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To disclose or not to disclose: college acceptances and youth with autism spectrum disorder.

Distinguished Professor, UC Presidential Chair, Director, SEARCH Autism Center, UCR. Research focus on families, ASD, schooling.

Meet Sam, who is highly gifted in mathematics and recently joined a large public university with dreams of majoring in Engineering. Yet despite his brilliance and success, Sam was forced to drop engineering because of the demands made by the lab instructors: switching lab partners every week, for example. This created such anxiety for Sam, as he lacked the social skills required to meet new students every time he came to class, that he dropped out of engineering. Sam's experience is not unique, at least for college students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

To disclose or not to disclose? This is the dilemma faced by thousands of students with autism who have just been accepted to college.

Because ASD is "invisible," it is not usually apparent to college professors or instructors. It is difficult for them to reconcile how high functioning individuals with autism can be so advanced intellectually while lacking the practical and social skills necessary to succeed in college. This places students with ASD in difficult situations, and places their long term success in potential jeopardy.

Does Sam have the courage to disclose his ASD and risk the consequences? Or, should he not disclose and risk being put in a classroom environment not suited to his needs and in the academic care of professors who don't understand his weaknesses--as well as his obvious strengths?

For the past 30 years, I have taught at a large university campus, where I have encountered a number of students on the autism spectrum. While research shows the percentage of these students currently attending U.S. colleges and universities may only be two percent, there will be an increasing number of students with autism spectrum disorder attending college, in part because of the recognition that more than 50% of them have average intellectual disability, and some have superior cognitive ability and outstanding talents in certain skill areas (e.g., math, music, science).

My research team has utilized the campus community as a kind of living laboratory, where we have explored campus members' awareness of autism, and interviewed both young men and women with ASD about their personal experiences, and professors about what it's like - or might be like - having students on the spectrum in college classes. With this as context, I offer advice about when and where students might disclose as well as some advice for professors.

The first time a student will face the decision about whether to disclose is while writing his or her college application essay. The purpose of the college essay is often three-fold: 1) To assess the applicant's writing skills; 2) To assess the applicant's creativity or depth of knowledge; and 3) To learn something about the applicant.

The second juncture for disclosing occurs once enrolled in college. At that point, disclosing the autism spectrum disorder to the campus disabilities office is the only way to find out what resources will be available. Note that if the accepted student has a diagnosis, the university is mandated by law, specifically by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide academic and physical accommodations, should they be needed.

However, I would argue that a third disclosure point -- letting professors or instructors know that the student has autism spectrum disorder -- is an often overlooked but crucial one. In Sam's case, for example, letting his professors know, in addition to the disabilities office, could have been pivotal to his success.

For all the 'Sams' in our higher education institutions, as well as those to come, I offer the following advice to campus communities:

To students: Come prepared. Develop a list of things that help you perform better (knowing about test requirements ahead of time; being given extra readings instead of oral reports; tolerance when you ask questions or if you get up suddenly and walk out of class) and those that don't (requiring new lab partners every week; interacting with others in small groups; being called on unexpectedly.) Your professors will appreciate these suggestions.

To professors: Although you are required to provide accommodations, you can do that well only if informed about ASD. Professors in one of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) fields should be particularly attuned to this issue. Indeed, one study utilizing a nationally representative sample reported 34.7 percent of young men and women with ASD attended college during the first six years after high school, with a higher proportion majoring in STEM fields, when compared across disability categories.

We were encouraged to learn from our research, involving interviews with professors and both undergraduate and graduate students, that some progress is being made. In one case, a professor in a STEM field chose to work with a graduate student who disclosed that he was "on the spectrum." This student was not shy about talking - in fact, he spoke loudly, focused intensely on one topic, and was not a good listener - hallmarks of the social deficits in autism. By teaching him when not to talk, and to listen to what his peers had to say, the professor found that the student was a real asset in the lab, and all benefited from this learning experience and from the student's expertise.

Despite the increasing enrollment of students with ASD in college, the importance of an informed and supportive faculty, and the fact that ASD doesn't appear to be going away any time soon, there is virtually no data on the effectiveness of educating faculty about this spectrum of disorders.

There are some guidelines for enhancing college success available from the websites of national organizations, such as Autism Speaks or the Organization for Autism Research. There are also guides on the market (e.g., The Parent's Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum) and several U.S. universities and private companies have well-developed websites for this purpose.

Researchers in the U.K. have a jump on this topic. Fiona Knott and colleagues at the University of Reading have studied life at the university for students with Asperger syndrome, for the purposes of developing additional supports for these students. At Warwick University, there is a major project called Finished at School that documented the launching of young people with autism into college and provided an empirical evaluation of the effort .

To disclose or not to disclose is no longer the question. Rather, it is how we can best educate college and university faculty about making micro changes in their course procedures and activities that have macro effects on their students, like Sam, with autism spectrum disorder

Jan Blacher is a Distinguished Professor and UC Presidential Chair at the University of California, Riverside. She directs the SEARCH Family Autism Resource Center and is the principal investigator of a study to develop Autism 101, a faculty guide for understanding and supporting college students on the spectrum.

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Home — Application Essay — Liberal Arts Schools — My Experience with Autism: Connecting with Luke

My Experience with Autism: Connecting with Luke

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Words: 513 |

Published: Jul 18, 2018

Words: 513 | Pages: 1 | 3 min read

"English, math, chemistry…" I was panicked over all the work I needed to finish, which had become increasingly difficult after doubling my hours at the barn. Overwhelmed, I just wanted to get home. Then, after I finally mastered my barrel pattern, my trainer, Denise, came and asked if I would volunteer for a program involving autistic children. She said most others were frightened away, but she had confidence in me. My cousin Nicholas had just been diagnosed with autism, so I felt some sort of obligation mixed with unease. Though it would have been easier to claim I was too busy, I relented.

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On the first day, eighteen-year-old Michael threw his enormous frame on the ground, injuring himself and the horse he was riding. I felt vulnerable around these children, when I was supposed to feel helpful. I looked forward to finishing the program.

Ironically, however, I began to find myself at the barn daily. In October, two brothers, Luke and Adam, joined the program. When we met, Luke stared blankly. I bent and introduced myself. He gazed at me but returned only indecipherable noises. Instead of sensing accomplishment for reaching out, I felt what must have been his horror. Thoughts and words wanted to emerge, but he lacked the capacity to communicate them -- or at least communicate "normally". I imagined the terror of having something to say but lacking the capacity to do so.

I did not feel I knew much about autism, but I quickly learned the importance of routine. One day, I watched Luke cling to his mother’s arm. An instructor grabbed his hand. Luke began screaming and crying. I wanted to make the instructor stop, to take Luke and comfort him. Luke felt me near and wrapped his arms around me. We walked off together. For the next month, our new routine consisted of my holding Luke on every trail. I would talk. Luke would respond with gurgling and humming. Occasionally, I made out words, but they did not translate into much. Because our director had repeatedly told us to "make sure they hold the reigns," I kept placing them in Luke’s hands, only for him to drop them. One day, though, he gripped the reigns and never let go.

Before our next session, I spotted Luke petting a horse. He began singing "C is for cookie…that’s good enough for me." I smiled and starting singing with him. He laughed, the first such sound I heard from him in our months together. He repeated that line from Sesame Street continuously for the hours we spent together. At the end of our session, we hugged.

The next week, Luke’s mother asked bewilderedly about the previous session. For the first time, Luke had not fought her about getting dressed or going in the car. I described our last meeting, then knelt down and asked Luke about his day. He responded "C is for cookie!"

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As we walked off together, I realized, autistic or not, we all are speaking the same language. Some people just use different words.

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Neurodiversity and Autism in College

Teaching neurodiversity as a culture, rather than autism as a disability..

Posted August 30, 2017

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In the past five years, educators have seen a surge of college students diagnosed with autism and other neurological differences. In response, schools have adopted a variety of strategies to accommodate these neurodiverse students. Strategies differ, but the fundamental problem they are meant to address is the same.

As a group, autistic people are less likely to complete college than typical peers. Once out of school, autistic adults are less likely to be employed, and if employed, studies suggest their skills are often underutilized. Rates of depression , anxiety , and suicide remain markedly higher than the general population throughout adulthood. If school is meant to teach the skills one needs to integrate and succeed in society, school is failing most autistic people.

