659 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $23,530 (in-state); $45,808 (out-of-state)
Median SAT: 1400
Median ACT: 31

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign-Urbana, IL

Academic Highlights: Eight of UIUC’s fifteen schools cater to undergraduate students. There are 150 academic programs offered, including those at the acclaimed Grainger College of Engineering and Gies College of Business. In sheer volume of degrees conferred, engineering and business/marketing are tied at 19%, followed by the social sciences (9%) and psychology (6%). 39% of sections are capped at 19 students. 29% of undergraduates work with a faculty member on a research project; another 22% have some type of fieldwork, practicum, or clinical experience.

Professional Outcomes: 95% of the members of the Class of 2022 landed at their next destination within six months of graduation, with 38% matriculating directly into an advanced degree program. 57% were employed full-time; the most popular sectors were finance, consulting, healthcare, electronics, and education. Corporations landing the most recent Illini grads were KPMG, Deloitte, Epic Systems, EY, PwC, and Amazon. The average salary across all Class of 2022 majors was an extremely solid $75,000.

Enrollment: 35,120 (undergraduate); 21,796 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $35,926-$41,190 (in-state); $55,386-$63,290 (out-of-state)
Acceptance Rate: 79%
Graduation Rate: 85%

Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo, MI

Academic Highlights: For more than half a century, the “K-Plan” has maintained the same core components: career service internships, foreign study, and an individualized senior project. As you would expect at a small liberal arts college, class sizes are relatively small with 70% of sections enrolling 19 or fewer. The social sciences is the discipline in which the greatest number of degrees were conferred in 2022 (16%). It was followed by biology (14%), the physical sciences (12%), business (12%), and psychology (10%).

Professional Outcomes: By the December following their graduation, 92% of recent grads were already engaged in their next meaningful phase of life. The employers nabbing the greatest number of Hornets included Pfizer, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Google, Charles River Laboratories, Deloitte, Amazon, and Spectrum Health. Fifteen percent of recent diploma-earners had already enrolled in graduate or professional school within six months of officially earning their bachelor’s degree; almost half begin pursuing an advanced degree within five years.

Enrollment: 1,210
Cost of Attendance: $72,151
Median SAT: 1220
Median ACT: 28
Acceptance Rate: 80%
Retention Rate: 85%
Graduation Rate: 76%

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY

Academic Highlights: Vassar students have the choice of 50 majors and only three foundational curricular mandates, which means that there is plenty of room to explore electives and intellectual passions. A 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 17 students, and 23% of all sections have an enrollment of nine or fewer. Professors are extremely available outside the classroom. The most popular majors are in the social sciences, biology, the visual and performing arts, foreign languages, and psychology.

Professional Outcomes: 93% of alums enjoy positive outcomes within six months of graduation, with 20% enrolling directly in a graduate or professional degree program. A solid number land at competitive companies like Google, Meta, EY, Deloitte, Microsoft, Citi, and Amazon. Elite universities such as Harvard, Penn, NYU, and Columbia are also among the top employers of former students, many of whom earn advanced degrees and enter academia. The school is one of the top 15 PhD producers.

Enrollment: 2,459
Cost of Attendance: $85,220

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA

Academic Highlights: Brandeis offers 43 majors, the most popular of which are in the social sciences (18%), biology (17%), business (10%), psychology (8%), public administration (8%), and computer science (7%). The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 60% of courses contain nineteen or fewer students. Departments with a particularly strong national reputation include economics, international studies, and sociology as well as all of the traditional premed pathways including biology, and chemistry.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 98% of the Class of 2022 had found their way to employment (59%), graduate school (35%), or another full-time activity like travel or volunteer work (4%). Members of the Class of 2022 were hired by Red Hat, Deloitte, Nasdaq, NPR, and McKinsey & Company. The average starting salary for recent grads is $61k. A large contingent of grads elects to continue at Brandeis for graduate school. Many others go to BU, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, and Yale.

Enrollment: 3,687
Cost of Attendance: $86,242
Acceptance Rate: 39%

Georgia Institute of Technology

Academic Highlights: Georgia Tech’s engineering and computer science programs are at the top of any “best programs” list. Being a large research university, the student-to-faculty ratio is a less-than-ideal 22:1, leading to some larger undergraduate class sections. In fact, 49% of courses had enrollments of more than thirty students in 2022-23. On the other end of the spectrum, 8% of sections had single-digit enrollments. In terms of total number of degrees conferred, the most popular areas of study are engineering (51%), computer science (21%), and business (9%).

Professional Outcomes: More than three-quarters of recent grads had already procured employment by the time they were handed their diplomas. You will find graduates at every major technology company in the world. The median salary reported by that group was $80,000. Many remain on campus to earn advanced engineering degrees through Georgia Tech, but the school’s reputation is such that gaining admission into other top programs including MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley, Stanford, and Caltech.

Enrollment: 18,416
Cost of Attendance: $29,950 (In-State); $52,120 (Out-of-State)

Rhodes College

Memphis, TN

Academic Highlights: The school offers 50 majors and minors and a great deal of academic autonomy along the way. A 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an amazingly intimate average class size of only 14 students, and 75% of the students conduct undergraduate research. While the sciences may be the area for which Rhodes receives the greatest recognition, business, psychology, and international studies are also strong and attract large numbers of undergrads.

Professional Outcomes: Within one year of receiving their diplomas, 98% of Rhodes grads have found their way into the world of employment or are pursuing an advanced degree program. Among the companies employing the largest number of alumni are St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Deloitte, EY, FedEx, Raymond James, and PwC. Close to 90% of those applying to graduate school get into their top-choice institution, and Rhodes ultimately produces an incredible number of PhDs in the sciences, economics, political science, and psychology.

