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A college essay is crucial to a student's college application process. It is essential to have a good structure, with ideas that smoothly flow between paragraphs. To ensure that a college essay captivates the reader, it is vital to have a strong introduction that sets up the rest of the essay. However, given the open-ended nature of essay prompts, many students face challenges when getting started on writing their college essays.
If you are a student who is currently in this situation, this post is here to help you! Keep reading to see some college essay introduction examples, along with a brief explanation of why each introduction is a good one. Each exemplar has been taken from the Clastify website. The introduction of each essay is provided in this post, but click on the links in blue if you want to read the full example college essay.
College Essay Introduction Examples
Example 1
2013: Trash taken out? Check. Laundry done? Check. Everything perfect? Check. While my mom was busy working, I was in charge of all household responsibilities. At 9:00 p.m., just like the day before, I embraced my mom as she manoeuvred her drained body into our apartment after yet another excruciating day at work. As the owner of a struggling housecleaning company, she would wake up daily at 5:00 a.m. to beat the LA traffic, only to return home overworked by 9:00 p.m., mutter some words to me, and return to bed to follow the same agonizing routine the next day. But she endured the job, despite its numbing physical and psychological toll. She had no other choice. She was considered unhirable in the United States, but she still had to make enough money to pay the bills and put food on the table. This life of cyclical fatigue and exhaustion was certainly not her "American Dream." Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction as it sets the scene of how the student's mother worked long hours every day to support the family, and how the student did not like seeing their mother in this condition, as seen by phrases like "drained body ", "agonizing routine", and "numbing physical and psychological toll". This sets up the rest of the essay where they describe how hard their life was before they came to the USA and how their mother's enthusiasm for work slowly faded after years of hard labour. This then leads to the student discussing how they learned about entrepreneurship to improve their mother's company, which develops their passion to continue being an entrepreneur at university.
Example 2
The three, small, purple seeds sat on the brown soil. Ten feet from me I could see my grandpa with his yunta and donkeys. They were in unison: the two donkeys, the plow, and him. My grandpa commanded; the donkeys obeyed. I began to feel tired. Exhausted. My neck was being pierced by the Mexican sun as I dropped seeds for hours. Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction as it shows the student's cultural background and how they came from humble beginnings as their grandfather was a farmer. However, it also shows a contrast where the student could not do this type of work, as seen in the phrase "I began to feel tired. Exhausted." This deviation from their grandfather's work sets up the rest of the essay where the student discusses how they deviated from the trends seen in their family by overcoming language barriers, staying in high school, and getting good grades, which addresses the prompt of how their cultural background affected their journey.
Example 3
X was an ugly letter. It was a cross-out, an error, a rebel. Nothing started with X except for xylophone and X-men. And my name.
It was in first grade, in my third year living in the United States, that I realized how ghastly "Xinxin Zhang" sounded on American lips. The teacher pronounced it "Zin-zin Zang," and my classmates followed suit. My name was supposed to mean "warm-hearted," and was to be spoken in a soft tone: "Shin-shin Jahn." But the letters hardened on the English tongue, and along with them, my heart. I alienated the name that had alienated me, attempting to anglicize myself with the name "Grace." I left Xinxin behind; she belonged to China, not my new life in America. Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction as it shows the reader how the student used to be embarrassed by their cultural identity and ethnic name, as it was difficult to pronounce in the US. The use of the phrase "I alienated the name that had alienated me" shows that the student was trying to suppress their cultural identity in favour of becoming more American, further solidified by the phrase "I left Xinxin behind; she belonged to China, not my new life in America". This sets up the rest of the essay where the student discusses how she further legally changed her name to minimize the impact of her ethnic name, but then slowly began to embrace her background by learning her native language and connecting with her culture more deeply.
Example 4
I have to go...
I REALLY have to go.
I was two minutes from catastrophe. All I could think about was the bathroom. But I couldn't raise my hand. I was too scared to speak in front of a class of judgmental eight-year-olds. Despite my bladder's protests, I continued to sit silently. Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction as it catches the reader's attention due to the sense of urgency created in the first 2 sentences. The rest of the introduction is also effective as it shows the shy nature of the student, as they were too nervous to speak up in class and ask to use the bathroom. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student discusses how they slowly started gaining confidence and became less reserved. However, they soon decided that their newfound confidence started to make them more careless, which led to them concluding that they needed to find a balance between their two sides of discipline and spontaneity.
Example 5
10:00 AM - Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
12:30 PM - Lunch at Blacktap
2:00 PM - Wicked on Broadway
6:00 PM - Rockefeller Center and Lego Store
As the informally designated family vacation planner, I made sure to accommodate each of my family member's interests along with my personal desire to constantly make the most of each opportunity, which meant that our schedule was always filled to the brim. Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction as the itinerary-like hook catches the reader's attention. The student also discusses how they liked being the planner and packing many activities into their family's schedule, in order to make the best use of time. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student talks about how they focused too much on the end goal rather than on the journey to get there, which led them to realize they were missing on out quality moments, such as not being able to describe what their favourite piece was at the MoMA. This led to them deciding to take more time to enjoy the small moments and not rush themselves to complete tasks.