The question of whether there are more students with autism today, or simply more students diagnosed with autism, has not yet been resolved. Some studies suggest that autism diagnoses are replacing “older” diagnoses, like intellectual disability. Other studies suggest that we are doing a better job of diagnosing autism but a significant number of children still slip through the cracks, to be diagnosed in college or later. The evidence for an actual increase in autism is limited and controversial.

That's important because it shapes our philosophy . Are we dealing with newfound awareness of something long neglected? Or is this an emerging public health crisis? Autism presents very differently across the spectrum and people espouse both views with great passion.

For most of its history, medical professionals, counselors, and educators discussed autism in the third person. The past decade has seen the emergence of first person autistic voices whose views are often at odds with what was said before.

One way in which first person descriptions tend to differ from earlier observations is in the characterization of autism exclusively as a disability. Medical depictions of autism were focused primarily on how autism limited and disabled people. Autistic people are more likely to focus on what we can do, and how our differences make us exceptional even though some aspects of autism are disabling. Autistic people also recognize the medical complications that often accompany autism, such as epilepsy or intestinal distress. Those co-occurring conditions may be highly disabling—even life threatening—even if a person feels their autism itself is not a disability.

That calls for a fundamentally different perspective when discussing autism, and it’s at the foundation of the emerging neurodiversity movement. Neurodiversity postulates that some degree of neurological difference is part and parcel of the human genome, which evolved in us because it benefits our species even when it disables some individuals. The emerging view of autism is that of a neurological difference that confers a mix of gift and disability. That viewpoint is now being extended to other inborn neurological differences, like ADHD and dyslexia.

Neurodiversity proponents raise an important question: If autism and other neurological diversities have attributes that benefit our species, shouldn’t we be seeking to accommodate it rather than cure or suppress it, while simultaneously minimizing suffering and the impact of disability?

In that view, the problems faced by autistic adults in modern society are not just their individual challenges. They also symbolize societal failures, fostered by exclusionary policies, ignorance, and other factors.

How should schools respond to that?

So far, most colleges have approached autism and neurodiversity as a student accommodation challenge, not as an opportunity to shape society through their graduates. Some schools are changing how they teach neurodiverse students. They may allow more time for tests, or allow the use of assistive devices. They may allow remote participation. Some have focused on physical accommodations—eliminating flickering fluorescent lights or adding quiet spaces, for example. Others look to enhancing counseling centers and one-on-one support. A few schools—like Vermont’s Landmark College—make neurodiverse students their entire focus.

Those are all great things—for neurodiverse students. None of those accommodation actions help inform or change the broader community. That is an idea that bears explaining and merits consideration as higher education policies and programs evolve.

A few universities, Virginia's William & Mary being one example, share the belief in accommodation of diversity, but additionally feel a duty to invest all their students with awareness of the emerging ideas of neurodiversity, just as they expect graduates to leave with an understanding of racial, religious, or sexual diversity.

While those diversities have some traits in common, there is one important difference—all the others are well known to the public, and most students enter college with some sort of opinion. Neurological diversity is still unknown to a large percentage of the population, including students, and even when it is known, it’s often not understood.

That means educators have an important opportunity to shape public opinion before it hardens in the face of awareness and wrong impressions. We might call the time someone learns about neurodiversity as a “teachable moment,” one where we can implant the seeds of acceptance and tolerance and even welcome. The alternative, as many of us have seen, is far worse.

Neurotypical people make up the majority of the population, and they will always outnumber the neurodivergent to a significant degree. That means that any program that purports to teach values of neurodiversity must out of necessity reach a primarily typical population.

Teaching autistic people to get by in a neurotypical world has its place, but there’s also room for discussion of what neurodiverse people bring to the wider world, and how that world may better accommodate them. Our universities are the best place for that conversation to start.

From there, we can take the conversation to the media, who still describes us as “suffering from autism.” Autistic people do suffer at times, but that depiction of us has become offensive. Much suffering stems from being misunderstood, and it’s as much an external issue as an internal one.

For autistics, though, the idea of “suffering” is complicated by the fact that many real disabilities do often accompany autism. Furthermore, autism is a very heterogeneous condition and one autistic person can have many challenges requiring constant assistance while another can live quite independently and comfortably.

When colleges graduate people who understand and respect the concept of neurodiversity they will take those values with them into the workforce. When that happens we can begin to make societal changes to better integrate autistic people into the modern working world. We will certainly get farther and faster, by tackling our collective problems as a community.

John Elder Robison is an autistic adult and advocate for people with neurological differences. He's the author of Look Me in the Eye , Be Different , Raising Cubby , and Switched On . He serves on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee of the US Deptmartment of Health and Human Services and many other autism-related boards. He's co-founder of the TCS Auto Program (A school for teens with developmental challenges) and he’s the Neurodiversity Scholar in Residence at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and a visiting professor of practice at Bay Path University in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

The opinions expressed here are his own. There is no warranty expressed or implied. While reading this essay will give you food for thought, actually printing and eating it may make you sick.

John Elder Robison is the author of Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger's , and Be Different, Adventures of a Free-range Aspergian .

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Going to college with autism.

Aging out of supports, kids on the spectrum struggle

Writer: Beth Arky

Clinical Expert: Ron J. Steingard, MD

What You'll Learn

• Why is college sometimes challenging for students with autism?
• What can parents do to set them up to succeed?
• What strategies and tools are useful for staying organized in college?

Many teenagers with autism do well in high school and head off to college. When they get there, they sometimes run into unexpected challenges. But with the right tools and preparation, college students with autism can continue to succeed.

Trouble with organization is common in kids with autism. Because college comes with so many new responsibilities, autistic students may have a hard time managing their time and staying on track. Living independently, taking care of daily needs, managing homework and schedules — dealing with all these things at once can be overwhelming.

Another issue is that college students with autism may be living without services like educational supports and occupational therapy for the first time. Plus, it can be hard to find clinicians who work with adults with autism.

Transition planning is crucial for kids with autism. Schools start planning with kids and families by age 14, but starting to think about college even earlier can be helpful. Teenagers with autism can learn how to advocate for themselves. When they get to college, they’ll know how to ask for the services they need.

Families can also think ahead of time about whether the child is ready to live away from home. Sometimes starting off at a community college or other option closer to home may be best. Once kids have more practice with the demands of college, they might transition to living independently.

When your child with autism does go to college, using the right organizational tools can make a big difference. That might include visual schedules, planners and alarm clocks. By planning ahead for what strategies and accommodations they will need, students with autism can have happy, successful college experiences.

Vassar junior Zoe Gross knows her strengths and weaknesses all too well. So while she gets good grades, the 21-year-old is aware that she does things more slowly than most people, including getting dressed in the morning, transitioning between activities, and writing papers. It makes college an even greater challenge. “When you take into account that when I’m living on my own it is difficult for me just to keep myself washed, fed and in clean clothes,” she says, “it means that I can’t do the schoolwork as fast as the professors can assign it.”

Gross is on the autism spectrum , and her struggles with life skills and executive function —the mental processes that involve things like planning, time management and multitasking—leave her feeling depressed and anxious . “I get sick a lot because my immune system is shot,” she says. “I got strep and mono in one semester.” Of course, this adds to her anxiety and trouble getting things done. “Every semester I am absolutely miserable by finals.” After finally hitting a serious “rocky patch,” as she puts it, Gross decided to take a break.

Gross represents a wave of young people on the less affected end of the autism spectrum who head off to college after high school. Because these bright, if socially awkward, children have been doing well academically, it’s a natural assumption they will do fine in college and beyond. Many parents do not anticipate the struggles their kids, without the family structure and the supports they were provided in school, will face.

Organization issues

Conventional wisdom holds that the biggest problems for those on the less severe end of the spectrum are social and communication issues. They might miss social cues and misunderstand what’s expected of them. But disrupted executive function, usually associated with ADHD , is also common in people on the spectrum, says Ron J. Steingard , a pediatric psychopharmacologist. “I think the burden is increased in autism,” he says.

Which makes college, often the first foray into independent living, especially challenging. While Gross sees many students reveling in their freedom, she says the responsibility of staying organized and on track that goes with freedom is her most formidable obstacle. “I’ve talked to people who want to frame the issues I have as social because they see autism only as a social disability,” she says. “But any social issues I might have at college pale in comparison.”