Enrollment: 1,996 (undergraduate); 12 (graduate)
Cost of Attendance: $67,802
Median SAT: 1380
Acceptance Rate: 48%

Whitman College

Walla Walla, WA

Academic Highlights: With 51 majors and 35 minors, the academic offerings at Whitman are robust. Biology, politics, and economics are especially renowned, and the greatest number of degrees are typically conferred in the social sciences (22%), biology (15%), psychology (9%), and the visual and performing arts (9%). Undergraduate research is embedded into the foundation of a Whitman education, and with a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, professors have a reputation for being extremely available and attentive.

Professional Outcomes: After graduation, 64% of Whitman grads immediately begin their careers and 20% enroll directly in graduate programs. Twenty or more alumni currently work for Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Starbucks, T-Mobile, and Nordstrom. In the last few years, interesting first jobs included a paralegal at the US Department of Justice-Antitrust Division, an audio archivist at the Smithsonian, and a marketing assistant at Oxford University Press. Ultimately, 60% of alumni go on to earn advanced degrees at some point post-graduation, and the school is a top producer of PhDs.

Enrollment: 1,493
Cost of Attendance: $77,532
Median SAT: 1385
Retention Rate: 88%

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1, and without any pesky graduate students to get in the way, face time with professors is a regular occurrence. In fact, 28% of all classes have nine or fewer students; 72% have nineteen or fewer. Economics, government, and biology are among the strongest and most popular majors; other standout programs include public policy, mathematics, and environmental studies. Thirty percent of students earn social science degrees, with biology (13%), visual and performing arts (9%), physical science (7%), and foreign languages (7%) next in line.

Professional Outcomes: Examining the 491 graduates in Hamilton’s Class of 2022, an enviable 97% wasted no time landing jobs, graduate school acceptances, or fellowships. The most commonly entered industries were finance (17%), education (13%), business (12%), and science/tech (11%). Only 17% of 2022 graduates went directly into an advanced degree program. In one recent year, 33% of Hamilton grads were studying a STEM field, 22% were in the social sciences, 17% pursued a health care degree, and 5% went to law school.

Enrollment: 2,075
Cost of Attendance: $82,430
Acceptance Rate: 12%

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Interests — My Interest in Biology and Chemistry

My Interest in Biology and Chemistry

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12 Effective “Why This College?” Essay Examples

What’s covered.

Essay 1: UPenn Nursing
Essay 2: UPenn
Essay 3: UW Madison
Essay 4: Northwestern
Essay 5: NYU
Essay 6: NYU
Essay 7: Boston University
Essay 8: Boston University
Essay 9: Tufts
Essay 10: Tufts
Essay 11: Georgia Tech
Essay 12: Georgia Tech

Where to Get Your Essays Edited

The “ Why This College?” essay is one of the most common supplemental prompts. These school-specific essays help colleges understand if you’re a good fit for them, and if they’re a good fit for you.

In this post, we’ll share 12 “Why This College?” essay examples from real students and explain what they did well, and what could be improved. Read these examples to understand how to write a strong supplemental essay that improves your chances of acceptance.

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

Essay Example #1: UPenn Nursing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What the Essay Did Well

This essay has many positive aspects, but the most impressive one is the structure. Utilizing the Five C’s of Caring to discuss Penn’s offerings was a genius way of tying in this student’s passion for nursing while also making their essay exciting and easy to read. Beginning each paragraph with the respective adjective helped focus the paragraph and allowed the student to demonstrate how they exemplify each quality without explicitly stating it. The student wasn’t afraid to think outside the box and add creativity to their essay structure, which really paid off.

Another positive is how specific and specialized the Penn resources and opportunities the student mentions are. This essay did not fall into the trap of name-dropping professors or programs. In every paragraph, there was a connection to something the student wants to do at Penn to further themselves in the respective characteristic they were describing.

Not only did this student mention a resource at Penn—whether it was a professor, a class, or a club—in every paragraph, but they elaborated on what that resource was and how it would help them achieve their goal of becoming a nurse. The what and how is what sets this essay apart from other supplements that just name-drop resources for the sake of it. The amount of detail this essay went into about some of these resources makes it clear to the admissions officers reading the essay that this student has seriously looked into Penn and has a strong desire to come to campus and use these resources.

What Could Be Improved

One thing this essay could do to make it stronger is improve the first paragraph. The student does a good job of setting up Sister Roach and the Five C’s, but they don’t mention anything about their desire to study or pursue nursing. The first paragraph mentions both Sister Roach and Penn, but left out the student. This could be fixed by simply adding something along the lines of “I can’t wait to embody these values as a nursing student at Penn” to the paragraph.

Essay Example #2: UPenn

Prompt: Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, how will you explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania? For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer these questions in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay. (300-450 words)

I always loved watching the worms when it rained. I used to put my little raincoat on, sit on the doorsteps, and watch them move toward the puddles. My younger brother, forever intent on destroying the world around him, would try to stomp on the worms, and I would run after him screaming. In my imagination, the brain looked like a pile of squiggly worms. However, my neuroscience curiosity has since grown beyond a worm’s habits.

For example, my mother thought that I was insane when I wanted to watch American Murder: The Family Next Door . To her immense relief, I was interested in the psychology of the criminal rather than the crime itself. Although neuroscience is my primary interest, I also hope to learn more about the intersection between law and medicine at the UPenn College of Arts and Sciences. I’ve been able to explore this topic through various projects at school such as presentations on juvenile crime and the death penalty.

At the University of Pennsylvania, I look forward to taking classes like Forensic Neuroscience (BIBB 050) as well as Neuroscience and Society (PSYC 247) both of which directly combine my two interests. Hopefully, the Take Your Professor to Dinner program resumes as I would make sure to talk to Dr. Daniel Langleben about his research on forensic functional brain imaging over a meal of Philly cheesesteaks.

I also hope to participate in the Race, Science, and Society Program where I can discover how race biases and neuroscience go hand-in-hand and contribute to the fight against racism. The Beyond Arrests: Re-Thinking Systematic-Oppression Group immediately caught my attention while looking at Penn’s opportunities to engage in relevant dialogue. My fascination with the criminal system began with reading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment , and Penn will both fuel that curiosity as well as introduce new questions about the world of justice reform.

