The Top Tier Team’s Most Memorable College Essay Lines

A well-crafted, memorable college essay can be the difference between a deferral and an acceptance. These essays offer windows into an applicant’s aspirations, experiences, and unique perspectives. We know that crafting the college essay can be a daunting task so, to inspire your writing, we’re sharing some unforgettable lines from successful college essays over the years, written by our impressive Top Tier Admissions students. Compiled by our expert team of Senior Private Counselors and our Director of Application Boot Camp®, these lines showcase the art of storytelling and how to stand out in the fiercely competitive world of college admissions. So, grab your pen, your notepad, or simply your curiosity, as we share the essay lines that left a lasting impression.

CRAFTING THE COLLEGE ESSAY: MOST MEMORABLE LINES

Michele:

I don’t know a dirt bike from a Ducati, but Danish motorcyclists who traverse the highways of Copenhagen in leather vests stamped with palm-shaped hamsas bring me joy.
Attending: Stanford University

Liz:

When the Waffle Queen of Norway needed help selling her “Slammin’ Salmon on a Stick,” I happily joined the #wafflelution. My Minnesota community values quirkiness and hard work, and my experience hand-crafting and serving savory waffles at the Minnesota State Fair brought together these complementary values. 
Attending: Cornell University

Maria

Pine pitch canker fungus had claimed another victim. My heart ached as I identified the characteristic speckles of brown emerging on yet another tree on my drive back to the plant nursery.
Attending: Brown University

Anita:

Dressed in an old tweed jacket with elbow patches, my best approximation of early 20th-century garb, I recounted to the crowd surrounding my gravesite how I met my fate head-on with a steam-powered locomotive. When I finished sharing my tale, the mayor shook my hand, commending me for reviving the story of someone who’d been lost to the history books. 
Attending: University of Notre Dame

Kristen:

A hypnotic collection of black polka dots shrinks into the swollen folds of a giant, dandelion yellow pumpkin. Yayoi Kusama’s original Kabochas mesmerize art enthusiasts; the 1,000-piece image scattered across my coffee table is just as captivating.   
Attending: Harvard University

Heidi:

I investigated the fallout of the Atlanta spa shooting upon Asian-Americans by spending the summer working alongside women whom many consider to be sex workers.
Attending: University of Chicago

Mimi:

My first love was a man from New Orleans with a heavy Cajun accent who could throw flaming playing cards and defeat evil villains.
Attending: Brown University

Eliza

I worked to capture the halting cough of a sob in an abrupt line break and to show the lethargy of a last visit in a slowly cascading final stanza. I explained how holding on to the memory of a voice is like trying to cup water with spread palms.
Attending: Yale University

Nellie

I used to think my biggest fear was sharks or snakes, but that day I learned it was actually middle schoolers.
Attending: Brown University

Tina

You probably would have heard about it if I had created a rocket by now, maybe from the CIA in the form of a cease and desist.
Attending: Duke University

Deanna

Middle school was the first time I learned that I was different. I had gone through elementary school feeling the same as my friends, united by our love of Taylor Swift, lacrosse, and mac and cheese.
Attending: Northwestern