Gross’s difficulties are all too common, says Stephen Shore , a prominent advocate who is an assistant professor of special education at Adelphi University and author of several books on autism. “Managing the independent aspects of life as a college student such as living in a dorm or apartment, combined with scheduling homework, maintaining proper nutrition, etc., may overwhelm the individual’s executive functioning capabilities,” he says.

The challenges of independence

Asperger’s does not mean “no challenges,” confirms Lynne Soraya, who writes the “Asperger’s Diary” for Psychology Today. “I was hit by a car—for the second time—when I was in college, at age 19. Life skills like learning how to effectively manage sensory inputs so that you can safely cross a street are still applicable for those of us deemed ‘high functioning.’”

The day of the accident, Soraya says, she had gotten in an argument and was so overwhelmed by her emotions, along with the noise and crowds, that she experienced tunnel vision and didn’t see the car coming until it was too late.

Add to the challenges of independence the withdrawal of the educational supports and services some of these kids have been receiving since they were as young as 2 years old; those supports vanish when they age out of children’s services. They do not grow out of their autism, and they may very likely have other, accompanying problems, including anxiety and ADHD, that may make things that much harder.

Invisible disabilities

Over the next five years, an estimated 200,000 teenagers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder will be aging out of the services provided under the federal Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA). Of those, a significant number will be invisibly disabled teens and young adults like Gross. They may have attended mainstream schools, thanks to services and accommodations such as social skills groups, occupational therapy and additional time during test taking.

While IDEA allows students to remain under the children’s services umbrella until they’re 21 or 22, depending on the state, many teens with less severe ASD will want to leave high school earlier, along with their typical classmates, despite the fact that they may lack the independent living and social/emotional skills that early adult life, including college, require. Besides, “public school tends to be difficult place for people on the autism spectrum,” Shore says. “There are many situations where it’s better that they enter adult school, where the bullies are gone and the classes are more interesting.”

Transition planning

The aging-out process begins officially with transition planning, which takes place during the annual meeting for the child’s federally mandated individual education program (IEP), starting as early as 14 and no later than 16, depending on the state. At that point, the focus shifts to any kind of post-high school education, training or experience, “from hygiene to banking to job training, driver’s education, sex education, college admissions and more,” writes Lisa Jo Rudy at Autism After 16 , an excellent resource about transitioning, along with Autism Speaks’ Transition Tool Kit . But Shore believes this planning should begin earlier—much earlier.

“Transition starts as soon as you know someone has autism, even at two and a half,” he says. “It doesn’t mean you’re determining your child’s entire adult life, but you are trying to figure out their strengths so that they can be molded to lead to a fulfilling and productive life.”

Shore realizes this is a tough concept for parents to get their arms around. “It can be overwhelming to find the time or energy to want to see that far into a future, especially when you’re in the thick of things. Some will assume their kids will get into college and do fine, but the evidence shows that the hand is stacked against them and they need to prepare for it, the earlier the better.” He suggests that parents find support groups to help them deal with all the issues their children’s autism presents, both now and in the future.

Practice in self-advocacy

Traditionally, students start attending their IEP meetings when transition planning kicks in, but they may do so earlier. By the time they’re teenagers, Shore says, students need to learn about negotiating for reasonable accommodations that will help them succeed.”For instance,” he says, “a child might share that the scratching of pencils during tests is distracting and they can’t work,” leading to a request for a separate space for testing.

“Some do research for their own accommodations,” he adds. “They’ll say, ‘I don’t need extra time, I need help in organizing time. This provides them with practice in self-advocacy, which is critical in college and everywhere else in adult life,” when IEPs and parental advocacy end.

Those interested in pursuing college will find a great resource in Navigating College: A Handbook on Self Advocacy Written for Autistic Adults from Autistic Adults , compiled by The Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). Written by autistic adults, the handbook offers practical advice on everything from self-advocacy to sensory issues. (Tip: Find a quiet dorm.) Shore advises students to make an appointment with the disabilities office and disclose that they’re on the spectrum. While colleges don’t require seeing an IEP, he suggests that students offer their paperwork so the school has a better idea of their needs. Meanwhile, GRASP , the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership, offers a video that provides a good overview of issues and considerations for autistic students.

Tools for staying organized

Once at Vassar, Zoe Gross devised some practical tools to help her stay on track, including visual timers, planners and multiple alarm clocks. Because “there are so many small steps between waking up and walking out the door (getting up, showering, dressing, packing…),” she drew a flow chart that starts with the question: “Do you need a shower?”

“Those tricks only go so far,” she says.

“Autistic students need a way to spend more time in school without it being prohibitively expensive to our families, as college already is for so many,” she says. “We need a way to work at a different pace and have that be all right. Ideally, many of us would benefit from having personal care aides at college, as a quadriplegic student might have. However, it’s going to be hard to get supports like these put into place because they cost institutions money.”

Becoming overwhelmed

Special-education advocate Carol Greenburg, who is also an editor at Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism and East Coast regional director of the Autism Women’s Network , knows firsthand what Gross is experiencing, though Greenburg’s struggles in college were mainly due to her social and emotional delays. “Kids who are very verbal and whose autism is not obvious—like I was and am—are in danger of falling into a trap of taking on a little more than they can handle, and even a little bit can lead to real problems,” she says. “We’re dysregulated more easily than people with a non-autistic brain.”

Autistic students becoming overwhelmed is “a huge problem,” Greenburg says. “Either they do very well academically but are miserable because of deficits in the emotional area, or they crash and burn because the demands are so high, living away from home in a competitive college environment, where a lot is expected.

The problem for parents is that when your kids reach college age they don’t want to hear from you and they don’t realize how dysregulated they’re becoming. They end up back home, having dropped out of college.”

Keeping things manageable

Back home in Oakland, California, Gross is earning some credits at community college, to allow her to take fewer courses when she heads back to Vassar without jeopardizing her financial aid. She feels this is the only way she can keep things manageable. She says because community college is more flexible, it might be a good starting point for autistic students and is also a good Plan B.

Greenburg agrees: “It’s a great way to try out the academics of college while being home-based. I might have been better off in a setting that was a little closer to home and didn’t take on quite as much beyond academics. Then I could have gradually moved to a setting where I’d have to live independently.”

Does Gross have any advice for autistic students headed for college campuses? “College is designed for the use of neurotypical people,” she says, “not for you. The guilt you feel when you have to ask for extensions or accommodations, when you turn in papers late, or when you have to take time off can be overwhelming. Try to remember that this isn’t happening because you’re a bad person—it’s happening because colleges are not accessible enough for students like us. Hopefully one day we can change that, but for now, hang on, do your best and try to keep loving yourself, no matter what happens.”

This is the second in a series on young adults with autism growing up and aging out. Part I discussed finding (and sometimes inventing) good supported living options . Part III explores working while on the spectrum .

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College Essay: Finding purpose through my sister

“Your sister has autism.”

I have learned that life is not all about me. I realized that I need to focus on others, especially those who are most in need, like my sister.

Those four words changed my life.

In the fall of 2015, my parents, my two sisters and I gathered around our kitchen table. My sisters looked perplexed. My mother’s lips were trembling. She struggled to say the words. After, there was silence. Salty drops were running down my cheeks. The words that my mother spoke went through me like a bullet. I still hear those words every day. Now, though, they give me purpose, whereas before they left me devastated.

During the last 18 months, my love for my 12-year-old sister Magdaleny has grown stronger and stronger. I have learned that life is not all about me. I realized that I need to focus on others, especially those who are most in need, like my sister. I knew that it was not going to be an easy task, but I was determined to support her.

Opportunity found me quickly. One day, in a public library in Bloomington, the librarian finished asking me for the personal information needed to get a library card. Then he asked my sister for the same basic information. She stayed quiet when the librarian asked her date of birth. She didn’t say a word; she panicked. That’s when I knew that I had to step in and say, “June 22, 2004.”

The librarian said, “Thank you,” and gave me a confused smile. When I looked at Magdaleny, she seemed to be embarrassed, staring at her hands and not making eye contact with the librarian or me. My heart dropped. My sister did not know what she had or how her disability affected her, but I was there to help her with her communication skills and behavior.

I’m still helping her today.

I work with her interests and talents, focusing on what she can do rather than what she can’t. Her behavior at home can be hard to handle. She often acts like a toddler, demanding to be in control. During these times, I help her understand that “no” is an OK answer, and that there is no need to be frustrated. It’s tough, but I won’t give up. I believe God meant my autistic sister to be a way for me to learn my purpose in life. I know God allowed me to open my heart and understand that my mission is to serve others.

