[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-142961-105":59,"doc-detail-142961-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","150-successful-harvard-application-essays-what-worked","150 Successful Harvard Application Essays - What Worked","","A curated collection of admissions essay examples gathered for a successful Harvard application process, organized into thematic sections such as identity, introspection, overcoming obstacles, foreign life, passion, inspiration, and experiences. The introductory guidance explains the core purposes of the personal statement: conveying a vivid sense of individuality to admissions decision-makers, offering a crucial writing sample, and using the essay to humanize achievements without repeating a résumé. Writing strategy emphasizes clarity, grammar, proofreading, and authentic motivation.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":20,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/150-successful-harvard-application-essays-what-worked/142961/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/150-successful-harvard-application-essays-what-worked/142961.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Logic","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-05","2026-08-25",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",15,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What is the primary intention of the personal statement in college applications?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"It is to give readers a sense of who you are as a person, leaving decision-makers with the impression that you are full, interesting, and add something to their college.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Why do admissions readers treat the personal statement as a special writing sample?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Because it is one of very few writing samples submitted. Strong writers can showcase self-expression, while spelling, grammar, and awkward phrasing can harm borderline applications.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How should applicants handle résumé information in the personal statement?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Do not list the résumé. Use the essay to humanize one or at most two activities by focusing on what the experience reveals about your interest, passion, and leadership rather than only your title.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},142961,1787691957,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":19,"category_name":20,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":140,"language":141,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":142,"faqs":143,"seo_title":144,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":145},1099513958762,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/1000023916a998db790?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1784791008015729253","The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify [the publisher at:](the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy)[ us.macmillanusa.com/piracy](the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy).  \nACKNOWLEDGMENTS  \nThe Harvard Crimson would like to thank the members of the team who crafted this book and made it successful. We are most grateful to the essay writers who were willing to submit their work for public scrutiny—this book is only possible because of your generosity. Next, to our essay reviewers, whose many collective hours of work were integral to this book’s publication. The members of staff of The Crimson who put this project together deserve a thank-you: Maya Jonas-Silver and David Liu, who led the charge on this project, and Andrew Creamer, LuShuang Xu, Nikita Iyer, Samir Gupta, John Finnegan, Jessica Li, Maliza Namude, Patrick Liu, Caden Broussard, Bobby Samuels, and Joseph Botors, who provided the support necessary to complete it. And of course, without Matt Martz, our editor at St. Martin’s, none of this could have happened—thanks so much, Matt, for everything.  \nCONTENTS  \nTitle Page  \nCopyright Notice  \nAcknowledgments  \nI. INTRODUCTION: THE ADMISSIONS ESSAY  \nII. IDENTITY  \nCaden B.  \nChristiane Zhang  \nWhitney Gao  \nChaffee Duckers  \nJonathan Palmer Smith  \nSara Price  \nMichelle Choi  \nIII. INTROSPECTION  \nRachael Smith  \nWinnie Wu  \nKevin Dong  \nCarrie Tian  \nDanielle Lessard  \nAlyssa Chan  \nJustine Liu  \nJohn Finnegan  \nIV. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES  \nLazarus D.  \nHannah Umanski-Castro  \nSarah Chapin  \nDavid Roberts  \nEda Kaceli Aran Khanna  \nScott Lazarus  \nV. FOREIGN LIFE  \nSF  \nDanielle Feffer  \nJosh Palay  \nLucien Chorde  \nAlex Foote  \nDavid Liu  \nVI. PASSION  \nYe Zhao  \nOctav Dragoi  \nJoshuah Campbell  \nSadie McQuilkin  \nWill Shih  \nJames Gillette  \nConnor Denney  \nAnumita Das  \nVII. INSPIRATION  \nAnthony Wilder Wohns  \nShang Wang  \nAl I. Duiswin  \nMaliza K.  \nYueming C.  \nTony Cheang  \nSidartha Jena-Sidujena  \nVIII. EXPERIENCES  \nCharles Wong Letitia Li  \nRory O ’Reilly  \nLeslie Ojeaburu  \nIsaac Alter  \nTaras Dreszer  \nLisa Wang  \nAbout The Harvard Crimson Copyright  \nI. INTRODUCTION  \nThe Admissions Essay  \nYou spend four years working on your GPA and four hours sitting for the SATs and now you’re left with one last big obstacle—the college application essay. Now you’re sitting at your desk, staring at a blank computer screen, wondering how someone like you will ever find anything worth writing about. If that sounds familiar, read on.  \nBefore getting unduly stressed, remember this: When you express yourself in an application essay, you can attempt to sum up all that you are, but you won’t succeed. No one fits into five hundred words. If, in that space, you can successfully present even one fragment of who you are, you’ve done your job.  \nSome people write essays about their experiences—about travel abroad or new people they’ve met or new things they’ve learned. Sometimes, people take those experiences and use them to explain the way they’ve lived their lives or hope to live their lives in the future. And when these options fail, applicants turn inward, to their own thoughts on, really, anything.  \nEvery type of essay has its advantages. Writing about experiences gives the reader an engaging story to follow. Looking forward with an application essay is a good route for someone who feels like there is more to say about the future than about the past. And writing an introverted essay requires nothing more than an open mind.  \nSo don’t despair—for everyone, there is an appropriate topic for the personal statement.  \nRemember the primary intention of the personal statement: Give your readers a sense of who you are as a person. This is the part of your application in whi","cbCaippjaQdJvkAW","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaippjaQdJvkAW","pdf",810091,134,"English","# Introduction: The Admissions Essay\n## The Admissions Essay\n## Purpose of the Personal Statement\n## Using Writing Skills and Proofreading\n## Humanizing Accomplishments","[{\"question\":\"What is the primary intention of the personal statement in college applications?\",\"answer\":\"It is to give readers a sense of who you are as a person, leaving decision-makers with the impression that you are full, interesting, and add something to their college.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do admissions readers treat the personal statement as a special writing sample?\",\"answer\":\"Because it is one of very few writing samples submitted. Strong writers can showcase self-expression, while spelling, grammar, and awkward phrasing can harm borderline applications.\"},{\"question\":\"How should applicants handle résumé information in the personal statement?\",\"answer\":\"Do not list the résumé. Use the essay to humanize one or at most two activities by focusing on what the experience reveals about your interest, passion, and leadership rather than only your title.\"}]","150 Successful Harvard Application Essays - What Worked | PDF",338]