As an eight-year Latin scholar and a five-time reader of the Percy Jackson franchise, I would like to take classes in the Penn Classical Studies department where I can learn more about the impact of ancient cultures on society today. Classes such as Greek and Roman Medicine (CLST 271) would intersect my interests in medicine and classical civilizations.

Although I do harbor a deep love for Philly cheesesteaks and enjoyment of running in strange places like the Woodlands Cemetery, the range of programs to support my diverse interests and unmatched opportunities to put learning into action make me confident that the University of Pennsylvania is the best university for me to succeed.

The real strength in the essay lies in the sheer number of details this student is able to include in a short space, without sacrificing style and flow. The first two paragraphs really have nothing to do with Penn, but the inclusion of them makes this response feel like an essay, rather than a list of offerings at Penn. Striking the balance is important, and the anecdote at the beginning ultimately humanizes the writer.

From the three unique courses to the specific professor and his research to the race and criminal justice programs, this student has clearly done their homework on Penn! The key to this essay’s success isn’t just mentioning the offerings at Penn that excite the student, but the context that explains how each opportunity fits into the student’s academic interests.

Adding book titles like Crime and Punishment and Percy Jackson to support their passion for the criminal justice system and classics are extra details that help us learn more about how this student pursues their passions outside of the classroom. Finding little ways to humanize yourself throughout the essay can take it from good to great.

One area of improvement for this essay is the structure. It follows a very traditional “ Why This College? ” framework—start with an anecdote, then discuss classes, and then extracurriculars and programs—that gets old quickly for admissions officers.

A great way to add some spice to the format would be to use a sample schedule for the day. This essay mentions three different classes, two different groups, and a Take Your Professor to Dinner opportunity. Together, that’s the recipe for a full day at UPenn!

There are a few ways to play around with an essay that follows a typical day-in-the-life. Maybe each paragraph starts with a time and explains what they do during that hour. Maybe they narrate walking through campus on their way from one class to the next and what they just learned. However they choose to go about it, adding in a playful spin to the traditional essay structure is one of the best ways to instantly set an essay apart from the crowd.

Essay Example #3: UW Madison

Prompt: Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided, please describe your areas of possible academic interest. (650 words)

Essay – # Day 117

7:30 am… As I open my eyes, I look at the pinboard in front of my bed. Written in red block letters are two of the many goals of my life: “Make life better and more independent for the Visually impaired; Inspire kids to explore the field of STEM, making them the future problem solvers.“

Keeping these goals afresh in mind, I freshen up and prepare for the first class of the day, ECE 533 Image Processing. As the professor explains the Applications of Image Processing in Computer Vision, a light bulb sparks in my mind. I can modify the head contraption of PERIPHIS to identify objects in peripheral vision and alert the wearer via an earpiece using Text to Speech (TTS).

After the class, I see Professor Mohit Gupta at the WISION Lab, where he shares his insights from the Block World Cameras system, which helps to geometrize 3D Man-made environments. We brainstorm ways we can implement this system on PERIPHIS.

Deep in the discussion and intrigued by my curiosity, he asked me where my interest in this niche field sparked during high school, and then I recount the incident from 9th grade:

“In Hindi – Agar aaj mere paas paise hote to ye din na dekhna padta” (If I had money, I would not have had to see this day.)

These were the words of Aadiya, a glaucoma patient, who couldn’t help but cry in despair as she injured herself in an accident just because she couldn’t sense the incoming traffic. During my visit to “Baroda Association for Blind (BAB)” for a survey, I saw and experienced firsthand how hard and inaccessible it is for an underprivileged visually impaired to locomote without anyone’s assistance.

What happened next was my first adventure into the world of Computer Science and Engineering. I dedicated the next four years to find an affordable solution to a pressing problem. It was called PERIPHIS, a smart wearable that helps alert the visually impaired wearer of impending danger while locomoting.

When I finally presented this device to Aadiya, the smile on her face made me realize how big an impact technology can make in one’s life.

11:00 am… As I head to the Engineering Hall to complete my assignments of COMP SCI 570

Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction, I crossways with my roommate from the Chadbourne Residential College, who is also interested in researching applications of Computer Vision in real life. We fix a time to chat later.

1:20pm… After a quick bite, I head to Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory. I expand my knowledge on different applications of Computer Science to make human life better than I found. I get fascinated when I see a few students building a child-friendly humanoid robot to teach kids the principles of Coding and AI. I hop in and share insights from my experience of being the President at AiGoLearning and kindling interest in STEM for young children. I explain how crucial the UI is when it comes to technology for the young.

5:00pm… To blow off some steam and socialize, I meet up with my fellow countrymen and artists at the Indian Graduate Students’ Association. We discuss and plan the upcoming Diwali Night Music at Shannon Hall. I feel proud to share my national identity while bringing out my musical self by contributing as a Tabla player at the student organization.

As I close my day, I reflect and think of the most unique resource at UW. It is not the labs, research facilities, classes, but the people, including the professors and students, all aligned to a single goal: “Solving problems to make society a better place.”

10:00pm… I find my way back to my dorm room and write with red block letters on my pinboard: “Meet with at least 1 Badger every day and gain new insight from them.”

This essay is a stellar example. The day in the life formatting is a common way to spice up your “Why This College?” essay, but the way this writer executes it is nearly flawless.

Opening with the vision board makes the student’s college goals clear from the very start, and this was cleverly done since vision boards are naturally one of the first things you see when you wake up.

The student then takes us to specific courses and labs and shares their thoughts on how they could improve their invention, PERIPHIS. The author seamlessly includes background information on PERIPHIS by including this hypothetical conversation with a professor who speaks their native language.

As we go through the day, we can see that this student will not only be involved academically, but also socially. We learn how important their culture is to them and how they plan to share it with the campus community.

This essay does everything a “Why This College?” essay should: it shares the student’s goals and motivations behind them, how the university can support those goals, and how the student will engage with the campus beyond academics.