Importantly, that mission includes the poor. When I was growing up in Mexico, there wasn’t enough money for food and housing, and certainly not enough for the medical care my sisters and I needed. My father had to leave the family and go to the United States to earn money for our care. That’s when I realized that there’s no health care if you’re poor.

These two life experiences, my sister’s autism and growing up poor, have inspired me to become a pediatrician. I want to support families, especially those with infants and those who can’t afford medical care. I want to bring hope to families in developing countries. My dreams will bring challenges, and it won’t be easy. But courage, faith and knowledge are the values that will keep me going. I have Magdaleny to thank for that.

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Autism & College

By campbell teague.

College can be challenging for any student, but especially for first-time students with autism.

Right now, there is a new wave of students with autism who are preparing to enter college. Soon they will have to adjust to a new environment and, possibly, learn how to live independently in the dorms.

More students with autism spectrum disorders are attending college than they have in the past.

According to the CDC, 1 out of 54 school-aged students has autism.

These young people are aging out of school and preparing for post-secondary options, including college, and many professors and campus staff do not know how to support them.

My Experience at College

I have autism, and I went to college, earning both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree. I was very fortunate to have a generally good college experience. Almost all of my instructors understood that I was different and that I had special needs.

Most of my professors and the disability services office worked with me to provide the right accommodations. I did not live in a dorm because I was able to drive to college from home.

The only negative experiences I had at college were primarily with other students. I am not good at socializing, but I tried. Sometimes, I found myself getting shunned and frowned-upon. I also discovered that many students did not know what autism was. Some even believed that autistic people were monsters waiting to snap, which is not true at all. In spite of these difficulties, I did make some wonderful friends who did understand me.

ASD students need special accommodations to thrive. One of our challenges is socializing. On-campus, we often have a hard time making friends and getting plugged into college groups.

So, the question is, what can parents and college staff do to support us?

Here are some helpful tips and information that I can share based on my own experience attending college.

Services and Accommodations

The first thing parents need to do is get documentation that their child has ASD. Providing documentation allows students with ASD to register with the college’s disability services office. Registering with disability services provides a way for receiving accommodations.

Families should also familiarize themselves with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates accommodations for people with disabilities in settings such as universities and colleges. Accommodations will vary among ASD students. Some common examples include allowing for more time to get to class, note-takers in the class, and alternative testing locations.

Additional accommodations might include having a special room in the dormitory or having a special place to go during sensory overloads. I would like to see more colleges adopt accommodations like these.

Support from Professors

Professors often don’t know how to support students with autism. Some professors might be scared or intimidated by students with ASD; others may be influenced by stereotypes in the media

The most important thing professors can do is to accept that ASD students are different and that we require special accommodations. This means honoring our accommodations and taking the time to work with us and the disability services office.

Autism is not a behavioral problem.

People with autism are wired differently. For example, some students may ask a question in class, then ask the same question again a few minutes later. Professors may get annoyed with this, but sometimes we need to hear the same thing twice before we get it.

When an ASD person has a meltdown, it is not intentional. Usually, it is a response to something unpleasant, such as lighting or loud sounds in the environment. Having a plan with a professor to leave the room for a calmer space can be very helpful. Compassionate and caring professors can go a long way in making college a pleasant experience.

Living on campus can be problematic for people with autism. Some students with ASD may struggle with sharing a room with a stranger. Dorms can also be very loud.

Resident directors also need to understand that they may have a student with ASD who does not socialize and needs special living accommodations. For example, we may need to have a single dorm room without a roommate to avoid constant dysregulation.

Lighting in a dorm room may need to be changed, too, such as the removal of CFL bulbs. CFL bulbs flicker and can cause headaches for some of us on the spectrum.

Transitioning to College 

Using Art to Aid Transition

Self-Advocacy and Disclosure

Campbell Teague is an adult with autism; diagnosed at the age of 23. However, it was speculated he was autistic when he was four years old. He earned an Associate’s degree in Natural Science, a Bachelor’s degree in Biology (health science), and in 2013, completed a Master’s degree. He has an interest in Meteorology. He also is a disability advocate and blogs about autism, often integrating his Christian faith into his advocacy.

From Special to H.A.P.P.Y.

autismAdmin 2024-01-26T09:45:52-05:00 December 12th, 2023 | Adults on the Spectrum , Autism Spectrum Disorders , WAO , Webinar |

Peter Vermeulen, Ph.D., considers a positive approach to psychoeducation for autistic individuals. He draws on over 25 years of experience to illustrate contemporary changes in autism intervention focus and discourse. The speaker

Examining the Transition to Adulthood in Autism: Challenges and Opportunities in the Aim of Thriving

autismAdmin 2024-01-19T18:26:51-05:00 September 5th, 2023 | Adults on the Spectrum , Webinar |

David B. Nicholas, Ph.D., examines the transition to adulthood and its implications for autistic individuals. He presents the ecosystem mentality and discusses recent findings supporting a holistic and future-oriented

Transitions from Pediatric to Adult Medical Care

autismAdmin 2023-11-02T15:02:29-05:00 October 4th, 2022 | Adults on the Spectrum , Autism Spectrum Disorders , Health , Medical Care , Ways to Help , Webinar |

Julie Corder, CNP, and Carrie Cuomo, DNP, CPNP, with the Cleveland Clinic Learning Hospital, discuss the critical stages of transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for individuals with complex medical needs. They

Back-to-School Resources

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Whether you’re a parent preparing a child for grade school or an adult transitioning into or out of college, the back-to-school season can present unique challenges for families and individuals with autism.

LGBTQIA+ and Autism

Melanie Glock 2023-06-16T12:51:08-05:00 June 13th, 2022 | News , Parenting |

Contemporary research on the intersection of autism, sexuality, and gender identity asserts that autistic individuals are more likely to identify as LGBTQIA+ than the neurotypical population. Similarly, the prevalence of autism is

Transportation issues rarely addressed by providers

Melanie Glock 2022-05-04T13:26:26-05:00 May 4th, 2022 | News |

Very few medical or behavioral specialists discuss driving or other transportation-related issues with patients who have ASD (autism spectrum disorders), according to a new study. Emma Sartin and colleagues surveyed 78

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Essay

Autism is a serious disorder that has the potential to disrupt the success of people living with it. This report shall set out to explore various aspects regarding this disorder. To this end, an overview of the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment shall be offered. This shall aim at expanding our understanding regarding this disorder so as to enable us to be better prepared to handle it whenever the need arises.

Introduction

Autism has been noted to be among the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorder. Kuder (2003) denotes that in the USA, an estimated 2.1% of the population aged between 8 and 17 is affected by autism in its various forms.

Autism is manifested by varied behavior but it is chiefly characterized by inability to communicate, lingual deficits, lack of a sustained attention, low level of activity, temper tantrums, sleep disturbance, aggression inadequate motor control and other non-compliant behavior. These behaviors are detrimental to the social and educational endeavors of the people involved.

Biological and genetic aspects of autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum is a medical term that is used to describe children and adults who experience difficulties in motor coordination, socializing, communicating (verbal and non-verbal) and language acquisition (Tager-Flusberg, Paul and Lord, 2005). The authors describe autism as a neurological disorder that stems from the brain’s inability to carryout some functions normally.

The causes of Autism as well as the reasons why it affects lingual and communication skills are not entirely known though there is a close linkage between Autism and genetics.

Studies indicate that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is inherited between family members. A study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association (2000) indicated that there is a 3-6% chance of getting autism amongst siblings.

However, Korvatska et al (2002) state that the difficulty experienced by scientists in pinpointing the genetic aspects of autism emanates from the lack of extended family histories. In most cases, autistic individual become more detached socially that they rarely marry or have children. As such, finding a family that has detailed genetic information regarding autism is difficult.

On a brighter note, twins have been used to explore the genetics behind autism (Beaudet, 2007). One study indicated an 82% likelihood of an autistic identical twin having the same disorder. This is in contrast to the 10% likelihood indicated by results from fraternal twins. More sophisticated studies have in the recent past concluded that 90% of autism related behavioral phenotypes are as a result of inherited genes (Happé & Ronald, 2008). This shows that there is a strong relationship between autism and genes.

