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Write Your Best College Essays Possible

Apply to colleges with confidence

We help students tell their story and capture your unique strengths.

Helping 9,000 + students and parents succeed in college admissions - now offering personalized essay editing

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Ryan Chiang Founder, Essays That Worked

Our Mission

Apply to colleges with confidence and ease

We believe that college applications are an opportunity for growth and self-discovery, and that every student can succeed without attending "top" colleges.

But if you're aiming high, we're here to support your goals. It won't be easy, and it won't be likely, but we'll help you apply with confidence and without regrets.

College admissions can feel stressful and unfair. Essays That Worked aims to improve access to college admissions resources for all, so that regardless of the outcomes, you can feel proud knowing you gave it your best shot.

What is Essays That Worked?

Essay Examples

Since 2018, Essays That Worked has been a trusted resource for students and parents to read real college essays that worked. Our community of students showcases their essays to inspire and help others, improving transparency for all students in the college admissions process.

Students and Parents

Essays That Worked is dedicated to helping students and parents succeed in college admissions. For us, that means reducing the stress and anxiety of the college application process, and providing the resources and support needed to apply with confidence.

Essays That Worked students reflect a diversity of voices and experiences across the globe and in nearly every field of study. Our essay examples showcase the unique stories and perspectives of students who have been admitted to their best fit schools.

Get inspired and tell your story with confidence

Learn from real college essays that worked, written by students who have been admitted to their best fit schools. Get insights into why they worked and what could've been improved with our expert analysis of these essay examples.

Find your best-fit colleges

Our unique college search tool helps you find your best-fit colleges based on your unique preferences and goals. Find great schools in a visual and interactive way. College admissions is not just about getting into the "best" schools, but about finding the right fit for each student.

Get feedback that works for your essays

Our college essay editing is designed to help you write your best essays possible. Get detailed feedback and one-on-one support to improve your essays and apply with confidence.

Learn to write your best college essays with step-by-step guides

Writing college essays can be confusing. Our free step-by-step guides cover everything you need to know to write your best college essays possible, from brainstorming to editing.

One-on-one essay feedback

Get paired with an experienced college essay editor who will provide detailed feedback on your essays. Take your essays to the next level, save time, and gain confidence knowing you're on the right track.

Find and win scholarships for college

Our partner site Scholarships That Work helps you find and win the perfect scholarships for college. Get matched with local and niche scholarships that fit your unique background and interests, so you have better chances of winning.

9,000 students and parents have already joined Essays That Worked

We want to help you apply to colleges with more confidence and ease. Join today to get access to our free resources and community.

Start improving today with essay feedback

From our founder, Ryan Chiang

🧑‍💻 Personalized, in-depth feedback for any essay

⏰ As little as 24 hours

Find inspiration to write your own amazing essays

Explore our essay examples and free resources

Students and parents of students from these schools recommend Essays That Worked 🙌

Every student is unique — let's tell your story

Applying to college is a unique opportunity for self-reflection and growth as you discover and strive for your dreams. We want to help bring calm and confidence to your college application process,

• Hello! 👋 I'm Ryan, founder of Essays That Worked and Scholarships That Work. Since 2018, I've helped students write their best application essays possible and apply to colleges with confidence.
• I've helped students get admitted to every top 20 university in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and MIT. But more importantly, I've helped students apply confidently to their best fit colleges.
• I've supported over 9,000 students and parents to succeed in college admissions with our free resources, blog posts, and essay examples.
• I've published over 300+ essay examples from students admitted to the most selective colleges and built a free community to help everyone succeed in college admissions.
• I've worked one-on-one with students for 6+ years and received 5-star reviews from students and parents. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• I believe that all students can succeed without "top" colleges — but if you're aiming high, I'm here to support your journey.

Striving to make college admissions transparent and accessible for all

Students and parents from over 90+ countries use Essays That Worked each year in applying to colleges and crafting their applications. We strive to offer free resources and improve transparency for everyone in the college admissions process.

Write your way to a college experience you love

Essays matter a lot — especially for highly selective colleges. But our proudest moments are helping students find and apply to their best-fit schools.

Start applying more confidently

Find inspiration, get feedback, and navigate the college admissions process with ease with Essays That Worked.

What do outstanding essays have in common? Here are our 23 most effective strategies based on lessons from admitted students.

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