There’s not much this essay could improve, besides a few formatting and wording issues. The first line of this essay—“ Essay – # Day 117”—is a great attention-grabber, but the placement of the # symbol is confusing and perhaps should’ve been in front of the number.

There are also a couple spots where wording is a bit awkward, such as these lines:

I crossways with my roommate from the Chadbourne Residential College, who is also interested in researching applications of Computer Vision in real life. We fix a time to chat later.

It should instead say something like “I run into my roommate” and “We schedule a time”. This is likely due to English not being the student’s native language, but could’ve easily been caught by proofreading from a native speaker.

Essay Example #4: Northwestern

Prompt: While other parts of your application give us a sense of who you are, we are also excited to hear more about how you see yourself engaging with the larger Northwestern community.

In 300 words or less, help us understand how you might engage specific resources, opportunities, and/or communities here. We are curious about what these specifics are, as well as how they may enrich your time at Northwestern and beyond.

For as long as I can remember, I have seen my parents, both farmers, struggling to produce food because of the challenges presented by the environment. Joining Northwestern’s community, and majoring in Environmental Engineering, will allow me to understand what are the reasons behind climate change and learn how to stop them and/or prevent them from happening.

Having witnessed how plant diseases affect crops, I would like to collaborate in the PLANT-Dx project and in its widespread application. I strongly believe that it will be able to help farmers to improve the quality and quantity of their production, and reduce famine around the world. At some point in my education, I want to take advantage of the study-abroad programs Northwestern has to offer and learn about farming practices in a different part of the world. In addition, I want to conduct research on sustainable alternative farming methods that adapt to the new environmental conditions and that can be practiced in countries with fewer resources.

Apart from having access to outstanding professors, rigorous academics, and cutting-edge research resources, I will be able to be part of a close-knit community genuinely curious about others’ activities, truly passionate about what they do, and not afraid to step out of their comfort zone to make of this world a better place. Being part of Engineers for a Sustainable World at Northwestern will allow me to get to know people that share one of my passions in addition to learning and teaching how to apply sustainable practices in daily life.

I am already looking forward to marching through the Weber Arch.

This essay is extremely cohesive, as it focuses on the student’s agricultural background and desire to study environmental engineering. The student mentions a couple resources specific to Northwestern, such as the PLANT-Dx project and Engineers for a Sustainable World.

Because of the background information the student provided, their motivations for participating in these opportunities is also clear. We can see that Northwestern would be a school that would help them achieve their goals.

There are two main aspects of the essay that could be improved: the writing and its specificity.

To begin with, the intro paragraph is a bit clunky and vague. The student should have specified the challenges the environment has presented to their parents’ farming with detailed imagery about droughts or torrential rain. The final sentence about climate change is also much too broad, and the student should’ve stated a goal in a smaller niche of environmentalism.

For example, here’s what a rewritten strong intro paragraph might look like:

The drought this year was bad, and the once-flourishing tomato crops on my family’s farm were afflicted with Southern Blight. As my family and our community struggled to put food on the table for the third year in a year, I resolved to major in Environmental Engineering at Northwestern to learn how to preserve our agriculture in the face of climate change.

Another writing error is the typo in the final paragraph, where they write “to make of this world a better place”. It’s important to proofread your essay and have others help you proofread as well!

Finally, while the essay mentions a couple specific Northwestern resources, the other resources they mention are too vague. The student could’ve improved by mentioning a specific study abroad program and a current research project on sustainable alternative farming methods. Most colleges let you study abroad and conduct research, so you need to explain why Northwestern is the best place for your goals.

Essay Example #5: NYU

Prompt: We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. We want to understand – Why NYU? (400 words)

“A futuristic way of looking at academics,” the student panelist said during a New York University virtual information session. I reflected on a conversation I had with my grandma; she couldn’t understand how her vegetarian granddaughter could build a career in the food industry. However much I tried convincing her that vegetarianism was the future, as it offers substantial benefits to the environment and can offer health benefits to a growing population with the same environmental resources, she insisted that tofu would never provide the same satiation as meat. She was raised in a community where meat consumption was embedded in the culture, and its production is a large part of the country’s economy. In contrast, I had the privilege of living a few steps from San Francisco, with many restaurants and grocery stores dedicated to plant-based meat alternatives. Trying innovative recipes and products eventually allowed me to develop my own recipes. Upon my move to Nicaragua, where my grandmother is from, I found my food options to be limited, expensive and hard to find. So I developed my own small-scale solutions that did not break the bank and satiated grandma.

An institution that implements forward-thinking is what I need to reach my goals of changing the future of plant-based diets and people’s views on vegetarianism. NYU’s Nutrition and Food Studies program offers multiple disciplines of food studies that I will apply to my aspirations as a vegetarian. I plan to study under Adjunct Faculty Kayleen St. John, whose success in the plant-based industry and her teaching of the ‘Foundations of Plant-Based Nutrition’ in The Vegetarian Times excites me. The variety of classes like Introduction to Food History, Food Photography, and Food Systems: Food & Agriculture will give me an overview of what is available in the food industry to be prepared for all fields. Not to be cliche, but NYU’s proximity to the city is essential for the rapidly changing vegetarian industry. The multiculturalism available in NYC and NYU will allow me to understand the food system and diets of various cultures, religions, and areas. I can explore the extremes of the food industry, from fancy restaurants to public school cafeterias. These juxtapositions, much like the one I experienced after my move to Nicaragua, will allow me to broaden my reach and demonstrate that the vegetarian diet is not something reserved for select groups but a diet attainable to all.

A core strength of this essay is the fact it takes its time to provide the reader with ample background on why this student is interested in nutrition and food studies and how they have grappled with difficult questions and surrounding this topic in the past. It’s okay to not mention anything about NYU for a whole paragraph if you are using that space to bring depth to your interests and tell the reader the crucial backstory behind pursuing your intended degree.

Another positive aspect is the inclusion of New York City for a purposeful reason. NYU admissions officers read thousands of essays that just talk about living in NYC for the sake of NYC—this is not what they want to hear. In contrast, this essay focuses on the vast and lively food scene in New York that the student considers to be an invaluable asset to her NYU education. This is a time where including New York actually plays to the appeal of NYU, rather than making it seem like the student is simply applying for the city.