Biologically, the root cause of autism has been difficult due to relative inability to access and study the brain systematically. However, technological innovations and advancements such as MRIs, CT scans and SPECT have made it possible to study the structure and functionality of the brain.

As a result, specialists have been able to deduce that majority of the brain’s structures play a pivotal role in the development of ASD. According to NIMH (2009, p. 1) they include but are not limited to “the cerebellum, cerebral cortex, limbic system, corpus callosum, basal ganglia, and brain stem”.

Similarly, other studies indicate that various neurotransmitters such as serotonin and epinephrine have a strong link to autism. The diagram below shows the biological basis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. It shows various structures of the brain and explains the functions that each play. Various symptoms of ASD are as a result of the structures’ inability to carry out their normal function.

A diagram showing brain structures linked to ASD

ASD Etiology

As mentioned earlier, the causes of ASD are not well known. However, researches conducted in this regard indicate that genetic, nutritional and environmental factors play a pivotal role in the development of the disorders. Results from numerous studies indicate that genetic factors predominate.

Others indicate that certain foods, infectious diseases, plastic and metallic extracts could cause autism. Similarly, smoking, alcohol, illicit drugs and some (mercury-based) childhood vaccines have also been attributed to causing autism. However, none of these causes are conclusive and more research needs to be conducted. This is to mean that the theory of causation regarding autism is not complete as yet.

Prevalence of ASD

The most recent survey conducted by center of disease control (CDC) indicated that autism rates have increased significantly over the past three decades. In most cases, studies indicate that autism is most prevalent among children. According to Rutter (2005), boys are four times more likely to be autistic than their female counterparts.

In addition, the author states that the symptoms of autism exhibit themselves from childbirth until three years of age. Parents are the most likely to discover these symptoms. As a result, they should ensure that they have their children checked at the onset of various abnormal behaviors.

Rutter (2005) asserts that the prevalence of autism disorder has been facilitated by ignorance and assumptions made by caretakers. In some cases, parents assume that their children are ‘slow and that they will develop as they grow up. However, this approach has proven to be costly since autism can best be handled as soon as it is detected.

Delaying makes it difficult to come up with remedies and coping mechanisms for both parents and the individuals having autism disorders. The main symptoms of this disorder include communication (verbal and non-verbal) difficulties, inability to develop and maintain relations with other people, abnormal lingual patterns and repetitive behaviors. Whenever any of these symptoms are discovered, it is highly recommended that medical or psychiatric assistance be sought.

Diagnosis of ASD

An early diagnosis of ASD is important since it enables the people involved to come up with effective interventions before its too late. Recent studies show that intensive interventions administered in a control environment for a minimum of two years during preschool leads to behavioral and social improvements among children with ASD.

Clinicians base their diagnosis depending on the behavioral traits exhibited by a child. For a diagnosis to be made, NIMH (2009) asserts that at least one of the symptoms associated with ASD must be present. This means that a patient must have abnormal patterns of communication, socialization and restrictive behaviors.

In most cases, the diagnosis is made through a two-stage process. The first stage is “a developmental screening normally conducted during the routine childhood check-ups, while the second one involves a more comprehensive behavioral analysis by a team of experts (NIMH, 2009, p. 1).” Below are the stages that are followed to diagnose ASD.

The American Psychiatric Association (2000) recommends that every parent should ensure that a developmental screening test is carried out for his/her child during the “well child” check-up. The author contends that screening plays a pivotal role in the early identification of ASD symptoms.

Due to its importance, there are various screening instruments that have been developed to facilitate the diagnosis process. They include but are not limited to Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) and its modified version; M-CHAT. Similarly, the Screening Tool for Autism in Two-Year-Olds (STAT) as well as the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) have proven to be effective in diagnosing ASD in children aged between two years old and above four years old respectively.

According to Tadevosyan-Leyfer et al (2003), questionnaires given to parents provide important information during the diagnosis process. As such, some instruments rely on such responses while others depend on these responses as well as observations made by the caregiver. However, these screening instruments are not as effective as they should be when it comes to identifying mild ASD or Asperger syndrome. As a result, other screening instruments such as the Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) and the Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) among others have been developed so as to diagnose these forms of ASD (NIMH, 2009).

Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation

This is the second stage of diagnosis and it relies on the skills of a team of different experts such as psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and therapists among others. This evaluation entails a comprehensive analysis of neural, genetic, cognitive and language testing in order to conclude whether a patient is suffering from autism or other behavioral disorders.

Some of the instruments used at this stage include: Autism Diagnosis Interview-Revised (ADI-R), which is a structured interview designed to test a child’s “communication, social interaction, restrictive behaviors and age-of-onset symptoms, and the Autism Diagnosis Observation Scheduling (ADOS-G), which is designed to identify abnormal, missing or delayed communication and social behaviors (NIMH, 2009, p. 1).”

The teams of experts that conduct this diagnosis determine the strengths and weaknesses of the child and recommend various treatment options that should be undertaken.

Treatment of ASD

According to Freitag (2007) there is no one-shoe-fits-all approach to treating ASD. However, specialists in this area seem to agree on the fact that early interventions are of great importance. Arguably, the best treatment is one that considers the interests of the patient, allows the patient to learn in accordance to his/her ability and causes no harm to the overall well being of the patient. With this in mind, there are specialized programs and treatments that have proven to be effective against ASD symptoms.

For starters, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is among the most used intervention in treating ASD (SAMHSA, 2011). Similarly, there are dietary and medical interventions that help suppress unwanted behaviors among autistic children (NIMH, 2009). In regard to learning, there are specialized educational programs that seek to enhance the socio-communicative, cognitive and language skills of autistic students.

It can be articulated from this report that Autism is a problem that needs to be focused on. With proper understanding as to what the condition entails, parents and practitioners are better armed to assist patients overcome the weaknesses brought about by the condition and therefore achieve successful lives.

From this study, it can be authoritatively stated that early diagnosis and treatment of Autism spectrum is necessary to increase the chances of success in learning for the child suffering from this disease. Whereas Autism is not curable, it can be managed so as to ensure that it is not disruptive to the life of the individual during his/her future endeavors.

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR (fourth edition, text revision). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Beaudet, A. L. (2007). Autism: highly heritable but not inherited. Nat Med, 13(5): 534–6.

Freitag, C. M. (2007). The genetics of autistic disorders and its clinical relevance: a review of the literature. Mol Psychiatry. 12(1): 2–22.

Happé, F., & Ronald, A. (2008). The ‘fractionable autism triad’: a review of evidence from behavioral, genetic, cognitive and neural research. Neuropsychol Rev, 18(4): 287–304.

Korvatska, E et al. (2002). Genetic and immunologic considerations in autism. Neurobiology of Disease , 9: 107-125.

Kuder, S. (2003). Teaching Students with Language and Communication Disabilities. USA: Allyn and Bacon.

NIMH. (2009) Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders) . Web.

Rutter, M. (2005). Incidence of autism spectrum disorders: changes over time and their meaning. Acta Paediatr. 94(1): 2–15.

SAMHSA. (2011). Autism Spectrum Disorders . Web.

Tadevosyan-Leyfer, O et al. (2003). A principal components analysis of the autism diagnostic interview-revised. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(7): 864-872.

Tager-Flusberg, H., & Lord, C. (2005). Language and Communication in Autism. Web.

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Asperger's Syndrome

A sample scholarship essay from someone with asperger's syndrome.

As you deliberate your way through mounds of scholarship essays, searching for the individual most deserving of your award, my essay may serve as an atypical, perhaps eye-opening, application: I am not the most well-rounded individual. Please don’t discount me until I’ve had a chance to explain.

I have Asperger’s syndrome. Predominately, for me, this means I am hyper-focused on one aspect of learning and give little care to other things. My friends play soccer, volunteer once a week, and play an instrument flawlessly. Me? I study medicine. I read a copious volume of medical literature, from personal memoirs to the Medical Encyclopedia, to the Drug Guide and everything in between.

I am the least coordinated gym student, most musically illiterate band student, but I excel in my area of passion for which I’m coming to your university to study.