Example 6
I watched the man who held my future in his hand warily. As our substitute teacher moved down the register in sophomore P.E, I crossed my fingers, desperately hoping that l'd hear the right syllables. Pearl, James, Richard... and I knew by the ensuing silence he was finally reading my name. My heartbeat grew so loud you'd have thought there was someone sprinting inside my chest. Finally, he asked "Is Addy here? Addy Marina Lam?" much to the snickers and laughter of my classmates. A familiar wave of embarrassment swept over me as I feebly raised my hand.
This is a good introduction as it shows the student's embarrassment at hearing their substitute teacher mispronouncing their name in front of all their other classmates. This shows the conflict the student faces in embracing their cultural identity through their traditional name. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student discusses how their parents came up with their name, as well as their middle name which was taken from the student's sister's favourite movie as a child. This leads to the student realizing the significance behind their name, and how much meaning there is behind it which directly addresses the prompt of how the student's background or identity has shaped them. Read the whole essay here.
Example 7
People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.-where did you get that cat? Why won't you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is...uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable. A couple of examples are that an equal number of pets are euthanized as are adopted each year and that cats roam the streets at night because they are actually looking for owners with better food. One of those statements is a horrible truth and the other is a thought I had in the shower. Either way, the point still stands. Uncomfortable truths are just that, uncomfortable. The answer to 'Why won't you go back to your country, you terrorist?' is the most uncomfortable answer I can give, barring the current status of aboriginal street cats. Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction because it captures the reader's attention through the use of multiple questions at the beginning. This shows the cultural mismatch between the student's background and that of their peers, which makes the student uncomfortable. This introduction sets up the rest of the essay where the student discusses their identity as a Sikh and how they faced problems even though there should technically have been freedom of religion. The student's essay then builds on this topic of being "uncomfortable", as the student went against the norm and used their voice for positive social justice by speaking up for their cousin. This shows personal growth as the student has chosen to change the narrative from being uncomfortable to speaking up for change.
Example 8
I won "Most Original" pumpkin at a Halloween party years ago. I have the "Most Original" award. It's a consolation prize. You can't be the best, or the prettiest, so you have to be "original." I've won the "Most Original" award a fair number of times. I was even named "Most Original" at a basketball awards banquet. What does that even mean? How can anybody be "Most Original" when she's playing basketball? Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction as the student describes their disdain at being the "Most Original", which most people would see as a good thing. The contrast between the norm of originality being seen as good, and the student seeing it as some sort of consolation prize captivates the reader's attention and makes them want to know more about why the student feels this way. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student describes how they have always tried to be normal and fit in as it was the norm in their hometown. However, their perspective starts to change after moving to a new city in which they learn that being original is not necessarily a bad thing, but rather shows their individuality in a crowd.
Example 9
Traveling back from a last-minute audition, I rested my head against the train's frosted window as my exuberance dissipated into the old industrial buildings and barren trees. The stained, stiff seats of the Boston commuter rail became increasingly uncomfortable as I realized my acceptance to the Houston Ballet Academy on full scholarship launched me down a path of uncertainty and unfamiliarity. Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction because it provides an overview of the student's feelings after they were accepted into a ballet school that led to everything in their life changing. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student discusses how they were initially close-minded and egotistical, resisting correction from teachers and refusing to conform to the rules. However, this allows the student to describe their personal growth after being rejected from SAB and instead attending the Houston Ballet Academy, where they had a change of perspective, developed their dance skills, and met lots of inspiring people.
Example 10
Adele's dramatic ballad Skyfall plays in my head all the time in my darkest moments, in my proudest triumphs, and even in the daily minutiae of my life. The 4-minute piece is stately and sweeping, reminding me of the dynamism of emotions music conveys. I had this epiphany at age 10, where in my debut performance at a local concert hall, I performed it to a spanning audience of city locals. In the middle of a crescendo, the song's main violinist pushes his bow against his instrument's stubborn strings and Adele belts louder; with a similar push, this mastery compels me to vocalize how I feel from within. It was a novelty and depth I sought to reproduce. And yet, my heartfelt attempt roused few more than one elderly woman in the audience. Read the whole essay here.
This is a good introduction because it sets the scene of how the student performed a song locally but did not feel like they were appreciated by the crowd. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student talks about the lack of support they received as an amateur artist and how this made them feel underappreciated. This led the student to develop their skills and learn about event management in their industry to help other budding artists avoid facing the challenges that the student faced. This addresses the prompt as it outlines how the student's talent helped them develop new skills and grow as a person.
We hope this post has provided you with some useful examples of college essay introductions. Good luck with your college applications!
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