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Are you in the process of applying to college and wondering how to get started on writing your introduction? A good introduction should capture the reader's attention and set the scene for the rest of the essay. This post is here to help give you some college essay introduction strategies to help ensure you craft a compelling introduction and make your essay stand out!
College Essay Introduction Strategies
The list of strategies is provided below, along with some examples of introductions taken from the Clastify website. Click the links in blue below to read the full exemplar essays.
Describing A Scene
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.
In this strategy, you can describe a scene that gives the reader context for the rest of the essay. In this example, the student described a scene where they had to go to the bathroom but were too shy to ask. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student describes their journey from being shy to becoming confident, but also realizing how to balance confidence and humility to avoid being arrogant.
Discussing An Anecdote
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.
In this strategy, you can provide the reader with an anecdote from your personal life that correlates to the story's main message. Here, the student has used an anecdote of how their Chinese name was mispronounced in the US and how this led to the student trying to erase their cultural identity by adopting a more anglicized name. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student learns to embrace their cultural identity.
Directly Addressing The Reader
If you were wondering how to pronounce my name, it's Didacus. My name, unlike more common names I come across, isn't typically engraved on keychains sold at gift shops or stamped on the side of Coca-Cola bottles. Read the full example here.
In this strategy, you can directly address the reader by using the second-person voice. This engages the reader as it makes the introduction feel more interactive rather than narrative. In this example, the student has directly addressed the reader by using a rhetorical question to ask if the reader was wondering how to pronounce their name. This sets up the rest of the story where the student describes their journey from being ashamed of their name to being proud of having a unique name.
Using A Quote
"Normality is a paved road: It's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow"
- Vincent van Gogh
Perfection has always been demanded, phrases constantly repeated like: 'stick out,' "don't fail', and "be like them'. Now, this makes dreamers wonder how to be the perfect role model, asking themselves every single day what they do wrong. Like this, dreams, passion, and creativity get crushed, because everyone is seeking perfection, whereas we should seek the extraordinary. Moreover, 'what if are persistent in almost everybody, especially teenagers who are looking for their trail in life. Something that is not a bad thing, nevertheless, scary, and if you get lost in infinity there's no going back. In this essay, I'll show you the trail of a dreamer (someone who has dreams yet to accomplish); how scary it is to feel lost in your own choices, creating the most beautiful outcome of them. Read the full example here.
In this strategy, you can use a quote from a famous person to catch the reader's attention. In this example, the student has used a quote from Vincent van Gogh to outline how normality is like a paved road that is comfortable to walk on but no flowers grow. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student describes the topic of 'what if' for people who are dreamers and don't want to follow the path of normality, but instead have bigger aspirations.
Using Statistics
One in three victims of a heart attack don't show any symptoms before it happens. Ninety-five percent of cardiac arrests that occur outside a hospital are fatal. These are not merely statistics. A heart attack redefined my life on November 21st, [Date]. Read the complete example here.
In this strategy, you can use a statistic related to your essay topic to grab the reader's attention. In this example, the student has used the statistics of 1 in 3 heart attack victims not showing any prior symptoms, as well as 95% of heart attacks occurring outside hospitals. This then sets up the story of how the student's father suffered from a heart attack and how this affected the student's life.
Stating A Fact
"Ribbit?"
"RIBBIT RIBBIT!"
Frogs vary their tone or pitch to create different accents for their sonorous croaks. The amount of air stored in their throats and the force with which it releases this air determines a frog's origin. Perfectly analogous to the multicultural society we live in. To humans, the essence of their croaks means nothing. Yet, when we communicate with each other, our tongues positioning is enough to form an opinion of someone. Alas, this intrinsic human nature left me in an everlasting dilemma about my accent and vocal modulation. Read the whole essay here.
In this strategy, you can use a surprising fact to start your introduction. In this example, the reader has used a fact of how frogs vary their pitch or tone, which makes their croaks have different accents. In this way, the analogy of frogs having different accents is used to show how humans also have different accents. This leads to the essay as the student describes their journey of having a different accent compared to their peers.
Asking A Question
Do you believe in fate? For the longest time I know I did not. However, one experience I went through changed my perception. It allowed me to realize how life can be unpredictable and that the things we want most will come when we least expect them. However, this does not come without perseverance and a positive mindset, two values I learned from this experience. On top of this, l also realized that you do not have to be talented or have a particular skill to be successful in something, as long as you are willing to work for it you can achieve anything. Read the full example here.
In this strategy, you can ask a thought-provoking question to make the reader start thinking about the topic more deeply. In this example, the student has asked the reader if they believe in fate. This sets up the rest of the essay where the student describes their journey with taking a difficult class at school and how they overcame challenges and eventually succeeded in the course.
We hope that this guide has helped you identify some strategies that you would like to use when writing your college essays. For more help on writing your college essay introductions, see these posts here for information regarding writing college essay introduction examples, and college essay introduction format and structure. Good luck with your applications!
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