One night a few weeks ago, as I exited a convenience store, I noticed a man “sleeping” on a chair outside a coffee shop. My brain instantly thought, “His chest isn’t rising and falling.” Most people would not be in tune to noticing if a supposedly sleeping man’s chest was rising and falling. I knew what to do. My extensive first aid training and medical knowledge kicked in. I sent someone to get an AED. I checked for pupil dilation, pulse, signs of respiration, and levels of consciousness. The paramedics were 20 minutes away, and I had to keep the man alive, which I did successfully because of my knowledge in handling emergencies. My Asperger’s may have saved a life.

I live each day to help others. I volunteer in the emergency department sitting with lonely people; I raise money for the local children’s hospital, The Parkinson’s Society, and the local homeless shelter. My passion is to see people thrive, and I desire to be a doctor so I can be a catalyst in helping others achieve wellness.

I also have chronic anxiety and clinical depression. These lifelong battles have made me an empath, able to resonate with others on a deep level. I believe this trait makes me an asset to your institution. Who better to care for the sick than the person who knows what it’s like, not just from medical jargon in a textbook but on an actual personal level?

My soul craves human connections and real relationships, both of which are harder for me to accomplish because of my social disconnect. I don’t need easy, I need possible. I don’t allow my diagnoses to define me or limit me. Know that every morning I wake up fighting for deep, meaningful relations with those around me. Know that I fight through cracks, crevices, and disconnects in my brain’s neurons to pursue life. I will likely be your school’s strongest mental health advocate, disability warrior, and social justice fighter because those issues are where my whole heart lies.

So maybe I’m not the best-rounded applicant you have. Maybe I haven’t tapped into every opportunity that’s ever been in my reach, mainly because it didn’t interest me. Maybe I don’t have flowery reference letters from 100 different faculties.

Passion, sometimes, isn’t scriptable on a transcript or a resume.

Honestly, I won’t involve myself in every society and club your campus offers. I don’t waste my time pursuing opportunities that bore me just to say “I did it.” Know that what I do involve myself in, I will invest my whole heart in, including my studies.

My name is Lola, and I have Asperger’s syndrome.

My name is Lola, and I will be the most passionate medical student you’ve seen in a long time.

And that is why I believe I am deserving of your scholarship.

We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor  here .

Thinkstock photo by PongsakornJun

POTS / living my best life / advocate

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Autism Spectrum College Essays Samples For Students

29 samples of this type

Do you feel the need to examine some previously written College Essays on Autism Spectrum before you get down to writing an own piece? In this free collection of Autism Spectrum College Essay examples, you are given a fascinating opportunity to discover meaningful topics, content structuring techniques, text flow, formatting styles, and other academically acclaimed writing practices. Adopting them while composing your own Autism Spectrum College Essay will surely allow you to finalize the piece faster.

Presenting superb samples isn't the only way our free essays service can help students in their writing endeavors – our authors can also compose from scratch a fully customized College Essay on Autism Spectrum that would make a solid foundation for your own academic work.

Good Essay About Autism Spectrum Disorder And Challenging Behaviors

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Study Selection For Scientific Merit Paper Essay

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Comprehensive sexual education is fundamental for health of individual. Sexual education for autistic students in high school is essential. This group of students is often ignored as they are seen unable to have sexual pleasures due to their disability. These students often have poor social interactions and behave inappropriate in public due to lack of sexual education. The paper discuses the rationale for provision of education for this group, the educational benefits accrued and the development of a successful training session to address education for autistic students.

Comparative Essay Essays Example

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and he was born in the United States. His parents migrated from Ecuador and they speak

Spanish at home. While his father is able to communicate with a limited vocabulary his

mother has less command of the English language. Christopher is on the Autistic Spectrum and he has been having Speech Therapy to help him develop his language.

Personal Identity

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Autism as an essay topic

<p>I am thinking about using having Asperger’s syndrome and how it has affected my life in my college essay. I was diagnosed with a mild form of Asperger’s syndrome at a very young age and I have always struggled with it to a point that I have ‘‘overcome’’ it in a certain way. People with Asperger’s are generally considered to be antisocial and not able to adapt to changes, as well as other things. However, I have emigrated to another country where I learned two languages and have made a big group of friends and I sort of ‘‘fit in’’ (I hate that expression). So no special school, no social outcast, etc. When I confess to people I have autism they always tell me that they haven’t noticed it for a single second and they tend not to believe me. So would an essay about having Asperger’s, its effect on my childhood and my battle with it until the present day be a good thing for an application or do you think that it is too much or that when admissions officers read the word ‘‘autism’’ they immediately throw away my app. Do you think this is a good idea? Thank you!</p>

<p>sounds like a great topic! Just keep in mind that you should really show colleges who you are through your essay; that is the point of the essay: to fill in the gaps that your grades/extracurriculars could not.</p>

<p>Thank you very much for your feedback! Anybody else something to comment?</p>

<p>I wrote an essay on having high functioning autism. I don’t think to me it is worth hiding it’s who you are. Also write about your life and things you have done.</p>

<p>Yes, I think it would show who you are and how you have overcome a challenge. Also keep in mind that Asperger’s can be a gift. Do you have any outstanding talents and interests? What did you do to help overcome the social challenges? These are also your strengths. I think there are many positive aspects to AS- loyalty, hard working. Consider addressing some of the stereotypes that people have about autism and show that they are not necessarily true- that people with AS do make friends, adapt to new situations, and that you have what it takes to do well in college. I hope a school would not discriminate, but I understand the fear of people not understanding, yet many well accomplished people have AS.</p>

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Jackie Schuld Art Therapy Blog

• Feb 17, 2023

The Great List of Autistic Essays

I’m a late-identified autistic who loves writing about autism. How much do I love it? I’ve written over 150 essays on it in the past six months alone.

How do I think of so many autistic topics to write about? I’m an art therapist who specializes in late-identified autistic adults. That means I not only have my personal experience to draw from, but also the hundreds of hours spent listening to my clients.

I share most of my essays here on Medium, which means it has now become quite the library. In an effort to make my essays more accessible to those wanting clear, relatable information about late-identified autism in adults, I’ve sorted my essays into topics below. While I wish I could provide a link to each of them for you… I’ve got to prioritize my time and energy. So if a specific essay interests you, just pop it into the search and it’ll come up

Autism in a Neurotypical World

What Would a World Designed by Autistic People Be Like

The Harm in "They're a Little Autistic"

Autism Does Not Directly Cause Socializing Problems

Please Trust My Lived Autistic Experience

Can Someone Please Create a Neurodivergent Intentional Living Community

What if I Accept that Most Neurotypicals Won't Like Me

How Neuro-Bias Shows Up in Professional Testing

Your Autistic Experience Sounds Just LIke my Neurotypical One

Neurotypical Words that Don't Work for Autistics: Overachiever

But Neurotypicals Experience That, Too!

Neurotypical Norms That Don’t Work for Autistics: Hustle Goals

The Fear of Being a Hypocritical Autistic

Neurodiversity: Us vs Them?

How to Meet an Autistic Adult Exactly Where They're At

Autism Characteristics

The Autistic Mind Loves to Take Detours

4 Reasons Why Autism Symptoms Lists are Confusing

My Autistic Brain: Sunshine and Detours

The Joys of Being Autistic: Part 1

Stop Saying Autistic People Can't Empathize

Redefining Fun for Autistic Adults

9 Reasons Why Autism Looks So Similar to CPTSD

We Need More Depictions of the Interior Experience of Autism

Clarity is What my Autistic Mind Craves

How Trauma and Autism Can be a Confusing Mix to Decipher

Why am I like This? Understanding the Autistic Brain

My Autistic Mind Does What it Wants

The Dissociated Autistic Performance State

The Joys of Being Autistic: Increased Creativity and Innovation

My Autistic Memory Is Not the Same as Others

The Firehouse Dilemma: Autism and Infodumping

The Variability of the Autistic Sensory System

5 Reasons Autistics are Especially Hard on Themselves

The Shame That Often Accompanies Autism

Knowing You’re Different as an Autistic Adult

3 Reasons Autism is Worse After You Learn You're Autistic

Disability and Internalized Ableism

I Had to Dismantle My Fear of Autistic People

Is Autism a Disability?

I’m Ok With Saying I have a Disability, Right?