Finally, this student clearly demonstrates that they are someone who wants to change the world for the better, but through their personal niche. NYU is looking for people who express this desire to be a changemaker, but oftentimes sweeping statements like “I want to change the world” come across as vague and disingenuous. The essay does mention changing diets and looking to the future, but it is focused within the student’s specific area of interest, making the claim to change the world more determined and authentic.

This essay could be made stronger if there was a bit more personal reflection included. The first paragraph provides a lot of details on the student’s vegetarianism and how it conflicts with her grandmother and her heritage. What it doesn’t include very much of is how the student thinks and feels about her diet being at odds with that of her family.

Does this student feel they are betraying their heritage by being vegetarian? What emotions do they feel when people criticize vegetarianism? Why did they go vegetarian in the first place? Probing questions like these that get to the emotional core behind the story in the first paragraph would really help to build out this student’s backstory. We want to understand what their emotional responses and reasoning processes look like, so finding ways to include those into an already expositive paragraph would further bolster this essay.

Essay Example #6: NYU

My mother never takes off her Cartier necklace that my father gave her 10 years ago on their anniversary. As a child, I didn’t fully understand this attachment. However, on my 15th birthday, my aunt gifted me a ring, which was uniquely designed and made up of three rings linked together. Wearing it every day and making sure I would never lose it, I didn’t treat it like my easily replaceable childhood necklaces; it was my piece of luxury. This sparked my deep curiosity for the luxury world. The niche strives to provide the finest and most memorable experiences, as equally as my Japanese attention to detail and my French appreciation towards aesthetic beauty. In a constantly shifting environment, I learned that luxury chases timeless excellence.

NYU Stern’s BS in business and a co-concentration in management and marketing will fully immerse me in the business side of luxury fashion that I aim to pursue a future career in. The luxury marketing track, offered only by NYU, will enable me to assemble the most suited classes to reflect my interests. Specifically, NYU Stern’s exciting electives such as The Dynamics of the Fashion Industry seminar and Brand Strategy & Planning will encourage me to develop the skills that I was introduced to and grew keen on when running a virtual sustainable fashion auction.

As someone who has moved around from Paris to Tokyo, to Chicago and now Athens, I thrive in meeting and collaborating with others from diverse backgrounds. The school’s strong global outlook, demonstrated through Stern’s International Business Exchange Program, further sets NYU apart for me, as it is crucial to building essential soft skills. This opportunity allows me to experience new cultural approaches to luxury business which I can bring back with me to New York, and therefore push me to become a well-rounded business student. Similarly, I am excited to take part in the array of student clubs offered, such as the Luxury and Retail Association (LARA), which I learned about after connecting with and talking to current students. Seeing past talks from employers of companies like Conde Nast, I am eager to learn outside of the classroom from future speakers.

Finding myself in new situations constantly, I always seek new challenges and explorations – to me, it is clear that NYU Stern will push me to create the finest and most unique learning experiences of timeless excellence.

This essay has an amazing introduction paragraph. It doesn’t mention anything about NYU or what this student is planning on studying, which is what makes it so intriguing. The reader doesn’t know where this student is headed after making such a seemingly unrelated statement about jewelry, but we want to find out.

Not only does this essay immediately capture the reader’s attention, it maintains a succinct and direct tone that helps the reader effortlessly flow from one paragraph to the next. The student chose to include three opportunities at NYU that excite them and fully elaborate on them. This serves as an excellent example of more is less.

We aren’t bombarded with a laundry list of classes, professors, and clubs the student wants to take. Instead, the student took a focused approach and described why they were excited by each offering they highlighted. Going deeper into a smaller number of opportunities at the college still shows this student did their research, but it allows for their backstory and goals to be discussed in far greater detail.

While this student does a good job of elaborating, they also mention a few key aspects of their personality as throw-away lines, when it would have been great to elaborate further on them. For example, they mention running a virtual sustainable fashion auction (cool!), but don’t provide us with any details on what that actually entails, how they got involved with it, what they enjoyed about it, etc. They also mention moving around a lot in the context of developing a diverse perspective, but they don’t include any emotional insight into what that was like.

Although there are only 400 words available, and you don’t want to spend too much time discussing the past, it would be nice to see just a sentence or two that delves into the details of this student’s background. The fashion auction and moving around clearly had an impact on the student, so we want to know what that was. If they are choosing to include these details, they must be important in the student’s decision to pursue business at NYU, so they shouldn’t be afraid to divulge the emotional significance to the reader.

Essay Example #7: Boston University

Prompt: In no more than 250 words, please tell us why BU is a good fit for you and what specifically has led you to apply for admission.

Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) attracts me because of its support of interdisciplinary study among its wide array of majors. In fact, the CAS now offers a course that combines biology, chemistry, and neuroscience. As I hope to conduct medical research into brain disorders, I plan to pursue all three areas of study. These cross-disciplinary connections at BU will prepare me to do so.

CAS’s undergraduate research program would allow me to work with a mentor, such as Dr. Alice Cronin-Golomb or Dr. Robert M.G. Reinhart related to their research on neurological disorders. With them, I can advance the work I have already completed related to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). In a summer class at our local university, my partner and I extracted data from fMRI and PET studies and inputted them into a coding program. We then created an indicator map, which we imported into another software program, AFNI, to display significant activity in the brain regions affected by DID. Seeing the representation of our data thrilled me because I knew it could eventually help people who live with DID. I want to experience that feeling again. Successfully analyzing these fMRI and PET studies and learning to code drives me to pursue more research opportunities, and this desire motivates me to study at a university that offers research opportunities to undergraduates. BU’s interdisciplinary approach to psychology and support for independent undergraduate research will optimally prepare me for a career as a neurological researcher.

