Fiske Real College Essays That Work - B.Fiske & Bruce G. Hammond - The Fiske Solution

Jul 30, 2026

Guidance for writing standout college application essays, focusing on practical craft elements such as strong openings and closings, effective structure, and techniques for overcoming writer’s block. The book targets students at different skill levels with advice on dos and don’ts, plus real essay examples across diverse themes including academics, hobbies, athletics, arts, identity and culture, politics and religion, pivotal experiences, humor, relationships, moral dilemmas, personal growth, and travel. Built from submissions selected with counselor support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages372

Reading Time9 h 33 min

Introduction: Why Couldn’t I Just Write about Things That Make Me Happy?

Part One: Writing a Great Essay

Chapter 1: What Makes a Great Essay?

Chapter 2: Rescue from Writer’s Block.

Chapter 3: Crafting a Narrative

Part Two: Real College Essays That Work

Academics

Science and Science Fiction

Hobby or Interest

Athletics

The Arts

Camp Counseling and Community

Racial or Cultural Differences

Politics and Religion

A Significant Experience

Humor

Family and Relationship

A Moral Dilemma

Personal Growth

Travel

Why I Love First Choice U.

Appendix: The Search for an Opening Line

THE\#I BESTSANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARYDN WRITINGESSAYS THATCOLLEGE Insider advice on: CGreat openers and closers Updated with Tips and Essays for the CEffective essays at all skill levels NEW COMMON al dos and don'ts APPLICATION takes to avoid D B.FISKE &BRUCE G.HAMMOND SOurcebooks THE FISKE SOLUTIONGuiding You Every Step of the Way to College! FIND A COLLEGE FISKE指TE隐TE GOLLEBE GIHDE 2015FISKEFISKECOLLEGESEDWARD B.FISKE ACE THE TEST FISKE250words everyhigh schoolfreshmanneeds to knowAPPLY FOR COLLEGEFISKEREAL COLLEGEESSAYSTHAT WORKCollege Countdown▶Wherever books are sold! EDWARD B.FISKE &BRUCE G.HAMMOND Copyright ◎2006,2009,2011,2014 by FGC Associates,LLCCover and internal design ◎2014 by Sourcebooks,Inc Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks,Inc. All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or byany electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrievalsystems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles orreviews—without permission in writing from its publisher,Sourcebooks,Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information inregard to the subject matter covered.It is sold with the understanding that the pub-lisher is not engaged in rendering legal,accounting,or other professional service.If legal advice or other expert assistance is required,the services of a competentprofessional person should be sought.—From a Declaration of Principles fointlyAdopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Commitee of Publishersand Associations All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks,registeredtrademarks,or trade names of their respective holders.Sourcebooks,Inc.,is notassociated with any product or vendor in this book. Publishcd by Sourcebooks,Inc. P.O.Box 4410,Naperville,Illinois 60567-4410(630)961-3900Fax:(630)961-2168www.sourcebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America. VP 10987654321 Introduction: Why Couldn’t I Just Write about Things That Make Me Happy?………………………………………………………V Part One: Writing a Great Essay……………… …………3 Chapter 1:What Makes a Great Essay? Chapter 2: Rescue from Writer’s Block. ………13 ···· Chapter 3: Crafting a Narrative .. ………23 ·.··· ………33 Part Two: Real College Essays That Work…………………… Academics………………………………… ..37 51 Science and Science Fiction. Hobby or Interest……………… .61 ……95 Athletics .. ..105 The Arts.. Camp Counseling and Communit ..141 Racial or Cultural Differenc ……161 Politics and Religion. ………193 ……207 A Significant Experience ..223 Humor……………… ……243 Family and Relationshi 257 A Moral Dilemma …………267 Personal Growth . …………287 Travel…………………………… …………311 Why I Love First Choice U. Appendix: The Search for an Opening Line. …………329 Acknowledgments……………… …………349 College Counselors Advisory Group……… …………351 About the Authors……………………………………… ……………353 · Also by Edward B.FiskeFiske Guide to Colleges Also by Edward B.Fiske and Bruce G.HammondFiske Guide to Getting Into the Right CollegeFiske Nailing the New SATFiske Countdown to College # Why Couldn’t I Just Write aboutThings That Make Me Happy? When it was time to tackle my essay topic,I assumed that Ineeded to take the most emotionally gut-wrenching story from mylife and work my zway into a school by breaking the hearts of theadmissions committee.IfI couldn't pull that off,I figured that Ishould write the most intellectual five bundred words that I couldget on paper.It would probably be a good idea to use lots of reallybig words and make allusions to really obscure works ofliterature,all the while analyzing why my (nonexistent)groundbreakinglab work was going to save the world.It took me a week-longssay writing seminar,an entire summer

FAQs

What is the book trying to help students do with their college essay?

Reduce stress in the essay-writing process and make drafting more manageable and even enjoyable, while helping students produce essays that reflect who they really are.

What does Part One cover about improving essay quality?

Core elements of a great essay, including what makes an essay effective, how to recover from writer’s block, and how to craft a narrative.

How does Part Two help students choose what to write about?

It presents real college essay examples organized by common application topics (e.g., academics, athletics, humor, moral dilemmas, personal growth, and travel) to show how different experiences can be developed.

Jul 30, 2026

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