Dog Training

The Difficulties of Adjusting to a New Dog When You're Autistic

Tips for Adjusting to a New Dog When You're Autistic

5 Tips to Integrate a Dog into Your Autistic Life

Defining and Explaining Autism

What I Wish Others Knew About Autism

Let’s Drop the “Disorder” From Autism Spectrum Disorder

How Low and High Autism Labels are Misleading

We Need All the Autism Theories and Models

Autism Can Be a Murky Thing To Understand

How I Explain Autism to Someone Unfamiliar With It

What is Late Identified Autism

Autistic Statistics are Not Accurate for Late-Identified Autistics

I'm Here for the Autistic Awakening

How It Helps to Know You’re Autistic

Why It Matters to Know You're Neurodivergent

What is Neurodiversity and Why Does it Matter

How Neurodivergent Acceptance Can Improve Our Lived Experiences

How Unidentified Autistics are Taught to Socially Camouflage and Mask

Is There a World Where I can Be Unmasked?

The False Dichotomy of Masked and Unmasked Autism

6 Reasons Why UnMasking Is Harder Than it Sounds

What if You have to Mask Everywhere?

My Personal Experience as an Autistic

Hating Cooking as an Autistic Adult

I Make Giant Lists About Autism for Fun

The Challenges of Writing Publically About Autism

The Risk of Sharing my Autistic Passions with Others

I'm Reclaiming Weird for My Autistic Self

I Expand and Then I Contract

I Stopped Seeing Myself As Broken When I learned I was Autistic

Respecting my Limits as an Autistic Business Owner

I Need to Lessen the Pressure on my Autistic Self

My Autistic Brain Doesn’t Want to Watch TV Right Now

Embracing Who I am as an Autistic Adult

I Used to be a Very Judgemental When I Didn’t Know I was Autistic

A Letter from An Autistic Adult to Trust

Don’t Get So Upset: A Line that Doesn’t Work for This Autist

Why This Autistic Writer Didn't Respond to Your Comment

Relationships

Is Dating Worth it as an Autistic Adult?

Is it Possible to be Happily Partnered as an Autistic Adult?

Not Liking People as an Autistic Adult

Self-Identification

So You Think You Might Be Autistic

Dearly Newly Identified Autistic Person

Am I Actually Autistic?

Dearest Smart, Weird, and Caring Autistic

I Am Deeply Unsure About Autism

How to Self Identify Autism as an Adult

When the Past Makes Sense after a Late-Identification of Autism

Where to Start When You First Learn You’re Autistic

6 Strategies to Harness the Hyperfocus Power of an Autistic Mind

Leave the Gremlin In the Cave: Self-Isolation as a Necessary Autistic Tool

No Plans Days as an Autistic Tool

Making Accommodations for Myself as an Autistic Adult

How Many Accommodations Can We Ask for as Autistic Adults?

Using Art to Help Your Autistic Mind

Dissociation as an Autistic Tool

The Power of the Home Environment for Autistics

Is It Ok to Honor My Autistic Needs?

Recognizing When It's Not Time to Make Decisions as an Autistic

Therapy for Autistics

Dearest Autistic Client of Mine

8 Ways Therapy Can Help With Late Identified Autism

Gaslighting the Autistic Experience

Dearest Therapist Who Knows Barely Anything About Autism

I'm an Autistic Therapist: Sometimes It's Easier Than Everyday Life

Does Your Therapist Know Enough About Autism to Help You?

Questions to Ask a Potential Therapist When You're Autistic

How I Work with Newly Identified Autistic People

What to Ask When You're Seeking Therapy for Late-Identified Autism

12 Ways Therapy Can Enhance Life for Late Identified Autistic Adults

Therapy is Not for Fixing Autism

The Harm I Caused When I Didn't Know about Autism

A Newly Identified Autistic Therapist Working with Newly Identified Autistics

Common Therapy Advice That is Counterproductive for Autistics

A Therapist Told Me Treating Autism is Like Treating Depression

Who Can Diagnose Autism in Adults?

Autistic Adults Deserve Better from the Mental Health Field

Undiagnosed Autism

The Correlation Between Intelligence and Undiagnosed Autism

10 Consequences of a Life with Unidentified Autism

The Gap Between “Diagnosable Autism” and a Lifetime of Unidentified Autism

Autism Diagnosis Criteria are Limiting for Men Too

No Autistic Should Receive a Diagnosis Letter Like Mine

Identifying Autism in Undiagnosed Women Abstract

How I Identify Autism in Undiagnosed Women

Autistic Stereotypes Block People From Knowing They're Autistic

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to read more, sign up for my FUNletter . If you would like to explore your autistic identity with an autistic therapist, you can learn more about my therapy services here .

Recent Posts

My Autistic Sensory System is a Demanding, Bougie Princess

My Autistic Silence Does Not Mean Agreement

This Autistic is Quitting the News

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 177 college essay examples for 11 schools + expert analysis.

College Admissions , College Essays

The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I'll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 11 different schools. Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 177 full essays and essay excerpts , this article is a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You'll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author's present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author's world, and for how it connects to the author's emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don't take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don't want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don't bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

And if you need more guidance, connect with PrepScholar's expert admissions consultants . These expert writers know exactly what college admissions committees look for in an admissions essay and chan help you craft an essay that boosts your chances of getting into your dream school.

Check out PrepScholar's Essay Editing and Coaching progra m for more details!

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now :

Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these.

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of 177 college essay examples responding to current and past Common App essay prompts. 

Connecticut college.

• 12 Common Application essays from the classes of 2022-2025

Hamilton College

• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2026
• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022
• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2018
• 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2012
• 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2007

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Coalition Application (which Johns Hopkins used to accept).

• 1 Common Application or Coalition Application essay from the class of 2026
• 6 Common Application or Coalition Application essays from the class of 2025
• 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2024
• 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2023
• 7 Common Application of Universal Application essays from the class of 2022
• 5 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2021
• 7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2020

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

• 2 Common Application essays ( 1st essay , 2nd essay ) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a collection of essays that are college-specific.

Babson College

• 4 essays (and 1 video response) on "Why Babson" from the class of 2020

Emory University

• 5 essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) from the class of 2020 along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on why the essays were exceptional
• 5 more recent essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on what made these essays stand out

University of Georgia

• 1 “strong essay” sample from 2019
• 1 “strong essay” sample from 2018
• 10 Harvard essays from 2023
• 10 Harvard essays from 2022
• 10 Harvard essays from 2021
• 10 Harvard essays from 2020
• 10 Harvard essays from 2019
• 10 Harvard essays from 2018
• 6 essays from admitted MIT students

Smith College

• 6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018

Books of College Essays

If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers.

College Essays That Made a Difference —This detailed guide from Princeton Review includes not only successful essays, but also interviews with admissions officers and full student profiles.

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson—A must for anyone aspiring to Harvard .

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays and 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe—For essays from other top schools, check out this venerated series, which is regularly updated with new essays.

Heavenly Essays by Janine W. Robinson—This collection from the popular blogger behind Essay Hell includes a wider range of schools, as well as helpful tips on honing your own essay.

Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example 1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

"Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?"

"Why me?" I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. "The water's on fire! Clear a hole!" he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I'm still unconvinced about that particular lesson's practicality, my Dad's overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don't sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don't expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame.

It's the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren't going to get food or dinner; they're going for "Texas BBQ." The coat hanger comes from "a dumpster." Stephen doesn't just move the coat hanger—he "jiggles" it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn't just uncomfortable or nervous; he "takes a few steps back"—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word "click."

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally.

"Unpredictability and chaos" are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like "family of seven" and "siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing," Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: "in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed."

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase "you know," so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father's strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn't occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad's approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can't control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like "twists and turns" and "don't sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he "learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

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Example 2: By Renner Kwittken, Tufts Class of '23 (Common App Essay, 645 words long)

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go," and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration.

Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear.

I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

In the lab, Dr. Ray encouraged a great amount of autonomy to design and implement my own procedures. I chose to attack a problem that affects the entire field of nanomedicine: nanoparticles consistently fail to translate from animal studies into clinical trials. Jumping off recent literature, I set out to see if a pre-dose of a common chemotherapeutic could enhance nanoparticle delivery in aggressive prostate cancer, creating three novel constructs based on three different linear polymers, each using fluorescent dye (although no gold, sorry goldbug!). Though using radioactive isotopes like Gallium and Yttrium would have been incredible, as a 17-year-old, I unfortunately wasn't allowed in the same room as these radioactive materials (even though I took a Geiger counter to a pair of shoes and found them to be slightly dangerous).