This student clearly outlines BU-specific resources (the interdisciplinary course and undergrad research program), plus how these resources align with their professional goals (to become a neurological researcher). They do name professors, but since their work clearly relates to the student’s interests, it doesn’t look disingenuous, and shows that the student has done research on their fit with BU. The student also provides background on why they want to pursue research, and shows that they already have experience, which makes their interest in the undergrad research program more concrete.

The only thing missing from this essay is the student’s fit with BU in terms of extracurriculars and social life. “Why This College?” essays should also cover extracurriculars, as colleges are also interested in how you’ll contribute to their community.

In general, these essays should be academic-leaning (especially if they’re under 250 words), but you should still address some social aspects of the college that appeal to you (we recommend about 70% academics, 30% social, with more or less focus on social aspects depending on the word count).

Since the student probably already detailed their previous research in their Common App activities section, they could’ve just summarized their research background in one sentence (instead of 78 words, which is 31% of the total word count!), and used that valuable space to talk about a specific social aspect of BU that interests them.

Essay Example #8: Boston University

Prompt: In no more than 250 words, please tell us why BU is a good fit for you and what specifically has led you to apply for admission.

I am fascinated by research, though completely uninterested in the disciplines traditionally associated with it, such as STEM fields. I need to find a school that will balance my desire to conduct research with my interest in political science.

While many schools boast in-depth student research programs for those looking to cure diseases or develop solutions to global warming, few tout their support for humanities research. Additionally, many universities that do allocate funding to social science research typically reserve these monies for graduate students or upperclassmen. BU, with the help of its Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, will allow me to conduct research on the topics that most intrigue me, such as gender disparity in politics, or the relationship between dominant parties in power and the country’s economy and involvement in foreign affairs. Furthermore, I can begin these studies as early as my first year. Not only can I take classes with professors like Sandra McEvoy or Dino Christenson to develop my interests in a classroom setting, but I could also work with one of them to develop new knowledge in the topics that we both enjoy learning about. With this knowledge base and experience conducting studies with top professors in a respected research institution, I will be well-prepared for my future law career. I want to learn in an environment that encourages independent study no matter one’s field of interest or experience, and BU’s support of intellectual curiosity for all of its students makes it a perfect fit for me.

This student knows exactly what they want, and they’re not afraid to state it bluntly. Their intro paragraph is totally honest about their interests (or lack of interest), and we immediately understand one of their main college goals: to conduct political science research.

The student mentions a specific resource, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, as well as an alignment with BU’s value of encouraging independent study in all fields. Showing alignment with a specific value of the university is a great way to take your essay to the next level.

This essay shows us that the student would be a great fit for BU and would take advantage of its research opportunities.

The writer mentions some of their research interests, but doesn’t explain the motivation behind them. We don’t actually learn very much about the student themself, which is a common flaw of “Why This College?” essays. The essay would’ve been stronger if they’d explained why they’re interested in “gender disparity in politics, or the relationship between dominant parties in power and the country’s economy and involvement in foreign affairs.” For example, maybe they feel strongly about abortion rights and are upset about the way men have been legislating women’s rights.

The student also names two professors whose classes they’d like to take and with whom they’d like to do research, but we aren’t told which classes they’re interested in, or which topics they could cover together. You want to avoid “name-dropping” professors without context in your essay. If the student shared the names of specific classes or research topics and why they’re interested in them, that would’ve strengthened their essay.

Essay Example #9: Tufts

Prompt: Why Tufts? (100 words)

When Deanne, Tufts’ admissions counselor, visited my school, she immediately caught my attention by emphasizing Tufts’ diverse yet unified campus. Tufts’ inclusive definition of diversity goes beyond merely recruiting students from a variety of backgrounds. Tufts seeks to integrate these categories of diversity and pushes its students to learn from one another. One such intersectional program that attracts me is CAFE (Conversation, Action, Faith, and Education). By joining CAFE, a community that promotes interfaith education, I will learn from my peers, become more understanding of other religious backgrounds, and apply this broader understanding to my academic work at Tufts.

It’s hard to write a “Why This College?” essay in 100 words. This essay does a good job sticking to one unique element of Tufts—its intersectionality. Since Tufts also cares about demonstrated interest, it’s great that the student also mentioned speaking with an admissions counselor.

We unfortunately don’t learn very much about the student from this essay. Why do they care about diversity and interfaith programs? How does this relate to their academic and career goals? While the word count is super short, they could’ve cut these lines and jumped right into the specific resource they’re interested in: Tufts’ inclusive definition of diversity goes beyond merely recruiting students from a variety of backgrounds. Tufts seeks to integrate these categories of diversity and pushes its students to learn from one another.

Here’s an example of a stronger version of this essay:

When a Tufts admissions counselor visited my school, she immediately caught my attention by emphasizing Tufts’ diverse yet unified campus. As a Muslim hoping to go into International Relations, I want to attend a school that not only recruits diverse students, but pushes them to learn from one another. I hope to join intersectional programs such as CAFE (Conversation, Action, Faith, and Education). By joining this community that promotes interfaith education, I will gain the necessary perspective and compassion to become a human rights lawyer in countries with religious conflict, such as my homeland Azerbaijan.

Essay Example #10: Tufts

Prompt: Why Tufts? (100 words)

Someday I hope to conduct medical research in developing countries; Tufts attracts me because of its wide array of majors it offers and support for undergraduate research. To understand the human brain, I hope to study biology, neuroscience, and psychology. In addition to outstanding faculty in each of these areas, Tufts also organizes initiatives including the International Research Program. Through this program, I would work with other students and faculty members on an international project related to brain diseases. This opportunity will give me a taste of my future career and help me narrow the scope of my later studies.

This essay does a better job of sharing the student’s goals with us compared to the previous Tufts essay. We learn that the applicant is interested in medical research in developing countries on brain diseases, and that Tufts has a program to support international research.

The essay still mentions some resources that could apply to many schools, which is not an effective use of the tiny word count. For example, they say: “Tufts attracts me because of its wide array of majors it offers and support for undergraduate research” and they mention the “outstanding faculty” in the fields they plan to study.

