The Ultimate Personal Statements Collection
We've reviewed thousands of personal statements over the years, and have hand-picked our favorites. These essays were written by students who got into top colleges, including UC Berkeley, Brown, Stanford and more.
From structure to storytelling to engaging beginnings that leave the reader hooked, these exemplars will inspire you.
Get the Essays
We'll send you a link, so you can find them again later.
Meet the Authors
Here are a few of the students you'll meet when you download the Ultimate Personal Statements Collection.
Christine, Smith
"I appreciated CEU’s thorough revision process. Every time I sat down to write, my essay improved. I was so happy with the final draft!"
Sophia, UC San Diego
"My first essay underwent more revisions than I’d like to count. But when I switched to CEU’s template, everything just clicked."
Jiang, UC Berkeley
"I wanted an awesome essay but honestly didn't even know where to begin. I am blown away by how good my essay turned out. Thanks, CEU! "
Take the Essay Template Quiz
The best essays are written using templates. It's a foolproof approach.
But not just any template will work – you must choose the right one for your personal story. If you don't, your essay won't sound authentic.
Take our quiz to find a template, that will make your essay rich, real and highly compelling.
FREE Foundation and Fundamentals Course
Our free video course gives you everything you need to build a strong foundation for your essay, including:
- Guided brainstorm to choose your topic
- Overview of the templates we offer and how they work
- Assessment quiz for choosing your template
- Writing your outline
You'll also get full access to our Resources Library, which includes some of our best writing tips and 20 stellar essay examples written on a broad range of topics.
