Sample Common App Essays 1 - Option 3 - Buck Up by Jill

Sep 22, 2026

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A sample Common App essay and critique centered on “Buck Up” by Jill. The text introduces the influential person essay option, then evaluates the title’s curiosity value while noting limited clarity about the essay topic. It analyzes the topic choice for its non-heroic subject, the prompt-complete explanation of influence through perseverance and hard work, and the effective light, appreciative tone. Finally, it reviews writing mechanics and suggests tightening clichés, word choice, pronoun usage, and some sentence logic.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

The Title

Clarity and appeal of “Buck Up”

The Topic

Choosing an unlikely influential person

The Tone

Balancing humor and appreciation

The Writing

Key edits and style improvements

Sample Common App Essays 1 Option 3: “Buck Up” by Jill Susan Lewis is a woman that very few people would consider a role model for anything. A fiftysomething high-school dropout, she has little more to her name than a beat-up truck, a Jack Russell Terrier and a ragtag herd of aging and/or neurotic horses with which she's run a largely unsuccessful riding lesson program for twenty years with no business plan to speak of and little hope of ever turning a profit. She curses like a sailor, is perpetually un-punctual, and has an erratic and often terrifying temper. I've taken weekly riding lessons with Sue since middle school, often against my own better judgement. Because for all her seemingly unredeemable qualities, she inspires me-not necessarily as a person I'd strive to emulate, but simply for her unwavering perseverance. In the five years I've known her, I've never once seen her give up on anything. She would sooner go hungry (and sometimes does) than give up on her horses and her business. She sticks to her guns on every issue, from political views to hay prices to her (frankly terrible) business model. Sue has never once given up on herself or her horses or her business, and she never gives up on her students. My dad lost his job not long after I started high school, and horseback riding quickly became a luxury we couldn't afford. So I called Sue to tell her that I wouldn't be riding for a while, at least until my father was back on his feet. I hadn't expected an outpouring of sympathy (Sue, as you may have guessed, isn't an overwhelmingly sympathetic person), but I certainly wasn't expecting her to yell at me, either. Which was exactly what happened. She told me in no uncertain terms that I was ridiculous for thinking that money should stop me from doing something I loved, and she would see me bright and early Saturday morning regardless, and if she had to drive me to the barn herself that she would, and I'd better be wearing a good pair of boots because I'd be working off my lessons until further notice. Her refusal to give up on me said more than I could ever put into words. It would have been easy for her to just let me leave. But Sue was never a person to take the easy way out, and she showed me how to do the same. I worked harder in Sue's barn that year than I'd ever worked before, earning every minute of my riding time, and I'd never felt more proud of myself. In her own stubborn way, Sue had shared with me an invaluable lesson in perseverance. She may not be much of a role model in any other respect, but Susan Lewis does not give up, and I strive every day to live by her example. Sample Common App Essays 2 Critique of “Buck Up” The Title We'll begin with the first thing any reader will notice: the title. If you think titles don't matter, think again. A good title can immediately pique your readers' curiosity and grab their attention. The title frames and focuses the words that follow. A missing title is a lost opportunity and a weak title is an immediate handicap. Unfortunately, coming up with a good title can be remarkably difficulty. Jill's title "Buck Up" is good in some ways. For one, it's playful as Jill uses the phrase "buck up" in the idiomatic sense of showing some courage or backbone, but the word "buck" also relates to a bucking horse trying to throw its rider. Where the title falls a little short is with its clarity. We really don't know what the essay is about based on the title, and we can appreciate the title only after we have read the essay. The Topic I love the focus of Jill's essay. So many essays on an influential person have a tone of hero worship asthe writer tells us how wonderful Mom or Dad or dead Grandma or Coach or Uncle Harvey is. Jill, however, focuses on someone who in many ways isn't even likable. Susan Lewis is unreliable, rude, poorly educated, and terrible at running a business. She is, as Jill points out, an unlikely person to choose for an essay on an in

FAQs

Why does the critique say the title “Buck Up” is both good and limited?

It’s praised for being playful and using the idiomatic meaning, while “buck” also echoes a horse image. It’s criticized for lacking clarity about what the essay is actually about until after reading.

What makes Jill’s topic choice unusual according to the critique?

Jill focuses on Susan Lewis, described as unreliable and unlikable, rather than an openly admirable figure. The critique highlights that this supports a non-typical option while still finding positive qualities.

What writing improvements does the critique recommend?

It suggests removing or revising clichés such as “sticks to her guns,” replacing “back on his feet,” refining “who/that” in the first sentence, and clarifying confusing “because” logic in a later paragraph.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Asher