They also don’t tell us their motivation behind studying brain diseases abroad, and it feels like there’s a significant story there. Giving some background would’ve further strengthened their essay.

Finally, they mention that they still need to narrow the scope of their studies; while it’s fine to be undecided on your career and majors, you don’t need to spend your precious word count saying that in your essay. They could’ve instead shared a couple potential avenues they’re considering.

Here’s what the student could’ve written instead:

Outcomes for schizophrenia patients are better in developing countries than in developed ones. I hope to research the reasons behind this and improve the treatment options in the US for the cousin I grew up with. In college, I want to study biology, neuroscience, and psychology. Tufts attracts me because of its unique interdisciplinary BS in Cognitive and Brain Science and its International Research Program. Through this program, I could do the research I’ve dreamt of doing with a faculty member and other students, preparing me for my future career as either a researcher or clinician.

Essay Example #11: Georgia Tech

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

Climate change is a human rights issue.

There the headline was, screaming on my phone screen. I think about those suffering from a lack of clean water. I think about those suffering from a lack of clean air.

I often think back to that headline – it’s what drives my passion for environmental engineering. As an environmental engineer, I can mitigate air pollution and design water treatment systems that address the water injustices that people face. However, it’s not just about creating a technology that cleans water; it’s about changing people’s lives. New technologies can make a lasting difference in humanitarian issues worldwide; Georgia Tech’s research on creating a toilet that turns human waste into clean water for those in need of improved sanitation aligns perfectly with my interests.

At Georgia Tech, through the student-led organization, Engineers for a Sustainable World and the InVenture Prize, I can translate the knowledge gained from my classes into a concrete vision. I can design and implement hands-on sustainability projects around Atlanta and invent a water sanitation system for the on-site acquisition of clean water.

Georgia Tech can also provide me with ample research opportunities, such as the broad area of Healthy Communities in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I can further pursue my interest in developing solutions to deliver clean water while welcoming new areas of inquiry. An area I would like to explore would be the controlling of dangerous matter in the air to reduce health hazards; reducing the impact of climate change is of utmost importance to me.

Studying environmental engineering at Georgia Tech would well prepare me to develop solutions to climate-related issues. With the countless opportunities that Georgia Tech has to offer, I know there is nowhere else where I can receive a better environmental engineering education.

What the Essay Did Well l

This essay begins with an attention-grabbing statement that leaves the reader wondering how this will relate to the student’s interest in Georgia Tech. They then transition seamlessly into how climate change and human rights motivate their desire to become an environmental engineer.

The student mentions several resources specific to Georgia Tech that would help them achieve their goals, such as the research on the toilet turning waste into water, Engineers for a Sustainable World, InVenture Prize, and Healthy Communities research. It’s clear that they did their research and have reflected on their fit with the campus community.

They end the essay explicitly stating that Georgia Tech is the best place for them to grow, and the reader is certainly convinced of this by the end.

This essay is quite strong, so there’s not much that the student could’ve improved. That said, there is one sentence that is a bit awkwardly worded: New technologies can make a lasting difference in humanitarian issues worldwide; Georgia Tech’s research on creating a toilet that turns human waste into clean water for those in need of improved sanitation aligns perfectly with my interests.

Instead, the student could’ve written:

New technologies can make a lasting difference in humanitarian issues worldwide; Georgia Tech aligns with this value of mine and is even developing a toilet that turns human waste into clean water for those who need improved sanitation.

Essay Example #12: Georgia Tech

From my first Java project, a somewhat primitive graphing calculator, I realized that CS unlocks a different way of thinking. My brain races at speeds it seldom touches with other subjects. Every part of CS, from conceptualizing a plan to executing a solution, is another piece of a puzzle I’m eager to solve and affords the most opportunities for creative problem-solving and application.

“Progress and Service,” Georgia Tech’s motto, tells me there’s no better place to explore my curiosity and deepen my CS skills while simultaneously helping make the world a better place, my ultimate goal for a college education.

In the classroom, I look forward to GT’s threads program, where I can tailor the curriculum to suit my career choice after exposing myself to all technical aspects of CS.

I’ll apply my specialized learning with Tech’s fascinating research opportunities. Professor Pandarinth’s brain-machine interfacing software means a lot to me. My uncle passed away from a freak accident after extensive paralysis because potential treatments were unaffordable. Exploring this revolutionary brain decoding software wouldn’t just involve me in cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology research, I’d be personally driven to ensure its success and accessibility.

I’m at my best building towards tangible results. I learned this on my robotics team using design skills to create a technically complex robot that tackles anything from shooting balls to hanging on a balance beam. I’m excited to expand my skills on the RoboJackets team, applying my career interests to build ferocious BattleBots and autonomous race robots that compete on the Indy Speedway, two events that sound ridiculously fun.

Of course, I can’t skip hackathons. These competitions molded my interest in coding so I want to give back to Georgia Tech’s Hack-Community by planning HackGT and the Catalyst Mentorship program as a member of the Hexlabs team.

The student’s passion for CS shines through this essay. They explain what they love about the subject (the problem-solving aspect) and they share that they hope to make a difference through CS, demonstrating alignment with Tech’s motto of “progress and service”.

It’s clear that this student has done their research, mentioning specific academic programs, research, and clubs. We can see that they’d be greatly engaged with the campus community.

Finally, this essay is also down-to-earth. The student doesn’t try to use impressive vocabulary or formal language. In fact, they even describe some extracurriculars as “ridiculously fun.” While you shouldn’t get too informal in your essays, this student’s casual tone in this context makes them feel more approachable and more excited about the prospect of going to Georgia Tech.

This essay has a couple sentences that are confusing to read:

Every part of CS, from conceptualizing a plan to executing a solution, is another piece of a puzzle I’m eager to solve and affords the most opportunities for creative problem-solving and application.

This sentence could’ve been broken up and rewritten as:

Every part of CS, from conceptualizing a plan to executing a solution, is another piece of a puzzle I’m eager to solve. For me, the field affords the most opportunities for creative problem-solving and application.

