50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, Third Edition:

Product Review

Where to Begin?

With an ever-growing pool of talented and diverse college applicants coming from the top high schools in the country and beyond, students everywhere are feeling the pressure to craft application essays that are clear, passionate, and, above all else, persuasive. No easy task.

Examples that Inspire

To help, this completely new edition of 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays showcases the exact approaches, both conventional and creative, that won over admissions officers at Harvard University, the nation’s top-ranked college. From chronicling personal achievements to detailing unique talents, the variety of topics covered within these essays opens applicants up to new possibilities and showcases the best techniques to help them tell their stories most effectively. Each essay in this collection was used by a Harvard student and is followed by analysis by the staff of The Harvard Crimson, where the essay is taken apart and its strengths and weakness are detailed to show readers how they can write their own winning essay.

Strategies that Succeed

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays’ tested approaches and straightforward advice make it the best resource for applicants who are looking for the insider’s knowledge to get accepted to the school of their dreams.

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(5 customer reviews)

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

Some Impressive Essays and Many Insightful Analyses, July 15, 2010

Gilgamesh (Middle Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, Third Edition: What Worked for Them Can Help You Get into the College of Your Choice (Harvard Crimson) (Paperback)

I'm not planning to apply to universities anymore (I'm a graduate student now), but I like to read well-written essays, and the title of this book caught my eye. You have to wonder, what kind of essays do successful applicants write?

The editors divided the essays into four different types:
1) The Survivor (about overcoming adversity)
2) One among Many (about how unique you are)
3) Storyteller (about your character)
4) Through Their Eyes (about others who have affected your development)

THE GOOD STUFF
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To my eye, the essays varied considerably in quality. The solid essays were a pleasure to read. Even when I ran across a lackluster one, though, the commentaries written by the editors about the essays gave me something useful to take away from it. In fact, I would say that the insightful analyses make the book worth reading for just about anyone who does a lot of writing.

THE STUFF THAT COULD...Read more

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

College Essays - Not just for Harvard, October 2, 2011

B. Barlow (PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, Third Edition: What Worked for Them Can Help You Get into the College of Your Choice (Harvard Crimson) (Paperback)

Generally one of the better books on writing the essays. 4 stars because some of the essays are a bit difficult to relate to - unless you survived a particular life threatening event. However, most offered very good advice. The book is applicable to any school and not just for Harvard. The writing quality is a bit higher than the average high school senior but other than that, it applies to a wide range of applications (scholarships, schools, etc).

Fantastic, September 3, 2011

Florence Torrance ""film buff"" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, Third Edition: What Worked for Them Can Help You Get into the College of Your Choice (Harvard Crimson) (Paperback)

extremely helpful -- sample essays and commentary provide guidance for the uninitiated. this is definitely the book to get for this time in a student's life!