I hadn't expected my hypothesis to work, as the research project would have ideally been led across two full years. Yet while there are still many optimizations and revisions to be done, I was thrilled to find -- with completely new nanoparticles that may one day mean future trials will use particles with the initials "RK-1" -- thatcyclophosphamide did indeed increase nanoparticle delivery to the tumor in a statistically significant way.

A secondary, unexpected research project was living alone in Baltimore, a new city to me, surrounded by people much older than I. Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research. Whether in a presentation or in a casual conversation, making others interested in science is perhaps more exciting to me than the research itself. This solidified a new pursuit to angle my love for writing towards illuminating science in ways people can understand, adding value to a society that can certainly benefit from more scientific literacy.

It seems fitting that my goals are still transforming: in Scarry's book, there is not just one goldbug, there is one on every page. With each new experience, I'm learning that it isn't the goldbug itself, but rather the act of searching for the goldbugs that will encourage, shape, and refine my ever-evolving passions. Regardless of the goldbug I seek -- I know my pickle truck has just begun its journey.

Renner takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but their essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through some of the strengths of this essay.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

This essay is ultimately about two things: Renner’s dreams and future career goals, and Renner’s philosophy on goal-setting and achieving one’s dreams.

But instead of listing off all the amazing things they’ve done to pursue their dream of working in nanomedicine, Renner tells a powerful, unique story instead. To set up the narrative, Renner opens the essay by connecting their experiences with goal-setting and dream-chasing all the way back to a memorable childhood experience:

This lighthearted–but relevant!--story about the moment when Renner first developed a passion for a specific career (“finding the goldbug”) provides an anchor point for the rest of the essay. As Renner pivots to describing their current dreams and goals–working in nanomedicine–the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” is reflected in Renner’s experiments, rejections, and new discoveries.

Though Renner tells multiple stories about their quest to “find the goldbug,” or, in other words, pursue their passion, each story is connected by a unifying theme; namely, that as we search and grow over time, our goals will transform…and that’s okay! By the end of the essay, Renner uses the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” to reiterate the relevance of the opening story:

While the earlier parts of the essay convey Renner’s core message by showing, the final, concluding paragraph sums up Renner’s insights by telling. By briefly and clearly stating the relevance of the goldbug metaphor to their own philosophy on goals and dreams, Renner demonstrates their creativity, insight, and eagerness to grow and evolve as the journey continues into college.

An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Renner sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know them.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Renner's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks their younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver.

I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Renner gives a great example of how to use humor to your advantage in college essays. You don’t want to come off as too self-deprecating or sarcastic, but telling a lightheartedly humorous story about your younger self that also showcases how you’ve grown and changed over time can set the right tone for your entire essay.

Technique #2: intentional, eye-catching structure. The second technique is the way Renner uses a unique structure to bolster the tone and themes of their essay . The structure of your essay can have a major impact on how your ideas come across…so it’s important to give it just as much thought as the content of your essay!

For instance, Renner does a great job of using one-line paragraphs to create dramatic emphasis and to make clear transitions from one phase of the story to the next:

Suddenly the destination of my pickle car was clear.

Not only does the one-liner above signal that Renner is moving into a new phase of the narrative (their nanoparticle research experiences), it also tells the reader that this is a big moment in Renner’s story. It’s clear that Renner made a major discovery that changed the course of their goal pursuit and dream-chasing. Through structure, Renner conveys excitement and entices the reader to keep pushing forward to the next part of the story.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Renner emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research.

In the examples above, Renner switches adeptly between long, flowing sentences and quippy, telegraphic ones. At the same time, Renner uses these different sentence lengths intentionally. As they describe their experiences in new places, they use longer sentences to immerse the reader in the sights, smells, and sounds of those experiences. And when it’s time to get a big, key idea across, Renner switches to a short, punchy sentence to stop the reader in their tracks.

The varying syntax and sentence lengths pull the reader into the narrative and set up crucial “aha” moments when it’s most important…which is a surefire way to make any college essay stand out.

Renner's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Connecting the research experiences to the theme of “finding the goldbug.”  The essay begins and ends with Renner’s connection to the idea of “finding the goldbug.” And while this metaphor is deftly tied into the essay’s intro and conclusion, it isn’t entirely clear what Renner’s big findings were during the research experiences that are described in the middle of the essay. It would be great to add a sentence or two stating what Renner’s big takeaways (or “goldbugs”) were from these experiences, which add more cohesion to the essay as a whole.

Give more details about discovering the world of nanomedicine. It makes sense that Renner wants to get into the details of their big research experiences as quickly as possible. After all, these are the details that show Renner’s dedication to nanomedicine! But a smoother transition from the opening pickle car/goldbug story to Renner’s “real goldbug” of nanoparticles would help the reader understand why nanoparticles became Renner’s goldbug. Finding out why Renner is so motivated to study nanomedicine–and perhaps what put them on to this field of study–would help readers fully understand why Renner chose this path in the first place.

4 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Get Help From the Experts

Getting your college applications together takes a lot of work and can be pretty intimidatin g. Essays are even more important than ever now that admissions processes are changing and schools are going test-optional and removing diversity standards thanks to new Supreme Court rulings .  If you want certified expert help that really makes a difference, get started with  PrepScholar’s Essay Editing and Coaching program. Our program can help you put together an incredible essay from idea to completion so that your application stands out from the crowd. We've helped students get into the best colleges in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.  If you're ready to take the next step and boost your odds of getting into your dream school, connect with our experts today .

#2: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

• Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?
• Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?
• Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?
• Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it . Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

#3: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

Check out essays by authors like John Jeremiah Sullivan , Leslie Jamison , Hanif Abdurraqib , and Esmé Weijun Wang to get more examples of how to craft a compelling personal narrative.

#4: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

For more editing tips, check out a style guide like Dreyer's English or Eats, Shoots & Leaves .

What's Next?

Still not sure which colleges you want to apply to? Our experts will show you how to make a college list that will help you choose a college that's right for you.

Interested in learning more about college essays? Check out our detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application , some suggestions on what to avoid when writing your essay , and our guide to writing about your extracurricular activities .

Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The recommendations in this post are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Chris Martin and Imane Boukaila: On Poetry, Autism and Our Neurodivergent Future

Please join us for this very exciting program, co-presented with our friends at the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State. Poet and educator Chris Martin is visiting from Minneapolis, from where he's been realizing his deep dream of teaching poetry to autistic youth. That work has resulted in a series of new books of remarkable poetry, in Milkweed's Multiverse series, edited by Martin. Young poet Imane Boukalia joins us from her home in Toronto, Ontario, to help us welcome her debut book of poetry into the world. 

Imane Boukaila is the author of  Tressing Motions at the Edge of Mistakes  and a moving nomad thinker, daring to tress hope in tormented voids. She is a nonspeaking autistic poet and the co-founder of Hear Our Minds, an art movement motioning autistic revolution. She lives in Toronto. The newest book in the  Multiverse series,  Tressing Motions at the Edge of Mistakes , her debut collection of poetry, is activated by sampling, troubling, and trespassing.

“Boukaila makes kinesthetic what is static, and makes static what moves too quickly for us to attend.” —Divya Victor

This is a book of what its teenage nonspeaking autistic author calls “tacit treasures.” Where manifestos encounter poems and raps encounter essays, the lyric constellations that mark this debut sing in opposition to those “troubled-abled” who would coerce and control disabled lives. Boukaila offers another way: her “LOL tressed philosophy,” her truth. This liberatory philosophy exists at the periphery, thresholding, in all the places where life opens toward neurodivergent revolution.

Chris Martin is this very moment endeavoring to become himself, a somemany and tilted thinking animal who sways, hags, loves, trees, lights, listens, and arrives. He is a poet who teaches and learns in mutual measure, as the connective hub of  Unrestricted Interest  and the curator of  Multiverse , a series of neurodivergent writing from Milkweed Editions. His most recent book of poems is  Things to Do in Hell  (Coffee House, 2020) and his first book of nonfiction is  May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future (HarperOne, 2022). He lives on the edge of Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis, among the mulberries and burr oaks, with Mary Austin Speaker and their two bewildering creatures. 

Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Please  register to attend, either online or in person.

• The Poetry Center reading room is located on the fifth floor of the Humanities Building at SF State, and is wheelchair accessible.
• ASL/CART provided; for other access needs contact: Emily Beitiks at [email protected]
• VIDEO for this program will be posted after editing at  Poetry Center Digital Archive .

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