This sentence also uses incorrect grammar—the comma should be replaced with a semicolon:

Exploring this revolutionary brain decoding software wouldn’t just involve me in cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology research, I’d be personally driven to ensure its success and accessibility.

These details would make the essay more readable.

The organization of the essay could also be reworked. The student mentions Tech’s motto of “progress and service,” but doesn’t follow up until later with an example of how they’d use CS for the greater good. Using CS for social good isn’t ultimately the theme of their essay, so this section would’ve been better placed at the end of the paragraph about AI technology research, or at the very end of the essay. The essay actually ends abruptly, so placing the section at the end might’ve tied it up nicely, if the student could’ve placed more emphasis on how they plan to use CS to improve society.

Do you want feedback on your “Why This College” essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

An illustration of a high school student with blue hair, dreaming of what to write in their college essay.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

I was accepted to Yale. Here's everything I included in my successful Ivy League application.

I got into Yale University after submitting a successful college application.
I included my SAT score and high GPA in the application, along with an essay about my culture.
Ultimately, I tried to highlight all the ways I would be a benefit to the Yale community.

I recently reviewed my Yale admissions file after being a student there for three years. It was strange but enlightening to read what the admissions officers really thought of my application.

Since then, many people have respectfully requested to hear about my stats, extracurriculars , and essays.

I believe that everyone's college application journey is unique and that mine is just one sample, but I equally understand the urge to hear about other people's experiences. I devoured hundreds of college decision reactions on YouTube just three years ago, hoping to find that secret formula.

So, I'm now sharing a deeper look into my college application. But I want to first emphasize that as complicated and stressful as the process of applying to college may be, the best application you can ever show others will be the one you enjoy writing the most. I know I enjoyed every second of writing mine.

My GPA and standardized test scores were important factors in my application

With colleges such as Yale and Dartmouth reinstating standardized testing requirements , the reality is that academics will always be the first line of assessment for admission.

The GPA I submitted to Yale was 98.23/100. An admissions officer commended my GPA in the context of my financially underprivileged upbringing.

I also tried to take the most rigorous workload possible while also prioritizing my mental health , ultimately sending in six AP test scores. My SAT score was 1590.

I credit a lot of my academic achievements to the fact that I surrounded myself with peers who were very serious about their education.

My pre-calculus teacher's recommendation — the one that the admissions team rated higher — emphasized that I held the second highest grade in her class over her 20-year teaching career.

I tried to highlight my passions in my extracurriculars

My activities were a confusing mosaic of interests and impulses, but one that perfectly captured this 17-year-old boy who was still very unsure about who he was and what he wanted.

I researched human visual perception at a local community college , I performed spoken word poetry, and I hit about 80% of the notes in the choir (on a good day).

I wanted to capture who I truly am in my college essay

When I started drafting my essay, I knew I wanted to capture what was unextractable from my résumé: my curiosity, thick skin, and mistakes.

I decided to make the topic of my college essay about Chinese New Year, a holiday I celebrated with my 14 floormates in this tiny Brooklyn apartment building that we all called home for two decades. Every year, I would wait for my father by the door with mandarins, only to be disappointed by his absence.

Ultimately, however, I learned to enjoy this holiday — even if my celebration was unorthodox. My 14 floormates and I are unrelated by blood, but I remember we would gather over food every holiday, tell stories, and play a game of JENGA. Their laughter still ricochets in my ears hundreds of miles away as I now sit in my college dorm room , wrapping up my junior year.

I tried not to overthink the other essay questions

I would jot down whatever came to mind in the first 30 seconds, asking myself: "How would 7-year-old Brian answer this?"

Whenever I took too long to craft a response, it was a sign that I was probably sacrificing genuineness to make a false good impression.

One of the essays asked about my favorite intellectual concept. Instead of showing off by detailing some obscure scientific theory, I moved forward with writing about the diversity of motherhood in the animal kingdom, tying it back to my close relationship with my own mother.

My application was focused on proving how I would fit into the Yale community

Colleges are searching for those who will enrich the lives of their peers in different ways.

Therefore, in my application, I tried to highlight all the parts of me that would prove to Yale I would benefit their campus and their students. In doing so, I was accepted and met students doing just that.

One of my friends, for instance, is studying law. She also loves to rap and surprise her friends with midnight ice cream. Another is a science journalist who gives the best dating advice .

I would say Yale wouldn't be home even if one of them were missing. Everyone is here; everyone ends up where they are.

For students applying to Ivy League schools , I implore you to tell your dynamic, unique story — to think about how your rhythm will fold into a community's song.

Watch: How the Latin Kings gang actually works, according to a former member

Main content

Journal of Materials Chemistry C

Photoinduced dynamic defect tolerance in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites: phenomena and mechanism.

Defect tolerance plays a crucial role in the outstanding photoelectric performance of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs). Despite the origin of defect tolerance has been extensively studied in the past few years through static density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experiments, the mechanism of photoinduced defect dynamic change has not yet been well revealed. In this study, we first demonstrate that defect tolerance is dynamically responsive to illumination. Continuous illumination can result in an increased defect tolerance, manifested as an increase in average carrier lifetime and photoluminescence (PL) efficiency, and the timescales involved is consistent with the reported ion activities. The results of DFT calculation and non-adiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) simulation suggest that the photoinduced dynamic PL enhancement can be attributed to the local structural reorganization caused by the defect trapping/detrapping, resulting in the formation of long-living structures with longer carrier lifetimes. The study reveals that the dynamic defect tolerance in HOIPs is powered by a unique interaction of the soft lattice, phonons, excited carriers, and defect sites. It holds significant implications for the development of photostable optoelectronic devices based on HOIPs.

This article is part of the themed collection: Journal of Materials Chemistry C HOT Papers

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G. Liu, Q. Wei, G. Zhang, M. Ghasemi, Q. Li, J. Lu, J. Wang, B. Jia, Y. Yu and X. Wen, J. Mater. Chem. C , 2024, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D4TC01578A

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