Need Inspiration from College Essay Examples about the Most Influential Person

I'm a lil bit stressed as I'm working on my college essays right now. I want to write about an influential person in my life but I'm stuck on who exactly to write about. Anyone know of any relatable examples where someone wrote about a very important person in their life? I'm looking for inspiration. Thanks in advance!

One way you might approach this is to think not just about who has influenced you, but how they've done so. Then, try to tie that influence not just to your past experiences, but also to your future goals.

Let's say, for instance, that you've been greatly influenced by a high school teacher. Instead of focusing solely on recounting memorable classroom moments or the teacher's inspirational characteristics, you could discuss how this person sparked your curiosity in a certain subject, leading you to pursue it in college and beyond.

One student might write an essay about their grandmother, who had a significant impact on their life. They elegantly explain how her gardening hobby inspired their interest in environmental science and sustainable living. The essay isn't just about remembering their grandmother's love for her garden, but about making connections to their educational path and future career aspirations.

Another example might be a student writing about their older sibling who took care of them after school because their parents were working. This essay doesn't focus just on the relationship between the siblings, but also demonstrates the student's understanding of responsibility, empathy, and sacrifice at a young age, traits they then transferred into their involvement in various school clubs and community service.

Always remember, when discussing influential people, it's not just about who they are to you, but how their influence has shaped you and your aspirations. The ultimate subject of the essay should still be you. Your growth, change, and the insights you've gained about yourself along the way – these are the things the college admissions officers really want to know about, so make sure your essay doesn't become too much about the other person. They're not the one admissions officers are thinking of accepting!

For some examples of this kind of essay written by real students, you might want to check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/upenn-thank-you-essay-examples/. The prompt these students were responding to asks them to write a thank-you letter to someone in their life, which is not exactly the same as writing about someone who influences you, but many of the same ideas apply, and the post breaks down exactly what they did well and where they could improve.

Good luck with your essays!